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MAIN OFFICE - MIAMI 2350 South Dixie Highway Miami, Florida 33133 (305) 854-4900 Fax: (305) 854-8266 Toll free: (800) 836-6400 KEY WEST OFFICE 615 1/2 Whitehead Street Key West, Florida 33040 SOUTH BEACH OFFICE 1111 Lincoln Road Miami Beach, Florida 33139 |
 Internet:www.leesfield.com/ |
Mark A. Sylvester is a partner in the law firm of Leesfield, Leighton & Partners, P.A., He specializes in complex civil litigation including personal injury, wrongful death, aviation law, motor vehicle accidents, cruise ship accidents, premise liability, and product liability. Mr. Sylvester was recently named one of the Elite attorneys in the State of Florida in the 2007 edition of Florida Trend magazine. From 59,481 attorneys licensed to practice law in the State of Florida, 868 were selected for this honor.
As a licensed pilot, Mr. Sylvester brings a unique expertise to cases involving aviation crashes and aviation law. Recently, Mr. Sylvester obtained a multi-million dollar settlement on behalf of the families of a pilot and passenger who were killed when Federal Aviation Air Traffic Controllers failed to provide the pilot with pertinent and observed severe weather information that when associated with mechanical problems with the aircraft led to the crash.
Mr. Sylvester was elected to the Board of Directors for the Dade County Bar Association in 2004, and appointed in 2005 to the Board of Directors for Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., an organization that provides free legal services to the low income community in areas of housing, employment, government benefits, special education, and community economic development. In July of 2007, Mr. Sylvester was elected Chair of the American Justice Association’s Federal Tort Claim and Military Advocacy Section. He previously held the position of chair-elect in 2006, and secretary of the section in 2005.
Mr. Sylvester is a cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law where he was a member of the University of Miami Business Law Review. He was co-founder of the University of Miami School of Law’s Aviation Law Society and served as the organizations first vice-president and thereafter president. Mr. Sylvester has a particular interest in aviation and aviation law as he is a licensed aircraft pilot. He completed his undergraduate studies at Middlebury College (Vermont) where he graduated cum laude and was a member of the NCAA Men’s Varsity Basketball Team, 1991-1994.
PROFESSIONAL
Partner,
Leesfield Leighton & Partners, P.A.
Trial Lawyers with offices in Miami, Key West and South Beach, Florida
Trial lawyer with emphasis on complex and catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home liability, product liability, negligence, inadequate premises security, automobile negligence, aviation accidents, toxic torts, insurance, commercial torts and other complex civil litigation in all state and federal courts.
MEMBERSHIPS
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American Association for Justice (Member)
- Federal Tort and Military Advocacy Section
Chair-Elect (2006-07)
Secretary (2005-06)
- Aviation Section
- Motor Vehicle Collision, Highway and Premises Liability Section
-
Dade County Bar Association
- Board of Directors (2004-07)
- Bulletin Committee; Vice Chair (2007-Present)
-
Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc.
- Board of Directors (2005-Present)
- Florida Justice Association
- Miami Dade Justice Association
- Monroe County Bar Association
- Miami Beach Bar Association
HONORS
-
Florida Trend Legal EliteTM
- Florida Legal Elite Attorney; 2007
One of 868 lawyers selected from 59,481 lawyers in the State of Florida
- Top Up-and-Coming Lawyers in Florida; 2005, 2006
-
Top Up-and-Coming Lawyers in South Florida,
South Florida Legal Guide
- 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
EDUCATION
-
Juris Doctor
(with honors), The University of Miami School of Law, 1999
- Member, Business Law Review
- Phi Delta Phi Honor Society
- President Aviation Law Society, 1999
- Vice-President, Co-Founder, Aviation Law Society, 1998
-
University College London, England
- Intensive Studies in the Federal Rules of Evidence, Summer 1997
-
Bachelor of Arts
(with honors), Middlebury College, 1995
- NCAA Men's Varsity Basketball Team, 1991-1994
- Journalist for School Newspaper, The Campus
ADMITTED TO PRACTICE
- All Florida State Courts
- District Court of the United States of America
- Southern Sistrict of Florida
- Middle District of Florida
- Northern District of Florida
PUBLISHED WORKS
- Mark A. Sylvester, "Weather Related Crashes: Establishing Negligence Against Air Traffic Control," American Association for Justice Aviation Section Newsletter, Summer 2007
- Mark A. Sylvester, "Judicial Profiles" Dade County Bar Association Bulletin
- Aug '07 Judge Scott J. Silverman
- Sept '07 Judge Victoria Platzer
- Oct '07 Judge Maria Espinosa Dennis
- Nov '07 Judge Maxine Cohen Lando
- Dec '07 Judge Lawrence A. Schwartz
- Jan '08 Judge Pedro Echarte, Jr.
- Feb '08 Judge Jennifer D. Bailey
- Apr '08 Judge Bronwyn C. Miller
- Mark A. Sylvester, "Federal Tort Claims and the Discretionary Function Exception," Association of Trial Lawyers of America Federal Tort Liability & Military Advocacy, Vol. 12, No. 1, Fall 2006, pp. 5-7
- Mark A. Sylvester & Ira H. Leesfield, " Sanctions," Chapter 20, ATLA's Tort Litigation, Thompson/West Publishing, 2003
- Mark A. Sylvester & Ira H. Leesfield, " Apportionment of Fault in Inadequate Security Cases," Trial, December 2001
- Mark A. Sylvester & Ira H. Leesfield, " Admissibility of Expert Testimony: What's Next?" Trial, December 2000
PAST LEGAL EMPLOYMENT
- Legal Intern, United States Attorneys Office - Department of Justice (1998)
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc.
- Board of Directors (2005-2007)
PERSONAL DATA
- Born June 2, 1972, Burlington, Vermont
- Licensed Aircraft Pilot
