About Scott E. Gwartney
Scott E. Gwartney graduated from Liberty University in Virginia in 1985 with a degree in political science and human resource management. The Tallahassee native then returned home to attend Florida State University College of Law, graduating in 1991. He has remained in Tallahassee since. After working with the first attorney to successfully submit a nursing home case to verdict in the State of Florida, renowned trial lawyer Kenneth L. Connor, the two went on to create The Connor & Gwartney law firm. The firm eventually joined the Tampa-based nursing home litigation firm of Wilkes & McHugh, becoming its Tallahassee office, where Mr. Gwartney continued to work until he joined Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster & Gwartney in 2002, becoming a firm partner in 2003.
Mr. Gwartney’s practice is unique: While he always carries a significant number of case files for auto claims and medical litigation in his Tallahassee hometown, his expertise in the fields of Medical Malpractice, Assisted Living Facility, Nursing Home and Group Home litigation is widely known throughout Florida and Georgia. And so, he often finds himself pursuing claims in courthouses from Naples and Ft. Meyers, up the Gulf coast to Pensacola, and on the east coast all the way to Savannah and Augusta Georgia … and virtually all points in between.
Mr. Gwartney passionately believes that our disabled and senior citizens deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. In the same manner that fine china is treated with a gentle and compassionate touch, our physically frail citizens also need to be treated with a gentle touch and great respect. The fragile among us deserve no less respect and dignity than that which is afforded to any other member of our society. The results of Mr. Gwartney’s experience and efforts on behalf of the elderly speak volumes about his expertise and dedication. His work on behalf of his clients has led to numerous verdicts and settlements of $1 million or more across the southeast. While Mr. Gwartney’s case load is most active throughout Florida and Georgia, he is also licensed to practice law in Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Professional Accolades
Mr. Gwartney believes the greatest accolades are found in knowing who he represents. The greatest accolades are found when judges, opposing counsel and insurance adjusters – people who see the hard work and results – call on him for their own legal issues, as they often do.Mr. Gwartney has been recognized among the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel (2014 & 2015), as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers (2012 – present), and among Florida Trend Magazine’s Florida Legal Elite (2012 – present). Mr. Gwartney has also been named a Florida Super Lawyer for his work in Plaintiff’s Medical Malpractice litigation, an award only given to the top 5% of attorneys in the state (2006, 2014-2015, 2019-present). Alongside these achievements, Mr. Gwartney has received the AV Preeminent ® rating from Martindale-Hubbell® since 2009, the highest rating available based upon confidential reviews by local lawyers and judges. Due to his expertise, he is also frequently called upon to share his knowledge about long term care and medical malpractice litigation with peers in both the legal and medical professions and as a guest lecturer in the university setting
Personal Life
When he is not working, Mr. Gwartney is active in his church and local community. Inspired by his own family experience, he served on the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration’s Bone Marrow Transplant Advisory Panel from 2011-2022 and currently serves on the board of directors for several charitable organizations in the Tallahassee area including Lighthouse Children’s Home and A Doctor’s Heart (an organization he co-founded to support ministries serving the river people deep on the Amazon River). He works to keep his faith strong, and his family close. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Cathy, their three children, and expanding brood of grandchildren. He is also an avid fan of FSU athletics.
Education
- Liberty University, Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Human, Resource Management Magna Cum Laude (1985)
- Florida State University College of Law, Juris Doctor (1991)
Licensure
- Florida Bar (all courts), 1991
- United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 1991
- United States District Court, Northern District of Florida, 1992
- United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, 1992
- State Bar of Georgia, 1992
- United States District Court, Middle District of Georgia, 1993
- Court of Appeals, State of Georgia 1993
- Supreme Court of Georgia, 1993
- Supreme Court of the United States of America, 1995
- State Bar of Tennessee, 2001
- State Bar of Texas, 2001
- United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, 2002
- Virginia State Bar, 2016
Professional Associations
- NTL Nursing Home Trial Lawyers Association
- American Justice Association
- Florida Justice Association
Eagle Member
- Nursing Home Task Force
- Medical Malpractice Task Force
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
The Florida Bar
- Elder Law Section
- Trial Lawyers Section
- Health Law Section
Capital City Justice Association – Founding Member
Awards & Accolades
- National Top One Percent, National Association of Distinguished Counsel (2015 & 2016)
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers (2012 – Present)
- Florida Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers (2006, 2014, 2015, 2019 – Present)
- AV Preeminent® Rating, Martindale-Hubbell® (2009 – Present)
- Florida’s Legal Elite, Florida Trend Magazine (2012 – Present)
- Best Attorneys in America, Rue Ratings (2015)
- Premier 100 trial attorney, National Academy of Juris Prudence (2016)
- Rated 10.0 by AVVO – the highest possible rating (2012 – Present)
Community Involvement
- Board of Directors, Courage Through Cancer Ministries, 2014 – 2018
- Bone Marrow Transplant Advisory Panel, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), 2011 – 2022
- Board of Directors, IIM (International Impact Missions), 2010 – 2016
- Board of Directors, Northshire Homeowners’ Association 2004-2016
- Board of Directors, PHI (Pregnancy Help & Information) Center, 2009 – 2015
- Board of Directors, Lighthouse Children’s Home
- Board of Directors, and founding member, A Doctor’s Heart, Inc.
