Recognized by Peers — Lawyers and Judges

American College of Trial Lawyers (Top 1%)
Super Lawyer (Top 5%)
Florida Trend Legal Elite (Top 1.8%)
Florida Law and Leading Attorneys (Top 5%)
“AV” rating, Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory

Certified Specialist, Florida Bar

Civil Trial Practice (1993-2023)
Business Litigation (1998-2023)
Less than 1% of Florida lawyers have been double certified.

Matters Handled within Specialties

Civil Trials

Civil trial law is the practice of law dealing with litigation of civil controversies in all areas of law before state courts, federal courts, administrative agencies and arbitrators.

Business Litigation

‘Business Litigation’ is the practice of law dealing with the legal controversies arising from commercial and business relationships and constitutional law handling and resolving such controversies before state courts, federal courts, administrative agencies, mediators, and arbitrators.

Constitutional Law

Mr. Gibson has served as General Counsel to the Governor of Florida and is the principal drafter of the provision in the Florida Constitution creating the governance structure for the state’s university system. He has litigated cases across the state involving the state legislature, cities, counties and school boards

Achievements and Experience

Reported Cases

Mr. Gibson has handled a number of important cases at both the trial and the appellate levels. Some of the cases have been certified to the Florida Supreme Court as matters of great public importance. Some have established precedent and made law in Florida. A partial list:

Personal Injury

Sibley v. Adjustco, Inc., 596 So.2d 1048 (Fla. 1992) (Trial and Appellate)
Sibley v. Adjustco, Inc., 573 So.2d 353 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1990) (Trial and Appellate)
Atlantic National Bank of Florida v. Vest, 480 So.2d 1328, (Fla. 2d DCA 1986) (Trial and Appellate)
Brown v. Bridges, 327 So.2d 874, (Fla. 2d DCA 1976) (Trial)
Gates v. McKay, 181 So.2d 740 (Fla. 2d DCA 1966) (Trial and Appellate)

Wrongful Death

Reeves v. Fleetwood Homes of Florida, Inc., 889 So.2d 812 (Fla. 2004) (Appellate)
Fleetwood Homes of Florida, Inc. v. Reeves, 833 So.2d 857 (Fla. 2d DCA 2002) (Appellate)
City of Winter Haven v. Allen, 589 So.2d 968 (Fla. 2d DCA 1991) (Trial and Appellate)
City of Winter Haven v. Allen, 541 So.2d 128 (Fla. 2d DCA 1989) (Trial and Appellate)
Singletary v. National Railroad Passenger Corporation, 376 So.2d 1191 (Fla. 2d DCA 1979) (Trial)
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Company v. Garrison, 336 So.2d 423 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976) (Trial)
Wood v. Camp, 284 So.2d 691 (Fla. 1973) (Appellate)
Gresham v. Courson, 177 So.2d 33 (Fla. 1st DCA 1965) (Trial)

Contract

Health Options, Inc. v. Kabeller, 932 So.2d 416 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006) (Trial and Appellate)
William Dorsky Associates, Inc. v. Highlands County Title and Guaranty Land Company, 528 So.2d 411 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988) (Trial and Appellate)
Kaufman and Broad Home Systems, Inc. v. Sebring Airport Authority, 366 So.2d 1230 (Fla. 2d DCA 1979)(Trial and Appellate)
Norin Mortgage Corp. v. Wasco, Inc., 343 So.2d 940 (Fla. 2d DCA 1977) (Trial and Appellate)
Hart v. Tucker, 237 So.2d 772 (Fla. 1st DCA 1970) (Trial and Appellate)

Constitutional Law

Advisory Opinion to the Attorney Genera Re Local Trustees, 819 So.2d 725 (Fla. 1992) (Appellate)
City of Lake Wales v. Lamar Advertising Association of Lakeland, Florida, 414 So.2d 1030 (Fla. 1982) (Trial and Appellate)
City of Lake Wales v. Lamar Advertising Association of Lakeland, 399 So.2d 981 (Fla. 2d DCA 1981) (Trial and Appellate)
State v. Florida National Properties, Inc., 338 So.2d 13 (Fla. 1976) (Trial and Appellate)
Graham v. Haridopolos, 75 So.3d 315, 321 (Fla. 1st DCA 2011)
Graham v. Haridopolos, 108 So.3d 597 (Fla. 2013)

Real Property Litigation

Spring Lake Improvement District v. Tyrrell, 868 So.2d 656 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004) (Trial and Appellate)
Spring Lake Improvement District v. Tyrrell, 814 So.2d 1077 (Fla. 2d DCA 2002) (Trial and Appellate)
State v. Florida National Properties, Inc., 338 So.2d 13 (Fla. 1976) (Trial and Appellate)

Land Use

Reahard v. Lee County, 978 F.2d 1212 (11th Cir. 1992) (Appellate)
Reahard v. Lee County, 968 F.2d 1131 (11th Cir. 1992) (Appellate)

Defamation

Dockery v. Florida Democratic Party, 799 So.2d 291 (Fla. 2d DCA 2001) (Trial and Appellate)
Dockery v. Florida Democratic Party, 719 So.2d 9 (Fla. 2d DCA 1998) (Trial and Appellate)

Statutory Interpretation

Underwood v. Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, 551 So.2d 522 (Fla. 2d DCA 1989) (Trial and Appellate)

