Record-Setting Results in Business Litigation

A Snell Legal attorney obtained a jury verdict of nearly $19 million on behalf of a business client whose insurance company failed to defend the business in an intellectual property based lawsuit. The verdict was by far the highest at the time ever achieved in Volusia County history, was one of the top plaintiff verdicts in the country that year and remains the highest business case verdict in Volusia County history. Read more about this case. See descriptions of other litigation results here.

What Makes a Successful Trial Lawyer?

Successful litigators must be coldly analytical in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of a case. They must be warm, personable and persuasive in front of a jury. They must be competitive and persistent — well grounded in the facts and the law and blessed with common sense.

At Snell Legal, our litigation attorneys have these qualities. We are also excellent communicators who can translate complex ideas into simple terms. Once we make a point, we reinforce it at every reasonable opportunity in order to build a strong case for our client. It's a combination that has worked well for us and for our clients.

Attorney Greg Snell has obtained numerous seven- and eight-figure recoveries for clients and, accordingly, is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. This elite group of lawyers is limited to those who have obtained verdicts or settlements in excess of $1 million. He has also been a LawDragon finalist as one of the top 500 lawyers in America twice and has been named one of the top 3,000 plaintiff lawyers twice. Greg Snell has also been chosen a Florida Super Lawyer in the area of commercial litigation, has been AV rated by Martindale Hubbell for 16 consecutive years, and is rated a 10 by AVVO.

The Law Firm Other Lawyers Turn To

Other attorneys frequently refer cases to our litigators. Lawyers and parties whom we have beaten at trial even refer to us because they know how meticulously and relentlessly we pursue a positive outcome for our clients. Greg Snell speaks and writes regularly on business litigation topics including before groups of attorneys and in attorney oriented publications.

We're not opposed to fee arrangements in litigation matters that are results oriented. If we win you win. We're even willing to do this under appropriate circumstances in cases we defend. We don't mind earning our fee and we want our clients to be happy. When they win we win. We are open to contingency, fixed fee, volume discount, hybrid and other alternative fee arrangements.

We are especially experienced in matters involving claims of employees (defending employers), intellectual property infringement, breach of contract, professional neglignce, denial of insurance coverage and entity ownership disputes, including family owned businesses. See the New & Accolades page for articles regarding the accomplishments and speeches made by the Snell Legal attorneys. See the Articles page for articles written by Snell Legal attorneys.

Our litigation attorneys routinely assist businesses and individuals throughout northeast and central Florida and beyond in state and federal court with a wide variety of issues, such as those involving:

Employee claims under Title VII, such as discrimination claims based on race, national origin, religion or gender, including sexual harassment.
Employee claims under the Florida Civil Rights Act ("FCRA").
Employee claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA").
Employee claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act ("ADEA").
Employee claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act ("FMLA").
Employee claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA").
Employee whistleblower claims.
Employee worker's compensation retaliation claims.
Employee pregnancy discrimination claims.
Employee non-compete and non-solicitation agreements.
Employee theft of confidential and proprietary information.
Other forms of wrongful termination and breach of contract claims by employees.
Unfair business practices pursuant to the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act ("FDUTPA").
Trade secrets, including claims under the Florida Uniform Trade Secrets Act.
Trademark infringement and cyber squatting under state and federal trademark acts and federal cyber squatting law.
Patent infringement.
Breach of contract and lost profits.
Insurance company denial of coverage or claims.
Professional negligence, including attorney, accountant, and insurance agent or broker negligence (but not claims against physicians or hospitals).
Professional negligence defense, including the defense of attorneys, accountants, insurance agents, physicians and hospitals.
Construction defect.
Construction Lien foreclosure.
Unemployment compensation benefits claims of employees.
Business ownership disputes, including claims brought pursuant to Chapters 607 and 608 of the Florida Statutes, such as claims brought for breach of duty of loyalty by a shareholder of a corporation or a member or manager in a limited liability company.
Condominium or homeowner association assessment lien foreclosure.

Below is a list of business litigation services provided by Snell Legal, with links to relevant litigation results. If you do not see the specific type of service that you need you should nonetheless contact Snell Legal to determine whether or not we can be of assistance because the services listed are merely representative, not exhaustive.

