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Resume of Mitchell A. Chester, Esq. Trial Lawyer and Civic Activist
Discussing the location of a proposed Broward County IKEA store with company representatives in 2004...Mr. Chester worked with community residents to oppose construction of the massive retail and warehouse complex in the Town of Davie due to traffic concerns that would negatively impact local schools and the slow the egress from the Town's police fire complex.
Founding Member: Law Office of Mitchell A. Chester, P.A. 2001-present Admitted to practice law in the State of Florida, Mr. Chester works in personal injury, insurance law, commercial, housing and contract litigation in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties in Florida. His interests include law, financial literacy and education, affordable and workforce housing, transportation issues, global warming/climate change, space policy, domestic and international affairs, citizen advocacy, alternative dispute resolution, disaster relief and planning, website design, writing, video production, technology and medical/legal issues. He is active in local community affairs in the Town of Davie, located in central Broward County, Florida. Mr. Chester enjoys jury and non-jury trials and solving complex legal issues. Membership American Board of Trial Advocates, Fort Lauderdale Chapter (Peer review organization), 2008 to the present. Member of the Florida Bar since 1979. Progressive Insurance House Counsel Managing Attorney, 1987 - 2001 Started and managed the first House Counsel office for Progressive Insurance in the State of Florida in 1987. Based upon the success of that office, 4 other offices were created in Florida. The Fort Lauderdale office was the third of the Progressive House Counsel offices in 1987, and by 2000, there were approximately 18 offices across the United States. By early 2000, the Fort Lauderdale (Dania) office included 21 people, including attorneys, paralegals, legal secretaries and support personnel. Duties included: Handling full caseloads, including: Third party personal and bodily injury litigation First party contract and personal injury litigation Declaratory actions in insurance coverage cases. Bad Faith cases PIP matters Medical Claims matters Bills of discovery Examinations under oath Cases were handled in Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and early in the House Counsel operation, Palm Beach county. Range of cases handled during Mr. Chester's career: Brain damage, psychological injury, pedestrian knockdowns, scarring, implant litigation, disfigurement, herniated discs, thoracic outlet syndrome, brachial plexus injuries, carpal tunnel cases, shoulder injuries, knee injuries, loss of significant bodily functions (hearing, taste, vision), soft tissue claims, orthopedic and neurologic claims, urological injuries, ENT claims, wrongful death actions, products liability actions, declaratory and coverage litigation subrogation claims and various other types of personal injury disputes. He as also worked in uninsured and underinsured motorist claims, first party bad faith and statutory claims under Section 624.155 and 626.9541 of the Florida Statutes and third party defense cases. Mr. Chester has also worked on commercial and contract litigation including banking litigation and large property damage cases, as well as public record requests and litigation. He has tried lawsuits in Palm Beach, Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, in Circuit Civil and County Court matters, both jury and non-jury, and has also participated in modified high/low binding jury trials, multiple party claims, complex mediations and arbitrations. Mr. Chester has worked with primary, excess and umbrella insurance carriers with regard to personal injury, wrongful death and insurance litigation. Mr. Chester currently represents Plaintiffs and Defendants. Law Office Management During Progressive Years Managed staff of attorneys, paralegals and legal secretaries for nearly 13 years at Progressive House Counsel offices. Developed objectives and career goals for all law office staff. Responsible for budget and fiscal tracking. Involved in hiring, recruiting and performance management. Assisted in planning, design and oversight of office space layouts. Managed all aspects of the law office, including file reviews and case management. Responsible for attorney development. Special Projects at Progressive Insurance Presented legal seminars on various topics, including, but not limited to: deposition strategies, civil procedure, PIP, alternative dispute resolution and litigation strategies. Created and administered computer based legal reporting system on Lotus Notes 4.5 for use on Progressive intranet system and administered legal database on Lotus Notes. Created and published practice forms for lawsuit use by attorneys, paralegals and legal secretaries. Town of Davie Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) 8.21.08- Mr. Chester was named Chair of the Town's Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, which was established when Davie became eligible for Florida State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) funds. Recent legislation was enacted requiring each municipal government in Florida to establish an AHAC, which will now serve on a continuing basis. The purpose of the AHAC is to review and evaluate the current Affordable Housing Incentive Plan, and make recommendations on eleven specific housing areas. Quality Housing Corporation 2008- Vice President of Quality Housing Corporation spearheaded an effort to create truly affordable workforce housing across the United States. The focus was on conversion of container homes to provide emergency and permanent housing. In Fall, 2008, Mr. Chester co-sponsored a class at the University of Miami School of Architecture to encourage student designs of truly affordable housing. This was identified as the first time that Engineering professors worked with Architecture students on a collaborative project to find housing solutions. Presentations/Speaking Engagements Mr. Chester has given seminars to Claims Representatives over the last 30 years on various litigation issues, including discovery, bad faith, Florida PIP law declaratory judgments, the psychology of litigation and other legal items of interest. In September, 2008, he worked with Attorney Alan Green in presenting a discussion about expert witness depositions to the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics (AOAO) at its convention in Boca Raton. On September 16, 2008, Mr. Chester participated in the Florida Housing Coalition's 21st Statewide Annual Conference on "Housing, the New Environment" in Orlando, Florida. He addressed legal issues impacting mobile home park preservation.
