our attorneys
Benjamin Reiss
Benjamin Reiss is a partner and civil litigation attorney at PBY&A. Mr. Reiss brings many years of experience to his practice, having represented clients in 60 jury trials, acting as lead trial lawyer on 45 of those cases. His main focus areas include general commercial, product liability, construction, real estate, criminal defense, and property tax appeals in federal and state courts. He has presented to lawyers many times on trial and litigation practice, including discussing professionalism at the Florida Bar’s Practicing with Professionalism seminar.
Mr. Reiss was formerly Chair of the Florida Bar Standing Committee on Professionalism, Vice President of the Board of Directors for Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., an associate and shareholder attorney at Greenberg Traurig, P.A. for 19 years, and an assistant public defender. He was also a board member for Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., and was a member of the national council and board of directors for the University of Miami Hurricane Club.
Mr. Reiss received his JD with high honors from Duke University School of Law in 1993 after obtaining a BA (cum laude) in politics in political affairs from the University of Miami in 1990. He is a member of the Florida Bar Association, the Dade County Bar Association, and the American Bar Association, and has been a member and chair of many committees within those associations. He was a member of the City Year Miami Board of Advisors from 2015 to 2018 and the American Inn of Court from 1999 to 2007.
- Civil Litigation
- Real Property Tax Appeals and Challenges
- Criminal Defense
- J.D., with high honors, Duke University School of Law, 1993
- B.A., cum laude, Politics and Public Affairs, University of Miami, 1990
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Florida
- US District Court for the Southern District of Florida
- Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc.
- Board Member, Board of Directors, 2003-2010 (held positions of Vice-President and Treasurer; and member of Executive Committee)
- University of Miami Hurricane Club
- Member, National Council, 2009-2010
- Broward County Chapter, Board of Directors, 2005-2009, President, 2009, Vice-President, 2007-2008
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.
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