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Intellectual Property

Top-Ranked Intellectual Property Lawyers in Florida

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

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked intellectual property lawyers in Florida are Scott Raymond Austin (LexRank 84.00), Jorge Tadeo Espinosa (84.00) and Peter Anthony Matos (84.00).

This ranking lists the top 25 of the 96 intellectual property 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 Intellectual Property Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. They practice in 8 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

    Scott Raymond Austin

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 41 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  2. No change

    Jorge Tadeo Espinosa

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 37 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  3. No change

    Peter Anthony Matos

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 32 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  4. No change

    Mark Peter Terry

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 25 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  5. No change

    Brian Roy Gilchrist

    Allen, Dyer, Doppelt & Gilchrist, P.A. · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 37 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • 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).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  6. No change

    Diego Fernando Bobadilla “Fernando”

    Independent practice · Aventura, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  7. No change

    Loren Donald Pearson

    Independent practice · Miami Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 30 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  8. No change

    Elliot Michael Zimmerman

    Independent practice · Plantation, FL

    Verified
    • 45 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  9. No change

    Pablo Meles

    Independent practice · Weston, FL

    Verified
    • 37 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  10. No change

    Jon Andrew Gibbons “JON”

    Independent practice · Boca Raton, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  11. No change

    Meredith Frank Mendez

    Independent practice · Boca Raton, FL

    Verified
    • 25 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  12. No change

    Joel Benjamin Rothman

    Independent practice · Boca Raton, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  13. No change

    Dale Paul DiMaggio

    Malin Haley DiMaggio & Bowen, P.A. · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 42 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  14. No change

    Robert C Kain Jr. “Robert”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 47 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  15. No change

    David Paul Lhota “David”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  16. No change

    Michael Bruce Chesal

    Peretz Chesal & Herrmann, P.L. · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 37 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #16?

    Ranks #16 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  17. No change

    David Kenneth Friedland

    Friedland Vining PA · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 36 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #17?

    Ranks #17 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  18. No change

    James A Gale “Jim”

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 42 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #18?

    Ranks #18 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  19. No change

    Samuel Abraham Lewis

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #19?

    Ranks #19 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  20. No change

    Jennie Sue Malloy

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 39 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #20?

    Ranks #20 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  21. No change

    John Cyril Malloy III

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 33 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #21?

    Ranks #21 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  22. No change

    Steven Ira Peretz

    Peretz Chesal & Herrmann, P.L. · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 44 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #22?

    Ranks #22 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  23. No change

    Heidi Howard Tandy

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 27 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #23?

    Ranks #23 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  24. No change

    Ava K Doppelt

    Allen, Dyer, Doppelt & Gilchrist, P.A. · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 42 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #24?

    Ranks #24 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)
  25. No change

    Jon Michael Gibbs

    Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 25 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #25?

    Ranks #25 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 26.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.0)

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 pages284 facts for 25 lawyers

Intellectual Property market in Florida

LexRanked tracks 96 lawyers and 6 law firms in intellectual property law in Florida. 96 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
96
Law firms
6
Verified professional data
96 of 96
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
27.5 years96 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 intellectual property lawyers apart

All 25 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Intellectual Property 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 Intellectual Property Law 25 of 25
Years in practice 25 to 47 (median 36)
Languages besides English Spanish (6), French (1), German (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer

Where do Florida's top intellectual property lawyers practice?

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

City Lawyers in this ranking
Miami 11
Fort Lauderdale 4
Boca Raton 3
Orlando 3
Aventura 1
Miami Beach 1
Plantation 1
Weston 1

Who is included in this ranking?

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

Find a intellectual property lawyer in your city

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

Florida rules to know

Patents and copyrights are governed by federal law, while Florida law protects trade secrets and offers its own trademark registration; the filing deadlines run from 3 to 6 years.

Rule What it means
Copyright lawsuits Within 3 years after the claim accrued (17 U.S.C. § 507(b))
Patent term 20 years from the filing date of the application, subject to maintenance fees (35 U.S.C. § 154(a)(2))
Patent damages No recovery for infringement committed more than 6 years before the lawsuit (35 U.S.C. § 286)
Trade secrets Within 3 years after the misappropriation is discovered or should have been discovered (Fla. Stat. § 688.007)
Florida trademark registration Lasts 5 years and can be renewed within the 6 months before it expires (Fla. Stat. § 495.071)

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 does a patent last?

A utility patent runs for 20 years from the date the application was filed in the United States, as long as the maintenance fees are paid.

How long do I have to sue for copyright infringement?

Three years after the claim accrued, under 17 U.S.C. § 507(b).

How long do I have to sue over a stolen trade secret in Florida?

Three years after the misappropriation was discovered, or should have been discovered with reasonable diligence, under section 688.007. A continuing misappropriation counts as a single claim.

Who certifies intellectual property lawyers in Florida?

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

What does Board Certified in Intellectual Property 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 intellectual property lawyers in Florida?

Of the 25 lawyers in this ranking, 11 practice in Miami, 4 practice in Fort Lauderdale, 3 practice in Boca Raton. Each city also has its own ranking.

Do I need a intellectual property 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: Scott Raymond Austin, Jorge Tadeo Espinosa, Peter Anthony Matos, Mark Peter Terry and Brian Roy Gilchrist 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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