Lawrence J Block Jr.

Lance Block's statewide civil trial practice is based in Tallahassee, Florida, and consists of catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases, including automobile collisions and crashworthiness safety, governmental torts, abuse or neglect of care, product liability, and medical negligence cases. He has obtained numerous multi-million dollar verdicts, settlements and claims bill recoveries for clients across the state of Florida for almost thirty years. In addition to his trial practice, Lance Block represents clients and attorneys seeking claims bill relief from the Florida Legislature. Mr. Block has achieved the passage of numerous multi-million dollar claims bill awards, including the largest ever against the state of Florida ($18.2 million).

Mr. Block is rated as an AV Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, and has been honored as an outstanding trial lawyer in numerous publications, including The Best Lawyers in America, the National Law Journal, U.S. News and World Report’s Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms in America, Florida Trends’ Legal Elite, Florida’s Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, and Florida Verdict Search.

Lance Block has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1984. He is a past President of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (2000-2001) and past Chairman of the Florida Lawyers Action Group (2000). In 2003 he received the Academy’s Jon Krupnick Award for Perseverance for his ten year successful fight for justice on behalf of a developmentally disabled woman who was sexually abused while living in a group home ($8 million verdict and claim bill).

A staunch advocate for children and persons with disabilities, Lance Block frequently represents persons with developmentally disabilities, children, and rape trauma survivors who were harmed by abuse, neglect, or unreasonable security. From 2007 to 2010, Mr. Block served as the Chairman of the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities and was a Member of the Governor’s Task Force on Autism. From 1997 to 1999, Lance Block was President of the Arc of Palm Beach County (formerly Association of Retarded Citizens), and was the founding Board Chairman of the Potentials School, a charter school for children with severe developmental disabilities located in Riviera Beach, Florida. In 1995-96, Mr. Block served as a Trustee for the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities Foundation.

In addition to representing more than one hundred clients who have been abused and neglected, as Chairman of the Governor´s Commission on Disabilities from 2007 to 2010, Lance Block spearheaded legislation to strengthen legal protections against abuse and neglect of the developmentally disabled. Block authored and advocated for changes to Florida Statute which broadened protections under the Florida Bill of Rights for the Developmentally Disabled. On July 28, 2008, Mr. Block received the Governor’s Point of Light Award for more than twenty years of service to persons with disabilities.

In the 2009 Florida Legislative session, Lance Block volunteered his services to the parents of Rachel Hoffman and successfully lobbied for Florida Statute , known as “Rachel’s Law.” A year earlier, twenty-three year old Rachel Hoffman was slain during a botched police sting operation while serving the Tallahassee Police Department as a confidential informant. “Rachel’s Law” is landmark legislation, and Florida is the first state in the nation to establish statewide standards designed to protect civilians who assist law enforcement as confidential informants or perform undercover tasks.

During the 2000 Presidential election Lance Block was appointed lead attorney by the Chairman of the Florida Democratic Party for the recount of ballots in Palm Beach County on behalf of the Gore-Lieberman campaign. During the 2004 and 2008 Presidential elections, Mr. Block led the “voter-protection” legal teams for the Kerry-Edwards and Obama-Biden campaigns in Gadsden County, Florida.