Attorney Richard L Purtz came highly recommended. Mr. Purtz and the rest of the staff are highly professional, knowledgeable, friendly and extremely approachable! My concerns and questions were always answered in a timely manner and with the utmost attention, respect, and resolve! I’m so thankful they the process seem effortless and stress-free. This surpassed my expectations and made me believe in lawyers again.
– Blantina J.
urtz, from Quantico, Va., played college basketball at Tulane University and pro basketball in Europe as well as volleyball in middle school, high school and college. When his 14-year-old daughter went to a tryout for a volleyball team, he ended up being recruited to coach volleyball and did so for about 10 years. He was also involved in the administrative side of sports as a co-founder and Club Director of USA South Volleyball. For the past 10 years, he’s been a board member and General Counsel USA Volleyball-Florida Region, the governing board for Olympic and Junior Olympic teams.
“One thing you learn from sports it that to be competitive, you have to follow the rules,” Purtz said. “The positive effect as an attorney is the desire to be ethical and follow procedures, especially when the envelope is really being pushed by lawyers today as far as following the rules.”
He and other athlete-turned-lawyers find the desire to win helpful in their post-sports careers. “Athletes hate to lose,” Purtz said. “Competitiveness in us is at the root of our beings, which is good for lawyers, especially in litigation.”
Miami Springs Senior High School, 1972
Tulane University, B.A. Education, 1977
University of Florida College of Law, J.D, with honors, 1988
Appellate Advocacy Fellowship Instructor in 1987 and 1988
American Trial Lawyers Association Trial competition team
Admitted to the Florida Bar, 1988
Admitted to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
AV Preeminent Rating Civil Trial Attorney through Martindale Hubbell’s Peer Reviews
One of Florida’s “Super Lawyers”
Florida Bar Board of Certification, Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer
Member the American Justice Association
Board of Directors of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers from 1999-2005, now known as the Florida Justice Association
First President of the Southwest Florida Trial Lawyers Association
General Counsel for Florida Region of USA Volleyball
Adjunct Professor at The University of St. Francis in Graduate Studies in Health Services Administration