RICHARD A. SHERMAN, SR. APPELLATE ATTORNEY
Representing the defense interests on appeals across the State of Florida, for over 30 years.
Richard Sherman has handled more appeals than any attorney in Florida history.
He has also handled more appeals involving multi-million dollar verdicts
than anyone in Florida history.
In 2012 along Richard Sherman has reversed three verdicts of $6.6 million, $4.5 million and $1.516 million, totaling $12.6 million. (See "Sampling" webpage)
Rich Sherman began his legal career in Miami in the early 1970's. At that time, the appellate courts had become activists in changing rules of negligence law, and a large multi-office firm decided it needed to establish an appellate department. Mr. Sherman headed the appellate department for ten years at Wicker, Smith, O'Hara, McCoy, Graham & Ford, P.A.
In the late 1970's, juries began awarding multi-million dollar verdicts. Prior to this time, there was rarely a verdict over $1 million, and a large verdict was $800,000, or $900,000. When the juries crossed this psychological threshold, multi-million dollar verdicts were awarded almost weekly.
Most law firms at that time did not want to handle an appeal over $1 million, and Mr. Sherman liked the challenge of handling the very large cases. Soon he was receiving referrals from law firms and insurance companies, of most of the multi-million dollar verdicts around the state, and he opened his own office in 1983, handling exclusively appeals. He handles both large appeals and routine appeals. An appeal involves only one trip to the appellate court, for the oral argument, so it is cost efficient to have him handle appeals across the state, and know they are being handled by an expert appellate attorney.
He has handled over 2,500 appeals, with numerous landmark decisions in the Florida Supreme Court, in the Florida State and Federal Courts of Appeal, and the cases he has handled have been cited in tens of thousands of other appellate decisions. Ninety percent of his appeals are insurance appeals, and 10% are commercial or large divorce appeals.
The extent of his appellate experience can easily be seen by a search on Westlaw or LexisNexis.
Rich is proud of the fact that both of his sons graduated Cum Laude from the University of Miami Law School.
Rich is also proud of his daughter Jill who is an Ultrasound Technician.
For over 30 years Richard (Rich) Sherman has handled appeals in the Florida Supreme Court, in all the Courts of Appeal of Florida, and in the Federal Appellate Courts. He also handles trial support activities in conjunction with trial attorneys, of cases expected to go on appeal. He handled over 2,500 appeals, including hundreds of cases which are landmark cases, and has numerous cases of national importance.
Rated "AV" in Martindale-Hubbell.
Headed the appellate division for ten years of Wicker, Smith O'Hara, McCoy, Graham & Ford, P.A.
Preparatory Education, Tulane University; Honors Graduate
Legal Education, Tulane Law School; Honors Graduate
Chairman, Appellate Courts Committee, Dade County Bar Association, 1982-1983
Founder, Annual Third District Court of Appeal Appellate Seminar
And Judicial Reception
Chairman, U..S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal Committee
American Bar Association, 1981-1982
Member, Appellate Courts Rules Committee, The Florida Bar, 1979-1980