Brian Coughlin is an accomplished litigator and one of northeast Florida’s promising young leaders. His practice focuses on matters of criminal justice. He has been repeatedly recognized as a Rising Star in criminal defense by Super Lawyers and in Florida Trend’s Legal Elite. Brian is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Corporate Compliance Law and Criminal Defense: General Practice). He is ranked by his peers at the highest level of professional excellence for legal knowledge, communication skills, and ethical standards.
Coughlin is a former chairperson of The Florida Bar Professional Ethics Committee and a current member of the Board of Governors of the Jacksonville Bar Association. Coughlin also serves on the Board of Directors for the Community Hospice & Palliative Care Foundation, the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, as well as the Board of Trustees for Daniel Kids.
Coughlin received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 2000, and a law degree from the University of Florida in 2003. Coughlin prosecuted criminal matters at the State Attorney’s Office in Jacksonville before joining the Bedell Firm. His wife, Susie, is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia University. They have three children.
Area Of Practice
- Criminal Defense
- Government Investigations
- Internal Investigations
- Juvenile Delinquency
- Personal Injury/Wrongful Death
- Professional Licensing
- Record Expungements and Sealing
- Student Conduct Defense
Bar Admissions
- Florida, 2004
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America (2019-Present) in the following practice areas: Corporate Compliance Law, Criminal Defense: General Practice
- Florida Trend’s Legal Elite
- Florida Super Lawyers (Rising Star: 2011-2017 | Super Lawyers: 2018-2022)
- Martindale-Hubbell AV
Education
- University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida, 2003, J.D.
- University of Michigan, 2000, B.S., Political Science
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Jacksonville Bar Association, Board of Governors
- The Florida Bar, Juvenile Court Rules Committee
- The Florida Bar, Professional Ethics Committee; Chair (2016-2017)
- Leadership Jacksonville, Class of 2016
- Daniel Kids Memorial, Board of Trustees
- Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, Board of Directors
- Community Hospice & Palliative Care Foundation, Board of Directors
- American Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association, Jacksonville Division
- Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- The Catholic Lawyers Guild – Diocese of St. Augustine
Past Employment Positions
- State Attorney’s Office in Jacksonville, Assistant State Attorney