Biography

Jeffrey graduated from the University of Miami School of Law, Cum Laude, in 1982 and was admitted to the Florida Bar that same year.

Jeffrey is an experienced trial lawyer. He is admitted to practice in all Florida state courts, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of Florida and the Middle District of Florida, and 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition, he is a part of a select group of attorneys, since 1992, who have been declared Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyers by the Florida Bar. Mr. Liggio also holds a similar distinction with the National Board of Trial Advocacy, since 2000.

His efforts and advocacy for his clients have led to numerous appellate decisions that have positively affected civil jurisprudence both within Florida as well as nationally.

He is a proud member and past president of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, (now the Florida Justice Association). He is a member of, and former governor of the American Association of Justice.  Furthermore, he is also a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association and the Palm Beach County Justice Association.

Education

• B.S., United States Naval Academy, 1974

• J.D., University of Miami School of Law, Coral Gables, Florida, 1982
  Honors: Cum Laude

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

• Florida, 1982

• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 1984

• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida Trial Bar, 1992

• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1997

• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1990

Certification/Specialties

• Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, Florida Bar, 1992

• National Board of Trial Advocacy, Civil Certification, 2000

Published Works

• “Choice of Law Florida and Elsewhere: Confusion at the Threshold”, Insurance Counsel Journal, January, 1982

• “Preparing the HMO case”, Trial Magazine, May, 1997

• “Price of Peace of Mind, Recovery of Mental Distress Damages and Bad Faith Claims in Florida” (Co-Author), Florida Bar Journal, November, 2001

• “It’s not about ‘Billboard Lawyers’; repealing attorneys’ fee law harms working-class Floridians” South Florida Sun Sentinel March 2023

• “It’s All About Attitude…”, Florida Justice Association Journal, March/April 2026

Representative (Published) Cases

• Zipes v. Progressive American Insurance Company, 673 F.Supp.3d 1313 (S.D. Fla. 2023)

• Cabrera v. U.S. Bank National Association, 281 So.3d 516 (Fla. 4th DCA 2019)

• Jervis v, Casteneda, 243 So.3d 996 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018), rev. den. (Fla. 2018)

• Green v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Co., 225 So.3d 229 (Fla 4th DCA 2017)

• Paton v. Geico Cas. Co., 190 So.3d 1047 (Fla. 2016)

• Carriuolo v. General Motors Co., 823 F.3d 977 (11th Cir. 2016)

• Coccaro v. Geico General Ins. Co., 648 Fed.Appx. 876 (11th Cir. 2016)

• Batchelor v. Geico Cas. Co., 142 F.Supp.3d 1220 (M.D. Fla.  2015)

• Martorella v. Deutsche Bank Nat. Trust Co., 931 F. Supp. 2d 1218 (S.D. Fla. 2013)

• Homeward Residential, Inc. v. Rico, 110 So. 3d 470 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013)

• Commonwealth Land Title Ins. Co. v. Higgins, 58 So. 3d 280 (Fla. 1st DCA 2011)

• Esposito v. True Color Enterprises Const., Inc., 45 So. 3d 554 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010)

• Williams v. Heritage Operating L.P., 23 So.3d 806  (Fla.2nd DCA 2009)

• Commonwealth Land Title Ins. Co. v. Higgins, 975 So.2d 1169 (Fla.1st DCA 2008)

• Grosso v. Fidelity Nat. Title Ins. Co., 983 So.2d (Fla. 3rd DCA 2008)

• Williams v. Heritage Operating, L.P., 2007 WL 2729652(M.D. Fla., 2007)

• Ordones v. American Interstate Ins. Co., 950 So.2d 427 (Fla. 4th DCA 2006)

• Dadeland Depot, Inc. v. St. Paul Fire and Marine Ins. Co., 945 So.2d 1216 (Fla. 2006)

• Foundation Health v. Westside EKG Associates, 944 So.2d 188 (Fla. 2006)

• Friedman v. New York Life Ins. Co., 410 F.3d 1350 (11th Cir.  2005)

• Freedom Life Ins. Co. of America v. Wallant, 891 So.2d (Fla. 4th DCA 2004)

• Wexler v. Lepore, 385 F.3d 1336 (11th Cir. 2004)

• Lutz v. Protective Life Ins. Co., 951 So. 2d 884 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007)

• Bankers Ins. Co. v. Rojas, 855 So.2d (Fla. 4th DCA 2003)

• Banker Ins. Co. v. General No-Fault Ins. Inc., 814 So.2d (Fla.4th DCA 2002)

• American Medical Sec. v. Addison, 802 So.2d (Fla.4the DCA 2001)

• Guarente-Desantolo v. John Alden Life Ins. Co., 744 So.2d (Fla. 4th DCA 1999)

• Cummins v. Allstate Indem. Co., 732 So.2d (Fla. 4th DCA 1999)

• Springer v. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida, Inc., 695 So.2d 944 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997)

• American Chambers Life Ins. Co. v. Hall, 695 So.2d 1264 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997)

• Eldridge v. Multi-Resources, Inc., 695 So.2d 1320 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997)

• Riggs v. Smith, 953 F.Supp. 389 (S.D.Fla. 1997)

• Union Bankers Ins. Co. v. Hatin, 677 So.2d 374 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1996)

