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Top-Ranked Maritime Lawyers in Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.225 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked maritime lawyers in Florida are John H Hickey “Jack” (LexRank 88.00), Jerry Dean Hamilton (88.00) and Richard James McAlpin (88.00).

This ranking lists the top 25 of the 33 maritime lawyers LexRanked tracks across Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 25 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Admiralty and Maritime Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. They practice in 5 cities, led by Miami.

Lawyers ranked
25
Fully verified
25 of 25

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    John H Hickey “Jack”

    Independent practice · Coral Gables, FL

    Verified
    • 45 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 88.00: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Experience (30/30).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
  2. No change

    Jerry Dean Hamilton

    Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, LLP · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 33 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 88.00: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Experience (30/30).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
  3. No change

    Richard James McAlpin

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 41 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 88.00: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Experience (30/30).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
  4. No change

    Jacob John Munch

    Munch and Munch, P.A. · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 42 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 88.00: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Experience (30/30).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
  5. No change

    Michelle Otero Valdes

    Independent practice · Coral Gables, FL

    Verified
    • 32 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20). 4.00 points behind #4, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)

    4.00 points behind #4 (Jacob John Munch): Reputation −4.

  6. No change

    Michael Charles Black

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  7. No change

    Andrew Douglas Craven

    Chartwell Law · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 27 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  8. No change

    Robert Louis Gardana

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 47 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  9. No change

    David Avellar Neblett

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 25 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  10. No change

    Jason Robert Margulies

    Independent practice · Coral Gables, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #10?

    Ranks #10 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  11. No change

    Michael T Moore

    Independent practice · Coral Gables, FL

    Verified
    • 50 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #11?

    Ranks #11 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  12. No change

    Jennifer Patricia Brooks

    Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, LLP · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #12?

    Ranks #12 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  13. No change

    Raul Julio Chacon Jr.

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 32 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #13?

    Ranks #13 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  14. No change

    Allan Richard Kelley

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 45 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #14?

    Ranks #14 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  15. No change

    Frank Joseph Sioli Jr.

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 32 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #15?

    Ranks #15 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  16. No change

    F David Famulari

    Independent practice · Coral Gables, FL

    Verified
    • 36 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #16?

    Ranks #16 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.40 points behind #15, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)

    1.40 points behind #15 (Frank Joseph Sioli Jr.): Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  17. No change

    James Norford Hurley

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 43 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #17?

    Ranks #17 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  18. No change

    Barbara A. Kreitz Cook “Barb Cook”

    Independent practice · Stuart, FL

    Verified
    • 30 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #18?

    Ranks #18 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  19. No change

    Gustavo A. Martínez-Tristani

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #19?

    Ranks #19 with 81.60: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.00 points behind #18, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)

    1.00 points behind #18 (Barbara A. Kreitz Cook “Barb Cook”): Experience −2.4.

  20. No change

    Tonya J. Meister

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #20?

    Ranks #20 with 81.60: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  21. No change

    Richard Dennis Rusak

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #21?

    Ranks #21 with 81.60: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
  22. No change

    Mayte Concepcion Cabada

    Independent practice · Coral Gables, FL

    Verified
    • 24 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #22?

    Ranks #22 with 81.40: strongest in Experience (28.8/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (4/20). 0.20 points behind #21, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)

    0.20 points behind #21 (Richard Dennis Rusak): Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  23. No change

    Eric Christopher Thiel

    Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 21 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #23?

    Ranks #23 with 79.20: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (4/20). 2.20 points behind #22, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)

    2.20 points behind #22 (Mayte Concepcion Cabada): Experience −3.6.

  24. No change

    Anthony John Cuva

    Turkel Cuva Barrios, P.A. · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 35 years experience
    • Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #24?

    Ranks #24 with 78.85: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (4/20). 0.35 points behind #23, mostly professional credentials.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)

    0.35 points behind #23 (Eric Christopher Thiel): Professional credentials −3.8, Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  25. No change

    Ford John Fegert “Ford”

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 36 years experience
    • Insurance · Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #25?

    Ranks #25 with 76.50: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Practice-area relevance (12.5/20). 2.35 points behind #24, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.5)
    • Practice-area relevance 12.5/20 (ranking avg 19.8)

    2.35 points behind #24 (Anthony John Cuva): Practice-area relevance −7.5.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 25 profile pages277 facts for 25 lawyers

Maritime market in Florida

LexRanked tracks 33 lawyers and 5 law firms in maritime law in Florida. 33 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
33
Law firms
5
Verified professional data
33 of 33
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
30 years33 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Florida

What sets these Florida maritime lawyers apart

All 25 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Admiralty and Maritime Law by The Florida Bar, which only about one in twenty Florida lawyers achieves in any field. The figures come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile, checked in November 2026.

Fact about the 25 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Admiralty and Maritime Law 25 of 25
Years in practice 21 to 50 (median 32)
Languages besides English Spanish (7), German (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer

Where do Florida's top maritime lawyers practice?

14 of the 25 practice in Miami; the table shows every city.

City Lawyers in this ranking
Miami 14
Coral Gables 6
Tampa 3
Stuart 1
Vero Beach 1

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with an office in a Florida city we cover and maritime as a practice area on record. It ranks every maritime lawyer LexRanked tracks in Florida by the same score and shows the top 25. How we rank.

Find a maritime lawyer in your city

A lawyer near you knows the local courts; each city has its own ranking of maritime lawyers.

Florida rules to know

Maritime injury claims are governed mostly by federal law: injured seamen can sue their employer under the Jones Act, and most maritime injury claims must be filed within 3 years.

Rule What it means
Injured seamen A seaman injured on the job may sue the employer, with a jury trial, under the Jones Act (46 U.S.C. § 30104)
Injury and death claims Within 3 years for personal injury or death from a maritime tort (46 U.S.C. § 30106)
Limiting a vessel owner's liability The owner must file in federal court within 6 months after a claimant gives written notice of a claim (46 U.S.C. § 30529)
Florida boating accidents The operator must file a written report for an injury, death, disappearance or at least $2,000 of damage (Fla. Stat. § 327.301)

Cases are heard in the county where they arise; see which judicial circuit covers each county.

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, prefer a lawyer who regularly works in your county, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask how many matters like yours the lawyer has handled in your county recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a maritime injury claim?

Generally 3 years after the cause of action arose for personal injury or death from a maritime tort, under 46 U.S.C. § 30106.

What is the Jones Act?

A federal law that lets a seaman injured in the course of employment, or the family of a seaman who dies, sue the employer in a civil action with the right to a jury trial.

Do I have to report a boating accident in Florida?

Yes, when it causes injury, death or a disappearance, or at least $2,000 of damage: the operator must send a written report to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission within the federal time limits.

Who certifies maritime lawyers in Florida?

The Florida Bar certifies lawyers in Admiralty and Maritime Law after at least five years of practice, peer review and a written exam.

What does Board Certified in Admiralty and Maritime Law mean?

It is a credential from The Florida Bar for lawyers with substantial experience in the field who have passed peer review and a written exam. 25 of the 25 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Where are the best maritime lawyers in Florida?

Of the 25 lawyers in this ranking, 14 practice in Miami, 6 practice in Coral Gables, 3 practice in Tampa. Each city also has its own ranking.

Do I need a maritime lawyer in my own city?

Any lawyer licensed by The Florida Bar may practice anywhere in Florida, but a lawyer who regularly appears in your county knows its judges and procedures.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

25 of the 25 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: John H Hickey “Jack”, Jerry Dean Hamilton, Richard James McAlpin, Jacob John Munch and Michelle Otero Valdes and others.

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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