Transportation Liability
Transportation Liability Team
Our Firm has a unique rapid response transportation unit which acts within minutes of being notified of a potentially covered catastrophic accident involving a tractor-trailer to begin obtaining and preserving evidence, interviewing witnesses, working with law enforcement personnel and the Department of Transportation at both the state and federal levels.
Appreciating the need for an accelerated, but comprehensive, investigation, our attorneys are equipped with the industry-specific knowledge and experience to thoroughly interview drivers, brokers, business owners and exhaustively locate and preserve both documentary and electronic evidence. Many of these claims involve multi-vehicle collisions resulting in wrongful death, or serious injuries including burns, disfigurement, paralysis, multiple fractures, and brain injuries.
Throughout the years, we have defended claims at all levels within the trucking industry, including claims against transport companies, movers, insurers, manufacturers, retailers, owners, brokers and drivers.
We have handled claims involving defective mechanisms, deficiencies in equipment maintenance and inspection, breach of duty in selection, over-loaded trailers, broker negligence, negligent hiring/retention/training, licensure problems, falsified records, and have vigorously defended disputes which have arisen as the result of same.
The depth of our experience affords us the ability to handle any size or type of claim, ranging from minor accidents involving minimal damages, to major accidents involving millions of dollars in potential damages.
Additionally, our Firm has vast experience with regard to evaluating medical-related damages, and we have defended hundreds of cases involving wrongful death, ligament damage, brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries.
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Transportation Liability Team
Katrina Carrillo is an Associate at Lydecker handling Florida civil litigation matters. Ms. Carrillo has extensive experience in the defense of civil disputes. She maintains a varied practice in insurance defense and commercial litigation, including general bodily injury and casualty, and professional malpractice.
Prior to joining Lydecker, Ms. Carrillo was an Associate at a prominent Florida defense firm where she gained significant litigation experience representing numerous insurance carriers in First Party Property matters throughout Florida. While earning her Juris Doctorate, Ms. Carrillo clerked with the Honorable Judge Peter Lopez and also worked as a law clerk with boutique law firms in the Miami area who focused on insurance litigation at both the State and Federal levels.
Associate
Mr. Conto is a Partner at the firm’s Boca Raton Office. Mr. Conto began his career in law representing corporations in legal matters concerning maritime law. Mr. Conto then joined a well-known litigation defense firm with offices throughout Florida. There he focused his practice on defending corporations in construction defect matters, premises liability matters and negligent security matters involving claims of wrongful death. He also represented insurance companies in high exposure first-party property disputes.
At Lydecker Mr. Conto is concentrating his practice on defending developers, general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, environmental consultants, product manufacturers and insurance carriers in a variety of contexts arising from the construction and use of real property. Mr. Conto has successfully represented clients in all phases of litigation including trials, summary judgment proceedings and mediations.
Partner
John P. Daly is based in Lydecker’s Orlando office where he serves as Of Counsel. He is a skilled litigation attorney with over 30 years of experience handling complex litigation in State and Federal Courts throughout Florida. He has tried multiple civil jury trials as lead counsel to verdict and handled scores of appellate matters, including oral arguments in the 1st and 2d District Courts of Appeal.
Mr. Daly’s practice areas include automobile negligence, premises liability, professional liability, and first- and third-party insurance claims.
Of Counsel
Michael Goldman is a Partner at the firm’s New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania offices. His practice focuses in the area of employment law. Michael represents employers across a multitude of industries in litigation related to employment discrimination claims, wage and hour claims, and restrictive covenants. He also counsels clients on best practices.
Michael has extensive civil litigation experience and handles cases from inception through trial. He regularly appears in federal and state courts, as well as in administrative law and dispute resolution forums. Prior to joining the firm, Michael practiced as an associate at a prominent New Jersey firm, concentrating his practice in defense litigation on behalf of private and public entities, with an emphasis on tort liability, labor and employment law, and civil rights defense. He also represented clients in the areas of wage and hour claims, commercial litigation, construction law, and education law. Earlier in his career, Michael was an associate at a well-known litigation boutique where he focused his practice on representing public entities in matters involving tort liability, labor and employment law, and civil rights defense. Michael has been selected to the New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Star list from 2019-2023.
