Joseph H. Serota

Founding Member

Joe has extensive experience representing private and public entities throughout South Florida. He is also an accomplished appellate lawyer with numerous reported opinions to his credit.

Joe is active in professional organizations and civic affairs. He has served as chair of the Judicial Nominations Commission, Third District Court of Appeal, president of the Dade County Bar Association and as member of the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar. He is also past chair of the Metropolitan Dade County Community Relations Board and of the Miami-Dade County Independent Review Panel. He currently serves as chair of the New World Center Committee (Downtown Development) of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and is President-Elect of Temple Bet Shira.

Significant Trials and Appeals

Successfully defended an owner of a famous restaurant against $19 million claims of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty through jury verdict
Successfully defended bank president and bank on claims for fiduciary duty through jury verdict and appeal
Successfully defended City sued for breach of contract to sell City liens through jury verdict and appeal
Successfully defended police officers accused of civil rights violation through jury verdict
Successfully defended City in class action based upon alleged unconstitutionality of ordinance through trial court judgment and appeal
Successfully defended and prosecuted construction defects claims for developers, Associations, and contractors
Argued cases in the Florida Supreme Court defending a City ordinance and State statute
Successfully defended a city in a class action claim for violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act through trial court judgment and appeal
Successfully defended a city sued by a labor union for due process claims through judgment and appeal
Successfully defended a city accused of racial discrimination through jury verdict
Successfully defended bank accused by another bank in loan participation for breach of contract through trial judgment
Successfully defended lawyers accused of significant disciplinary violations by The Florida Bar
Successfully defended developer accused of violating land use regulations through trial
Successfully prosecuted claims on behalf of a city against a county based upon violation of the County’s Development Master Plan through trial court judgment and appeal

