Attorney Ervin A. Gonzalez Named

“Most Effective Lawyer” in Civil Litigation by the Daily Business Review

-          Gonzalez Recognized for $61 Million Verdict for Family of Brain Damaged Baby -

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Miami, Florida, January 4, 2007 – Coral Gables attorney Ervin A. Gonzalez has been named the “Most Effective Lawyer” for Civil Litigation in 2006 by the Daily Business Review for the second year in a row.  In deciding the outcome of The Most Effective Lawyer, The Daily Business Review’s staff conducted a two-month, results-oriented process that focused on client outcomes and the complexity of cases or deals. Other factors considered by the editors and staff included public-policy significance and business impact. The selection process began with more than 130 nominations in 14 practice area categories and ended with five to six semifinalists in 12 categories.

Gonzalez, 46, was selected for a case tried before a Federal Judge on behalf of a boy who was severely brain damaged at birth at a Jacksonville Naval Hospital. The judge ruled in favor of the parents and awarded $61 million in pain and suffering – the highest Federal Tort Claims award ever.  As a result of the ruling, others similarly situated came forward, prompting Senator Nelson of Florida to open an investigation of the hospital, its practices and its high incidents of malpractice.

Through responsible civil litigation Gonzalez has created changes that have promoted consumers’ rights, product safety, and social responsibility, including the case for which he won “Most Effective Lawyer” for in 2005 – the case of a sixth-grader who was electrocuted when he took refuge in an Eller Media bus shelter during a rainstorm.  Gonzalez obtained a $65 million verdict for the family and was able to prove in a civil jury trial that Eller Media’s gross negligence resulted in the boy's electrocution.  As a result of the litigation, all bus shelters in Miami Dade County were converted to solar power, making the shelters safe.  “I believe that litigation is the voice by which the common person is heard,” said Gonzalez.  “Every time I try a case and win it sends a message to those who believe that they can put profits over people or disregard someone because they are old, poor, or disadvantaged.  The message is that justice is blind and wrongdoers will have to pay.” 

Gonzalez’s message has been heard loud and clear over his 21 year legal career.  As a board certified specialist in civil trial and business litigation, Mr. Gonzalez has succeeded in obtaining 23 verdicts in excess of a million dollars, with many of his verdicts ranking among the top in the country, earning him accolades from publications such as Lawyers Weekly USA, which placed him in its 2005 list of top 11 lawyers in the nation and Hispanic Business Magazine, which named him one of the nation’s 100 most influential Hispanics in 2006. Gonzalez has consistently been recognized as a leader in the prestigious Best Lawyers in America, Chambers and Partners, Law Dragon 500, and Leading American Attorneys among others.   “We can all make a difference in the lives of others” said Gonzalez.  “Litigation is my way of promoting change.”