About

EDUCATION:

Stanford Law School (J.D., 1987)
Stanford Univ. (B.A., Human Biology, 1983)
Univ. of California San Diego (Professional Certificate in Wine, 2013)

ADMISSIONS: 

Florida, California, Washington
United States Supreme Court.

HONORS:

Board Certified Legal Specialist in Admiralty & Maritime Law; State Bar of California.
Florida and California Super Lawyers: 2006-2023.
AV Preeminent Rated Martindale Hubbell™
Best of the Bar, Florida Trend Magazine
Best of the Bar, Miami Daily Business Review
Best Verdicts, South Florida Business Journal
Best of the Bar South Florida Business Journal
Member Litigation Counsel of America

Jeffrey is a former Judge Pro Tem of the Municipal Court of California, San Diego County.

He specializes in all aspects of complex litigation, admiralty and maritime law, medical malpractice defense, sexual assault and negligent security cases, disease outbreaks, and corporate crisis management. In over 35 years of practicing law, he has accumulated extensive experience handling a wide array of high profile cases nationwide.   

Clients frequently call upon Jeffrey to help their companies effectively respond to major mass casualty and other high profile crisis.  He has appeared as an expert on CNN, Court TV, Dateline, Nancy Grace, Anderson Cooper 360, and the Today Show.

Outside the courtroom, Jeffrey frequently lectures on a wide array of human resources and tort issues. He also provides employee training on issues such as diversity and sexual harassment. When not practicing law, you can usually find Jeffrey working at his family’s award winning wineries in California and Colorado.

PUBLICATIONS:

“Shipboard Medical Care,” Benedict on Admiralty (2015-2023)

”COVID-19 and the Cruise Industry”, Benedict on Admiralty (2021-2023)

The Seafarer's Ancient Duty to Rescue and Modern Attempts to Regulate the Good Samaritan, Tulane Law Review (2015)

“Twas the Night Before Regulations: Foreign-Flagged Cruise Ships and the ADA,” 75 Tulane Law Review 1571 (2001)

“Islands in the Sun, Cruise Line Liability for Water Activities on Private Islands,” University of San Francisco Maritime Law Journal (2001)

“Jobs in Paradise: The Definitive Guide to Exotic Jobs Everywhere,” HarperCollins Publishers (1990, 1993)