Brent Steinberg

Partner
Hometown

Fort Myers, FL

Education

University of Florida, B.S., summa cum laude, 2007
University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2010

Bar Memberships

The Florida Bar (Board Certified – Appellate Practice)
State Bar of Georgia

Areas of Practice

Insurance Bad Faith
Personal Injury
Products Liability
Insurance Coverage
Legal Malpractice
Wrongful Death

"Thank you for an amazing job. All your hard work has now given my family and I the opportunity to move on with our lives. You’ll be highly recommended."
Aleli
Home » Brent Steinberg

Brent Steinberg is a Florida Bar board-certified appellate specialist – a distinction achieved by approximately 200 of the more than 100,000 members of the Florida Bar. He handles catastrophic injury, insurance bad faith, legal malpractice and insurance coverage cases throughout Florida and Georgia, at both the trial and appellate levels.

Mr. Steinberg began his employment with Swope, Rodante, Newsome & Steinberg as a law clerk in 2009, joined the firm full time after graduating law school in 2010, and became a partner in 2018.

He has served as lead appellate counsel in cases at the Florida Supreme Court, all six of Florida’s District Courts of Appeal, the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In 2022, he argued and won two important insurance bad faith appeals at the Eleventh Circuit.

Mr. Steinberg has also served as trial counsel in several multimillion-dollar cases, including a $30.1 million traumatic brain injury case – the 6th highest personal injury verdict in Florida in 2019. Mr. Steinberg successfully defended that verdict in the Florida Supreme Court in 2023.

Mr. Steinberg is a proud double Gator, earning his Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, and his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010. While at UF Law, he was a member of the Florida Law Review, in which he was published, and he received six “Book Awards” for the highest-class grade.

Mr. Steinberg has an AV rating (the highest possible) by Martindale-Hubbell, the oldest reviewing agency in the country. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers Magazine, The National Trial Lawyers, and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. He has also received multiple awards from the Florida Justice Association (“FJA”), including the 2023 S. Victor Tipton award for superior achievement in legal writing.

In 2023, Mr. Steinberg was appointed to the Florida Bar Civil Procedure Rules Committee, where he evaluates and recommends proposed changes to the Rules to the Supreme Court of Florida. He also presently serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Justice Association and is an elected officer of the Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association.

Mr. Steinberg frequently represents the interests of insurance consumers and accident victims against Big Insurance and other special interest groups in Tallahassee. He presently serves as Chair of the FJA’s Legislative Committee on Auto Insurance and Insurance Bad Faith. Over the past 8 years, Mr. Steinberg has volunteered thousands of hours drafting bills, authoring white papers and lobbying state legislators on a multitude of insurance and civil justice issues.

He is a frequent lecturer on insurance and tort issues and authored a chapter titled “Autonomous Vehicles and Transportation Network Companies” in Florida Automobile Insurance Law, published by the Florida Bar in 2020 and 2022. He also authors a bi-monthly column in the FJA Journal titled “Tips for Auto Practitioners.”

His greatest achievement, however, is being married to his amazing wife, Tara, and father to their two young children.

Professional Distinctions

  • Florida Bar: Board Certified – Appellate Practice, 2022-Present.
  • AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, 2023-Present
  • The Best Lawyers in America®
    • Appellate Practice, 2025-Present
    • Insurance Law, 2023-Present.
    • Personal Injury Litigation-plaintiffs, 2022-Present.
    • Litigation-Insurance, 2022-Present.
  • The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100, 2025-Present.
  • The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40, 2019-2024.
  • Fellow, National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2020-Present.
  • Super Lawyers magazine
    • Super Lawyer – 2025-Present
    • “Rising Star” – 2018-2024
  • Superb Rated Attorney, AVVO, 2017-Present.
  • Member of the Florida Law Review, 2008-2010.
  • Teaching Assistant for Legal Research and Writing and Appellate Advocacy at the UF College of Law, 2008-2009.

