Dan Gerber and Leonard Dietzen Named “Lawyer of the Year;” Three Named “Ones to Watch”

ORLANDO, FL – August 21, 2025 – Best Lawyers has selected 28 RumbergerKirk attorneys for inclusion in the 2026 listing of The Best Lawyers in America.  Partners Dan Gerber and Leonard Dietzen have been awarded “Lawyer of the Year,” an honor received by only one attorney for each specialty and location. In addition, three RumbergerKirk attorneys, Jeffrey Grosholz, Kayla Platt Rady, and Seth Roebuck have been named “Ones to Watch,” recognizing outstanding professional excellence for lawyers who have been in private practice for less than 10 years.

This is the second consecutive year that Dan Gerber has been recognized for Lawyer of the Year. This year he is awarded the honor for his “Mass Tort Litigation Class Actions-Defendants” practice in Orlando. He was named Lawyer of the Year in “Product Liability Litigation-Defendants” for the Orlando area in 2025. Gerber helps solve complex legal problems for businesses in many areas.  He represents businesses and individuals who need efficient, cost-effective legal solutions in complex litigation, class actions, commercial litigation, product liability and governmental affairs.

Leonard Dietzen has been honored as 2026 Lawyer of the Year in Tallahassee for “Litigation – Labor and Employment.” He also was honored with the Lawyer of the Year award in 2022 for his “Labor Law-Management” practice.  Dietzen represents private and public sector employers in all aspects of labor and employment law with a large percentage of his practice focused on the education industry. With a traditional labor background, Dietzen represents employers who face claims brought under the Florida Public Employee Relations Act. He assists employers with union grievances and collective bargaining, including negotiating union contracts for school boards and counties.

The Best Lawyers list is based on a peer-review process in which thousands of leading attorneys confidentially evaluate the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical and legal practice area. Individuals honored as a “Lawyer of the Year” have received particularly high ratings for their abilities, professionalism and integrity.

The RumbergerKirk attorneys selected for inclusion highlight the firm’s broad range of experience defending clients in a variety of civil litigation matters. 

Birmingham

  • Robert H. Adams: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Craig A. Alexander:  Litigation-Labor and Employment; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
  • J. Michael Rediker:  Commercial Litigation; Litigation –Securities; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs; Securities Regulation
  • E. Berton Spence: Banking and Finance Law; Commercial Transactions/UCC Law

Miami

  • H. Jacey Kaps: Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
  • Nicole Kwapisz: Construction Law; Litigation-Construction
  • Scott Sarason: Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Orlando

  • Lori J. Caldwell: Insurance Law
  • Brett Carey: Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law
  • Ernest (Skip) H. Eubanks:  Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Darryl L. Gavin:  Insurance Law
  • Daniel J. Gerber:  Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Suzanne Barto Hill: Commercial Litigation
  • W.L. (Bud) Kirk: Insurance Law; Litigation – Insurance; Personal Injury Litigation –Defendants
  • David B. Shelton:  Insurance Law
  • Francis H. Sheppard:  Professional Malpractice Law- Defendants
  • Larry D. Smith: Product Liability Litigation-Defendants
  • Jennifer Smith Thomas: Commercial Litigation
  • David Willis: Commercial Litigation; Construction Law

Tallahassee

  • Leonard J. Dietzen III: Employment Law-Management; Labor Law-Management; Litigation-Labor and Employment
  • Richard A. Greenberg: Criminal Defense: General Practice

Tampa

  • Robert L. Blank: Litigation – Insurance; Personal Injury Litigation –  Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants;
  • Michael L. Forte: Litigation-Insurance
  • Joe Metzger: Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants; Product Liability Litigation-Defendants
  • Kari Metzger: Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants

Ones to Watch

  • Jeffrey Grosholz: Labor and Employment Law-Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
  • Kayla E. Platt Rady: Labor and Employment Law – Management; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
  • Seth Roebuck: Personal Injury Litigation

For more information about The Best Lawyers in America methodology and results, visit www.bestlawyers.com.