Bio

David M. Gersten, former Chief Judge in Florida's Third District Court of Appeal, is a partner in the Commercial Litigation practice group of Gordon & Rees’ Miami office. He represents clients in litigation and appeals in a multitude of areas, including commercial, labor, administrative, real estate, land use, and probate law. He strategically advises clients on honing their legal issues to navigate potential evidence and procedural obstacles with both trial and post-trial implications in mind. Additionally, Mr. Gersten often serves as a mediator and arbitrator in complex cases. Mr. Gersten received his Juris Doctor in 1975 from the University of Florida, and worked in private practice until 1980, when, at age 29, he was elected without opposition as a judge to the Miami-Dade County Court. Two years later, he was elected without opposition as a judge to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. In 1989, he was appointed to Florida's Third District Court of Appeal, a position he retained for more than 20 years. During his time with the Third District Court of Appeal, Mr. Gersten was unanimously elected to serve as the court's Chief Judge from 2007-2009. In 2015, Mr. Gersten was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award by the Daily Business Review, for his outstanding service to the South Florida legal community. Mr. Gersten regularly writes and lectures on topics relating to appellate law, trial law, and ethics. His bi-weekly column on Law.com provides insight into recent appellate court decisions. He is also an appellate faculty member for the Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies, and has served as the appellate division's Associate Dean. Mr. Gersten also served as an adjunct professor teaching trial advocacy for the St. Thomas University School of Law, and is an active faculty member of The National Judicial College.