Partner
Jeremy W. Harris is the Co-Chair of the Firm’s National Catastrophic Injury and Loss Defense Department. Mr. Harris has extensive trial and appellate court experience in complex litigation, with a special focus on the defense of claims involving wrongful death, paralysis, amputations, traumatic brain injury, sexual assault, and other serious injuries. These claims can result from a multitude of alleged causes, including construction site accidents and collapses, road construction accidents, commercial trucking and car accidents, premises liability, negligent security, and products liability, to name a few. Mr. Harris has specialized knowledge of each of the industries involved in these claims-knowledge that he uses to represent his clients to the best of his abilities.
Mr. Harris’s judicial philosophy involves every action being taken only if it is a purposeful step towards a favorable end result for his clients, whether that involves litigating a matter to conclusion or providing the best possible platform for settlement. He believes attention to the plaintiff’s claim is paramount, but opportunities for risk transfer must always be fully explored. This is especially true in cases involving catastrophic injury, as these claims often have millions or tens of millions of dollars at stake.
Mr. Harris also maintains a healthy construction law practice and represents architects, engineers, general contractors/subcontractors, and developers in all manner of construction/design defect litigation.
He has taken hundreds (if not thousands) of depositions and has attended hundreds (if not thousands) of hearings. Mr. Harris has tried cases before many trial courts throughout the state of Florida and has engaged in oral arguments in front of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Districts of the State of Florida. He obtained favorable results in the vast majority of these trials and appeals.
Mr. Harris serves as defense counsel from accident investigation to trial (and beyond if necessary) and also serves as monitor counsel/trial counsel for large claims that need a second look or additional help due to the complexity of the claims. When asked to join ongoing litigation, his approach is to immediately and forcefully take all action necessary to ready a case for trial.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Harris was a shareholder and managing attorney of a national firm’s Florida office, leading a large team of attorneys in complex litigation. Prior to going to law school, Mr. Harris was part of his collegiate and high school debate teams-qualifying in college for the prestigious National Debate Tournament. He is a proud husband and father of four boys and enjoys weightlifting in his free time.
Partner
Mr. Hendricks is the Managing Partner for Lydecker LLP. He practices out of the firm’s Miami and Boca Raton offices where he maintains an active trial and civil litigation practice in the Federal, State, and Appellate Courts throughout the State of Florida. Mr. Hendricks’ areas of practice include general civil litigation and trial practice, commercial litigation, professional liability/malpractice defense, insurance/tort liability defense, and labor and employment. He also serves as lead trial counsel for the firm’s clients and carriers and oversees the firm’s trial teams. He has over 25 years of experience representing clients and has successfully defended clients against multi-million dollar cases as lead trial counsel. He is often called upon to assist clients and carriers on high exposure and large loss claims in his capacity as monitoring counsel or co-counsel.
Upon graduating with Honors from the University of Miami School of Law, Mr. Hendricks began practicing as an associate Greenberg, Traurig, in the environmental litigation and land use department. Looking to further his litigation experience he accepted a position as a practiced commercial litigation associate with Kimbrell & Hamann. In 1990, Mr. Hendricks relocated to Palm Beach County where he spent several years practicing insurance defense and commercial litigation at Walton Lantoff. He subsequently joined the firm of Carman, Beauchamp and Sang as a senior associate and trial attorney. From 1999 thru 2007, Mr. Hendricks was employed as a partner at Panza, Maurer, Maynard & Noel where he served as a senior litigation partner and lead trial attorney for many of the firm’s corporate, institutional and governmental clients.