Election Law

2012 WL3738484 (Table) (Fla. 2d DCA August 29, 2012) (per curiam affirmance)
Wolfson v. Work, 326 So.2d 90 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976) (Trial and Appellate)

Domestic Relations

Nicolay v. Nicolay, 387 So.2d 500 (Fla. 2d DCA 1980) (Trial and Appellate)

Judicial Qualifications

Inquiry Concerning a Judge, 916 So.2d 786 (Fla. 2005) (Trial and Appellate)

Lecture Materials

(Continuing Legal Education, Florida Bar)

“Motion Practice; Other Rules Amendments; Pensacola, Florida, January 19, 1973; Orlando, Florida, January 26, 1973
“Expert Witness,” FSU College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida, April 9, 1976; Stetson College of Law, St. Petersburg, Florida, April 23, 1976; Tampa, Florida, May 7, 1976
“Preparation of Damages,” Jacksonville, Florida, October 1, 1976; Orlando, Florida, October 7, 1976
“Voir Dire,” Florida Bar Convention, Innisbrook, Tarpon Springs, Florida, June 15, 1977
“Pre-Trial Use of the Expert Witness,” Tampa, Florida, September 1, 1977; Tallahassee, Florida, September 2, 1977
“Direct Examination of Expert”
“Preparing the Expert for Litigation”

Published Works

Note, Protection of the Widow; A Common Law View of Community Property, 15 Florida Law Review 143 (1962)
Chapter, Relationships Between Partners and Associates, Florida Law Office Management and Procedure Manual (1967), Florida Bar, Continuing Legal Education
Article, Relations Within the Law Firm, The Practical Lawyer (May 1968), American Law Institute
Chapter, Case Review – Wrongful Death, 8 Damages in Tort Actions, 116 (1982), Matthew Bender
Chapter, Theories of Liability, Products Liability in Florida, 3rd ed. (1995), The Florida Bar, Continuing Legal Education
Chapter, Theories of Liability, Products Liability in Florida, 3rd ed. (1995), The Florida Bar, Continuing Legal Education

Bar Admissions

Florida Bar, 1962
U.S. District Court, Southern District Court of Florida, 1963
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 1980
U.S. District Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, 1965
U.S. District Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 1981

Education

Miami Edison Senior High School; 1955
University of Florida, B.A. 1959
University of Florida College of Law, LL.B. 1962, replaced by J. D. 1967

Honors & Awards

First Recipient, Award of Professionalism, Willson American Inn of Court, 1999
Master Emeritus, Willson American Inn of Court, 2002
Distinguished Service Award, Association of Governing Boards of University and Colleges, 1987, 1988
Named “Distinguished Alumnus,” University of Florida, 1994
Lake Wales Citizen of the Year, 1974

Leadership

Chair, Board of Regents, State University System of Florida, 1984-85
Chair, Federal Judicial Nominating Commission of Florida, 1993-97
President, Board of Governors, Young Lawyers Section, Florida Bar, 1969-70
President, Tenth Judicial Circuit Bar, 1971-72
President, Polk County Trial Lawyers Association, 1990-92
Chair, Board of Directors, American Bank and Trust, 1994-2002
President, John Marshall Student Bar Association, Florida College of Law, 1962
Chair, Lake Wales Downtown Development Commission, 1969-75
Vice Chairman, Continuing Legal Education Committee of the Florida Bar, 1975-77
Chair, Lake Wales Downtown, Inc., 1987-92
Chair, Dean’s Development Council, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida
Chair, Capital Fund Campaign, Lake Wales Arts Center, 1998-2000
Chair, Board of Trustees, Lake Wales Charter Schools, 2004-2006
Chair, Lake Wales Charter Schools Foundation, 2006-Present
Chair, Leadership Gifts Committee, University of Florida Foundation, Inc.

Membership

Moot Court Team, University of Florida College of Law
Board of Directors, Dade County Junior Bar, 1965-66
Board of Governors of Young Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar, 1965-70
Board of Directors of Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, 1967-68
Board of Governors, Florida Bar, 1968-70
Board of Directors, 1000 Friends of Florida, 1987-92
Federal Judicial Nominating Commission of Florida, 1993-2000
Board of Regents, State University System of Florida, 1980-87
Search Committee for Dean, College of Law, University of Florida, 1995
Board of Directors, University of Florida Foundation, Inc.
Dean’s Development Council, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida
Executive Committee, Education Excellence for Florida 2002-03
Lake Wales Downtown Development Commission 1969-75
Lake Wales Downtown, Inc. 1987-92
Community Lake Wales Redevelopment Agency, 1990-91
Board of Governors, Polk Museum of Art, 1991-95
Board of Trustees, Lake Wales Charter Schools, 2004-2010
Lake Wales Charter Schools Foundation, 2006-Present
Board of Directors, American Bank and Trust, 1975-2004
Board of Directors, Bank of Central Florida, 2007-2012

Employment

Associate, Nichols, Gaither, Beckham, Colson and Spence, Miami, 1962-66
Associate and Partner, Woolfolk, Myers, Curtis, Craig & Gibson, Lake Wales, 1966-73
Principal, Gibson Law Firm, Lake Wales, 1973-Present

Fraternities

Florida Blue Key
Sigma Nu
Phi Delta Phi

Family

Married to the former Jean Haeseker of St. Petersburg since August 12, 1961.
Children: Katherine Lee; Robert L., III; Daniel Payne; Margaret Jane