Michael Fox Orr focuses his practice on complex commercial and civil matters typically in high stakes or high-profile litigation. These cases regularly involve class actions, professional liability, legal malpractice, medical malpractice, shareholder disputes, construction, land development, insurance, wrongful death, serious personal injury, trusts, estates, and a wide array of business matters. He has tried more than 15 jury trials to verdict, tried several bench trials, and argued before 5 of the 6 District Courts of Appeal in Florida, with successful opinions as both appellant and appellee.  His work has led to his inclusion in many prestigious groups, including the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges, who may be invited after certain experience and exhibiting the virtues of civility, integrity, and professionalism.

Michael’s work for the legal profession is robust. More than 17 years in Florida Bar and Jacksonville Bar leadership positions have culminated in Michael being elected and appointed to the Executive Committee of The Florida Bar Board of Governors multiple times, his re-election as one of two elected lawyers representing all lawyers and judges in the Fourth Judicial Circuit, and his position as President of The Jacksonville Bar, which he completed in June 2022.

Michael has been trusted to lead several significant committees for the Board of Governors.  Michael presently serves as Chair of The Florida Bar’s Budget Committee, which oversees the fiscal and budgetary policies of the Bar.  He has served as co-Chair of the Disciplinary Review Committee for The Florida Bar, which oversees the prosecution and appeals for disciplinary violations by Florida lawyers and recommends policy on lawyer regulation and disciplinary matters. Finally, Michael has served as Chair of the Board Review Committee on Professional Ethics (twice) which reviews advisory ethics opinions issued to Florida lawyers and appealed to the Board of Governors.

PROFESSIONAL DISTINCTIONS

Michael’s success in the courtroom and hard work for the profession have resulted in an extensive list of select professional distinctions and associations, some of which include:

• Florida Bar Board of Governors (elected by lawyers/judges) (current)
• Jacksonville Bar Board of Governors (elected by lawyers/judges) (current)
• Chester Bedell Inn of Court, Executive Committee (appointed by lawyers/judges) (past)
• Civil Rules of Procedure Committee, Florida Bar (appointed by the President of the Bar) (past)
• Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism (past)
• Florida Supreme Court Historical Society Board of Trustees (current)
• Florida Bar Practicing with Professionalism Chair/Moderator (past)
• Florida Bar YLD Board of Governors (served as President & in multiple chair positions) (past)
• Jacksonville Bar YLS Board of Governors (served as President & in multiple chair positions) (past)
• DCA Workload and Jurisdiction Assessment Committee (appointed by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice) (current)

In 2017, the Fourth Judicial Circuit’s lawyers and judges first elected Michael to represent their 4000+ members from Duval, Clay and Nassau County on The Florida Bar Board of Governors where he continues to serve as one of 52 elected to represent the nearly 110,000 lawyers in Florida. While serving as one of the appointed lawyers reviewing, drafting and editing the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, Michael was honored with the opportunity to co-author the third chapter of Civil Trial Practice, “Trial By Court or by Jury,” published by The Florida Bar in conjunction with LexisNexis. Michael’s experience and the results he continues to obtain for his clients lead to his recognition as a Florida Super Lawyer (top 5% in Florida) with a feature in the Florida Super Lawyers Business Edition. Michael’s current and prior recognition include:

HONORS & AWARDS

• AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• The Best Lawyers in America® (Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law, Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Insurance; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants), 2020 – 2024
• Florida Super Lawyers
• Florida Trend Legal Elite
• Top 8 Civil Litigators, Attorney at Law Magazine
• America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators
• National Trial Lawyers Top 100
• Attorney at Law Magazine Top 10 under 40
• National Trial Lawyers Top 40 under 40
• Jacksonville Business Journal, Top 40 under 40
• East Carolina University, Top 40 under 40
• Most Productive Board Member, Florida Bar YLD

COMMUNITY SERVICE
In the community, Michael aids various organizations through board service and volunteer work. That current and past involvement includes:

• Volunteer, V for Victory Foundation
• Board of Directors, Clara White Mission
• President/Board of Directors, Family Nurturing Center of Florida
• Management Team, Special Olympics of Florida, Duval County
• Board of Directors, Cummer Museum Up & Cummers
• Member, Blueprint for Leadership, HandsOn Jacksonville

• Florida – 2005
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida – 2005
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida – 2005
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit – 2005
• U.S. Supreme Court – 2015

Florida Coastal School of Law, Jacksonville, Florida, J.D.

• Honors: Moot Court Honor Board, Member
• Honors: National Moot Court Competition, Oralist
• Honors: Florida Workers’ Compensation Competition, Oralist/Brief Writer

East Carolina University, B.S.B.A., Finance and Philosophy