James E. Zloch joined Wicker Smith in 1986 and is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office. Over the last 30+ years, he has served as lead counsel or sole attorney in numerous jury trials in state and federal court involving property damage, premises liability, personal injury, general negligence, automobile liability and first party insurance matters.
An AV® Preeminent™ rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, Mr. Zloch is particularly well-versed in premises liability litigation and has served as lead attorney in over 40 jury trials for such retailers as Publix Super Markets, Inc. and Home Depot. In addition to his work in premises liability, Mr. Zloch has a great amount of experience and knowledge in the treatment of fraudulent claims. Over the past 15 years, he has represented the Special Investigation Unit of State Farm Insurance, conducting over 150 Examinations Under Oath involving motor vehicle theft, property theft, property damage, PIP claims and fraudulent billing by medical clinics. He is currently a member of the Florida Property & Casualty Insurance Fraud Task Force created by the Florida Department of Financial Services.
Admitted to practice in the state of Florida in 1977, Mr. Zloch began his legal career as a prosecutor in the Misdemeanor and Felony Trial Divisions with the State Attorney's Office in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. From 1977 to 1981, he tried approximately 100 jury trials involving misdemeanor crimes, sexual battery, armed robberies and second degree murder crimes. In 1979 and 1980, he led the office in total number of jury trials and convictions, which led to his promotion as senior supervisor of the Felony Division, overseeing 12 prosecutors in the felony division. In 1981, he left the State Attorney's Office to begin his practice in civil trial work and joined a local firm with his brother, The Honorable William J. Zloch, former Chief Judge of the Southern District of Florida. He spent five years working on litigation involving personal injury and commercial matters.
Mr. Zloch has a Bachelor of Science in Economics (1974) and a Juris Doctor (1977) from the University of Notre Dame. While attending Notre Dame, he was a member of the 1973 National Champions football team under legendary head coach Ara Parseghian.
Professional & Civic Affiliations:
· The Florida Bar
· Broward County Bar Association (Board of Directors, 1988-1992)
· Florida Defense Lawyers Association
· Defense Research Institute
· USLAW NETWORK, Inc. (Board of Directors, 2001-2003)
· U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, Local Rules Committee (2003-2007)
· Ad Hoc Committee on Attorney Admissions, Peer Review and Attorney Grievance (2005-2007)
· Florida Property & Casualty Insurance Fraud Task Force (2010-present)
Honors:
· Recipient of the Broward County Bar Association's President's Award in 1992
· One of the three founding members of the St. Thomas Moore Society and established the tradition of the Red Mass in Broward County in 1989.
Significant Engagement:
· Served as approved counsel for State Farm Florida Insurance Company regarding approximately 80 Hurricane Wilma claims in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties.
· Served as local counsel for Experian in a massive class action lawsuit in Federal Court in the Southern District of Florida, regarding the distribution of personal information obtained by information companies from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles.
· Served as co-counsel with Partner Dennis M. O'Hara representing SCI Funeral Services of Florida, Inc. in a large class action lawsuit in Broward County State Court regarding cemetery issues in two South Florida cemeteries which received extensive media coverage throughout the country.
News:
Sep 28, 2009, Attorney James E. Zloch Named Counsel for State Farm Florida Insurance
Events:
Jun 11, 2010, 2010 Wicker Smith Claims Seminar