In law school, Mr. Hendricks was the winner of the University of Miami Law School’s Mock Trial Competition and member of the National Trial Competition Team. He also served as a member of the Inter-American Law Review, member of the Society of Bar & Gavel, Society of Wig and Robe, and was inducted into the school’s Moot Court Board.
Mr. Hendricks’ representative clients include private and public educational institutions, environmental, pollution and toxic tort defense, prison liability, prison healthcare and liability, public and private corporations, municipal governments, state agencies and political subdivisions, insurance companies and self-insured entities. Mr. Hendricks’ trial experience includes Federal, state and appellate proceedings including public procurements and bid protests.
Managing Partner
Shaun Robert Koby is a Shareholder with the Firm’s Florida offices. His practice focuses in the areas of complex commercial litigation, professional malpractice, insurance defense, and constitutional law.
Mr. Koby earned his undergraduate degree from the Florida State University in 2004. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Criminology. Mr. Koby graduated first in his class out of over 9000 students.
Besides academics, he was also actively involved in Student Government and created two community service organizations that enabled students to perform countless hours of service to the FSU campus and surrounding community. During the summer before graduation, Mr. Koby was an intern in the Governor’s Office of Legislative Affairs for Governor Jeb Bush.
Mr. Koby earned his Juris Doctor Degree, with honors, from the University of Florida in 2007. He was a Teaching Assistant for Legal Research and Writing, Appellate Advocacy, and Trial Practice. Mr. Koby also created a community service organization named Gators United Together for Service and was awarded a Community Service Certificate upon completion of law school.
Partner
Richard J. Lydecker is a founding partner at Lydecker, a full-service AV-rated national law firm with offices throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, California, and Georgia. As a distinguished leader and visionary in the legal community, Richard has played an instrumental role in shaping the firm’s reputation and success since its inception in 1994 as an aggressive and responsive law firm.
With a career spanning over several decades, Richard J. Lydecker has established himself as a formidable force in the field of defense litigation. His practice predominantly focuses on complex commercial litigation, professional liability, bodily injury, auto negligence, environmental law, employment, D&O, E&O, accounting malpractice, commercial litigation, bankruptcy, bad faith litigation, and insurance coverage. His extensive background in these areas has earned him recognition as a trusted and skilled litigator, consistently delivering exceptional results for his clients. Richard’s diverse and extensive background makes Lydecker a premiere law firm.
Richard’s legal journey began with a robust education and training, laying the foundation for his future accomplishments. He earned his Juris Doctor from a prestigious law school and quickly rose through the ranks, gaining invaluable experience and expertise in civil litigation. Over the years, Richard has handled a wide array of cases, ranging from intricate commercial disputes to high-stakes professional liability claims.
Prior to Richard’s career in civil practice, he was a Senior Major Case Bureau Prosecutor in New York with an outstanding record of success in preparing, managing, and trying high-profile cases. Casework involved high-profile, high-visibility criminal prosecution of homicides, robbery, arson, rape, and burglary. Richard successfully tried in excess of 100 criminal cases, many resulting in guilty verdicts carrying life sentences. Before accepting his appointment to the District Attorney’s Office, Richard was an attorney at a prestigious Wall Street, N.Y. law firm.
Richard Lydecker’s remarkable career as a founding partner of Lydecker showcases his expertise in defense litigation, his leadership within the firm, and his dedication to client success. His diverse background and extensive experience have made him a respected figure in the legal community, and his contributions continue to shape the firm’s reputation as a premier law firm nationwide.
