Colson Hicks Eidson Partner Lewis S. “Mike” Eidson Honored with Emory University School of Law’s Esteemed Distinguished Alumni Award

April 18, 2019 / 10:05 am

Eidson receives Emory Law’s top honor for his extraordinary achievement in the legal profession, dedication to the University and service to the community

From Left to Right: Dr. Margaret Eidson, Mike Eidson and James B. Hughes Jr., Interim Dean of Emory Law School.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (April 18, 2019) – Attorney Lewis S. “Mike” Eidson, president of Coral Gables-based law firm Colson Hicks Eidson, has been named Emory University School of Law’s 2019 Distinguished Alumni, the school’s highest honor. Established in 1985, the annual recognition pays tribute to law school graduates that embody the values of the school and have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in the legal profession, dedication to Emory University and in service to the community. Emory University is consistently ranked among the top 25 law schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Eidson was honored at the Emory Law Alumni Awards banquet in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday, April 12.  Interim Dean James B. Hughes Jr. presented the award.

“As a proud Emory Law alumnus, I am incredibly honored by this recognition,” said Eidson. “Emory Law provided the foundation for my legal career and I am grateful for the significant lessons and values instilled in me, which I have utilized in my practice every day.”

Eidson’s selection signifies the remarkable legal career and civic and philanthropic accomplishments that he has established since graduating from Emory Law in 1971 as a Lamar Law Scholar. In 1998, he established the Kessler-Eidson Foundation at Emory Law, which offers annual scholarships to two women dedicated to trial practice or public service. Simultaneously, he co-endowed the acclaimed Emory Law School Kessler-Eidson Trial Technique Program, a two-week session that second year law students are required to attend in order to graduate. Modeled after the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, the Kessler-Eidson Trial Technique Program has become the largest in the country and is recognized as one of the finest in the nation for teaching trial advocacy. Eidson established the scholarship and program in honor of his late friend and fellow Emory Law alum, Kathy Kessler, who was tragically killed in the 1996 ValuJet Airlines crash. Eidson also dedicated a special wing in the MacMillan Law Library in honor of Kathy Kessler and the students who have received the annual scholarship.

In addition to establishing the scholarship program at Emory Law, Eidson has also awarded scholarships for the past 25 years to aspiring female trial lawyers through the American Association for Justice, the University of Miami and Florida International University.

“Women are clearly underrepresented in the practice of trial law and we want to do our part to provide opportunities to close the gap and encourage young female trial lawyers.  Proudly, today, Colson Hicks Eidson is comprised of 50 percent women who are all exceptional trial lawyers,” said Eidson.

A nationally recognized trial lawyer, Eidson concentrates his practice in the fields of products liability litigation. aviation, class action and multi-district litigation. Best known for his work on some of the largest automotive recalls in U.S. history, he has tried more than 120 cases to jury verdict during his career. He served as national lead co-counsel in the Ford-Firestone tire multidistrict litigation and was also appointed to the plaintiffs’ steering committee in the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. over sudden unintended acceleration. With his partners, Bill Colson and Bill Hicks, Eidson tried and won, the first case alleging that the Ford Pinto fuel system was defective. This case played an important role in improving automobile fuel systems, greatly reducing fuel-fed fires worldwide.

An accomplished author and lecturer, Eidson was a founding member of the Institute for Injury Reduction, a national organization dedicated to reducing injuries caused by defective products. He is active in numerous professional associations committed to improving safe practices and has volunteered his time on a multitude of professional and community boards, having received many awards for his service.

Eidson has been actively involved with the American Association for Justice, the world’s largest trial bar and a leading defender of justice, for more than 20 years, serving as president in 2006-2007. He has also served as president of the Dade County Trial Lawyers Association and the Miami Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and served as chairman of the AAJ Foundation.

Eidson has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in the country and was elected a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers.

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 previously served as chairman for the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and is a founding member of the Town Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, a nonprofit dedicated to creating and sustaining a vibrant urban area surrounding the Arsht Center. He served as president of the world-acclaimed Miami City Ballet for nine years, and has founded and supported many other organizations in music, theater and dance.

