David C. Prather

Email: David Prather

David C. Prather is a a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney who has earned the reputation of being the “Closer” in high-stakes cases that have resulted in multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements.  Specializing in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death and auto negligence litigation, David has successfully argued and achieved several of the largest auto negligence verdicts and the largest non-surgical verdicts in the firm’s history.  His contributions as co-counsel to Nancy La Vista were instrumental in securing a $35.2 million verdict on behalf of the family of a brain-damaged infant and an $11.6 million verdict in a negligent credentialing surgery case.

Previously an assistant public defender and assistant state prosecutor, David has been litigating cases in Palm Beach County since 1990 and has taken a very active role in the legal and business communities, mentoring and developing the next generation of professional and civic leaders.  He has also assumed a strategic, guiding position within the Florida Bar, which oversees the legal profession statewide, serving as a Young Lawyer Board of Governor member and currently on the Board of Governors, as well as its Executive Committee.

Areas of practice

Certifications/Specialities

• Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, Florida Bar, Board of Legal Specialization and Education

Awards and Honors

• Best Lawyers in America – Personal Injury Litigation
• AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated ^SM by Martindale-Hubbell®
• Florida Trend magazine's Legal Elite - Civil Trial Law – Top 2 % of Lawyers
• Florida Super Lawyers – Top 5 percent of attorneys in Florida
• South Florida Legal Guide – Top Lawyers for Personal Injury
• ICABA – named one of South Florida’s 100 most accomplished black professionals in law and healthcare
• Wall Street Journal Top 100 Lawyers in Florida

Bar Admissions

• Florida Supreme Court
• United States Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
• U.S. District Court, North, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida

Education

• J.D., Rutgers University Law School, 1990
• B.A., honors, Hunter College of the City University of New York, 1987

Professional Memberships

• Florida Bar
  • Board of Governors (BOG)
  • Executive Committee (BOG)
• Florida Supreme Court Historical Society
  • Trustee
• Appointee to the Federal Judicial Nominating Committee (JNC) for the Southern District of Florida
• Federal Magistrate Selection Committee, Southern District of Florida
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
• Palm Beach County Bar Association, Board of Directors – Ex-Officio Member
• Palm Beach County Justice Association, Past President
• South Palm Beach County Bar Association

Community and Civic Service

• Appointee to the Federal Judicial Nominating Committee (JNC) for the Southern District of Florida
• WPBT2, member of the Board of Directors
  • Chairman of the Audit Committee
• Federal Magistrate Selection Committee, Southern District of Florida

Personal

David Prather lives in Jupiter, Fla., and has three children: Christopher, Taylor and Ashley.  He is also very active in the South Florida legal and charitable communities