Community Involvement

  • Member of the Florida Bar Civil Procedure Rules Committee, 2023-Present.
    • Vice Chair, 2025-Present.
  • Member of the Florida Justice Association, 2009-Present.
    • Board of Directors, 2017-2018, 2021-Present.
    • Executive Committee, 2022-2023.
    • Co-Chair, HB 837 Appellate Committee, 2023-Present.
    • Chair, Auto Insurance/Bad Faith Legislative Committee, 2021-Present.
    • Chair, Auto Insurance Legislative Committee, 2016-2021.
    • Fellow, 2026-Present.
    • EAGLE Patron, 2020-Present.
    • EAGLE Committee, 2024-Present.
  • Member of American Association for Justice, 2010-Present.
  • Member of Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association.
    • Treasurer, 2026.
    • Secretary, 2025.
    • Program Director, 2024.
    • Board of Directors, 2021-2023.
  • Member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, 2010-Present.

Publications

  • Author of “Tips for Auto Practitioners”, a bi-monthly column in the Journal of the Florida Justice Association, May 2017 – June 2018, January 2021-Present.
  • Contributor to the FJA Reading File, a weekly online digest of the most relevant articles, news, and case law updates for members of the Florida Justice Association, 2017-2022.
  • “Emerging Automotive Technologies and Transportation Network Companies,” Florida Automobile Insurance Law, published by The Florida Bar (2022).
  • “Autonomous Vehicles and Transportation Network Companies,” Florida Automobile Insurance Law, published by The Florida Bar (2020).
  • “The Graves Amendment: Putting To Death Florida’s Strict Vicarious Liability Law”, 62 FLA. L. REV. 795 (2010).