“Mike’s passion for the performing arts led him to invest beyond the walls of the beautiful venues he helped build in Miami and into the artists themselves,” said Lourdes Lopez, Artistic Director of the Miami City Ballet. “In this way, he has shaped the cultural fabric of Miami, creating a vibrant forum where artists can work and give their individual and creative expression to theater, dance and music…he has helped Miami catapult itself into a leadership position in the arts among America’s great cities.”

In 2017, Eidson was also recognized among the “Emory Law 100,” an honor created to represent the best of Emory Law, which includes alumni and faculty that have advanced the rule of law and made history at Emory or beyond.

About Colson Hicks Eidson

The Law Firm of Colson Hicks Eidson is a trial firm with more than 50 years of experience handling local, national and international litigation, and arbitration. Members of the firm have been involved in some of the country’s most high-profile and landmark cases resulting in impactful and precedential rulings. A mid-size firm with a diverse staff comprised of more than 50 percent women and minorities, Colson Hicks Eidson prides itself on a track record of developing future leaders within the legal profession and its civic and community involvement. Members of the firm have held notable positions serving on the boards of prominent institutions, such as the State University System of Florida and the Florida State Board of Education, and holding high-ranking offices, including 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.

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Colson Hicks Eidson was proud to represent Brookfield Properties, owner of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel property in Ft. Lauderdale, during trial in a long-running case brought by David J. Stern, a unit owner in the residential condominium portion of the property, who alleged water intrusion and property damage in his unit. After a three-and-one-half week jury trial in Broward County Circuit Court, the jury returned an across-the-board verdict in favor of our client. 

“Our firm was proud to represent Brookfield Properties in this hard-fought trial, and we are pleased that the jury delivered a clear and decisive verdict in our client’s favor,” Curtis Miner said.

Congratulations to our trial team Curtis Miner, Zachary Lipshultz, Aziza Elayan, and Michelle Roberto, joined by Jodi Kleinick from Paul Hastings.  

About Colson Hicks Eidson

Colson Hicks Eidson is a renowned law firm based in Miami, Florida, that is recognized as one of the top trial firms in the United States. Built on a foundation of over 50 years of dedication forging strong client relationships, Colson Hicks Eidson handles local, national, and international litigation, with cases spanning from Miami, Florida, and throughout the United States, to matters in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. Learn more at: www.colson.com.

MIAMI (January 22, 2025) – Colson Hicks Eidson is thrilled to announce that three of its partners have been named in the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America. This impressive guide selects its lawyers through Lawdragon’s independent journalistic research and submissions process.

Now in its 20th year, Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America recognized Colson Hicks Eidson attorneys Julie Braman Kane, Roberto Martínez, and Curtis Miner for their exceptional work in litigation, plaintiff class action litigation, and white-collar practice areas.

Julie’s work has made a significant difference in the lives of her clients. She has represented plaintiffs in personal injury, commercial, and class action litigation, participating in cases securing hundreds of millions of dollars for clients, including recent resolutions of a data breach class action as well as multiple personal injury and wrongful death matters.

Curtis has tried cases to jury verdicts against auto manufacturers and airlines and has obtained sizable settlements in individual and plaintiffs’ class action litigation, having served as Class Counsel in cases against financial institutions arising out of Ponzi schemes and as part of court-appointed leadership counsel in the Takata Airbags Products Liability Litigation MDL, securing over $1.5 billion in settlements for classes of millions of vehicle owners.

Roberto has secured significant client wins in high-profile cases, including participating in settlements and judgments totaling in excess of $6 billion.

Click here to read the full guide on Lawdragon.

About Colson Hicks Eidson

Colson Hicks Eidson is a renowned law firm based in Miami, Florida, that is recognized as one of the top trial firms in the United States. Built on a foundation of over 50 years of dedication forging strong client relationships, Colson Hicks Eidson handles local, national, and international litigation, with cases spanning from Miami, Florida, and throughout the United States, to matters in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. Learn more at: www.colson.com.

