For more than a decade, Florida’s Engle progeny tobacco litigation has featured some of the top lawyers in the country. 

The cases are among thousands that stem from a Florida class action suit that the state’s supreme court ultimately decertified, allowing individual plaintiffs to recover against the nation's tobacco companies if they can prove the smokers in their cases suffered from nicotine addiction that caused a smoking-related disease.

The ongoing nature of the litigation has finely honed the courtroom skills of its attorneys, with CVN’s unrivaled Engle coverage capturing veritable master classes of trial work. It’s one reason why we honor the best Engle attorneys each year. 

And this year’s Engle Defense Attorney honoree went undefeated in a pair of high-stakes cases.

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Fort Lauderdale, FL— A Florida state court jury Thursday handed down a $1.6 million-plus verdict for the respiratory disease and cancer it found a Florida woman suffered because of Philip Morris-brand cigarettes. However, the verdict apportioned the lion’s share of blame to the smoker herself, likely reducing the post-verdict award. Zingaro v. Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds, 2007-CV-036438.

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Fort Lauderdale, FL— After a week-long break in proceedings, closings are expected early next week at trial against the country's two largest cigarette makers for the respiratory disease and cancer a Florida woman says she developed after years of smoking. Zingaro v. Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds, 2007-CV-036438.