Jason Gonzalez (attorney)

Jason Gonzalez (born September 30, 1973) is an attorney in Tallahassee, Florida. He is credited with reshaping the Florida Supreme Court while serving as General Counsel to the Governor of Florida.[1] He was the chief advisor to the Governor on the appointment of four Florida Supreme Court Justices.[2] He is a founding shareholder with Lawson Huck Gonzalez, PLLC and handles civil and administrative litigation, appeals, and government affairs.

Jason Gonzalez
Jason Gonzalez, General Counsel to the Governor of Florida and Justice Charles Canady at the Florida Governor's Mansion for the announcement of Justice Canady's appointment to the Florida Supreme Court. August 28, 2008
Jason Gonzalez with Florida Supreme Court Justices appointed during his term as General Counsel to the Governor of Florida: Justice Ricky Polston, Justice Jorge Labarga, Justice James E.C. Perry and Justice Charles Canady
Oral argument before the Florida Supreme Court.

Early life and family

Jason Gonzalez was born in Tallahassee, Florida, the son of Larry Gonzalez (former Secretary of the Florida Department of Professional Regulations and Director of the Florida Commission on Ethics) and Jean Gonzalez. A seventh generation Floridian, Gonzalez is the great-great-grandson of Captain Manuel A. Gonzalez, who founded the City of Ft. Myers, Florida in 1866,[3] the great-grandson of Florida Pioneer and Explorer Alfonso Fernando Gonzalez and the great-great-great-great-grandson of Evander Lee, who founded the City of Leesburg, Florida in 1857.[4] Gonzalez attended the University of Florida, where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a Juris Doctor degree. He became an attorney and Florida Bar member in 1998. While in law school, he married his high school sweetheart Sara Hicks Gonzalez. Jason and Sara are the parents of three boys.

Gonzalez practices in the areas of trial, appellate and administrative litigation and represents clients before the Florida Legislature and all State Executive branch agencies as a partner with Shutts & Bowen LLP. He has served two terms as General Counsel to the Republican Party of Florida, and a term as General Counsel to the Governor of Florida.

General Counsel to the Republican Party of Florida

Gonzalez has served two terms as General Counsel to the Republican Party of Florida, and has attended four Republican National Conventions with the Florida delegation (1988, 2008, 2012 and 2016).

The Deepwater Horizon Litigation

In 2010, immediately following the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon, the vessel's owner, Transocean Ltd., selected Gonzalez to serve as its lead counsel for litigation and state regulatory matters in the Florida Panhandle.[5][6] Over a two-year period, Mr. Gonzalez successfully obtained orders dismissing or removing every one of the more than 70 individual and class action lawsuits filed against Transocean in Florida.[5][6]

Public service

Judicial Nominating Commissions

In 2007 the Florida Governor appointed Gonzalez to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Florida Supreme Court. Gonzalez previously served terms as Chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the First District Court of Appeal of Florida and Chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Second Judicial Circuit of Florida.

General Counsel to the Governor

Jason Gonzalez was appointed General Counsel to the Governor of Florida in 2008. As General Counsel he was the chief advisor to the Governor on all legal matters and served as the Governor's Chief Ethics Officer and chief advisor on judicial appointments.[7] In 2008-2009 Gonzalez was the chief advisor to the Governor on the appointments of four Florida Supreme Court Justices. The four appointments marked the first time in Florida history in which a Governor appointed a majority of the Court in less than a year.[2]

