THOMAS G. SCHULTZ is a founding shareholder of Lehtinen Schultz.  Mr. Schultz focuses his practice on civil litigation, receiverships and arbitration.

AREAS OF EXPERIENCE

  • Corporate Disputes
  • Distribution Agreements
  • Unfair Competition
  • Professional Liability
  • Trusts and Estates
  • Real Estate Transactions, Joint Venture and Partnership Disputes
  • Corporate and Real Estate Finance Disputes
  • Receivership Law
  • Attorneys’ Fees Litigation
  • Expert Testimony regarding legal malpractice and contested attorneys’ fees

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

  • Co-Author of Annotated Florida Rules of Civil Procedure Forms Book (West, 1985 with supplements).
  • Martindale-Hubbell “AV” Rated for more than 30 years.
  • Finalist in the Daily Business Review, Most Effective Lawyers, 2007
  • Finalist in the Daily Business Review, Most Effective Lawyers, 2009
  • Arbitrator, American Arbitration Association Commercial Panel
  • Academy of Court-appointed Masters
  • Recognized as one of Florida’s Top Lawyers by the South Florida Legal Guide.
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America
  • Listed in Chambers U.S.A. “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.”
  • Listed in Florida Super Lawyers.

SIGNIFICANT REPRESENTATIONS

  • Served as lead counsel in hundreds of complex commercial litigation cases over a 30-year period, including appeals at all levels of state and federal courts in Florida.
  • Tried cases in state and federal courts in California, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico.
  • Litigated cases involving disputes arising in the following areas: corporate governance, business contracts, distribution agreements, accounting and legal malpractice, probate proceedings, trust disputes, partnership governance, major real estate finance agreements, real estate transactions and broker litigation, insurance coverage and bad faith litigation.
  • Court appointments include receiverships arising from United States Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions; federal receiverships resulting from Federal Trade Commission enforcement actions; federal receiverships resulting from Federal Communications Commission enforcement actions; Fee and Cost Examiner in major federal class action cases; numerous appointments as Special Master in state and federal actions to conduct (with parties’ consent) non-jury trials and recommend rulings on dispositive motions and discovery disputes.
  • Arbitration panel appointments serving as non-neutral and neutral panel member in numerous ad hoc and institute sponsored major complex arbitration proceedings.
  • Settlement Compliance Arbitrator enforcing Court-approved settlement in major HMO class action.
  • Twenty-five years of Mediation experience includes serving as court appointed and party appointed mediator in major multi-party litigations including a $300 million commodities fraud national class action.
  • Testified as expert witness in numerous major attorneys’ fees litigations, including a $40 million fee claim in a national class action.

PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

  • Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers; member, Florida State Committee
  • American Arbitration Association, certified panel member
  • Adjunct Professor of Litigation Skills at University of Miami School of Law since 1982
  • Commissioner, Senator Bob Graham’s Judicial Nominating Commission; Chairman, Southern District Conference of that Commission
  • Chairman, Federal Judicial Nominating Commission throughout Florida for U.S. Senator Connie Mack
  • Chair, Judicial Bar and Community Liaison Committee for U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
  • Chair, Florida Third District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission
  • Ad Hoc Panel Member of Florida Supreme Court Judicial Qualifications Commission
  • Member, American Law Institute
  • Member, Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism
  • Member, The Florida Bar, Former Member and Chairman of Third District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission
  • Pro Bono General Counsel for the Boys and Girls Club of Miami
  • Member, University of Miami Eugene P. Spellman American Inn of Court, Board Member (and Member, Executive Committee)
  • Member and Chairman, Florida Grievance Committee for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit
  • Member, Florida Bar Civil Procedures Rules Committee (member of three-person drafting sub-committee)
  • Member and Chairman, Florida Bar Judicial Nominating Procedures Committee
  • Member, Florida Bar Rules of Judicial Administration Committee