Today Lydecker has ten main practice areas:
- Appellate
- Bankruptcy and Banking
- Business, Corporate and Transactional
- Condominium & HOA
- Construction Design & Environmental
- Employment
- General Liability
- Government
- Insurance
- Professional Liability
Lydecker has the following sub practice areas:
Accounting Malpractice, Admiralty and Maritime, Appellate Advocacy, Appellate Practice, Architects and Engineers, Attorney Malpractice, Bad Faith Litigation, Banking and Financial Services Litigation, Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights, Bodily Injury Defense, Business Law, Business Reorganization, Catastrophic Injury & Loss Defense, Class Action Defense, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Property, Complex Commercial Litigation, Condominium & Homeowners’ Association Law, Construction & Design Contracts, Construction Accident Claims, Construction Defect Litigation, Construction Payment, Delay and Lien Disputes, Corporate Law, Corporate Liability, Coverage Disputes, Cyber Liability ⁄ Internet Law, Defamation, Directors and Officers, Education Law, Environmental Law, Errors and Omissions, Financial Litigation, General Liability, Government, Government Liability, Healthcare, Hospitality, Insurance, Insurance Agents and Brokers, Insurance Coverage and Extra-Contractual Litigation, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Land Use and Zoning, Mass Environmental Toxic Tort Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Negligent Security, Premises Liability, Products Liability, Property Practice, Real Estate Practice, Residential Property, Tort Liability, Transportation Liability and Workers Compensation.
Complex Commercial Litigation: Richard’s proficiency in complex commercial litigation is well-known. He has successfully represented clients in multifaceted legal battles, navigating intricate legal frameworks and securing favorable outcomes. His strategic approach and meticulous attention to detail have been pivotal in resolving disputes efficiently and effectively.
Professional Liability: Richard has extensive experience defending professionals across various industries against liability claims. His deep understanding of the nuances of professional conduct and standards enables him to provide robust defense strategies, protecting his clients’ reputations and careers.
Bad Faith Litigation: Richard is a recognized authority in bad faith litigation, representing clients in cases involving insurance companies. His tenacity and commitment to justice have resulted in significant victories, holding insurers accountable for their obligations.
Insurance Coverage: Richard’s expertise extends to insurance coverage matters, where he advises clients on complex coverage issues and disputes. His comprehensive knowledge of insurance law ensures that his clients receive the coverage they are entitled to, and he has successfully litigated numerous coverage cases.
Leadership and Oversight
As a founding partner, Richard oversees the firm’s practice groups and manages the firm’s relationships with its clients and carriers. His leadership is characterized by a commitment to excellence, innovation, and client-centric service. Richard is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment within the firm, ensuring that every client receives personalized attention and tailored legal solutions.
Richard’s strategic vision has been instrumental in the firm’s growth and expansion. Under his guidance, Lydecker has become a nationally recognized law firm, known for its dedication to client success and its ability to handle complex legal challenges. His emphasis on continuous improvement and professional development has cultivated a team of highly skilled attorneys who share his passion for legal excellence.
Commitment to Clients
Richard’s client-centric approach is at the heart of his practice. He believes in building long-standing relationships grounded in mutual trust and respect. By understanding each client’s unique needs and goals, Richard provides strategic counsel and representation that aligns with their best interests. His ability to navigate complex legal landscapes and deliver practical solutions has earned him a loyal client base and numerous accolades within the legal community.
Personal and Professional Values
Beyond his professional achievements, Richard is known for his unwavering commitment to integrity, ethics, and community service. He actively participates in various professional organizations and contributes to legal scholarship through speaking engagements and publications. Richard’s dedication to giving back to the community is reflected in his involvement in pro bono work and charitable initiatives.
