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was an intern under Janet Reno at the Miami Dade-County State At- torney’s O ce. But it wasn’t until I graduated law school (while wait- ing to start my job at as a prosecutor) and began clerking at my father’s rm, researching issues, sitting in on client meetings and attending my very rst hearing, that I realized if I wanted to learn how to practice law correctly, I needed to look no further. My father showed me how to practice aggressively, but at the same time, ethically and with kind- ness and compassion. He earned the reputation of being a man of his word who had the respect of every lawyer and jurist in the community. at’s how I wanted to practice law! And that’s what I have been striv- ing for my whole career. I was never handed anything. I had to earn my way, nding the right cases, ghting in the trenches, and getting the best possible results for my clients.
AALM: What do you nd particularly rewarding about being an at- torney?
Lipcon: I represent clients from all over the world (technology has made that possible via video conferencing, email, etc.). I’ve had many multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements over the years. Obviously, that’s nancially rewarding. But what rewards me equally is the grati - cation I get from my clients. For example, I have a client whose mother was severely injured. We resolved mom’s case and nancially set up the family to be able to take care of her for the rest of her life. But the real thank you came, not just from the fee I earned, but from knowing the family would rest a bit easier now being able to a ord to care for her. Since the day of that verdict, every year, without fail, I receive a home- made carrot cake from the children of the client with a special thank you note. It’s been 15 years and I haven’t missed a carrot cake yet!
AALM: What aws do you see in the current legal landscape?
Lipcon: Dishonest attorneys. I’ve led my whole career practicing law ethically. Unfortunately, that’s not the case of all attorneys. Twice I have been chair of a Florida Bar Grievance Committee where we meet and discuss Bar Complaints against attorneys that are alleged to have had unethical conduct. It saddens me that attorneys would rather make a quick dollar than represent their clients ethically and morally. What lawyers don’t understand is you can have everything; you can be ethical and aggressive. You can make money and do the right thing all the time! Stay within the rules. I have been very successful with that work model and I urge other attorneys to do the same.
AALM: What are some of your interests outside of work?
Lipcon: I love spending as much time as I can with my wife, Amer- ica (married 22 years!), and my two children, Nicolas and Natalia. My eldest is a sophomore at the University of Florida on a path to law school. My youngest is now a senior in high school, in the process of sending out her college applications. I try to spend every moment I can with them, knowing how time moves quickly! I make a practice of go- ing home every night at a reasonable hour so that we can have dinner together. My wife is an excellent cook so that makes easy!
At a Glance
Lipcon & Lipcon, PA
One Datran Center
9100 South Dadeland Blvd., Suite 400
Miami, FL 33156
(305) 670-6144 www.LipconLawFirm.com
Education
Juris Doctor, University of Florida College of Law
Bachelor of Science, University of Florida
Awards
AV-Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
10.0 Rating, AVVO
Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers,
National Trial Lawyers
Bar Admissions
Florida Bar
Colorado State Bar
United States District Court for the
Southern District of Florida
Trial Bar of the United States District
Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Professional Memberships
Florida Justice Association The Dade County Trial Lawyers
Association
The American Bar Association The Dade County Bar Association The Florida Bar’s Grievance
Committee, 11th Judicial Circuit, Chair
Community Involvement
Big Brother’s Big Sisters Habitat for Humanity
For the past 27 years, I’ve been focused only on personal injury cases. I’m a litigator. I’ve seen and done it all!”