Judges and Justices Appointed During Gonzalez's Term as Governor's Counsel
Name Court Date of Appointment
Justice Charles Canady Florida Supreme Court August 28, 2008
Justice Ricky Polston Florida Supreme Court October 1, 2008
Justice Jorge Labarga Florida Supreme Court January 2, 2009
Justice James E.C. Perry Florida Supreme Court March 11, 2009
.
Judge Nelly Khouzam Second District Court of Appeal June 3, 2008
Judge Cory Ciklin Fourth District Court of Appeal December 10, 2008
Judge Marva Crenshaw Second District Court of Appeal January 7, 2009
Judge Nikki Ann Clark First District Court of Appeal January 13, 2008
Judge Jonathan Gerber Fourth District Court of Appeal April 6, 2009
Judge Spencer Levine Fourth District Court of Appeal April 6, 2009
Judge Robert Morris Second District Court of Appeal June 5, 2009
.
Judge Keith Spoto Tenth Circuit April 3, 2008
Judge Lisa Porter Seventeenth Circuit April 8, 2008
Judge John Dommerich Twentieth Circuit April 16, 2008
Judge Jim Shenko Twentieth Circuit April 16, 2008
Judge Brantley Clark, Jr. Fourteenth Circuit April 22, 2008
Judge Robert Egan Ninth Circuit May 5, 2008
Judge Tom Barber Thirteenth Circuit May 6, 2008
Judge Angela Cowden Tenth Circuit May 15, 2008
Judge Michael Raiden Tenth Circuit May 15, 2008
Judge William Haury Seventeenth Circuit May 29, 2008
Judge Jack Cox Fifteenth Circuit July 22, 2008
Judge Alane Laboda Twentieth Circuit July 20, 2008
Judge Ramiro Manalich Twentieth Circuit July 20, 2008
Judge Donald Hafele Fifteenth Circuit October 22, 2008
Judge Jack Helinger Sixth Circuit December 5, 2008
Judge Kenneth Gillespie Seventeen Circuit January 7, 2009
Judge Barbara McCarthy Seventeenth Circuit January 28, 2009
Judge Carlos Rodriguez Seventeenth Circuit January 28, 2009
Judge Dawn Caloca-Johnson Second Circuit March 26, 2009
Judge John Brown First Circuit April 6, 2009
Judge Elizabeth Rice Thirteenth Circuit May 12, 2009
Judge Michael Rudisill Eighteenth Circuit June 5, 2009
.
Judge Rodney Smith Miami-Dade County Court May 16, 2008
Judge Flora Seff Miami-Dade County Court June 19, 2008
Judge Jay Hurley Broward County Court July 28, 2008
Judge Reinaldo Ojeda Polk County Court August 12, 2008
Judge Archie Hayward, Jr. Lee County Court August 12, 2008
Judge Susan Barbara Flood Polk County Court August 12, 2008
Judge Jon Abdoney Polk County Court August 12, 2008
Judge Paul Jeske Hillsborough County Court August 26, 2008
Judge Michael Provost Collier County Court December 11, 2008
Judge Edward H. Merrigan, Jr. Broward County Court April 6, 2009
Judge Darren Steele Martin County Court May 28, 2009
.
Judge Doris Jenkins Court of Compensation Claims (Tampa) March 26, 2008
Judge Tim Basquill Court of Compensation Claims (West Palm Beach) March 26, 2008
Judge Paul Terlizzese Court of Compensation Claims (Melbourne) March 26, 2008
Judge Thomas Portuallo Court of Compensation Claims (Daytona Beach) November 26, 2008
Judge Shelley Punancy Court of Compensation Claims (West Palm Beach) November 26, 2008
Judge Sylvia Medina-Shore Court of Compensation Claims (Miami) November 26, 2008
Judge Gerardo Castiello Court of Compensation Claims (Miami) November 26, 2008
Judge James Condry Court of Compensation Claims (Orlando) November 26, 2008
Judge Charles Hill Court of Compensation Claims (Miami) November 26, 2008
Judge Mark Hofstad Court of Compensation Claims (Lakeland) November 26, 2008
Judge Ellen Lorenzen Court of Compensation Claims (Tampa) November 26, 2008
Judge Robert McAiley Court of Compensation Claims (Ft. Pierce) November 26, 2008
Judge Joseph Farrell Court of Compensation Claims (Orlando) November 26, 2008
Judge Stephen Rosen Court of Compensation Claims (Jacksonville) November 26, 2008
Judge Mary D'Ambrosio Court of Compensation Claims (West Palm Beach) February 11, 2009
Judge Alan Kuker Court of Compensation Claims (Miami) February 11, 2009
Judge Daniel Lewis Court of Compensation Claims (Ft. Lauderdale) February 11, 2009
Judge Marjorie Renee Hill Court of Compensation Claims (Gainesville) March 25, 2009

References
  1. Crist's General Counsel Leaving After Shaping High Court. The Bradenton Herald http://www.bradenton.com/news/breaking_news/story/1489348.html%5B%5D
  2. Jason Gonzalez, The General Counsel Who Helped Governor Charlie Crist Reshape Florida's Highest Court, Is Leaving His Post For Private Practice. The St. Petersburg Times http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article1007476.ece Archived 2012-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
  3. History of Ft. Myers, Florida http://www.fortmyers-online.com/history.htm
  4. History of Leesburg, Florida http://www.leesburgflorida.gov/history/index.aspx
  5. "WordPress Development and Hosting".
  6. http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/home/id=1202638719633/Jason%20Gonzalez%20Joins%20Shutts%20amp%20Bowen%20As%20Tallahassee%20Partner?mcode=1202615493747&curindex=0
  7. Crist's General Counsel Leaving After Shaping High Court. The Bradenton Herald http://www.bradenton.com/news/breaking_news/story/1489348.html%5B%5D
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