Biography:
John Leighton a board certified personal injury trial lawyer with offices in Miami and Orlando. He specializes in catastrophic injury/wrongful death litigation, medical malpractice and negligent security cases.
He is an accomplished author and lecturer nationally. His articles have been featured Trial magazine seven times. He is the author of the 2-volume textbook, Litigating Premises Security Cases, and has authored book chapters on medical malpractice and spinal cord injury. He is past Chairman of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America’s Motor Vehicle, Highway & Premises Liability Section and the Executive Committee of the National College of Advocacy.
Mr. Leighton has won some of the state’s largest verdicts and settlements in major personal injury and wrongful death cases, including a $24 million medical malpractice case which was the largest verdict in that county’s history. This was followed by a $24 million wrongful death verdict which was one of the American Lawyer largest verdicts of 2011. He also received the Daily Business Review 2015 “Verdicts Hall of Fame” award for a wrongful death verdict over $24 million. He recently won a $49 million verdict in Miami for a sexual assault case, one of 2017’s largest verdicts.
Leighton’s passion for safety extends to fighting for new laws. After litigating a high-profile parasailing death/neurologic injury case, Leighton and his clients worked with legislators and the media to help pass the first parasailing safety regulations in the United States, known as the White-Miskell Act, after Amber May White, the deceased daughter of his client.
He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for the past 12 years, voted as one of the “Top Lawyers” in the South Florida Legal Guide for the last 13 years, has been named a Top 100 Florida SuperLawyerTM, chosen as “Orlando Legal Elite” by Orlando Style magazine, and has been elected to the Florida Trend magazine “Legal Elite” Top Lawyers in Florida by peer selection. He is rated as “10.0/10 - Superb” by AVVO.com and holds an AV pre-eminent rating (highest possible) by Martindale-Hubbell.
John lives in Coral Gables with his wife and 2 dogs, and has 3 daughters. He likes to ski, hike, bike, attend concerts, and loves being in the mountains. He received his J.D. with honors and B.A. with honors from the University of Florida. He has been admitted to practice in Florida in all state and federal courts since 1985, and was recently designated a Diplomat of Trial Advocacy by the National College of Advocacy.