Mr. Chester has also produced videos concerning mobile home displacement in Broward County, Florida.
Prior Law Firm Affiliations 1983 to 1987-Law Office of Mitchell Chester, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Worked in automobile insurance law and commercial litigation. 1979-1983- Carey, Dwyer, Cole, Selwood and Bernard, P.A., Attorney in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As an associate the work included insurance defense and coverage matters, commercial litigation, real estate, probate. Worked in Section 1983 litigation with other attorneys. Conducted real estate closings, worked in subrogation, participated in jury and non-jury trials and focused on insurance coverage disputes. 1978-1979- Carey, Dwyer, Cole, Selwood and Bernard, P.A., Law Clerk. Admitted to practice law in Florida in December, 1979. Pro Bono Activities Mr. Chester provides pro bono activities from time-to-time. Some of those matters have included: In 2008, Mr. Chester was appointed t the Town of Davie Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and served as Chair. The group was tasked with the responsibility of making affordable housing recommendations to the Town of Davie Council. In 2007 until early 2010, Mr. Chester provided representation to a group of Hallandale Beach residents being sued by the City of Hallandale Beach in the municipality's efforts to close the Tower Mobile Home and R.V. Park and evict the residents. The case involved 10 judges in 3 different courts and included 4 appeals. The case remains a basis for efforts to change Chapter 723 of the Florida Statutes, which deals with mobile home tenancies. In 2007, Mr. Chester participated in a working group established in the Town of Davie to help craft the Town's first Affordable Housing Ordinances. 1984-Served as pro bono counsel in Dinnen v. Pond Apple Place II Condominium Association, Inc., et al., in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Provided approximately 400 hours of representation in this high profile case, which involved issues now covered by the Fair Housing Act. The case was covered by the CBS news magazine "60 Minutes." Involved in other pro bono activities throughout the years. Homeowner Association Memberships Served as President of the Ridgeview Lakes Estates North Homeowner's Association, 1996-1997. Prior service on the Highland Lakes Homeowner's Association in Miami-Dade County. Active involvement in zoning issues that affected the community. Web site content manager for www.No-Ikea.com in 2004 and participant in the successful efforts to stop the development of an IKEA super store in Davie, Florida. Member of Architectural Review Board for the Ridgeview Lakes Estates North HOA, 2004. 2008-present-Designer and Editor of www.PasadenaEstates.org, the homeowner's association website. Film Production Produced and directed "Prototechnic Prisms," shown at film presentations as well as the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1971. Produced a film for the Shaker Heights Board of Education entitled, "The Sights and Sounds of Shaker High" in 1970. College and Law School Years Attended Ohio State University from 1972 to 1976. Graduated with honors. Earned a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism in 1976. Took courses in National Security Studies at the Mershon Center. Reporter for The Lantern a large circulation newspaper run by students of the OSU School of Journalism. Covered the Battelle Memorial Institute reporting on scientific research activities. Four year resident in the Stadium Scholarship Dormitory, located in Ohio Stadium, where Mr. Chester worked in public relations and for the West Side Story, the dorm newspaper. Also served as Ombudsman for the dormitory residents. Attended Nova University Center for the Study of Law (Now the Sheppard Broad Law Center at Nova Southeastern University) from 1976 to 1979. Editor, Nova Perspective a student newspaper focusing on contemporary legal topics. Articles on law related topics featured major newsmakers from the national, state and local arena.
