the Florida Keys. (Click ATLA 2002 WINTERCONVENTIONatwww.Leesfield.com) Wehope you will be our webguest and visit us for casesupport or just to enhanceyour trip to Florida.

Internet resourceful-ness, hard work and clientcommitment broughtabout the following recentresults for our clients. Formore information, go towww.Leesfield.com

Volume 7, Number 2Winter 2002A quarterly newsletter for lawyersand clients of Leesfield LeightonRubio Mahfood & Boyers

Miami Office:

2350 South Dixie HighwayMiami, FL 33133

305 | 854-4900800 | 836-6400Fax: 305 | 854-8266Email: info@Leesfield.comVisit our web site @www.Leesfield.com

Key West Office:615½ Whitehead StreetKey West, FL 33040800 | 836-6400

Attorneys:Ira H. LeesfieldJohn Elliott LeightonMaria L. RubioGeorge G. MahfoodRobert B. BoyersPatricia M. KennedyMark A. SylvesterThomas Scolaro his issueof

petition featuresour recentlyupdated web site

with the hope thatour friends will usethe information wehave compiled overthe past decade.The back page ofthis issue highlightsicons which providelinks to a wholeworld of litigationsupport. Need anexpert? Litigating atrucking, productsliability, medicalmalpractice, nursinghome or auto case?

Click RESOURCES &RESEARCH, and yourproblem may be solved!Also at your fingertips isvaluable information oncomparable settlements,

verdicts and a helpfulguide to litigation inFlorida. By clicking FIRMPUBLICATIONS and, inparticular, past issues ofPETITION, an index to allmajor legal topics is atyour disposal.

Planning a visit toFlorida? You will find

valuable information onan entire array of lodging,restaurants, familyactivities, and fun eventsthroughout Florida and

Maria Rubio and TomScolaro obtained a $1million award against aMiami-DadeCountynursing homefor the deathof a 91 year-old Cuban-Americanmother. Justprior, Maria resolved a$575,000 wrongful deathauto award for the deathof a 37 year-old man.Meanwhile, nursing homeadvocates John Leightonand Tom Scolaro achieveda $600,000 settlementfor 88 year-old AmeliaSanchez who wasseverely neglected andabandoned at the nursinghome, causing her tosustain two separate hipfractures, both requiringcomplete hipreplacements andextensive rehabilitation.

A $500,000settlement resulted forthe family of a 75 year-olddevoted husband andfather. The decedent diedof severe dehydrationafter a nine-day stay at thenursing home where hewas not provided withbasic minimum care.

Nursing HomeNews:$1 MillionSettlement for 91 year-oldDeceased

Leesfield Leighton Rubio Mahfood & Boyers | Trial Lawyers | Miami & Key West

Back to Back$850,000 Awardsfor Newly NamedPartner RobertBoyersWith histrademarkdiligence,creativity andhard work,newly namedPartner

Robert Boyers won twoback to back $850,000cases involving (1) medicalnegligence and (2) swimming pool designdefects. The first caseinvolved multiple medicaldefendants, resulting inthe death of our 75 year-old client, leaving an 80year-old husband as solesurvivor. Immediatelythereafter, Rob establishedthat a malfunctioningsuction jet in a lap poollocated at a local spacaused severe internalinjuries to our client whenthe spa failed to monitor,calibrate and maintain thepool’s circulation system.

Contents this Issue:

2Verdicts, Verdicts... and MoreFamily’s Future is Secured with$850,000 settlement

3Ira Leesfield receivesAnti-Defamation LeagueJurisprudence Award.Remarks by Pres. ClintonFirm earns Back-to-Back Honorsby South Florida’s Legal Guide

4Put Us in Your Favorite Places,and Guide to LitigationResources at www.Leesfield.com

uring the recentmediation forDamaris Zaldivar, asingle mom, her four

year-old daughter Mayah,was busydrawing “herversion of life.”When themediation wasconcluded withan $850,000result, we wereagain reminded of theimportance of our work, andwhat a difference we canmake in our client’s life.“This settlement allowsDamaris to finish her

education, improve herhousing and transportationand, most importantly,provide a collegeopportunity for her youngdaughter, Mayah,” accordingto Mark Sylvester, whodedicated himself to thiscase and its extraordinaryresult. “It was a pleasureworking with Mark Sylvesteron this case as heexemplified theprofessionalism our firm isso proud of,” said IraLeesfield. For comparableverdicts and settlements, goto the FLORIDA RESULTSMAPat www.Leesfield.com

long chapter oflitigation history onbehalf of the Rivasand Padilla families

was successfullyconcluded inSeptember2001 with asettlement forMarianaTerrito, whosecommon lawhusband wasa passenger in a Cessna