Select Reported Decisions

The Palms v. Magil Const. Florida, Inc., 785 So.2d 597 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. April 18, 2001)
Rusty Food Products, Inc. v. Florida Plantation Storage Center, Ltd., 526 So.2d 1082 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. June 28, 1988)
Rivero v. Aguirre, 578 So.2d 905 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. May 13, 1991)
Merkin v. First Equitable Realty III, Ltd., 843 So.2d 360 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. April 30, 2003)
Thompson v. Lincoln at Doral, L.P., 786 So.2d 605 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. April 11, 2001)
Adrian Inv. Corp. v. Jacomino, 427 So.2d 335 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. March 1, 1983)
Companion v. City of Hollywood Police Officers’ Retirement System, 1 So.3d 1283 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District. February 18, 2009)
Coral Way Properties, Ltd. v. Roses, 565 So.2d 372 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. August 7, 1990)
Universal Bldg. Management, Inc. v. American Bankers Life Assur. Co., 586 So.2d 1352 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. October 22, 1991)
City of Boca Raton v. Ross Hofmann Associates, Inc., 501 So.2d 72 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District. January 14, 1987)
Key Colony No. 1 Condominium Ass’n, Inc. v. Village of Key Biscayne, 651 So.2d 779 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. March 8, 1995)
Village of Key Biscayne v. Department of Community Affairs, 696 So.2d 495 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. July 2, 1997)
Feldman v. City of North Miami, 696 So.2d 495 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. January 30, 2008)
Village of Key Biscayne v. Dade County, 627 So.2d 1180 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. November 09, 1993)
Pritchett v. City of Homestead, 855 So.2d 1164 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. October 1, 2003)
Simon v. Florida Memorial College, 498 So.2d 459 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. August 5, 1986)
United Real Estate Ventures, Inc. v. Village of Key Biscayne, 26 So.3d 48 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. December 23, 2009)
Redland Estates, Inc. v. Lynn, 920 So.2d 1218 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. February 22, 2006)
Hames v. City of Miami, FL, 281 Fed.Appx. 853 (United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. May 20, 2008)
Homer & Bonner, P.A. v. Miami-Dade County, 884 So.2d 425 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. September 29, 2004)
City of Homestead v. Ramirez, 621 So.2d 548 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. July 13, 1993)
Carpenter v. Community Bank of Homestead, 710 So.2d 65 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. April 1, 1998)
Williams v. Florida Memorial College, 453 So.2d 541 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. August 7, 1984)
Matalon v. Greifman, 509 So.2d 985 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. July 14, 1987)
Bates v. Islamorada, 939 So.2d 171 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. October 4, 2006)
B.G.H. Ins. Syndicate, Inc. v. Presidential Fire & Cas. Co., 549 So.2d 197 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. June 27, 1989)
Miami-Dade County v. Redland Estates, Inc., 964 So.2d 701 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. December 13, 2006)
Trend Coin Co. v. Fuller, Feingold & Mallah, P.A., 538 So.2d 919 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. January 31, 1989)
Davis v. City of Hollywood, 120 F.3d 1178 (United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. August 29, 1997)
Simcox v. City of Hollywood Police Officers’ Retirement System, 988 So.2d 731 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District. August 27, 2008)
Dade County Police Benev. Ass’n v. Town of Surfside, 721 So.2d 746 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. November 4, 1998)
Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police on Behalf of Hialeah Lodge 12 v. City of Hialeah, Fla., 815 F.2d 631 (United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. April 24, 1987)
Goldsmith v. Brockhouse, 979 So.2d 1135 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. April 16, 2008)
Chernov v. City of Hollywood, 819 F.Supp. 1070 (United States District Court, S.D. Florida. March 31, 1993)
Hames v. City of Miami Firefighters' and Police Officers' Trust, 980 So.2d 1112 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District. March 5, 2008)
Rodriguez v. City of Hialeah, 716 F.Supp. 1425 (United States District Court, S.D. Florida, Miami Division. April 28, 1989)
Jasinski v. City of Miami, 269 F.Supp.2d 1341 (United States District Court, S.D. Florida. June 11, 2003)
TNT USA, Inc v. TrafiExpress, S.A. de C.V., 434 F.Supp.2d 1322 (United States District Court, S.D. Florida, Miami Division. April 3, 2006)
Burger King Corp. v. Lee, 766 F.Supp. 1149 (United States District Court, S.D. Florida. June 12, 1991)

Professional/Civic Activities

Metropolitan Dade County Independent Review Panel, 1986 -1989
Vice-Chairperson
Metropolitan Dade County Independent Review Panel, 1986 -1989
Chairperson
Board of Governors, The Florida Bar, 1988 -1993
Citizens’ Task Force, appointed by the Dade County Commission to recommend changes to the Independent Review Panel, 1989
Princeton Club of South Florida, 1988 – 1990;
President
Coordinated Miami-Dade County’s response and preparation for the verdict in the case of State of Florida v. William Lozano, 1991 -1993
Mayor’s Transition Team, City of Miami, 1994 -1995
Metropolitan Dade County Community Relations Board, 1995 -1996
Chairperson
Dade County Bar Association, 1996 -1997
President
Dade County Courthouse Lobby Restoration Project, 1996 -1998
Chairman
Special Commission on Judicial Elections, 1997 -1998
Chairman
Task Force to Establish Blue Ribbon Committee on Ethics, 1999 -2001; Miami-Dade County School Board Appointee
Judicial Nominations Commission, Third District Court of Appeal, 1999 -2002
Chairperson
Alliance for Ethical Government, 2000-2001
City of Miami Civilian Investigative Panel Nominating Committee, 2002-2003
Chairperson
Dade County Bar Association Commission on Public Funding of Judicial Elections, 2002–2003
Chairperson
Dade County Courtroom 6-1 Restoration Project, 2003-2008
Co-Chairman
Dade Community Foundation, 2004-Present; Member
Board of Directors
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, 2006–2008
Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Miami-Dade County, Florida, Centennial Celebration of the 11th Judicial Circuit
Chair
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, New World Center Committee (Downtown Development Committee)
Chair