Fowler White Burnett is pleased to announce that Managing Shareholders Edward J. Briscoe, Christopher E. Knight and Richard A. Wood were selected for South Florida’s 2016 Power Leaders in Law and Accounting by the South Florida Business Journal. Knight and Wood were selected for the fourth straight year and Briscoe for the third straight year. The SFBJ’s Power Leaders in Law and Accounting highlights executives that are known for their innovative ideas and savvy business acumen within their region’s prosperous and evolving business landscape.
Briscoe focuses his practice on product liability and toxic tort litigation. He has extensive experience dealing with lawsuits involving a wide variety of chemicals and hazardous materials, as well as the diseases commonly associated with exposure to these materials. He frequently represents Fortune 500 companies and underwriters in the defense of personal and class action suits alleging exposure to asbestos, silica, benzene, beryllium, mold and other toxins. In addition, Ed handles complex matters involving environmental, transportation, maritime and premises liability.
Knight devotes a significant portion of his practice to the defense of medical malpractice and health care-related claims. He also represents domestic and international airline carriers, aircraft and engine manufacturers and maintenance providers in litigation arising from mass disasters and aircraft accidents. In the products arena, he handles products liability and related litigation for notable manufacturers, distributors and retailers. Knight represents Fortune 500 companies, major insurance carriers, several airlines and manufacturers in state and federal courts. He has served as lead counsel in the defense of multi-district and class action litigation involving product liability, insurance and attorney general investigations.
Wood focuses on the representation of residential and commercial developers, as well as the representation of institutional lenders. Richard has extensive experience with the acquisition, development and financing of commercial and residential properties for Fortune 500 companies. Active in all aspects of institutional lending, Richard is revered as a legal expert in the structuring of complex construction lending arrangements. Richard guides financial institutions in performing due diligence, negotiating terms and executing loans to both residential and commercial developers. Additionally, Richard oversees the leasing of office, retail and industrial properties, representing both landlords and tenants in lease negotiations. Richard also has extensive experience in title examination and serves as a title agent for Attorneys' Title Insurance Fund, Inc. (widely known as the title experts in Florida), Chicago Title Insurance Company (leading experts in title examining and title insurance policies) and First American Title Insurance.