172N which crashed whiletouring Puerto Rico. The$650,000 settlementfollows the previous awardon behalf of the Rivasfamily in the amount of $8million and was the resultof the tireless work ofGeorge Mahfood, MariaRubio andPatriciaKennedy in Puerto Ricoand Miami. Meanwhile, onthe high seas, Georgerecovered $500,000 for

the wrongful death of acruise linepassenger who drownedduring a scuba divingexpedition,leaving asurviving

husband. The case wasbrought in Federal Courtunder “DOSHA” (Death on the High Seas Act).

ohn Leighton does nottypically handle softtissue cases. However,the injury to our client,

Sara Godur, was quite uniquewhen she was knocked downby a case of Charmin toilettissue while shopping atCostco. Sara, age 61, wasreaching on a high shelfwhen the pallet of toilettissue tumbled and knockedher to the ground, resulting in

serious multiple fractures toher leg and a $1 millionverdict in the 11th CircuitCourt in and for Miami-DadeCounty, Florida (Case No. 00-33482 CA 02.)

Months earlier, Johnobtained a verdict on behalfof Harry Johns againstNorwegian Cruise Line in theamount of $275,000, forinjuries received by animproperly secured

mooring line. As we go to

press, MarkSylvester andJohn Leightonreturned fromthe Orlandoarea with a$500,000 settlement for a 37 year-old man whosuffered extensive injuries to his legs in an auto-truck collision.

“Soft tissue Injury” results in a $1 Million Verdict

Puerto Rico Aviation CrashConcludes With Awards of $8 Million and $650,000

ur client was leavingCheesecakeFactory when sheslipped on a foreign

substance left on the floorby defendants, resultingin a broken hip. This case

Leesfield Leighton Rubio Mahfood & Boyers | Trial Lawyers | Miami & Key West

was litigatedandconcludedwithin one year from thetime of injury.“This award

$850,000 AutoPassenger Recovery

Vehicles Defects Yield Resultsin Excess of $50 Million

will allow our client to visitand provide additionalbenefits to her tengrandchildren,” accordingto Tom Scolaro whoimpressively pursued this difficult case.

Above, Damaris with her 4 year-olddaughter, Mayah.Below, Mayah’ssketches.

Counting on Katieor fifteen years, Kate Barber has ledthe firm’s prayer at

our annual Christmasparty. Katie is a personsteeped in a high workethic, as demonstrated byher years of service to ourfirm and community. Thereis no job Katie can’t orwon’t do to make our firm abetter place to work

and ourcommunity abetter placeto live. Forher years ofdedication,industry andinspiration,we saluteKatie Barber as a person ofquality, character andaccomplishment.

Verdicts, Verdicts... and More!

ith the Decemberfiling of Jordan v.Suzuki MotorCorporation,in the

U.S. District Court forthe Eastern District of NewYork, our firm continuesprotecting consumersinjured as a result ofnegligent vehiclemanufacturing and design.Jordan follows a legion ofawards against HondaMotor Corporation, SuzukiMotor Corporation,

Kawasaki MotorCorporation, Chrysler Motor

Corperation,and others,including a$20 millionverdictobtained by IraLeesfield andGeorge

Mahfoodagainst the HondaMotor Corporation for thenegligent design of amotorcycle sidestand.

Our firm has successfully

concluded product safetycases across the UnitedStates, including New York,California, Minnesota,Texas, Georgia, Illinois,Alaska, Pennsylvania andthroughout Florida. (ClickU.S. RESULTS MAP atwww.Leesfield.com.)

The firm’s experience,document control anddiscovery continues tobenefit new clients whopursue recoveries againstnegligent manufacturers.

“Say Cheese...”$525,000 Results AgainstCheesecake Factory

Kate Barber

Firm Earns Back toBack Honors

or the sixth successfulyear, our firm hostedthe Case Evaluation

and Conch FritterWeekend at MangoesRestaurant in Key West,Florida. An overflow crowdattended the Seminar, andlater joined over 100members of the local bar at the Conch Frittercelebration held at our Key

West office. Our firm hasrepresented over 500Monroe County familiesand visitors to the FloridaKeys through our Key Westoffice established in 1980.

For more informationabout our verdicts, Key West practice, maps andplaces of interest, go toOFFICES atwww.Leesfield.com

n December 6, 2001,over 500lawyers, judges and communityleaders joined former President Bill

Clinton and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in honoring Ira Leesfield as hereceived the Anti-Defamation League 2001Jurisprudence Award. President Clintonreviewed Ira’s service to his Administrationwhere he was appointed to two importantposts. In his videotaped remarks,President Clinton spoke of Ira Leesfield as“a person who gets things done and makesa difference and someone who knows thetrue meaning of dedication and service to country.”

Leesfield Leighton Rubio Mahfood & Boyers | Trial Lawyers | Miami & Key West

And, as we degrade ourfoes, we must neverdegrade our freedoms.”

The Anti-DefamationLeague presents theJurisprudence Award tothose individuals whodemonstrate the ideals ofthe Anti-Defamation Leaguethrough their commitmentto the field of law and theirefforts in improving thequality of life bring togetherpeople of all races, religionsand ethnic backgrounds to join in the fight againstbigotry and discrimination.

