Jeffrey Crockett

Representative Experience

• Lead trial counsel in constitutional case against Miami Dade County for civil rights violation by wrongful exclusion from the County’s permitting process, leading to a $4 million judgment against the County after a two-week jury trial in 2010.
• Assisted in the successful defense of an accused in 2010 federal criminal jury trial alleging obstruction of justice by the shredding of electronically saved documents. During jury deliberations, the trial court dismissed the charges as legally unsound.
• Lead counsel at arbitration of a wrongful termination of a distributor case by a distributor against Smashbox Cosmetics, leading to a $5 million award which was confirmed by a federal court in 2009.
• Lead counsel in an arbitration brought on behalf of unhappy purchasers of a yacht against its manufacturer for false and deceptive trade practices, leading to a $2 million award in 2009 which was upheld by the Eleventh Circuit.
• Briefed and argued a challenge of a civil fraud judgment based on a jury verdict, leading to reversal and dismissal of all charges in 2009.
• Lead trial counsel in distributor dispute with manufacturer Uniden America Corp., prevailing on two trials for tortious interference and breach of contract, one on liability and one obtaining $4.5 million in damages in 2008.
• In 2004, prevailed in a securities arbitration representing customers of the Shearson Lehman brokerage, represented by two of Miami's biggest law firms, recovering and collecting more than a million dollars for his clients.
• In 1994, successfully defended Chris Berry in a two week trial along with Bob Burlington. Berry ran CenTrust Bank's high risk ("junk") bond department under David Paul, on charges of defrauding regulators. After a two-week trial in federal district court, before the Hon. Donald Graham, Berry was acquitted of all seventeen counts.
• As an Assistant U. S. Attorney, handled the extradition, prosecution and sentencing of Henry Gherman, a financial advisor who left for Taiwan with millions of his clients' funds.

Reported Cases:

• Cat Charter, LLC v. Schurtenberger, 648 F.3d 836 (11th Cir. 2011)
• City of Sunny Isles Beach v. Publix Supermarkets, Inc., 53 So.3d 1237 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011)
• TRG Night Hawk Ltd v. Registry Development Corp., 17 So.3d 782 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009)
• National Franchisee Association v. Burger King Corp., 2010 WL 4811912 (S.D.Fla. November 19, 2010)
• Florida Transportation Service, Inc. v. Miami-Dade County, 543 F.Supp.2d 1315 (S.D. Fla. 2010)
• City of Sunny Isles Beach v. Temple B’Nai Zion, 43 So.2d 904 (Fla. 3d DCA 2010)
• Waterford Township General Employees Retirement System v. BankUnited Financial Corp., 2010 WL 1332574 (S.D.Fla. 2010)
• U.S. v. Perraud, 2010 WL 298601 (S.D.Fla. 2010)
• TRG Nighthawk v. Registry Development Corp., 17 So.3d 782 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009)
• Cultivos Yadran S.A. v. Rodriguez, 258 F.R.D. 530 (S.D.Fla. 2009)
• Topp, Inc. v. Uniden America Corp., 2009 WL 3347714 (S.D.Fla. 2009)
• PS Capital LLC v. Palm Springs Town Homes LLC, 9 SO.3d 643 (Fla. 3d DCA 2009)
• Athle-Tech Computer Systems, Inc. v. Knuwave, LLC, 2 So.3d 271 (Fla.App. 4th DCA 2009)
• Breakstone v. Breakstone Homes, Inc., 999 So.2d 731 (Fla.App. 3d DCA 2009)
• Nelson v. Dean, 528 F.Supp.2d 1271 (N.D.Fla. 2007)
• Berg v. Capo, 994 So.2d 322 (Fla.App. 3 Dist. 2007)
• Sauder v. Rayman, 800 So.2d 355 (Fla.App. 4 th DCA 2001)
• Holmes v. Baker, 166 F.Supp.2d 1362 (S.D.Fla. 2001)
• Freundt-Alberti v. Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., 135 F.Supp.2d 1298 (S.D.Fla. 2001)
• Weekley v. Moore, 244 F.3d 874 (11th Cir, 2001)
• U.S. v. Spanish Foods, Inc., 30 F.Supp.2d 571 (CIT 1998)
• Dade County Inv. Co. Inc. v. Barnett Bank of South Florida, N.A., 733 So.2d 535 (Fla.3d DCA 1998)
• Montes v. Shearson Lehman Bros., Inc., 128 F.3d 1456 (11th Cir.1997)
• U.S. v. Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., 24 F.Supp.2d 155 (D.P. R. 1997)
• New Port Largo, Inc. v. Monroe County, 95 F.3d 1084 (11th Cir. 1996)
• Kinney System, Inc. v. Continental Ins. Co., 674 So.2d 86 (Fla. 1996)
• SFC Valve Corp. v. Wright Mach. Corp., 883 F.Supp. 710 (S.D.Fla. 1995)
• GF Co. v. First Nat. Bank of Florida Keys, 625 So.2d 144 (Fla.3d DCA 1993)
• U.S. v. Paul, 150 F.R.D. 696 (S.D.Fla. 1993)
• Gadinsky v. Mellon Bank, N.A., 623 So.2d 528 (Fla.3d DCA 1993)
• State v. Mancusi, 609 So.2d 177 (Fla.App. 4th DCA 1992)
• Lewis & Peat Coffee, Inc. v. Condor Group, Inc., 588 So.2d 316 (Fla.3d DCA 1991)
• Blue Gray Corporations I & II v. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., 921 F.2d 267 (11th Cir. 1991)
• Warten v. Caguas Cent. Federal Sav. Bank of Puerto Rico, 567 So.2d 42 (Fla.3d DCA 1990)
• Korn v. Ambassador Homes, Inc., 546 So.2d 756 (Fla. 3d CA 1989)
• Niki Unlimited v. Legal Services of Greater Miami, 483 So.2d 46 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986)

Prior Public Service

• Law Clerk to the Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Court, California.
• Assistant United States Attorney, Southern District of Florida, 1985-90.

Professional and Community Involvement

• Treasurer, 2011-12 of Legal Services of Greater Miami, Member of Board of Directors since 2006
• Board of Directors and Past President, Federal Bar Association
• Board of Directors and Officer, Harvard Club of Miami
• Active member, Plymouth Congregational Church

Awards and Recognition

• AV rated by Martindale Hubbell
• Top Attorneys in Florida 2024
• SuperLawyer
• Miami Legal Elite
• 1989- Federal Bureau of Investigation Miami White Collar Crime Squad's award for sustained prosecutorial excellence.

Publications and Presentations

• Wrote an article in 2005 for the Florida Bar Journal on Florida Offer of Judgment procedure, and has lectured on the topic thereafter.
• Jeff has spoken frequently on issues of criminal and civil practice, including on the economic loss rule, Sarbanes-Oxley's criminal provisions, the U.S. sentencing guidelines, the mortgage foreclosure crisis, and topics in evidence.