• Lumbermens Mut. Cas. Co. v. Percefull, 653 So.2d 389 (Fla. 1995)

• Ortega v. Schramm, 922 F.2d 684 (11th Cir. 1991)

• Old Holdings, Ltd. V. Taplin, Howard, Shaw & Miller, P.A., 584 So.2d 1128 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991)

• Allstate Ins. Co., Inc. v. Walker, 583 So.2d 356 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991)

• Gazie v. Illinois Employers Ins. of Wausau, Inc., 583 So.2d 1098(Fla. 4th DCA 1991)

• Roger Dean Chevrolet, Inc. v. Lashley, 580 So.2d 171 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991)

• Pierre-Louis v. Colonial Ins. Co. of California, 566 So.2d 320 (Fla. 4th DCA 1990)

• Ciffo v. Fireman's Fund Ins. Co., 560 So.2d 265 (Fla. 4th DCA 1990)

• Millman v. Howard Johnson’s Co., 533 So.2d 901 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1988)

• Antley v. Blue Cross, 515 So.2d 1314 (Fla.4th DCA 1987)

Classes/Seminars Taught

• Discovery: Litigation From Signing The Case Through Trial, Helmet, 1992

• Legislative Update Seminar, Helmet, 1992

• Attorney’s Fees In Insurance Cases Life, Health & Disability Claims, Insurance Litigation Case Law Review, 1993

• Trends In The 1900’s, Collateral Source Issues, Insurance Litigation Case Law Review, 1993

• How To Know When Insurance Adjusters Are Doing It Wrong, ERISA III, 1994

• PIP and No-Fault Insurance Concerns and Problems, 1995

• The Nine Commandments Of Handling & Litigating Direct Insurance Cases, 1995

• Life, Health & Disability Claims, 1995

• Domestic Violence Insurance Issues in Florida, 1995

• Obtaining Impeachment Data On The Defense Medical Examiner, 1995

• HMO Liability, 1995

• Insurance Law, Advanced Judicial College 1995

• Keeping Them Honest: Deceptive And Unfair Trade Practices Claims, ERISA IV, 1996

• HMO Liability, ERISA IV, 1996

• Insurance Fraud, ERISA IV, 1996

• Discovery: Litigation From Signing The Case Through Trial, 1997

• ERISA V, You Need To Know More Than Ever, 1997

• ERISA VI, You Need To Know More Than Ever, 1997

• Statutory Bad Faith, 1997

• PIP Bad Faith Case, Legislative Overview and Q & A (Tampa and Miami), 1998

• Statutory Bad Faith, 1999

• Effective Mediation & Settlement Strategies, 2000

• Basic, But Not Forgotten Insurance Issues, 2000

• Preparing and Presenting the Effective Opening Statement, 2000

• First Party Bad Faith and Insurance Based Class Actions, 2001

• First Party Bad Faith Claims, 2001

• Insurance Coverage, Liggio’s Rules for Trial Persuasion, 2002

• Class Actions Against Insurance Companies, 2003

• Bad Faith In Medical Malpractices Cases, 2003

• Beyond Bad Faith, 2003

• Combating Mandatory Arbitration Clauses in Insurance Contracts, 2003

• Voting System Problems, 2004

• Life, Health and Disability Claims, 2004

• Trial Persuasion, 2004

• Beyond Bad Faith 2005

• What’s New in Insurance Litigation 2006

• The Handling, Litigation, and Trial of Class Actions Against Insurance Companies 2007

• The  Essentials of Consent Judgments 2008

• Class Actions Against Insurance Companies 2010

• First Party Bad Faith 2012

• Uninsured Motorists Rejection Issues 2020

• The Anatomy of a Trial – Lessons Learned from Recent Verdicts 2024

• Bad Faith by Health, Disability & Life Insurers 2025

Professional & Bar Association Memberships

• Florida Bar Association,
  Chairman, Florida Bar Grievance Committee “B”, 15th Judicial Circuit, 1992 – 1993

• Florida Bar Association, Member, Judicial Administration & Evaluation Committee 2015-present

• Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers
  Member, Legislative Committee
  Member, Budget Preparation Committee
  Insurance Strike Force, 1992 – 1995
  Executive Committee, 1992
  Member, Board of Directors, 1990 – Present
  Chairperson and Previous Chair, Budget Review Committee, 1990 – 1991
  President, 1998 – 1999

• Association of Trial Lawyers of America

• Sustaining Member, “M” Club Member

• Palm Beach County Bar Association

• Palm Beach County Trial Lawyer Association

Other Background and Achievements

Mr. Liggio graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree, and was designated as an Ensign in 1974.

He is a decorated retired officer, having served in the military for 25 years.

He was designated a Naval Aviator in 1975 and served as an active Naval Aviator for almost seven years, whereupon he switched to the Air Force Reserve, and was designated as a Command Pilot, serving for another 14 years as a helicopter rescue pilot, and ultimately as the  Helicopter Flight Commander in the 301st ARRS.

Honors and Awards

• Air Force Commendation Medal, (2) 1992

• Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Eagle Talon Award, 1990

• Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Silver Edge Award, 1991

• Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers ABCD Award, 1991

• Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Presidents Award, 1991 – Present

• Florida Justice Association Al J. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award, 2008