About Brett A. Rivkind
Brett Rivkind is a leading national renowned maritime personal injury and wrongful death attorney. He has been handling Maritime/Admiralty cases for over 40 years. After graduating from the University of Florida College of Law with honors, and being selected to the Florida Chapter of the Order of the Coif based on being in the top five percent of his graduating class, Brett Rivkind started his career at a large maritime firm, where he handled cases on the defense side. Within the first five years of handling hundreds of maritime and personal injury cases involving the cruise ship industry, Brett Rivkind decided he wanted to help the victims of accidents and crimes, and decided to represent only the victims in maritime and personal injury cases. Since leaving the defense side, Mr. Rivkind has only represented individuals or families who have been the victims of crimes and accidents onboard all types of boats and ships, focusing mainly on incidents occurring aboard passenger cruise ships. He has used his invaluable experience obtained while handling cases on the defense side to benefit his clients who have been victimized due to an accident or crime aboard a cruise ship.
Brett Rivkind has been a frequent lecturer on maritime topics, including an invited lecturer to the State of Florida Judges at their Annual Judicial College on the topic of Maritime Law. He testified before the United States Congress as a maritime expert, and authored a paper addressing questions posed to him by the United States Congress involving passenger safety and security aboard passenger cruise ships. He has handled many high profile cases, including representation of more than a two hundred families who lost loved ones in a fire aboard a cruise ship, a case where families lost their loved ones due to the disappearance of a passenger cruise ship during a hurricane, as well as representation of the parents of George Smith in the high profile case that received national and international attention when George Smith was lost overboard during his honeymoon while a passenger aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. He has been referred internationally as a “World’s Leading Maritime Lawyer.” He has appeared on the Larry King Live show on three different occasions. He has also appeared on numerous television shows, including, MSNBC, Good Morning America, The Today Show, 20/20, Court T.V., Nancy Grace, Scarborough, Rita Cosby Show, Montel Williams, The Early Show, Abrams Report, Geraldo at Large, Fox News, local news channels, and Prime Time.
He is past President of the Florida Bar Admiralty Committee and a member of the Admiralty Committee of the Association of America for Justice.
Associations
- American Bar Association
- United States District Court Southern District of Florida
- United States District Court Middle District of Florida
- Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
- Supreme Court of the State of Florida
- The Florida Bar
- The Florida Bar Admiralty Committee
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- National College of Advocacy
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America
- Florida Academy of Trial Lawyers
- Florida Admiralty Trial Lawyers Association
- Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute
- Maritime Law Association
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America Admiralty Committee
Mr. Rivkind has handled all types of cases: personal injuries, wrongful deaths, sexual assaults, rapes, catastrophic injuries, involving both passengers and crewmembers. His cases have included all types of injuries including brain damage, stroke, heart attacks, herniated discs, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, factures, cancer, kidney failure, carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator-cuff tears, broken hips, knee replacements, and psychological and psychiatric injuries. He has also been active in handling cases on appeal involving complex issues of Admiralty and Maritime Law. He is well respected by his peers, and other Admiralty and Maritime attorneys have retained his services to argue Maritime issues on appeal.
Mr. Rivkind was invited as a Speaker for “8vo Congreso Jurídico de la Abogacía Malagueña” with the topic of “La Responsabilidad Civil derivada del transporte marítimo de pasajeros y tripulantes”
Brett Rivkind on Channel 10 News Discussing the Cruise Ship Tour Bus Accident in Mexico
Our lead maritime attorney Brett Rivkind was recently interview by Channel 10 news talking about the deadly bus crash in Mexico and some tips do do before taking a shore excursion.
