Charles H. (Chuck) Baumberger, co-founding partner of the Miami civil trial law firm Rossman, Baumberger, Reboso & Spier, P.A., has been elected the new national president of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).
A Pinecrest resident, Baumberger is the first Miami president of ABOTA, one of the nation’s most prestigious legal organizations, with an invitation-only member-ship of 7,400 divided
evenly between plaintiffs’ and defense bars with 97 chapters around the country. Mr. Baumberger took office January 1 and will be formally invested at ABOTA’s annual meeting in Key Largo January 16.
Founded in 1957, ABOTA is dedicated to protecting the civil justice system, with a focus on educating teachers, journalists and the public on the importance of judicial independence and the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial. ABOTA is committed to civility, professional education and providing civics education for our nation’s schools.
Baumberger said a primary goal this year is to guide ABOTA to reflect America’s evolving population, with more women, minorities and younger members.
To further ABOTA’s mission, Baumberger also is planning this year’s National Teachers Law School in Philadelphia to educate teachers on the importance of civics education and jury tri-als. The faculty will include sitting and for-mer U.S. Supreme Court justices, federal judges and civics teachers.
Baumberger also plans to assemble legis-lators, teachers and leaders in business and insurance this October for an ABOTA-spon-sored national town hall meeting in Sacramento to discuss issues of importance for the civil justice system.
Baumberger helped found the Miami chapter in 1980 and later became its presi-dent. He was elected president of the Florida chapter (FLABOTA), and in 2011-12 presi-dent of the ABOTA Foundation, where he expanded Justice By the People, a free online curriculum for grades five through eight, the James Otis Lecture Series for high school students and the Teachers Law School. Learn more at https://www.abota.org.
“Judges and lawyers perform a vital function in our society and a check and bal-ance on our civil justice system,” Baumberger said. “A right to trial by jury is at the core of our democracy, and maintain-ing the highest standards among our lawyers and judiciary makes for a healthier society.”
Rossman, Baumberger, Reboso & Spier, P.A. is one of South Florida’s leading plaintiffs’ personal injury firms, concentrating its practice on catastrophic injury cases, with offices at 9155 S. Dadeland Blvd. Since its founding by Stephen Rossman and Mr. Baumberger in 1974, the firm has obtained numerous significant verdicts and settlements and compiled a record of professional and community leadership. The firm’s name partners are all rated AV Preeminent by the Martindale-Hubbell legal directory, the highest rating available, and are list-ed in Best Lawyers in America and the South Florida Legal Guide. Learn more at www.rbrlaw.com.
Rossman Baumberger partners have all been recognized leaders in the pro-fession and community. In 2015, co-founder Steve Rossman received the Fran Peacock Coker Community Service Award from the Florida chapter of ABOTA, and the Justice Joseph Story Award from the Dade County Bar Association.
Mr. Rossman, former presi-dent of the Florida Justice Association, was international president of Easter Seals from 2010 until 2013. Managing Partner Manuel “Alex” Reboso, former president of the Miami Dade Justice Association, was awarded the W. McKinley Smiley Award in 2007 for mentoring young lawyers across the State of Florida. Partner Howard Spier, a foremost national expert in railroad liti-gation, is former national president of the Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys.
Mr. Baumberger, along with his partners, has recovered numerous seven-and eight-fig-ure verdicts and settlements for his clients. He has also served as chairman of the Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar and pres-ident of the Dade County Bar Association. He is Board Certified as a specialist in Civil Trial Law. He also is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers.
Mr. Baumberger and his wife, Molly, are longtime Pinecrest residents, with two married sons, loving daughters-in-law and three wonderful grandchildren.
