Wayne Hogan, a Jacksonville native, has been with the firm since 1977. He graduated from Florida State University, where he received both his bachelor’s and J.D. degrees. He specializes in all areas of personal injury law. In addition to participating in many professional associations, he and his wife, Pat, are also actively involved in the community.
He was among the lawyers representing the State of Florida in its historic lawsuit against the cigarette industry on behalf of Florida's taxpayers and children resulting in a $17 billion settlement and, among other terms, removal of all billboard advertising and retirement of Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man in Florida. The settlement agreement not only helps the children of today, it will go on preventing addiction and disease for decades to come. It also led to the national tobacco settlement and set the stage for significant changes in Florida’s tobacco control laws.
Wayne Hogan has extensive experience in the field of punitive damages having obtained punitive damage verdicts in trials of 26 cases against manufacturers of defective products and having represented the plaintiffs in Florida’s first asbestos disease punitive damages trial and successfully handled the precedent-setting appeal reported as Johns-Manville Sales Corp. v. Janssens, 463 So.2d 262 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984). This case upheld the right of plaintiffs to receive punitive damages in such toxic tort litigation and also sustained the right of plaintiffs to obtain multiple exemplary damages awards in order to punish wrongdoers. In another of the firm’s cases the Florida Supreme Court held that a successor by merger is liable for punitive damages for the recklessness of its predecessor corporations in Celotex Corp. v. Pickett, 490 So.2d 35 (Fla. 1986).The firm represents thousands of victims of asbestos exposure statewide.
Consumer Law Designation
In 1977, the Florida Bar established the Designation Program for attorneys who practice in particular areas of the law. One of those designations was Consumer Law. Wayne Hogan was one of the first in the Florida Bar to become designated in Consumer Law.
Then, in 1982, the Florida Supreme Court replaced the Designation Program with a system of Certification would be helpful to the consumers of legal services across Florida and created a method for attorneys to become certified as “specialists” or “experts” in their field of practice. Certification is the highest level of recognition by the Florida Bar of the competency and experience of an attorney in his or her field of practice. Testing and peer review of qualifications are required. Board certification recognizes an attorney’s special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas of law and professionalism and ethics in practice.
In 1977, Wayne Hogan became designated in the field of Consumer Law Section. He has continued in the Trial Practice Section of the Florida Bar and became board certified by The Florida Bar in Civil Trial Practice. Wayne Hogan has consistently maintained his Florida Bar board certification since that time. He is also Certified as a Civil Trial Lawyer by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
