David A. Jones

Bar Admissions, Prior Employment, and Education

Florida Bar, all Florida Federal District Courts (including the Southern District Trial Bar), and the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Prior to joining Volk Law Offices, he was a complex commercial litigation partner at Holland & Knight, LLP, an international AmLaw 50 law firm. He is a graduate of the University of Miami and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (with minor in Politics and Public Affairs), magna cum laude, in 1982. He graduated from the University of Miami School of Law, with a Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, in 1985 and was a member/Articles and Comments Editor of the University of Miami Law Review.

Expertise, Authorship and Public Speaking

Successfully completed the classroom training to become a certified Florida Circuit Court Mediator and is in the process of completing his practical requirements for certification. He is the author of Frye v. Daubert - Time to Bring Florida Into the 21st Century, The Florida Bar News, November 9, 2015, and has lectured and written on various other topics including mortgage foreclosures, evidence, ethics, and standards for the admissibility of expert testimony. Mr. Jones’ professional recognitions include an AV/Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and listings in Chambers USA – America’s Leading Business Lawyers Guide (General Commercial Litigation), Best Lawyers in America – Commercial Litigation, Florida Super Lawyers, and Orlando Magazine – Best Lawyers in Orlando.

Experience

Jones has focused on complex commercial litigation (including mediation and arbitration) at both the trial and appellate levels, in state and federal courts, since 1985. He has extensive experience in all manner of business-related cases including banking and lender liability; regulatory matters; commercial foreclosures and repossessions; defense of class actions, including product liability; UCC issues; contract disputes including enforcement of non-compete and employment agreements; fraud, trade secret and other business tort cases; disputes among shareholders, directors and officers of closely-held corporations and other business entities; bond default litigation and workouts; corporate trust litigation; real property disputes; hospitality industry matters including franchisor/franchisee disputes; and zoning challenges. He has also handled several matters involving issues arising under federal law including the ADA, the Fair Housing Act, excessive use of force/false arrest, and the infringement of various rights protected under the Constitution of the United States.

A sample of experience and results of interest includes:

defending an ambulance manufacturer in an action brought by a foreign sales representative alleging breach of contract, violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other claims (result – favorable confidential settlement, upheld on appeal);
defending a publicly-traded land development company in an action brought by a dissident/activist shareholder to inspect and copy corporate books and records (result – favorable decision after bench trial, upheld on appeal);
defending a federal defense contractor in an action brought by an ex-employee who sought over $27 million in commissions on a contract to provide “ruggedized” computers to the United States Army (result – favorable verdict after jury trial, upheld on appeal);
defense of a law enforcement officer in an action brought by a specialty pharmacy and its principal owners arising out of what Plaintiffs claimed was an illegal “raid” of their pharmacy that resulted in their arrests and the seizure of most of their business assets (result – favorable summary judgment);
defense of Osceola County against numerous constitutional and other claims brought by an entity that operated a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program for men in an area that was not zoned for such a use (favorable decision after bench trial);
representation of plaintiff who was shot multiple times while on his own property by sheriff’s deputies who were in pursuit of a burglary suspect (result – favorable confidential settlement);
successful representation of finance companies in actions to repossess commercial aircraft;
successful representation of lending institutions in actions to foreclose mortgages on commercial real estate, multi-family residential real estate complexes and other types of real property.

Professional Organizations and Civic/Charitable Involvement

The Florida Bar - Trial Lawyers Section; Business Law Section (Business Litigation Committee; Antitrust and Unfair Trade Practices Committee); Rules of Judicial Administration Committee - 1987-2002, 2006-2018 (former Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary); Code and Rules of Evidence Committee - 2012-2018 (former Vice-Chair), Orange County Bar Association 1989-2018 - Business Law Committee; Judicial Relations Committee, Florida Supreme Court Select Committee on Court Reporter Certification Planning - Mid 1990’s, Wentworth Estates Homeowners’ Association – Board member and several terms as President, Service on various “fast action” legal committees that addressed legal issues relating to election law, ballots, polling and voting rights arising during the last three presidential elections. Graduate – Leadership Miami and Leadership County Bar Association, 2018-Present.

Currently active in the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast (EDC), Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce, and weVENTURE at Bisk College of Business at Florida Institute of Technology.

Personal Background

Mr. Jones was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised in South Florida. After working his way through law school as a waiter and bartender, he has practiced law in the State of Florida since 1985 and has lived in Central Florida since 1989. He and his wife have three adult children and currently reside in Oviedo, Florida. He is the former lead singer for Treble, a rock and blues cover band that plays in local bars and for fundraisers and private parties. Treble Damage has opened for Kool and the Gang, the Pointer Sisters, and other nationally known acts at various Central Florida charity events. Mr. Jones is an avid Miami Hurricanes football fan and enjoys reading, travelling, and attending concerts and plays.