A federal judge in Florida denied UnitedHealthcare’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a cancer patient seeking coverage for proton beam radiation therapy to treat his tongue cancer. The patient, Carlos Morera, alleges the insurer wrongfully denied benefits under his healthcare plan, forcing him to pay approximately $195,000 out of pocket for the treatment.

Stephanie A. Casey, a partner at Colson Hicks Eidson, represents Morera and successfully argued that the case should proceed.

“We look forward to presenting the merits of this case at trial. Proton beam radiation therapy has long been recognized as the standard of care for these types of cancers,” she said.

The court’s decision allows Morera to continue his fight to recover treatment costs. Read more about this case on Law360 here.

MIAMI (November 20, 2024) – Colson Hicks Eidson has been named to the 2025 edition of the “Best Law Firms” by Best Lawyers®, recognized at both the national and metropolitan levels. Seven of the firm’s attorneys were also named to the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers® across multiple practice areas.

“We are committed to delivering exceptional representation for our clients. This continued recognition of our firm’s core practice areas highlights the success of our efforts,” said Dean C. Colson, Managing Partner of Colson Hicks Eidson.

Best Lawyers® ranks top lawyers and law firms through a peer review process, using feedback from lawyers, clients, and professional references, along with firm data. Rankings are organized into regional and national tiers.

National Tier 2

● Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs

Metropolitan Tier 1

Miami

● Bet-the-Company Litigation
● Commercial Litigation
● Criminal Defense: White-Collar
● Insurance Law
● Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs
● Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
● Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs
● Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
● Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs

Metropolitan Tier 2

Miami

● Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants

About Colson Hicks Eidson

Colson Hicks Eidson is a renowned law firm based in Miami, Florida, that is recognized as one of the top trial firms in the United States. Built on a foundation of over 50 years of dedication forging strong client relationships, Colson Hicks Eidson handles local, national, and international litigation, with cases spanning from Miami, Florida, and throughout the United States, to matters in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. Learn more at: www.colson.com.

MIAMI (November 12, 2024) – Colson Hicks Eidson announced today that managing partner Dean Colson has been recognized in Florida Trend’s 2024 edition of the Florida 500, a publication highlighting the 500 most influential executives across various economic sectors in the state.

The publication notes that Dean’s credentials include chairing the state university system’s Board of Governors, the board of trustees for Florida International University, and the board of trustees for the University of Miami.

Dean is renowned as a top trial lawyer in the U.S. with 40 years of experience in complex civil litigation, personal injury, product liability, and professional malpractice. He has successfully represented large plaintiff classes and handled multimillion-dollar cases, including high-profile litigation such as the AeroPeru airplane crash and a Ponzi scheme settlement.

Dean has demonstrated a strong commitment to community service through various leadership roles. He has been actively involved with the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami, supporting access to the arts. He’s also been president of the Orange Bowl Committee and chaired the Super Bowl XXIX Host Committee. He served on the Florida Commission on Ethics and chaired the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission. He previously served as President of the Dade County Bar Association and as a distinguished member of the Florida Bar Board of Governors. Most recently, the Coral Gables Community Foundation recognized Dean at its 2024 Annual Gala with the Education Award.

About Colson Hicks Eidson

Colson Hicks Eidson is a renowned law firm based in Miami, Florida, that is recognized as one of the top trial firms in the United States. Built on a foundation of over 50 years of dedication to forging strong client relationships, Colson Hicks Eidson handles local, national, and international litigation, with cases spanning from Miami, Florida, and throughout the United States, to matters in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. Learn more at: www.colson.com.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has launched a new Whistleblower Non-Prosecution Pilot Program. It reinforces the recent efforts of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s new Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program.

The local pilot program offers non-prosecution agreements in exchange for the early and voluntary self-disclosures of criminal conduct.  The Department’s pilot program offers financial rewards to a whistleblower who provides original and truthful information about corporate misconduct that results in a successful forfeiture.  

Both pilot programs require the prompt disclosure of truthful and complete information.   

At Colson Hicks Eidson, our attorneys have advised and represented clients across the full range of internal investigations, government inquiries, enforcement actions, whistleblower actions, and civil and criminal trials.  For further information, contact us at 305-476-7400 or info@colson.com.