Florida Justice Association Recognizes Eidson’s Outstanding Career,
Dedication and Service to the Legal Profession
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (Sept. 20, 2013) – Attorney Lewis S. “Mike” Eidson, partner at the Coral Gables-based law firm Colson Hicks Eidson, has been awarded the Florida Justice Association (FJA) 2013 Al J. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award at the association’s annual Masters of Justice Conference “Founders Luncheon” in Coral Gables, Fla.
The recognition is awarded annually by the FJA – an association dedicated to strengthening and upholding Florida’s civil justice system and protecting the rights of Florida’s citizens and consumers – to individuals who epitomize outstanding legal achievement and serve as a model to which all lawyers should aspire. The award honors the accomplishments of Al J. Cone, a founder of the FJA and its first elected president, who exemplified a career of leadership, example setting, devotion and courage.
“Mike Eidson has set the bar high through a representation of thousands of clients, his professional and political activities, and his dedication to the community expressed through his humanitarian efforts and his passion for the arts. There is no more one person could do in furtherance of the mission of trial lawyers or trial lawyer associations — Mike Eidson has done it all,” said Debra Henley, Executive Director of the FJA. “This is why he is deserving of the respect and gratitude of all of the trial lawyers in this state, and throughout the country.”
A nationally recognized trial lawyer, Eidson concentrates his practice on litigation, primarily in the fields of products liability, medical and legal malpractice, aviation, class action and multi-district litigation. He has tried more than 125 cases to jury verdict during his career and is best known for his work in some of the largest automotive recalls in U.S. history.
A constant theme in Eidson’s career has been seeking justice for his clients, while fighting for safer products. He has testified numerous times in front of Congress and safety committees, has written a textbook on how to handle product cases, and has lectured across the country on product liability and other litigation topics. He is also a founding member of the Institute for Injury Reduction, a national organization dedicated to reducing injuries caused by defective products.
“Mike is an outstanding trial lawyer. He is a “lawyer’s lawyer.” Mike is also a visionary; a strong leader and motivator; a generous philanthropist; and a wonderful father, husband and friend. He leads by example, and has spent a lifetime passionately pursuing higher safety standards for consumers, seeking justice for his clients, and improving the legal profession and his community,” said a partner at Colson Hicks Eidson, who introduced Eidson at the award luncheon. “He has positively impacted the lives of millions of people through his accomplishments in the courtroom and through his tireless efforts on a multitude of professional, political, civic and community groups and organizations. He has earned the respect of his peers and community and is extremely deserving of this prestigious lifetime achievement recognition by the Florida Justice Association.”
A member of the FJA Board of Directors for 25 years, Eidson has volunteered his time on a multitude of professional and community boards, including serving as president of the American Association for Justice (AAJ), president of the Dade County Trial Lawyers Association, and president of the Miami Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Recently, he was installed as chairman of the new non-profit organization, American Association for Justice Foundation.
In addition to his national public service and professional activities, Eidson is committed to service in the Miami-Dade community. A longtime supporter of the performing arts in South Florida, he currently serves as chairman for the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, a position he has held for the past three years. He is also a founding member of the Town Square Neighborhood Development Corporation and currently serves as chairman emeritus for the Miami City Ballet, where he has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 1999 and previously served as president and chairman of the board for nine years.
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About Colson Hicks Eidson
The Law Firm of Colson Hicks Eidson is a trial firm with more than 40 years of experience handling local, national and international litigation. Partners at the firm have had the distinction of holding the following offices: President of the 60,000-member American Association for Justice; President of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; President of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers; President of the Dade County Bar Association; President of the Miami-Dade Florida Association of Women Lawyers; United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; and Chairman of the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission. For more information, call 305-476-7400.
About the Florida Justice Association
The Florida Justice Association (FJA), formerly the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (AFTL), is dedicated to strengthening and upholding Florida’s civil justice system and protecting the rights of Florida’s citizens and consumers. FJA believes that all Floridians benefit when deserving individuals have a fair chance to seek justice in our state courts and that Florida consumers are made safer when large corporations and industries are held to a high ethical standard and held responsible for their actions. FJA works in the legislative, political and public arenas to ensure that Floridians know and understand the importance of their rights to justice and to make certain that these rights, which are at the very core of what it means to be American, are safeguarded and protected. For more information, call 850-224-9403 or visit www.floridajusticeassociation.org.