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In memoriam – Michael K. Green

In memoriam
Michael K. Green

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1/4/58 – 5/26/13

The attorneys and staff of Saxon, Gilmore, Carraway & Gibbons, P.A. are deeply saddened by the passing of their friend and colleague, Michael K. Green. Mr. Green suffered a heart attack and passed away May 26, 2013, leaving behind his wife of 31 years, Lisa, two daughters, Katherine “Katie” and Emily; parents, Paul and Betty Green; sister, Cheri Sheets and her husband, John.

Mr. Green was a partner at the firm, concentrating his practice on civil litigation and trial work, commercial, securities, and other litigation matters. Prior to joining Saxon Gilmore, he was a partner in a large full service law firm based in Tampa, Florida, where he practiced for nearly 23 years.

Mr. Green had extensive experience in the process of preparing and trying complicated commercial and other kinds of complex disputes through final judgment and appeals. He had 25 years of highly successful litigation and trial experience in state and federal courts, and in both jury and non-jury trials.

Mr. Green received his B.A.C. degree in 1981 from Bowling Green State University, which he attended on a full four-year debate scholarship. In 1982, he received an M.A. in political science from the same school, where he taught American Government and Political Philosophy.

After working as a sales representative in the college textbook division of Prentice Hall Publishing Company from 1982 to 1985, Mr. Green resigned to attend the Florida State University College of Law, graduating with high honors in 1988, finishing 9th in his class. While in law school, he served as an Articles and Notes Editor on the FSU Law Review. He published “The Other Insurance Crisis: Bad Faith Refusal to Pay First-Party Benefits” in the fall of 1987, which was reprinted in the National Law Journal and cited in published opinions by several Florida District Courts of Appeal. Mr. Green was a member of the Order of the Coif and was admitted to the Florida Bar in September, 1988. After graduating from law school, Mr. Green served two years, as the sole law clerk to senior United States District Court Judge Winston B. Arnow, now in the Pensacola Division of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

Since 2002, Mr. Green had served as special counsel to the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, acting as a prosecutor for the Commission in numerous judicial disciplinary matters. In recent years, he had successfully prosecuted several circuit court judges who were tried and removed from office by the Florida Supreme Court. Mr. Green had also served on the editorial and advisory board for Judge Siegel’s definitive “Florida Trial Objections” treatise.

Mr. Green loved being a lawyer and enjoyed researching and analyzing the law. He was always zealous in representing his clients’ interests and would work diligently to find the best solution for them. He was excited about joining Saxon Gilmore and working on cases with his long-time friend, John Gibbons, a shareholder at Saxon Gilmore. In reflecting on Mr. Green’s passing, Mr. Gibbons said “Mike was a great lawyer who held himself to the highest ethical standards. He was a man of high intellect, creativity and work ethic; in short, a lawyer I always wanted on my side. His passing is an immense loss, not only to his wife and family, but also to our firm and the entire legal community.”

Donations can be made to the American Heart Association, in memory of Michael Green.