Looking Ahead
As Lydecker continues to grow and evolve, Richard remains dedicated to leading the firm towards new heights of success. His vision for the future includes expanding the firm’s capabilities, embracing technological advancements, and maintaining the highest standards of legal practice. Richard’s legacy is one of excellence, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
Senior Partner
Mewerick Mozza is an associate attorney at the Lydecker’s Miami office. Mr. Mozza concentrates his practice in all aspects of federal and state civil litigation.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Mozza worked for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida at the Chambers of Magistrate Judge John J. O’Sullivan, where he aided with matters from Social Security Disability determinations, maritime personal injury cases, to international breach of contracts. Furthermore, Magistrate Judge O’Sullivan and Mr. Mozza were invited to Bolivia to provide an international conference where they were awarded Distinguished Visitor status and laws passed under their names for aiding the judiciary system in Bolivia. Additionally, Mr. Mozza worked for Mozza & Abogados Asociados exposing him to a different legal system. He counseled in the administration and legal transactions of the clients’ international businesses throughout South America and in the United States, including the purchasing and leasing of real estate and their international commercial transactions. Furthermore, Mr. Mozza was the recipient of the Law Awards 2022 by Latin American Quality Institute due to the exceptional performance in representing clients in international business transactions. In addition, Mr. Mozza worked at the Law Offices of Anidjar and Levine, P.A., where he handled personal injury claims and property damage claims in the pre-litigation and litigation departments. Mr. Mozza is committed to providing aggressive representation for all his clients and ensuring all clients receive effective legal representation.
Mr. Mozza graduated from the Trinity University with a Bachelor of Arts and Majors in Political Science, Philosophy, and International Studies in addition to a Minor in Human Communication in 2011. Mr. Mozza graduated Cum Laude from his Juris Doctorate from St. Thomas University School of Law in 2015, and was a member of the Intercultural Human Rights Law Review. Subsequently, Mr. Mozza graduated from a Master in Law in International Commercial Arbitration from the University of Miami in 2017. Mr. Mozza additionally obtained a Bachelor of Humanities in Political Science from Universidad Autónoma Gabriel Rene Moreno, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, in 2022. In addition to being a member in good standing of the Florida Bar, Mr. Mozza is also a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Senior Associate
Lee Patten is the Co-Chair of the Firm’s National Catastrophic Injury and Loss Defense Department. Mr. Patten has extensive trial court experience in complex litigation, and has defended numerous cases involving wrongful death, paralysis, amputation, traumatic brain injury, sexual assault, and other serious injuries throughout New York, New Jersey, and Florida. These claims and large loss exposures arise from a variety of liability scenarios, including premises liability, medical/healthcare/nursing home liability, school/early education/day care liability, construction site accidents (including New York labor law claims), road construction accidents, commercial trucking and car accidents, negligent security, and products liability, among others. Mr. Patten brings to bear his extensive experience in each of these specific industries to obtain excellent results for his clients.
Mr. Patten maintains a progress-oriented practice, whether pre-suit or in litigation, Mr. Patten works closely with his client to advance the case with every court filing, correspondence, email, and phone conference. Every action is designed to move the case forward toward trial or resolution.
Mr. Patten has taken countless depositions, including deposition of subject matter experts, liability experts, and damages experts. He has attended countless hearings, including important summary judgment hearings, as well as multi-day arbitrations and multi-day framed issue evidentiary hearings.
Mr. Patten has tried cases before many trial courts throughout the state of Florida, New York, and New Jersey, and has obtained many favorable settlement outcomes at the eleventh hour due to detailed trial preparations, including motions in limine and Daubert challenges to opposing experts.
Mr. Patten has also served as monitoring counsel and converted to lead trial counsel in numerous cases involving large losses or multiple layers of insurance. He is successfully able to parachute into potential “problem” or “high risk” cases, and laser in on key areas to prepare liability and damages defenses quickly and efficiently.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Patten was a prosecutor at the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office, as well as a prosecutor for the Department of Children and Families. It was there that Mr. Patten started his trial career and was able to transfer those skills to civil litigation. In Law School, Mr. Patten served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and won several awards for both Mock Trial and Moot Court competitions.
Partner
Michael Rawlinson is a partner in our New York office. Mr. Rawlinson’s practice involves all aspects of Federal and State civil trials litigation with a primary focus on architects and engineers, construction (New York Labor Law and construction defect), premises liability and transportation.
Mr. Rawlinson’s trial experience includes trials brought under Labor Law Sections 200, 240, 241(6).
