Glenn Klausman has been practicing plaintiffs personal injury law for more than 20 years with the law firm of Jacobs & Goodman, P.A. Prior to practicing plaintiffs personal injury law, Glenn Klausman's practice was primarily criminal defense. Glenn is a Florida native, born in Miami Beach, and a graduate of Miami Norland High School, in 1969. He graduated in 1973 from the University of Georgia School of Journalism, with Honors, and a double major in advertising and consumer behavior. He graduated in 1976 from the Stetson College of Law, with a Juris Doctorate degree. Glenn was admitted to the Florida Bar in June, 1976, and to the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States in July, 1979.
In 1976, Glenn began his legal career with the Office of the Public Defender, in Seminole County, Florida. In 1997, he accepted a position as an assistant public defender with the Office of the Public Defender, in Orange County, Florida. He became the first Chief of the Juvenile Court Division and later became a Felony Division Chief. As an assistant public defender, he gained invaluable experience from numerous jury trials. Glenn's post-graduate training included attending the College of Advocacy at Hastings College of Law/University of California in 1979, the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Special Studies Program in 1981, and the Trial Practice Institute of Nat'l College for Criminal Defense, Houston, Texas, in 1981. At the Trial Practice Institute, Glenn was fortunate to be assigned to small classes taught by famed trial lawyers Richard Racehorse Haynes and Gerry Spence.
In 1982, Glenn accepted an offer with Jacobs & Goodman, P.A. to practice criminal defense with the firm. Until the mid-1980's, Glenn continued to practice criminal defense with Jacobs & Goodman, P.A. including representation of a capital offense case. In the mid-1980's, Glenn Klausman's practice shifted full time to pursuing claims for injured victims against insurance companies and big business. Along with Harry Jacobs, Glenn Klausman was counsel of record in large medical malpractice cases in the late 1980's.
Glenn first became a member of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers in 1987. In 1991, Glenn was elected to the Seminole County Bar Association Board of Directors. He was a Director from 1991 to 1993, Secretary in 1993, and President of the Seminole County Bar Association from 1994 to 1995.
Glenn has served on the Florida Bar Grievance Committee for the 18th Judicial Circuit from 1994 to 1997 and was Chairman in 1997. Glenn has served on the Board of Directors of Central Florida Legal Services in 1996-1997. Glenn has been a member of the Seminole County Civil Trial Lawyers Association since 1997, and a member and on the Board of Directors of the Central Florida Trial Attorneys Association since 1998.
Glenn first became active representing claimants in claims against motor vehicle insurance companies for No-Fault (PIP) benefits in the late 1980's. As insurance companies became more aggressive in denying personal injury protection benefits claims, Glenn began litigating more PIP claims against insurance companies. In 2001, Glenn was appointed to the AFTL Insurance Committee, with his focus being on PIP legislation. In 2001, Glenn participated in drafting PIP legislation and appeared before the Florida Senate Banking and Insurance Committee on issues concerning PIP legislation.
In 2003, Glenn was again active in the PIP legislative process and he again appeared before the Florida Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Automobile Insurance/PIP Reform. In 2003, Glenn again was active in drafting proposed PIP legislation.
In 2005, Glenn appeared before the House Insurance Committee, at the request of House Committee Chairman Dennis Ross, as a panel member on behalf of consumers on the issue of No-Fault Insurance. In 2005, Glenn also appeared before the Florida Senate and Banking Insurance Committee and the Florida Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of consumers concerning the issue of proposed No-Fault Insurance legislation. Glenn has drafted proposed insurance legislation in each legislative session since 2001 when the legislature has considered motor vehicle insurance legislation.
Glenn has been a member of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Insurance Committee since 2001 and has served as Vice-Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Motor Vehicle Insurance Sub-Committee. Glenn is an Eagle member of AFTL. Glenn was twice elected by his peers to serve on the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Board of Directors from 2003-2007, has been a member of the AFTL Membership Committee since 2003, and the AFTL Continuing Legal Education Committee since 2003. In 2006, Glenn was elected by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Board of Directors to serve on the five member Executive Committee of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers. Glenn is also a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the American Association for Justice.