In 1980, Mr. Chester worked on three visits by President Jimmy Carter to Miami and Hollywood, Florida by organizing members of the community to assist the White House Advance Team in logistical operations. Radio Activities News Reporter and announcer, Development Director and General Manager for student run carrier current radio station WOSR (1972-1976). Also served as a member of the Board of Directors of that station. Worked to make the station into an FM broadcast facility for student produced programs. Talk show host for Rock and Talk on WOSR, 1973-74. Guests included Senator John Glenn, musicians, local personalities and other news makers. For more on Rock and Talk, click here. Liaison to Ohio State University faculty for WOSR operations. College Internships 1973- Summer Intern for WTVJ Television News, Miami, Florida. 1975- Summer media internship with U.S. Senator John Glenn, in Washington, D.C. Duties included work on radio "beeper" program for Senator Glenn's Press Secretary, supplying radio content to Ohio Radio Stations. Awards and Scholarships Membership in honorary society "Sphinx." William Faulkner Scholarship in Journalism. Kappa Tau Alpha national journalism honor society. Student Leadership Award. Association of Broadcast Journalists. Ohio State University's Representative to the 27th Annual Student Conference on United States Affairs at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Member of the Ohio State University School of Journalism Self-Study Committee for Accreditation by the American Council on Education in Journalism. Miami Beach Bar Association Scholarship Recipient. Web Site Creation, Design, Management and E-Civic Efforts Editor and designer of www.MitchellChester.com and www.DavieHurricaneRelief.org (to assist Broward County residents in the Town of Davie adversely affected by Hurricane Wilma) and www.No-Ikea.com (which was instrumental in an effort to relocate a proposed IKEA store from the Town of Davie to the City of Sunrise due to concerns the traffic volume would interfere with the safe operation of three schools and the police/fire complex. Created and operated, free to Broward County, JudicialCalendar.com, an on-line Court scheduling resource which was beta tested for approximately 11 months in 2000- 2001 with former Circuit Court Judge George Brescher and has served as a precursor for on-line judicial scheduling and communications in Broward County. Co-editor of DavieCommonSense.org, a grass roots web effort in support of creation of the proposed Davie Commons project in Western Broward County which was designed to provide 6000 full and part-time jobs in Western Broward County. Mr. Chester also was co-coordinator of a citizen effort to stop the Florida Department of Transportation's imminent plans to double deck busy Interstate 595 in Broward County, Florida with express toll lanes. He also served as Editor of www.595Alert.org which discussed various aspects of the proposed elevated highway. For more on the opposition to FDOT's plans, click the banner below.
Disaster Relief Initiatives Following Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, the Law Office sent printers and supplies to a school in Long Beach, Mississippi to help rebuild education efforts. After Hurricane Wilma, in 2005, Mr. Chester helped mobile home residents with roofing tarps and supplies in the Town of Davie, Florida, where mobile home parks were particularly hard hit. In 2004, he also organized a relief effort to deliver supplies for victims of Hurricane Charley in Southwest Florida. In 1992, he worked in a Red Cross shelter in Kendall (Miami-Dade) Florida and with others in South Dade to provide food for emergency first responders located at a high school staging area in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. That same year, he delivered clothing and supplies donated by the Clinton presidential campaign to residents of Florida City. Several years prior, when migrant workers were threatened with a Christmas crop freeze in Homestead, Florida, he also participated in relief response in the form of clothing and food.
Mr. Chester is currently working on a project to send unused surplus portable classrooms to Haiti to help replace tents as a primary means of shelter. (See video). There has been radio, web and television coverage of that effort.
See South Florida Sun-Sentinel 8.17.10 post Civic Publications
Shared Emergency is designed to be a nexus between problems and potential solutions. A brief sample of topics includes: Destructions of Portable Classrooms Ignores Haiti's Urgent Needs. Stopping "Facetime" Behind the Wheel- A warning about video conferencing while driving. Google Human, Nanomedicine and Health Trends. Using free web video to teach students who attend schools closed by the H1N1 flu virus. To see all articles on SharedEmergency, please click banner above. In December, 2008, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel published an op-ed forum written by Mr. Chester. Entitled, "Broward citizens deserve, demand a working courthouse," the piece followed over a week of closed doors at the county courthouse due to leaking pipes and called upon lawyers, business leaders, politicians and educators to help fund a new building to avoid delayed, and denied justice. Please send your e-mail to MChester@MitchellChester.com. Our office phone number is 954.759.9960. "The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience." Copyright © 2005-2010. Mitchell A. Chester. All rights reserved. |