For more information onthis event, and the full text of the remarks ofPresident Clinton and theCongressional RecordTribute, go to NEWS &UPDATESatwww.Leesfield.com

rather, it is a war againstcriminals who are deadly. As we continue this fightabroad, we must beconstantly vigilant at home.

Just minutes before,Congresswoman IleanaRos-Lehtinen paid tribute toIra Leesfield on the floor of the U.S. House ofRepresentatives,congratulating him for his“outstanding contribution tothe legal profession and thecommunity at large . . . andthe leadership he hasshown to his localcommunity and to our fine nation.”

In his acceptance, Irareflected on the events of September 11themphasizing that, “Diversityis the bedrock of democracy,decency and progress in aharmonious world. As theUnited States engages in abattle abroad, we know thatthis is not a war againstpeople that are different;

Sonny Holtzman, Anti-Defamation League Luncheon Chair (right) presenting award to Ira Leesfield

President Clinton pays tribute to Leesfield. “I have learned tocount on Ira as a friend and community leader, appointing him toimportant posts in my Administration. . .”

or the second yearin a row, LeesfieldLeighton Rubio

Mahfood & Boyers hasbeen selected as one ofSouth Florida’s top law firmsby the South Florida LegalGuide. Questionnaireswere mailed to over 5,000lawyers in South Floridaasking them to recommendthe top five lawyers in anumber of practice areas.

The compiled list was thenfurther reviewed by anindependent group oflawyers who made the final selections.

Report to theCommunity:Aftermath of 9/11

eesfield Leighton RubioMahfood & Boyers

dedicates this issueof the Petition to the

families who have been sotragically impacted by theevents of September 11th.In an immediate response,our firm was honored tosupport the September11th Fund and the DadeCounty Bar Association’sWorld Trade Center ReliefFund. All our lawyers have

volunteered their servicesto the victims’ familiesthrough ATLA.

Our support, respect and admiration for theheroic people of New York is ongoing. As always, theLeesfield FamilyFoundation and LeesfieldLeighton Rubio Mahfood &Boyerscontinue to sponsorthe following scholarshipsand community basedorganizations:

Leesfield/ATLA Law Student ScholarshipLeesfield/Florida Association of Women Lawyers LawStudent ScholarshipLegal Services of Greater Miami, Inc.Legal Services of the Florida KeysAmerican ORT, Boston ChapterEating Disorders Awareness Prevention-EDAPMultiple Sclerosis FoundationDade Community FoundationUniversity of Miami Sylvester Cancer CenterProject YesFood for Life NetworkThe San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention CenterNational Parkinson Foundation Baptist Health Systems of South Florida

President Clinton and U.S. Congress Pay Tribute to Leesfield at ADLJurisprudence Award

Key West Office HostsConch Fritter Seminar

VERYONE AT LeesfieldLeighton RubioMahfood & Boyerswants to share two of

our favorite places with you.We hope our newlydesigned web site willbecome one of your favoriteplaces for litigationsupport. Likewise, weknow Florida, a statediverse in beauty andattractions, will remain oneof your favorite places to visit.

Please review our homepage and feel free to accessvaluable information that will advance your legal workand enhance your travels to Florida.

Researching a case onnursing home or elderlyabuse? Need an expert inpremises security orproducts safety? Litigatinga maritime, aviation, ormotor vehicle case? Havea tough legal question?Need instant access tomedical research, includingWebDoctor or Mayo ClinicHealth? A complete indexto medical technology andlegal information is just aclick away when you go toRESOURCES &RESEARCH.

Don’t forget to visit ourhome page maps whichprovide an excellent basis ofworldwide comparableverdicts and settlements.Information about ourattorneys and staff orupcoming seminars isreadily available atATTORNEYS, ATTORNEYand STAFF DIRECTORYandSEMINARS AND EVENTS.

Whether you needinformation on the weather,visiting Florida resorts,selecting restaurants orfamily activities in Florida,www.Leesfield.comprovides a good start to agreat Florida trip.

So, put our favoriteplaces in your “favoriteplace” while exploring ourweb site. Please let us haveyour comments andsuggestions by e-mailing usat info@Leesfield.com.

The lawyers and staff ofLeesfield Leighton RubioMahfood & Boyers wish allof you a happy, peaceful andprosperous New Year.

Leesfield Leighton Rubio Mahfood & Boyers | Trial Lawyers | Miami & Key West

Put Us in“FavoritePlaces”

Start at www.Leesfield.com with a recap of News and Updates... then CLICK on RESOURCES& RESEARCH to learn more!

Looking for past issues of Petition and trial preperation material? Click at PETITION NEWSLETTERS.

Visiting Florida and the Florida Keys?A guide to South Florida attractions.

Click here for links to legal research and technical support in all litigation areas.

Take a side trip to our comparable verdicts pageas a guide to case evaluation.

Want to meet the lawyers at our firm?Findout more by Clicking ATTORNEYS.