Ed has a law degree from Nova Southeastern University, a Bachelor of Science Degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University, and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.  He is also a certified mediator.

He is a director with Tripp Scott and has extensive jury and non-jury trial experience.   He started his career as an insurance defense lawyer, including the representation of major manufacturers in defense of product liability claims.  He has litigated more than 400 cases, in areas such as aviation, product liability, personal injury, wrongful death, professional negligence, insurance coverage and complex commercial disputes.  Over 100 of those cases involved General Aviation or Commercial aircraft. 

Ed limits his practice to cases, including aviation accidents, where PERSONAL INJURY/ WRONGFUL DEATH is caused by the negligence of others or by defective products; cases involving INSURANCE COVERAGE disputes including bad faith; cases involving PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE including legal and accounting malpractice; and, MEDIATION.

He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is Florida board certified in the areas of Civil Trial and Aviation Law. 

Ed was an adjunct professor of aviation law at Nova Southeastern University for more than a decade.  In addition, he is a past member of the board of trustees of the Leukemia Society of America and has served on the City of Fort Lauderdale Charter Review Board,  the City of Fort Lauderdale Citizens Review Board and the City of Fort Lauderdale Planning and Zoning Board.

Before practicing law, Ed was a Naval aviator and an experimental test pilot.  He is a decorated pilot with more than 260 combat missions in Southeast Asia.  He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, fifteen Air Medals, four Naval Commendation Medals and numerous service and campaign ribbons.  He holds a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine, multi-land, and instrument ratings.
 
Significant Trials and Settlements

• Product Liability: Confidential Settlement for the family of the pilot of a Cirrus SR20 aircraft that crashed during a training flight where the aircraft entered a stall and subsequent spin.

• Product Liability: Confidential Settlement for the family of the pilot of a Cirrus SR22 aircraft when the aircraft door opened in flight and the aircraft stalled on approach to landing. 

• Product Liability: Confidential Settlement for the family of a Navy pilot killed when the nose gear of his F-14 collapsed during the carrier catapult launch.  

• Product Liability: Confidential Settlement for the family of the pilot of a Piper Meridian that suffered an engine failure after take off.  

• Negligent Maintenance: Confidential Settlement for the family of the pilot of a cargo aircraft that crashed on take-off because the aileron trim was reversed during maintenance.  

• Product Liability: Co-counsel for the Plaintiffs in Rainy v. Beech, 488 U.S. 153 (1988).  The case involved the crash of a military T-34C aircraft.  The jury returned a defense verdict that was reversed by the 11th Circuit.  The reversal was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.  

• Product Liability: Confidential settlement,  following a liability verdict, for the pilot of an amphibian aircraft that crashed on a water landing. 

• Product Liability: Confidential eight-figure settlement for the families of the crew of a C-130 test aircraft that crashed during engine-out flight testing. 

• Product Liability: Punitive Damages: a jury verdict in favor of the family of the pilot, including punitive damages, following the crash of a Piper Light twin aircraft.  Piper Aircraft Corp. v. Coulter, 416 So.2d 1108 (4th DCA 1983).