Glenn has been an invited speaker and presenter at numerous Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers seminars and has been an invited speaker at the annual Florida Chiropractic Association conventions in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Glenn was appointed by the Hon. Judge Jeffery Arnold to the Orange County PIP Committee with a task of compiling a handbook on PIP litigation. The members of the committee appointed Glenn the chairperson.
Glenn is frequently retained by other attorneys as co-counsel in complex or difficult litigation involving Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault insurance disputes. Glenn has successfully litigated both bad faith/unfair claims settlement practices claims against motor vehicle insurers and class action lawsuits against motor vehicle insurers.
Glenn is frequently retained by attorneys as an expert witness on the issue of attorney fees in PIP litigation. Defense attorneys opposing Glenn in PIP attorney fee hearings have on more than one occasion admitted contacting him when they had questions on Florida PIP issues on their own cases. As noted in a recent Final Judgment awarding Glenn Klausman attorney fees for successfully prosecuting a PIP benefits claim against an insurance company, the insurance company's expert conceded she knew of no attorney who had more expertise in the area of Florida No Fault law than Attorney Klausman.
In the Orlando community, Glenn has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the City of Orlando's Harry P. Leu Gardens and has served on the Orlando Museum of Art Acquisition Trust Board.
AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Martindale-Hubbell states their "AV Peer Review rating "identifies a lawyer with very high to preeminent legal ability and is a reflection of the lawyer's expertise, experience, integrity and overall professional excellence."
"BEST OF THE BAR" RATING BY PEERS:
Voted by peers as "Best of the Bar" in Insurance law (the only plaintiff's attorney to receive the recognition in Insurance Law), Orlando Business Journal November, 2005.
Voted by peers as "Best of the Bar" in Personal Injury and Insurance Law (the only plaintiff's attorney to receive the recognition in Insurance Law), Orlando Business Journal November, 2006.
Voted by peers as "Best of the Bar" in Personal Injury and Insurance Law, Orlando Business Journal November, 2007.
Madison's Who's Who of Professionals
Strathmore's Who's Who Honors member
Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (now Florida Justice Association) beginning 1987:
Leadership Positions:
Elected to Academy of florida Trial lawyers Board of Directors 2003-2005
Elected to Academy of florida Trial laywers Board of Directors 2005-2007
Elected to Florida Justice Association Board of Directors 2007-2009
Elected to five person Executive Board of AFTL by the Board of Directors and past presidents 2006-2007
Elected to five person Executive Board of Florida Justice Association by Board of Directors and past presidents 2007-2008
Committee Leadership Positions:
AFLT/FJA Insurance Committee, 2001-present, with focus on insurance legislation. Drafted proposed motor vehicle insurance legislation in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007.
Co-Chairman AFTL Motor Vehicle Insurance Committee 2005, 2006, 2007
Vice Chair AFTL Motor Vehicle Insurance Committee 2005, 2006, 2007
AFTL/FJA Membership Committee 2003-present
AFTL/FJA CLE Committee 2003-present
Appeared before the Florida Senate Banking & Insurance Committee in 2003 and Florida House Insurance Committee in 2004
Appeared before Florida House Insurance Committee as panel member on the issue of No-Fault Insurance, at the request of Committee Chairman Representative Ross, in 2005
Appeared before Florida Senate Banking & Insurance Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Florida House Insurance Committee, during legislative session 2006
Member of the Legislative Coalition of AFTL and health care provider organizations on Florida No-Fault Law
Awards:
The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers EAGLE member since 2002
Recipient AFTL Legislative Leadership Award 2006
Recipient AFTL EAGLE Recruitment Champion Award 2006
Recipient AFTL Membership Recruitment Champion Award 2006
The Academy of Florida Trial Laywers GOLD EAGLE Recipient 2006
Recipient Florida Justice Assn. Legislative Leadership Award 2007
Personal Injury
Auto Accidents
Medical Malpractice Claims
Premises Liability