Education
Bernard F. Walsh graduated from the University of South Florida before receiving his law degree from Cumberland School of Law in 1978. During law school, he was selected to serve as a research clerk and intern for a Federal Judge and the U.S. Attorney's Office. He was awarded The National Book Awards for Constitutional Law and Professional Responsibility during law school.
Experience
Bernard Walsh devoted the next three years to trial work for the State of Florida. This provided him with the opportunity to concentrate on his trial abilities, with numerous high profile trials concerning serious felony crimes. Since 1982, he has exclusively practiced personal injury law and helped accident victims in and beyond Sarasota and Manatee Counties in Florida.
Mr. Walsh is an AV Preeminent® rated attorney in Martindale-Hubbell®. AV means the highest possible rating in both Legal Ability and Ethical Standards. Mr. Walsh is also listed in AVVO as Superb, which is the highest rating for attorneys in AVVO.
Mr. Walsh was appointed to the National Trial Lawyers Association as an Executive Committee Top 100 Trial Lawyers (2013 onward). Florida has only 12 lawyers appointed to the National Trial Lawyers Executive Committee. The executive committee is selected nationwide for excellence, professionalism and being and demonstrating they are an active and a driving force in the legal community.
He is also listed in the National Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, and has been inducted into Southern Trial Lawyers Association, as well as the Melvin M. Belli Society. He has also won the largest playground recovery (2008), one of the top three motorcycle recoveries (2006), and the second largest daycare center recovery (2010), in the State of Florida. He is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum is a group of attorneys who have achieved career case successes that include multi-million dollar recoveries, settlements and /or verdicts.
Activities, Associations and Awards
Bernard Walsh is firmly committed to community service. He is an active member of the Manatee and Sarasota Sheriff’s Advisory Boards, the Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Council and the One Hundred Club for Law Enforcement in Manatee. His volunteer efforts to help all levels of law enforcement have benefited both private citizens and law enforcement personnel.
The American Trial Lawyers Association has listed Mr. Walsh in the top 100 trial lawyers in the state of Florida. This honor was bestowed on him by a vote of the Board of Directors of the American Trial Lawyers Association.
The Motorcycle Injury Trial Lawyers association.
As an experienced Florida motorcycle injury lawyer, Bernard Walsh won a $6 Million settlement - one of Florida's three largest motorcycle accident case settlements. A time-tested and highly respected member of the legal and law enforcement community, Mr. Walsh's membership brings additional knowledge and prestige to the Motorcycle Injury Trial Lawyers association (MITLA) and benefits the mission of The Motorcycle Injury Trial Lawyers Association to promote excellence in the legal profession through training, networking and education of trial lawyers. Additionally The Motorcycle Injury Trial Lawyers Association promotes and endorses some of the country's premier educational CLE seminars. These conferences offer the most current information regarding important topics facing today's trial lawyer.
Attorney Bernard Walsh lectures to Florida Trial Lawyers
on use of automobile crash reports in February 2011
Mr. Walsh was honored by the North Carolina Trial Lawyers for Justice by being invited to give a talk on National Trucking Litigation.
Bernard F. Walsh is a member of The National Advisory Board of APITLA. APITLA is The Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America. APITLA is a national association of committed lawyers who have joined together to help eliminate unsafe and illegal interstate trucking practices. Through the combined efforts in learning, litigation and legislation, they are working today to make America's highways a safer place.
The National Advisory Board members of APITLA include lawyers who are recognized leaders in their profession, many of whom have been voted by their peers to elected offices in their respective local or state bar associations, or state, local or national trial lawyer association or litigation groups. Their board also includes frequent speakers at local, state or national continuing legal education programs on the subject of interstate trucking litigation or trial practice. Some are nationally recognized authors on interstate trucking litigation.
Membership on this board is by invitation only. Membership is limited to a group of not more than 100 Lawyer citizens from across America. Prior to extending an invitation to any lawyer to serve on the national advisory board, careful consideration is given to a number of important criteria, including each potential board members knowledge, reputation, litigation, record and qualifications in interstate trucking litigation.
As a guest lecturer on the law, he has been asked to make presentations for the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, Stetson School of Law, American Inns of Court and State Colleage of Florida. He has also presented at Southern Trial Lawyers Association and The Florida Justice Association. These lectures include presentations on how to present evidence to both a jury and insurance companies. Other lectures he presented include Trial Advocacy and Medical Jurisprudence. Additionally, Mr. Walsh has been a moderator for national webcasts on trucking litigation.
Mr. Walsh is a member of The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, the Florida Justice Association, American Trial Lawyers Association, American Association of Justice, Southern Trial Lawyers Association, Sarasota County Bar Association, Manatee County Bar Association, Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, the Florida Bar – Trial Lawyers Section, the American Bar Association, the Manasota Trial Lawyers Board, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
He is also a member of the Melvin M. Belli Society. The Melvin M. Belli Society is a group of lawyers who have distinguished themselves as trial lawyers and who are dedicated to the principles of education on an international basis. Membership in the Melvin M. Belli Society is by invitation only and approval of the board. Only those lawyers who meet the criteria established by the board are invited to join. Its stated purpose is to promote the international exchange of ideas among lawyers through meetings and education.
Mr. Walsh was recently honored by membership in the Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Association, the Insurance Bad Faith Trial Lawyers Association, the Mass Tort Trial Lawyers Association and the National Brain Injury Trial Lawyers Association.
Mr. Walsh is the founder, president and a lecturer at the Manasota Trial Lawyers Board. His lectures have been published in legal journals of The Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America and the Southern Trial Lawyers Association.
Attorney Bernard Walsh receiving Honorary Sheriff's Badge for ongoing help to Sarasota Sheriff's Office presented by Sheriff Tom Knight.
Bernard Walsh of the Florida Personal Injury Law Firm of Shapiro Goldman Babboni & Walsh was honored to present the Trooper of the Year Award to Florida State Trooper Edward Pope
Trooper Pope won this prestigious distinction for the second time when he saved the life of a choking infant by using back thrust.
"Having the privilege of presenting this prestigious award to Trooper Pope for an amazing second time is a real honor. Trooper Edward Pope has distinguished himself in the service of Floridians over the years and the people of Florida are fortunate to have such an effective State Trooper protecting their safety" - Attorney Bernard Walsh.
