Veteran trial attorney Robert L. Parks, principal and founding partner of the Law Offices of Robert L. Parks, has been selected to receive HistoryMiami’s 11th Judicial Circuit Historical Society’s 2015 Legal Legend Award.
The award recognizes members of the legal community who have made significant contributions to the law, legal system or the administration of justice in the 11th Judicial Circuit for at least 25 years or more. Parks is one of seven recipients who will be honored with this prestigious award during a special ceremony at HistoryMiami on Apr. 8.
“Bob Parks richly deserves the 2015 Legal Legend Award and I only wish that there were more attorneys in Florida who would surrender with a smile and joyfully volunteer their time to make our state a better place to live and work as Bob has,” said Nathaniel Reed, former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior.
“Bob Parks is a credit to the legal profession, not only because he is a great trial lawyer, but he exemplifies the need to be a community-minded person and to give his time to those who are less fortunate,” said Aaron Podhurst, friend and fellow trial attorney.
A nationally recognized trial attorney with more than 50 years of experience, Parks is a highly respected advocate in the courtroom and a leader in the community. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 1964, Parks has represented plaintiffs in hundreds of personal injury, wrongful death, aviation, offshore resort litigation, watercraft, large manufacturing and automobile cases in the Americas and around the world.
Long considered an authority on aviation matters, Parks has been involved in most major airline disasters and has handled over 200 general aviation crashes. His career highlights include product liability cases against large pharmaceutical companies as well as serving as Florida Counsel in the Antitrust Class Action against Microsoft.
Parks is past president of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and past chair of its Florida Access to Justice Committee. He was an original appointee by the Florida Bar to the Florida Supreme Court Commission of Professionalism and served as chair of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Air and Space Law.
He is past president of the Dade County Bar, a former member of the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission, past president of the Florida Bar Young Lawyers, and he served for six years as a member of the Board of Governors of the Florida Bar.
In 2011, Parks received the prestigious War Horse Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Southern Trial Lawyers Association in recognition of extraordinary contributions to the cause of justice. In 2012, Parks received the prestigious Perry Nichols Award from the Florida Justice Association. This lifetime achievement award recognizes a Floridian who has fought with distinction for justice throughout his life.
A longtime environmental advocate, Parks served as volunteer chair of the state’s Environmental Regulation Commission from 1978 to 1986 under Gov. Bob Graham. In that role alone, he gave 100 hours of volunteer service each year, in meetings, discussions of key issues and in holding public hearings around the state. For his dedicated leadership, Parks was named the National Audubon Society’s Environmentalist of the Year. In keeping with his commitment to protect the environment, Parks was an original member of 1,000 Friends of Florida, where he served as litigation chair for 13 years.
A leader in the South Florida community, Parks served for nearly 20 years under three governors in leading efforts to restore the Miami River culminating in him serving as the first chair of the Miami River Commission in 1998. He currently serves as litigation chair and is on the Executive Committee for The Everglades Foundation, which is dedicated to a restored Everglades, creating relevant and creative solutions to complex restoration issues without burdening taxpayers.
For more information about the Law Offices of Robert L. Parks, visit www.rlplegal.com or call 305-445-4430.
