Brian Coughlin is an accomplished litigator and community leader. His practice focuses on matters of criminal justice throughout Florida. Coughlin’s outstanding legal work has been repeatedly recognized by Super Lawyers and Florida Trend’s Legal Elite. He is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Corporate Compliance Law and Criminal Defense: General Practice). Coughlin is ranked by his peers at the highest level of professional excellence for legal knowledge, communication skills, and ethical standards.
Coughlin is a member of the Board of Governors of the Jacksonville Bar Association. He is a former chairperson of The Florida Bar Professional Ethics Committee and a current member of The Florida Bar Juvenile Court Rules Committee. Coughlin serves on the Board of Directors for the Community Hospice & Palliative Care Foundation, the Board of Trustees for Daniel Kids, and he is Vice President of the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation.
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 Bedell in 2007. He was named a director of the firm in 2012. His wife, Susie, is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia University. They have three children.
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
- Jacksonville Magazine’s Best Lawyers (Criminal Defense: General Practice)
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 and Committee Chair
- Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, Vice President and 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
