Retired (2017)
Since founding Butler in 1979 Paul has been committed to the concept of professionalism both outside and inside the firm. This commitment has resulted in Paul serving in a number of leadership roles within various professional organizations. At the same time Paul has never wavered in his personal commitment to provide the best of representation to the clients he has served.
As Butler has grown so has the commitment of its attorneys to provide leadership to the profession while maintaining a high standard of excellence in the representation of our clients. Providing the best for our clients within an atmosphere of professional camaraderie is important to Paul and this standard has become a hallmark of Butler.
Paul’s practice has been concentrated in the fields of First and Third-Party Insurance Coverage, Bad Faith and Punitive Damage claims. In addition to his three degrees, Paul has received training in dispute resolution including the Harvard University PIL Course in Mediation and the Florida Supreme Court mediator certification course at the University of South Florida.
Paul has enjoyed significant involvement in various professional organizations where he has held a number of leadership positions. Paul is a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel and has served as Dean of the FDCC’s Litigation Management College. Paul was on the Board of Directors of the Defense Research Institute, chaired DRI’s Insurance Law Committee, its Amicus Curiae Committee, and served as Chair of DRI’s Law Institute. He is a member of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA) and is a former Vice-Chair of the Property Insurance Committee of the IADC. Paul served in the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association as well as having served on the Council of the ABA’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TTIPS). Over the years Paul has been actively involved in the field of civil justice improvement, having served on the ABA’s Long Range Planning Committee on Civil Justice Improvement and chaired the TTIPS Task Force on Improvement of the Civil Justice System. He is a former Chair of the ABA/TTIPS Property Insurance Law Committee.
Since founding Butler in 1979, Paul has believed one’s time at the firm should concentrate on more than just receiving a paycheck. From its inception, Paul has worked to foster an environment where the people are valued. The focus on people extends beyond those at the firm. Over the years Paul has expressed the following sentiment as a way of doing business. “Those of us at Butler should constantly keep in mind that our clients are not simply companies. Our clients are individuals with families, with concerns, and with challenges of their own. Life is too short to simply look at what we do as a ‘job’. It’s doing life together.”
Paul’s national leadership addressing issues of civil justice reform and the relationship between the insurance industry and defense counsel have helped Butler stay at the forefront in its pursuit of ways to become more efficient and cost effective. “Producing a first-class work product has been and will continue to be a commitment to which our firm steadfastly adheres.”