Mr. Rawlinson earned his J.D. degree from Fordham University with honors in litigation and participated in moot court.
Upon entering the workforce, Mr. Rawlinson continued his career in litigation. He has over 120 verdicts in his various practice areas.
Partner
James Spratt is Of Counsel in the firm’s Los Angeles office and practices in all courts in California. His primary areas of practice include complex commercial litigation, tort practice in products liability, real property and construction defect.
Mr. Spratt earned his Juris Doctor Certificate from University of La Verne and his Bachelor’s degree in History from University of California, Santa Barbara. While in law school, Mr. Spratt has held numerous legal internships, including Office of Legislative Affairs for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
In Mr. Spratt’s practice, he has held various partner positions with national law firms and has worked for national insurance companies, as staff counsel. He has worked defending national insurance companies in professional negligence, commercial trucking negligence, premises liability and habitability claims.
Mr. Spratt is active in conservation efforts of Santa Monica Mountains Restoration Trust and enjoys snow skiing and swimming in his spare time. He also enjoys spending time with his family and his German Shepard dog. Mr. Spratt is also a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
Of Counsel
J.W. Webb is a Litigation Partner in the firm’s Orlando office, where he maintains an active trial and civil litigation practice in Federal and State Courts throughout Florida.
Mr. Webb has considerable experience dealing with automobile negligence, arson, medical malpractice, premise liability and product liability cases resulting in catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. Mr. Webb has also handled cases dealing with bad faith, commercial transaction disputes, construction defects, declaratory actions, land disputes and property damage. He has successfully tried cases in Brevard, Broward, Marion, Orange, Palm Beach, Seminole, and Volusia Counties.
Mr. Webb began his legal career with Hightower and Rudd, P.A. a Miami based insurance defense firm. Shortly after joining the firm, Mr. Webb became the managing attorney of its West Palm Beach office.
After two years in practice, Mr. Webb was invited to join Kubicki Draper, P.A. a State-wide insurance defense firm, where he became a shareholder and was chosen by the firm’s managing partner to start its Orlando Office, which he ran for six years before opening his own law firm.
Mr. Webb has given lectures throughout the country on many subjects during his career. He lectures to insurance carriers on issues ranging from hospital liens and personal injury protection to complicated medial claims and high exposure cases.
Mr. Webb is licensed to practice law in all Florida State Courts and the . He has also served as a Guardian ad Litem for children in the Central Florida area.
Mr. Webb graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas in 1989 with a B.A. in business and a concentration in economics. Before going to law school Mr. Webb worked in the business world for a number of years managing companies in Texas, California, Illinois, and Florida.
Mr. Webb returned to his home state of Michigan to obtain his Juris Doctorate – Cum Laude, from Michigan State University. While attending law school, Mr. Webb served as Managing Editor of Business and Production for the Michigan State Law Review, as an intern for United States Federal District Judge Gerald E. Rose, and as a law clerk for the Department of Justice: United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan. During his tenure with the Department of Justice, under the internship section of the program, Mr. Webb functioned as lead counsel for the prosecution and trial of numerous misdemeanor cases.
Partner
Ronald (Ronn) S. Whitaker is a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office and brings a wealth of litigation experience in the both the public and private sectors. Ronn has tried in excess of sixty (60) jury trials as lead trial counsel with an outstanding record of success. He has represented corporate clients, public entities and private individuals in all phases of litigation in both State and Federal Courts with an emphasis in the defense of personal injury, civil rights, professional liability, product liability and premises liability cases. He also has extensive experience in employment litigation, including being admitted in pro hac vice in the State of Arizona to successfully defend a large national corporation against claims of wrongful discrimination and racial discrimination.
Ronn completed his undergraduate studies at UCLA, and then obtained his law degree from the UCLA School of Law, where he was selected as a Distinguish Advocate in the Moot Court Honors Program.
Partner