Presentations

  • Insurance and Bad Faith Seminar, Florida Justice Association “Masters of Justice” Seminar Chair, 2026.
  • On the Clock; On the Hook: Proving Course and Scope in Auto Cases, Florida Justice Association “Masters of Justice” Seminar, 2026.
  • Tort Reform Case Law Update, Florida Justice Association Webinar, 2026
  • Maximizing the Value of Your PI Case Post-HB 837, Southwest Florida Trial Lawyers Association, 2026.
  • Spotting the Hidden Products Liability Case, Florida Justice Association Annual Convention, 2026.
  • Autonomy Without Accountability: Autonomous Vehicles and the Existential Threat to Civil Justice, Cigars & Mojitos Seminar, 2026
  • Law and Society, Guest Lecturer, University of Tampa, 2026.
  • Overcoming Common Exclusions Raised by Insurance Companies, Florida Justice Association Workhorse Seminar, 2026.
  • The Current State of HB 837 in the Courts, Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, 2026
  • CRN Strategies for Third-Party Cases, Florida Justice Association CRN Webinar, 2025
  • Hidden Golf Cart Accident Cases, Florida Justice Association “Masters of Justice” Seminar, 2025
  • Insurance Bad Faith Post-HB 837 – Two Years Later, Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, 2025
  • Special Considerations in Insurance Cases, Florida Justice Association Proposal for Settlement Webinar, 2025
  • What “Loser Pays” Attorneys Fees Would Really Look Like, Florida Justice Association Annual Convention, 2025
  • HB 837 Retroactivity in Insurance Cases, Florida Justice Association Annual Convention, 2025
  • HB 837: Problems and Solutions, Manasota Trial Lawyers Board, 2025.
  • Hot Topics in Expert Witness Fees and Attorney’s Fees, The Florida Bar, 2025.
  • CRNs in Third-Party Cases, Florida Justice Association Civil Remedy Notice Webinar, 2024.
  • Navigating the New Duty of Good Faith You Owe to the Insurance Company, Florida Justice Association Webinar, 2024.
  • Retroactivity of HB 837’s Bad Faith Amendments, Florida Justice Association “Masters of Justice” Seminar, 2024.
  • How Insurance Carriers Have Responded to HB 837, Florida Justice Association Annual Convention, 2024.
  • How Paralegals Can Help Injury Attorneys Avoid Legal Malpractice, Tampa Bay Paralegal Association, 2024.
  • Insurance Bad Faith Seminar, Florida Justice Association Workhorse Seminar Chair, 2024.
  • Law and Society, Guest Lecturer, University of Tampa, 2024.
  • First and Third-Party Bad Faith Post-HB 837, Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, 2024.
  • Insurance Bad Faith in a Post-HB 837 World, Jacksonville Justice Association Annual Seminar, 2023.
  • Insurance Bad Faith Seminar, Florida Justice Association “Masters of Justice” Seminar Chair, 2023.
  • After HB 837: Ethically Exploring the Undiscovered Country, The Hillsborough County Bar Association’s 26th Annual Bench Bar Conference, 2023.
  • 2023 Raising the Bar Seminar, The Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association (CFTLA), 2023.
  • Special Considerations: UM Coverage and Bad Faith Cases Post HB-837, Florida Justice Association Proposal for Settlement Webinar, 2023.
  • Deep Dive Into HB 837 – Insurance Bad Faith, Florida Justice Association Annual Convention, 2023.
  • HB 837: Insurance Bad Faith Update, 2023.
  • Auto Insurance Legislative and Case Law Update, Florida Justice Association Annual Convention, 2022.
  • Proposals for Settlement Update, Florida Justice Association Webinar, 2022.
  • Ride-Sharing & Car-Sharing Litigation, Florida Justice Association Workhorse Seminar, 2022.
  • Auto Negligence Seminar, Florida Justice Association “Masters of Justice” Seminar Chair, 2021.
  • PFS Involving Insurance Companies, Florida Justice Association Webinar, 2021.
  • Auto Insurance Case Law and Legislative Update, Florida Justice Association Annual Convention, 2021.
  • Uber and Lyft Claims; Palm Beach County Justice Association, 2021.
  • Auto Insurance Legislative Review and Preview, Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, 2021.
  • Insurance Coverage Bootcamp, Florida Justice Association Webinar, 2020. Co-Chair and Presenter of Auto Liability Coverage Under Florida’s Financial Responsibility Laws.
  • Debtors’ Insurance Bad Faith Claims, Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association, 2020; Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association, 2021; Jacksonville Bankruptcy Bar Association, 2021.
  • Transportation Network Company (“TNC”) Litigation: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, The Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association, 2020.
  • Auto Insurance Case Law and Legislative Update, Florida Justice Association Annual Review Webinar, 2020.
  • Civil Remedy Notice Webinar, Florida Justice Association, 2019.
  • Six Ways to Lose Your Appeal During Closing Argument, Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, 2019.
  • Auto Insurance Case Law and Legislative Update, Florida Justice Association Annual Convention, 2019.
  • Autonomous Vehicles; A Primer on One of the Biggest Changes to Our Practice in Decades, Florida Justice Association “Masters of Justice” Seminar, 2019.
  • Auto Insurance Case Law and Legislative Update, Florida Justice Association Annual Convention, 2017.

Awards

  • Florida Justice Association.
    • 2026 Bronze EAGLE Award for commitment to the EAGLE Program.
    • 2025 EAGLE Hall of Fame
    • 2024 Gold EAGLE Award for commitment to the EAGLE Program.
    • 2023 S. Victor Tipton Award for superior achievement in legal writing.
    • 2022 Warrior for Justice Award for expertise and leadership in helping unite the FJA’s collective efforts to seek and secure justice for all.
    • 2021 Responsible Roadways Award for “relentless perseverance to protect Florida drivers”.
    • 2018 Benjamin Franklin Award for actions in support of the FJA that have spoken louder than words ever could.
    • 2018 Roadways to the Future Award for research, drafting and expert testimony on autonomous vehicles legislation.
    • 2017 Quarter Horse Award for significant contributions during the legislative session.
  • “Book Awards” (for highest grade) in Trial Practice, Legal Research and Writing, Appellate Advocacy, Legal Drafting, Torts, and Advanced Civil Procedure, at UF College of Law, 2007-2010.
  • Academic scholarships to attend the Canterbury School of Fort Myers, the University of Florida, and the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Selected Appellate Victories

  • Ellison v. Willoughby, 373 So. 3d 1117 (Fla. 2023)