Employment: Snell Legal has extensive state and federal court experience with employment related litigation of virtually every type ordinarily encountered by employers, including: sexual harassment; age, race, religion, gender and pregnancy discrimination and retaliation; Florida Whistle Blower Act; worker's compensation claim retaliation; American's With Disabilities Act; Family and Medical Leave Act; Fair Labor Standards Act i.e. wage and hour violations; unemployment benefits among others. The attorneys of Snell Legal have represented employers in employment litigation matters such as American Airlines, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Hooter's, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., DME, General Electric, and many other well known employers large and small. Employment related litigation can be very expensive and distracting for employers. We get it. This is why we team with our clients to achieve solutions that work for them. See some of our litigation results in employment related matters.
IP Infringement: Intellectual property is often vital to the success of a business. Infringement of intellectual property can be catastrophic. We know what to do when it happens and how to stop it. We also know how to defend accusations of infringement. Snell Legal has state and federal court litigation experience in a wide array of intellectual infringement matters, including: state and federal statutory trademark and copyright infringement; common law copyright and trademark infringement; cybersquatting; patent infringement; unfair and deceptive trade practices; unfair competition among others. IP infringement litigation can be very expensive, and it's important to know how, if possible, to recover attorney fees from the opposition if you prevail. We do. See some of our litigation results in intellectual property infringement matters.
Ownership Disputes: Business ownership disputes can be much like a divorce. They can be ugly, and costly, and maybe even fatal to the business. Unfortunately business ownership disputes often involve people who were friends, are married, or who are otherwise family members. It's critical with ownership disputes that legal counsel have a firm grasp of realistic legal and practical solutions. In the right hands resolutions can sometimes be brought about quickly, economically, and sensibly. In the wrong hands a problem can simply be made worse. At Snell Legal we understand how businesses and owners work and that perspective can be invaluable in problem solving business ownership disputes. Some of the types of ownership dispute related litigation encountered are: breach of a fiduciary duty, including a duty of loyalty to the business; breach of restrictive covenants on competition, solicitation and confidentiality; theft of business opportunity; minority owner rights and assertion of appraisal rights; dissolution; interference with a contract or business relationship; breach of contract among others. See some of our litigation results in ownership dispute matters.
Unfair Business Practices: They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery but when you've built a successful business and somebody else tries to take what you've got it's just wrong. We know what to do. Whether it's infringement of intellectual property such as a trademark or patent, cybersquatting and other domain name related acts, interference with a business relationship or contract, violation of restrictive covenants such as non-compete, solicitation and confidentiality, breach of contract, or any other type of unfair business practice, we can help. We also know how best to attempt to recover attorney fees from the opposition, which sometimes is possible in unfair business practice matters, under the Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the Trade Secrets Act, by contract and otherwise. If your business is being victimized by unfair business practices it's important and you need counsel capable of fixing the problem. Snell Legal knows how to fix the problem. See some of our litigation results in unfair business practice matters.
Breach of Contract and Loss of Profit: Breach of contract is one of the most common causes of business damage. Breach of contract can occur with written and oral contracts and with all variety of those with whom businesses have relationships, such as employees, vendors, customers, insurance carriers, professionals, among many others. Sometimes a breach of contract results in a loss of profit. Proving lost profits can be done, but it's rarely easy. It's essential that businesses have attorneys who have experience, and have had success, in proving lost profits. Snell Legal has a stellar track record in breach of contract and lost profits matters, including a case tried before a jury in Volusia County against an insurance carrier who refused to defend their insured business client in a federal court lawsuit in another state, in which a verdict including $18,500,000.00 in lost profits was rendered, the highest jury verdict in Volusia County history at the time, and still the highest in a business matter. See some of our litigation results in breach of contract and lost profits matters.
Insurance Coverage and Claims: When you pay for insurance you do it for a reason. If you have a covered claim, whether defense of a lawsuit, payment of damages, or whatever it may be, you expect it to be honored. Unfortunately all insurance claims are not handled as they should be by insurance companies, and sometimes there is merely an honest dispute, or miscommunication, over coverage. Insurance is a highly regulated industry with many statutes and regulations that apply. There is also a unique body of case law, which forms the precedent for the decisions made in lawsuits, regarding insurance. At Snell Legal we have considerable experience handling insurance matters, both from representing many insurance carriers, and from bringing claims against insurance carriers. Some of the carriers with whom a Snell Legal attorney has worked include: State Farm, Travelers, Amica, American Express, USF&G, Transamerica, Anthem, Hartford, Canal, Physician's Protective Trust Fund, The Doctors Company, St. Paul's among many others. Snell Legal obtained a jury verdict of $18,787,500.00 against Hartford of the Southeast for failing to defend an insured business in a federal court lawsuit in Kentucky. When you have a significant insurance claim which isn't being honored, and you think it should be, contact Snell Legal, we have the expertise you need. See some of our litigation results in insurance coverage and claims matters.
Professional Malpractice: Businesses often rely on the advice of professionals, and well they should. But if the advice isn't right the consequences can be serious. Snell Legal does not lightly pursue claims, and litigation, against professionals, but when warranted we'll aggressively pursue the recovery that is deserved. Snell Legal also has substantial experience representing professionals in malpractice and other matters. Proving a case of professional negligence is not like proving a simple case of negligence which doesn't involve a professional. To prove a case against a professional you have to demonstrate that they did not meet the standard expected of them within their profession, which requires expert testimony. It is treacherous for attorneys and their clients to engage in professional malpractice litigation if they are not up to the task. Snell Legal has experience representing physicians, hospitals, dentists, insurance brokers/agents, accountants, attorneys and other professionals in professional malpractice matters. Similarly, under appropriate circumstances, we have very successfully prosecuted cases against professionals. We do have one exception, we do not bring claims or cases against physicians, we limit our representation to the physician side of any malpractice claim. See some of our litigation results in professional malpractice matters.
Construction Defects/Lien Foreclosure: Construction litigation requires an understanding of the distinct statutory and case law pertaining to construction, as well as a practical understanding of how the construction industry functions. Snell Legal has the knowledge and experience to defend and bring all manner of construction cases, including construction defect, construction lien, breach of contract, breach of warranty, fraud, unfair and deceptive trade practices, among others. See some of our litigation results in construction defect and lien foreclosure matters.
Class Action: Bringing and defending class actions is not for the faint of heart. Particularly now obtaining, or defeating, class action certification is tricky business. The same skills that serve the clients of Snell Legal in many other types of business litigation serve them well in class action representation. We thrive on complex, high stakes, litigation. It's not for everyone but it is for us. When considering counsel for a class action, whether as a prospective class action member, to defend a pending case, or to serve as co-counsel, think of Snell Legal.

Representing Plaintiffs and Defendants

If you or your business has an important matter which may need to be litigated, or if suit has already been brought against you or your business, and you’re looking for just the right lawyer or litigator to insure that you not only prevail but obtain the very best possible outcome, contact the business litigation attorneys of Snell Legal. Snell Legal is committed to achieving outstanding results and has earned a reputation for doing it.