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Introduction
Benjamin Reiss practices in the areas of general commercial, product liability, construction, real estate, and other civil litigation, criminal defense, and property tax appeals in federal and state courts. He has represented clients in approximately 60 jury trials and has been the lead trial lawyer on over 45 of them. He formerly was Chair of the Florida Bar Standing Committee on Professionalism, Vice President of the Board of Directors for Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., a member of the Board of Advisors for City Year in Miami and a member of the Board of Directors of the Dade County Bar Association. Ben was also a shareholder attorney at Greenberg Traurig, P.A., and an Assistant Public Defender. Ben has made presentations to lawyers at seminars on trial and litigation practice, and has presented the Professionalism portion of the Florida Bar’s “Practicing With Professionalism” seminar on numerous occasions.
Practice Areas
Civil Litigation
Real Property Tax Appeals and Challenges
Criminal Defense
Education
J.D., with high honors, Duke University School of Law, 1993
B.A., cum laude, Politics and Public Affairs, University of Miami, 1990
Professional Associations & Memberships
Member, City Year Miami Board of Advisors 2015-2018
Member, American Inn of Court, 1999-2007, 2014-2018
Dade County Bar Association (DCBA)
- Board Member, Board of Directors, 2009-12
- Chair of Administrative Law and Government
- Relations Committee 2012-2013
- Member, Long Range Planning Committee, 2009-2011
- Member, Professionalism Committee, 2009-2012
Florida Bar
- Member, Code and Rules of Evidence Committee, 2008-2014
- Chair, Standing Committee on Professionalism, 2007-2008
- Member, Standing Committee on Professionalism, The Florida Bar, 2002-2008
- Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Professionalism, 2006-2007
- Chair, Master's Seminar on Professionalism, 2004
- Member, Media and Communications Law Committee, 2000-2002
Member, American Bar Association
Teaching, Seminars and Presentations
Speaker, “Discovery and E-Discovery” at the 7th Annual Circuit Court and Litigation Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts, June 1, 2018
Speaker, “Depositions” at the Personal Injury 101 Seminar, Fort Lauderdale, April 24, 2018
Lecturer and Presenter on Cross-Examination at Hone Your Litigation Skills Program in Fort Lauderdale, December 2016
Lecturer and presenter, "Practicing with Professionalism," Seminar, Florida Bar, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach, and West Palm Beach, FL, 2003-2009
Lecturer and Presenter, “Strategies for Preparing and Conducting Persuasive Cross-Examination,” Hoffman Professionalism Center, 2015
Lecturer and Presenter, “Cross-Examination,” Public Defender College at UM Law School, 2012
Taught Professional Responsibility at University of Miami Law School, Spring 2010
Representative Matters
General commercial and civil litigation
Represented professional basketball player in federal lawsuit in New York against major sports agent and premier Russian basketball team. Obtained eligibility for the player to sign with any NBA or European professional basketball team.
Obtained agricultural classification for property used for boarding and training racehorses in State Circuit Court proceedings and favorably defended the judgment on appeal, including oral argument, before the Third District Court of Appeal of Florida.
Trademark litigation
Represented national watch company in obtaining federal court injunctions precluding the distribution and sales of gray market watches.
Criminal defense
Defended State Circuit Court Judge in sanction proceedings before the Florida Supreme Court.
Represented students arrested while protesting the FTAA conference in Miami and obtained dismissals of criminal charges.
Defended thousands of clients as an Assistant Public Defender against felony and/or misdemeanor charges
Honors
Recipient, Pro Bono Award, "Ensuring Equal Justice Pro Bono Initiative," Miami-Dade Public Defender Carlos J. Martinez Office, October 14, 2011
Recipient, DCBA’s "Put Something Back" Pro Bono Award for working as co-coordinator of Acción USA, a non-profit organization that provides pro bono legal advice and services to low- and moderate-income commercial borrowers
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Civic & Community Involvement
Previous Experience
Mr. Reiss was previously a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig. Prior experience also includes being the Assistant Public Defender with the Office of the Public Defender of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit in Florida, where he represented thousands of clients on misdemeanors and all degrees of felonies except Capital Murder, including many jury trials, including obtaining "Not Guilty" verdicts for several clients on trial and facing a potential sentence of life in prison if convicted. Additionally, he supervised the Habitual Felony Offenders and Serious Crimes Division.