    Car Accident / Insurance Bad Faith
    The Florida Supreme Court affirmed a $30+ million judgment for the SRNS client. It held the judgment debtor was not entitled to a setoff for the $4 million recovery of bad faith damages previously obtained from the SRNS client’s uninsured motorist insurer.
  • Brink v. Direct Gen. Ins. Co., 38 F.4th 917 (11th Cir. 2022)

    Motorcycle Accident / Insurance Bad Faith
    The Eleventh Circuit reversed a final judgment for the liability insurer in a third-party bad faith action, holding the trial court erred by refusing to give the non-standard jury instruction proffered by the SRNS client. On retrial (in which Mr. Steinberg served as trial counsel), the SRNS client prevailed, obtaining a final judgment against the insurer for nearly $20 million.
  • McNamara v. Gov’t Employees Ins. Co., 30 F.4th 1055 (11th Cir. 2022)

    Car Accident / Insurance Bad Faith
    The trial court granted summary judgment for the liability insurer in a third-party bad faith action, following the holding of Cawthorn v. Auto-Owners Ins. Co., 791 F. App’x 60 (11th Cir. 2019) to find that the insurer was immune from suit because only a judgment that follows a trial qualifies as an “excess judgment” for bad-faith purposes under Florida law. The Eleventh Circuit reversed, receding from Cawthorn and holding that a consent judgment against the insureds constituted an “excess judgment” that could satisfy the causation requirement for a bad faith failure to settle claim.
  • Martinez v. Lobster Haven, LLC, 320 So. 3d 873 (Fla. 2d DCA 2021)

    Food-Borne Illness / Product Liability
    Following a $6.7 million verdict for the SRNS clients, the trial court granted the defendant’s motion for judgment in accordance with a motion for directed verdict, holding that the SRNS clients’ causation theory failed as a matter of law. On appeal, the Second District reversed, agreeing with the SRNS clients that the trial court lacked authority to enter judgment for the defendant and that there was no impermissible stacking of inferences in proof of causation.
  • Willoughby v. Agency for Health Care Admin., 212 So. 3d 516 (Fla. 2d DCA 2017)

    Car Accident / Insurance Bad Faith
    The trial court held the SRNS client was required to reimburse Medicaid in full, even though his $4.02 million recovery did not fully compensate him for his loss. On appeal, the Second District reversed, holding the trial court erred by not reducing the amount of the Medicaid lien to correspond with that portion of the settlement allocable to past medical expenses. In so doing, the court certified conflict with the First District, and the Florida Supreme Court ultimately agreed with the SRNS client’s position.
  • Moxley v. U-Haul Co. of Florida, 148 So. 3d 132 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014)

    Car Accident / Breach of Contract
    The trial court held a release executed in connection with a prior wrongful death claim barred the SRNS client’s subsequent claim against U-Haul for failure to properly defend the SRNS client from a personal injury claim. On appeal, the Second District reversed, holding that the scope of the release was limited to damages arising from the client’s prior wrongful death claim.

Florida Supreme Court Oral Argument

Brent Steinberg served as lead appellate counsel, successfully defending a verdict of over $30 million through multiple levels of appeal.

Watch the video below of Mr. Steinberg’s oral argument at the Florida Supreme Court in 2023.

Read the Supreme Court opinion here: Florida Supreme Court Opinion – Willoughby.

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Avvo 5-Star Client Rating
Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association
Firm Partners have AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell
Board Certification from The Florida Bar
Members of the American College of Coverage Counsel
Featured in Tampa Magazine's Top Lawyers in 2023
Best Law Firms 2026 Award
BCG Top Law Firm Award 2025
Florida Legal Elite 2024
Florida Legal Elite Hall of Fame
National Trial Lawyers Top 100 award
National Trial Lawyers Top 10 Insurance Bad Faith
Awarded "The Best Lawyers in America"
National Association of Distinguished Counsel Nations Top One Percent 2025
Members of the American Board of Trial Advocates
Our attorneys are members of the Florida Justice Association