Harris Appeals

Harris Appeals, a Palm Beach County Appellate and Trial Support Firm, is seeking an additional associate to join our growing practice. A clerkship and/or a minimum of one year working in?trial?support/appeals is?preferred.??A remote opportunity is available for the right candidate.? The practice consists of?trial?support (including but not limited to, assisting lead trial counsel with pleadings, dispositive motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment, Daubert Motions, jury instructions, preserving the record and arguing important issues at trial, and post-verdict work), as well as appeals in all civil matters throughout the State of Florida.?Our?Firm specializes in personal-injury work on the plaintiff’s side only,?though we also handle a variety of appeals in other civil matters. The Associate Attorney position requires attention to detail, research skills, the ability to write persuasive memorandum of law and briefs, and an interest to network with trial attorneys. If you meet the above qualifications and are interested in joining our team, please email your resume and cover letter?to?the Firm?at?[email protected].

Earlier this week, Grace Streicher of Harris Appeals had the honor of speaking at the Orange County Bar Association’s “Hot Topics in Evidence" Continuing Legal Education Seminar. She presented on "Post-HB 837 in our Trial and Appellate Courts", sharing valuable insights on how this legislation is shaping Florida’s legal landscape. Harris Appeals is committed to staying at the forefront of legal developments to better serve our clients and the legal community.

Harris Appeals is proud to announce a recent monumental victory in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, due to the extraordinary work of Grace Streicher and Andrew Harris. In this case of first impression in this Circuit, our clients, the plaintiffs, sued a nursing home for failing to take proper measures to protect their mother and other nursing residents from Covid-19, resulting in their mother’s death. The nursing home removed the state court case to federal court, arguing that the plaintiff’s claims were barred by the PREP Act—a federal law that protects certain actors who use certain anti-pandemic countermeasures from suit for injuries arising from the use of those countermeasures. The Southern District of Florida disagreed that the PREP Act applied to the plaintiffs’ claims and remanded the case to state court, but the nursing home appealed. After briefing and oral argument, we waited for some time as the appellate panel carefully reviewed the legal issues. Finally near the end of 2024, the panel affirmed in a published decision, and later denied the nursing home’s motion for rehearing and rehearing en banc. Now unless the Supreme Court of the United States intervenes, the case will return to state court where our clients can, at long last, finally pursue their claims. We will always fight tirelessly for our clients to have their day in court and justice served, and now they will have that chance. We thank Spencer Kuvin from Goldlaw for trusting us with this appeal. The official court decision can be seen by accessing the link below: https://lnkd.in/ezuUz2He

This Veterans Day, we honor the brave men and women who have served our country with courage and sacrifice. We are grateful for your dedication to protecting our freedoms. Thank you, veterans, for all you've given. ?????

Harris Appeals is very proud to announce a recent settlement where a prominent insurance company failed to do the right thing, and paid for it. Our client was injured in a serious car crash where the defendant was recklessly driving at over 100 mph, but the defendant carried only $10,000 in insurance coverage. It would seem like the insurance company should have promptly tendered its minimal insurance policy proceeds, but as often happens, this insurance company did not care. Fast forward, after years of litigation, succeeding in adding a claim for punitive damages and summary judgment motions, on the eve of trial, the insurance company waived the white flag. The insurance company paid the very deserving client and family $7.25 million dollars to resolve the case, or 725 TIMES the insurance company’s policy limits. Thank you to Felice Trial Attorneys, and Tim Felice and Paul Dozois for bringing Andrew and Harris Appeals into this case for trial support, and an appellate perspective, and for their tenacity in standing up to this insurance company, and achieving justice for our client. This result also would not have been possible without the great work of an insurance bad-faith master, Fred Cunningham.

Today, we proudly celebrate National Paralegal Day and honor our exceptional team member, Emily Beasley! This day serves as a reminder of the vital contributions paralegals make to the legal community, and we are especially grateful for Emily’s dedication and hard work. Since joining our firm in 2021, Emily has become an indispensable asset, playing a key role in the success of numerous appeals led by Andrew and Grace. With a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and a minor in Psychology from Florida State University, Emily’s expertise and commitment continue to elevate our team’s success.

For the next two weeks, Andrew will be providing trial support in Suwannee County, working alongside a remarkable team of trial attorneys. They are representing a woman who was severely injured by a drunk driver operating a company truck. Unfortunately, the Defendants and their insurance company refused to take responsibility and fairly resolve the case, so a jury will now determine fault and the fair amount compensatory and punitive damages. Best of luck to Andrew and the talented attorneys he’s assisting!

Andrew Harris will be one of the presenters at the Florida Justice Association’s Annual Webinar tomorrow, Friday, August 23rd, updating members on legal issues addressing Proposals for Settlement, one of Andrew’s favorite legal topics. In addition to co-chairing the event, Andrew will be speaking on the differences between Demands for Judgment and Proposals for Settlement. For registration, please visit: myfja.org/events/2024pfs

Congratulations to Andrew Harris on a recent victory in the Fourth DCA. In this personal injury case, one of the defendants asserted it was entitled to sovereign immunity because it had a contract with a professional construction company that itself had a contract with the State of Florida for a construction project. The trial court rejected the defendant’s novel theory of sovereign immunity. While most orders in a case are not immediately appealable, this defendant was able to immediately appeal this order because of its immunity defense. After an Answer Brief and two rounds of supplemental authorities, the Fourth DCA agreed with Andrew’s argument that this defendant was not entitled to immunity. The Plaintiff’s personal injury case will now proceed to trial against this defendant and other parties responsible for causing our client’s catastrophic injuries. We thank the Plaintiff’s trial team at Rubenstein Law, and Plaintiff’s lead trial attorney, Jordan Kirby, for trusting us with this appeal.

Harris Appeals is proud to announce that Andrew Harris has earned a spot on the Super Lawyers prestigious Top 100 list among all lawyers in Florida and the Greater Miami area! The Top 100 list represents Florida lawyers who receive the highest possible points, following a rigorous multi-phased selection process that recognizes excellence in personal achievement as well as peer recognition. This is Andrew’s 12th consecutive year being selected to the Super Lawyers list, but his first time being honored as one of Florida’s Top 100 lawyers! Andrew is also one of less than a dozen appellate attorneys named to this list of the best attorneys across the entire State of Florida. Andrew consistently earns recognition from legal organizations and his peers for his exceptional contributions and dedication to the legal profession. His legal expertise, strong work ethic, and unwavering advocacy for his clients distinguish him as a leader among appellate attorneys. The Super Lawyers Top 100 list marks yet another notable accolade. Congratulations, Andrew!