Professional Association

December 5, 2008

Attorneys & Staff

John A. DeVault III 
Jacksonville, Florida
Managing Partner, since 1986
phone (904) 353-0211
fax (904) 353-9307
email Email Me

JOHN A. DEVAULT, III received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida, where he was a member of Florida Blue Key, Executive Editor of the Law Review, and a member of the Moot Court team. Following a clerkship with the United States District Court, he joined the firm in 1968 where he has since practiced. He was President-Elect of The Florida Bar from 1994-95 and President from 1995-96. He served for six years as a member of the Board of Governors. He served as a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association from 1994-2000. He is past chair of the Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar, a member of The Florida Bar Commission on Lawyer Professionalism, a founding Master of the Bench of the Chester Bedell Inn of Court and Florida Bar Board Certified in Civil Trial and Business Litigation. He was chair of the Advisory Committee on Rules, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, from 1990-93, and a member of the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission of Florida from 1997-2000. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and served as state chair. He is a member of the International Society of Barristers, the American Board of Trial Advocacy,  and the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers.  He has been continuously listed in the business litigation section of The Best Lawyers in America since 1987.  Chambers USA America's Leading Business Lawyers 2004 (www.ChambersandPartners.com/usa) for the second year listed him as one of the state's four "first tier" commercial litigators.  In its first statewide poll of practicing attorneys, Florida Trend's Legal Elite listed him in Commercial Litigation.  He has argued cases in all state and federal courts in Florida, before the Eleventh, Fifth and Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals, and before the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. DeVault focuses on trial and appeal of complex commercial litigation and legal malpractice defense.

Areas of Practice:
Trial and Appeal of Complex Commercial Litigation
Legal Malpractice Defense
Litigation Percentage:
100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Certification/Specialties:
Civil Trial and Business Litigation, Florida Bar Board Certified


Bar Admissions:
Florida, 1967
U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit
Education:
University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida
Honors: Member, Florida Blue Key
Honors: Member, Moot Court Team
Law Review: University of Florida Law Review, Executive Editor


University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida


Honors and Awards:
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers


Fellow, International Society of Barristers


The Best Lawyers in America, 1987 - Present


Chambers USA America's Leading Business Lawyers 2003 - present


Florida Trend's Legal Elite, 2005 - present


Professional Associations and Memberships:
The Florida Bar, 1994 - 1995
President-Elect


The Florida Bar, 1995 - 1996
President


The Florida Bar
Member, Board of Governors


American Bar Association, 1994 - 2000
Member, House of Delegates


The Florida Bar, Trial Lawyers Section
Past Chair


The Florida Bar Commission on Lawyer Professionalism
Member


Chester Bedell Inn of Court
Founding Master of the Bench


International Society of Barristers
Member


American Board of Trial Advocacy
Member


U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 1990 - 1993
Chair, Advisory Committee on Rules


Federal Judicial Nominating Commission of Florida, 1997 - 2000
Member


American College of Trial Lawyers
State Chair


Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers
Member


Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Member


Past Employment Positions:
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Law Clerk, Hon. William A. McRae, 1967 - 1968