Hon. Ronald Dresnick Joins Kluger Kaplan

MIAMI – January 2015 – After nearly two decades of presiding over some of South Florida’s most complex, notorious and precedent-setting cases, Eleventh Judicial Circuit Judge Ronald C. Dresnick left the bench to join the Miami-based law firm of Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, P.L. 
 
Throughout his tenure on the bench, Judge Dresnick has heard some of the most significant cases impacting the South Florida judiciary and broader community.  These have included the Major League Baseball steroid controversy involving South Florida clinic Biogenesis; a $100 million claim against Cuba for acts of terror tied to the Bay of Pigs; a major case resulting in a recent Florida Supreme Court decision upholding Dresnick’s definition of the legal concept of the scope of duty; and an ethical matter that has become required reading in professionalism courses across the nation. Judge Dresnick also handled a case of first impression, relating to a victim’s attempt to enforce a wrongful death judgment against the Miccosukee Tribe.
 
In his new role at Kluger Kaplan, he will remain active in the courtroom, working on a wide range of complex commercial litigation, including white-collar defense, securities litigation and internal investigations. Additionally, he will support existing litigation by offering jury trial analysis and consulting services. 
 
“Judge Dresnick is one of the region’s most tenured and most respected judicial leaders,” said Alan Kluger, founding member of Kluger Kaplan.  “We are eager to welcome him to the firm and are confident that together we can accomplish great things.”
 
Kluger Kaplan is recognized as a powerhouse boutique litigation firm, handling some of the biggest cases that have captured both regional and national headlines.  The firm has been deemed Top Litigation Department of the Year in 2012 by the Daily Business Review.  Its attorneys are consistently named to Chambers, as a Best Lawyers in America by Woodward/White Inc., SuperLawyers and Legal Elite by Florida Trend.  
 
“My departure from the bench will not be a departure from the courtroom. Being in a courtroom is my first love and true professional passion,” said Dresnick.  “Kluger Kaplan fosters an active trial docket, while blossoming endless opportunities in litigation analysis and support.”
Judge Dresnick received his Master of Laws (LLM) degree from Harvard Law School after earning his Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Miami. Dresnick was appointed to the Circuit Bench by Florida Governor Lawton Chiles in 1996 and was re-elected without opposition during each election he faced over his 18-year tenure.  He served in the Civil, Criminal and Family Divisions.  Prior to becoming a judge, Dresnick was law partners with F. Lee Bailey and former state attorney Richard Gerstein, where his practice was predominantly criminal defense work.   
 
Dresnick serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law, and previously taught evidence at St. Thomas University School of Law, legal writing at Boston University School of Law, and has taught Continuing Judicial Education at the Conference of Circuit Court Judges.
 
Dresnick’s contributions to the bench have been recognized by numerous organizations, charities, and bar associations.  He is a recipient of the Dade County Bar Association’s “Put Something Back Pro Bono Service Award,” Dade Legal Aid’s “Justice Earl Award,” the Spellman-Hoeveler Inns of Court’s “Passing of the Gavel Award,” and Dade County Justice Association  Steven Levine award for Judicial Excellence. He was elected as the Chairman of the Board for Easter Seal Society of Dade County, was appointed to the Metropolitan Dade County Independent Commission of Inquiry after Hurricane Andrew, and has served in leadership capacities on multiple bar associations and committees.
 
About Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, P.L.
Miami-based Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, P.L. focuses on complex, high-stakes disputes across a broad range of disciplines and industries, including all aspects of business and corporate litigation; real estate related litigation; securities and financial fraud; corporate governance; bankruptcy related litigation and debtor and creditor’s rights; appeals in state and federal courts; professional liability; intellectual property disputes; class actions; and complex matrimonial litigation.  The firm’s veteran litigators have served as lead class counsel in federal multi-district litigation and trials in federal and state courts throughout the country.  For more information, please visit www.klugerkaplan.com.