JUSTIN B. ELEGANT was born on Miami Beach in 1970. He graduated from the University of Miami (B.A. 1993) and the University of Miami School of Law (J.D. 1996). During a fourteen month internship in law school for the Honorable Shelby Highsmith, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, he completed extensive legal writing and obtained a unique insight into all aspects of the federal trial court. Thereafter, Mr. Elegant has devoted his practice to complex civil litigation in Florida's state and federal courts.
Mr. Elegant has been trained by some of the finest lawyers in Florida. Initially, he worked for the Miami law firm Anderson, Moss, Sherouse & Petros, P.A. where he concentrated on commercial, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and insurance litigation at the trial and appellate levels. Thereafter, when the Moss firm was acquired by the international law firm, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, L.L.P., Mr. Elegant distinguished himself for a year in Shook, Hardy's Tort Litigation Section. There, he continued to successfully represent plaintiffs and defendants in a wide array of civil trial and appellate litigation cases. Mr. Elegant next joined the law firm of William L. Petros, P.A. in 1999, and became a name partner in 2005.
Mr. Elegant has since litigated mostly complex cases, usually involving multiple parties, where large amounts of money are at stake. Mr. Elegant has prevailed on behalf of both individual and corporate clients in commercial, wrongful death, and first party insurance disputes, including cases in hurricane related and similar contexts. Mr. Elegant has successfully tried cases in Florida's state and federal courts. Regardless of the nature of the dispute, or the parties involved, Mr. Elegant prepares each case he works on as if it will be tried. His careful preparation and attention to detail has resulted in very favorable results for the firm's clients at trial, and often pretrial when lucrative settlements have been obtained.
Mr. Elegant is also committed to performing charitable work on behalf of the youth of the community. He has founded and for several years supported organizations which have provided mentoring and educational opportunities for children in South Florida. Mr. Elegant lives on Miami Beach with his wife and two sons.
Representative Cases
- CDR II – Defending four individuals and thirty-four corporate entities in a four count equitable action brought by an instrumentality of a foreign government which seeks to preclude these and other defendants (which it asserts are all guilty of defrauding a foreign bank out of approximately $92 million dollars) from fraudulently transferring assets and property located in Miami-Dade County. (Eleventh Jud. Cir. Case No. 08-50688 CA 32)
- A.G. Gladstone – Successfully represented corporations and individual plaintiffs, at jury trial and on appeal, in action arising out of breach of joint venture agreement entered into for purposes of multi-million dollar condo conversion of Miami Beach hotel. (Eleventh Jud. Cir. Case No. 99-05100 CA 03) (Third Dist. Case No. 3D 04-781)
- Industrial Affiliates – Obtained confidential settlement in first party property insurance case involving extensive damage to roofing structures throughout multi-building warehouse complex severely damaged by Hurricane Wilma. (Settled pre-suit)
- Blue Oil – Received expedited discovery, despite opposition, in the Southern District of Florida for British Virgin Islands corporation – under 28 U.S.C. § 1782 – as to its multi-party, multi-million dollar commercial action involving its oil business in Guatemala. The underlying claims were pending in the United Kingdom before the High Court of Justice. (S.D. Fla. Case No. 09-22549-mc-ALTONAGA/BROWN)
- Jones – Notably defended, at bench trial in federal court, admiralty and maritime claim arising out of the wrongful arrest of 90-foot custom made motor vessel. (S.D. Fla. Case No. 04-22864-CIV-ALTONAGA)
Background
EDUCATION • B.A., University of Miami, 1993
• J.D., University of Miami School of Law, (Litigation Skills, Pre-Trial Honors), 1996
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE• Petros & Elegant, P.A., Partner - Coral Gables, FL (February 2005 - present)
• William L. Petros, P.A., Associate Attorney - Miami, FL (July 1999 - Feb. 2005)
• Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., Associate Attorney - Miami, FL (June 1998 - June 1999)
• Anderson, Moss, Sherouse & Petros, P.A., Associate Attorney, Law Clerk as a law student - Miami, FL (May 1996 - June 1998)
• Honorable Shelby Highsmith, Judicial Intern, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida - Miami, FL (June 1994 - Aug. 1995)
BAR ADMISSIONS
• The Florida Bar
• United States District Court, Southern & Middle Districts of Florida
• United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
• American Bar Association
• American Association For Justice
• Florida Justice Association
• Dade County Bar Association
- Young Lawyers Section, Schools Committee, 1999 - 2002; Co-chair, 2001-2002
- eMentoring Program, Founder and Director, 2001 - 2007
HONORS AND
AWARDS
• South Florida Business Journal Up & Comers Award Finalist
• Dade County Bar Young Lawyer of the Year
COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
Dade County Bar Young Lawyers eMentoring Program
• Founder and former director of award winning telementoring program which pairs volunteer young lawyers from the Dade County Bar with local legal magnet high school students for individualized telementoring relationships lasting throughout the school year. 2001- 2007 Program received American Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division Second Place Award of Achievement in 2002 and was recognized as the most significant public service project by the Florida Bar, Young Lawyers Division in 2003.
Advisory Board to Miami Senior High Legal Magnet Program
• Founding member of advisory board made up of professionals which started a legal and public affairs magnet program at the school, 1999 - 2007.
Committee of 100 to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami
• Member of committee of professionals committed to raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami, 2001-present.
• Steering Committee Member, 2002 - 2006.
Open Tent
• Founding board member for organization at Temple Beth Shalom dedicated to promoting Judaism throughout South Florida, August 2007- present.
Hugs & Kisses for Miami Children’s Hospital
• Founding member of board of directors for group of young professionals dedicated to providing financial support and community awareness on behalf of specialty hospital for children, 1999 - 2000.
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