Jason Gonzalez (born September 30, 1973) is an attorney in Tallahassee, Florida. He is credited with reshaping the Florida Supreme Court while serving as General Counsel to the Governor of Florida. He was the chief advisor to the Governor on the appointment of four Florida Supreme Court Justices. He is a founding shareholder with Lawson Huck Gonzalez, PLLC and handles civil and administrative litigation, appeals, and government affairs.
Early life and family Jason Gonzalez was born in Tallahassee, Florida, the son of Larry Gonzalez (former Secretary of the Florida Department of Professional Regulations and Director of the Florida Commission on Ethics) and Jean Gonzalez. A seventh generation Floridian, Gonzalez is the great-great-grandson of Captain Manuel A. Gonzalez, who founded the City of Ft. Myers, Florida in 1866,History of Ft. Myers, Florida the great-grandson of Florida Pioneer and Explorer Alfonso Fernando Gonzalez and the great-great-great-great-grandson of Evander Lee, who founded the City of Leesburg, Florida in 1857. Gonzalez attended the University of Florida, where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a Juris Doctor degree. He became an attorney and Florida Bar member in 1998. While in law school, he married his high school sweetheart Sara Hicks Gonzalez. Jason and Sara are the parents of three boys.
Legal career Gonzalez practices in the areas of trial, appellate and administrative litigation and represents clients before the Florida Legislature and all State Executive branch agencies as a partner with Shutts & Bowen LLP. He has served two terms as General Counsel to the Republican Party of Florida, and a term as General Counsel to the Governor of Florida.
General Counsel to the Republican Party of Florida Gonzalez has served two terms as General Counsel to the Republican Party of Florida, and has attended four Republican National Conventions with the Florida delegation (1988, 2008, 2012 and 2016).
The Deepwater Horizon Litigation In 2010, immediately following the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon, the vessel's owner, Transocean Ltd., selected Gonzalez to serve as its lead counsel for litigation and state regulatory matters in the Florida Panhandle. Over a two-year period, Mr. Gonzalez successfully obtained orders dismissing or removing every one of the more than 70 individual and class action lawsuits filed against Transocean in Florida.
Public service
Judicial Nominating Commissions In 2007 the Florida Governor appointed Gonzalez to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Florida Supreme Court. Gonzalez previously served terms as Chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the First District Court of Appeal of Florida and Chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Second Judicial Circuit of Florida.
General Counsel to the Governor Jason Gonzalez was appointed General Counsel to the Governor of Florida in 2008. As General Counsel he was the chief advisor to the Governor on all legal matters and served as the Governor's Chief Ethics Officer and chief advisor on judicial appointments. In 2008-2009 Gonzalez was the chief advisor to the Governor on the appointments of four Florida Supreme Court Justices. The four appointments marked the first time in Florida history in which a Governor appointed a majority of the Court in less than a year.
Judges and Justices Appointed During Gonzalez's Term as Governor's Counsel Name Court Date of Appointment Justice Charles Canady Florida Supreme Court August 28, 2008 Justice Ricky Polston Florida Supreme Court October 1, 2008 Justice Jorge Labarga Florida Supreme Court January 2, 2009 Justice James E.C. Perry Florida Supreme Court March 11, 2009 . Judge Nelly Khouzam Second District Court of Appeal June 3, 2008 Judge Cory Ciklin Fourth District Court of Appeal December 10, 2008 Judge Marva Crenshaw Second District Court of Appeal January 7, 2009 Judge Nikki Ann Clark First District Court of Appeal January 13, 2008 Judge Jonathan Gerber Fourth District Court of Appeal April 6, 2009 Judge Spencer Levine Fourth District Court of Appeal April 6, 2009 Judge Robert Morris Second District Court of Appeal June 5, 2009 . Judge Keith Spoto Tenth Circuit April 3, 2008 Judge Lisa Porter Seventeenth Circuit April 8, 2008 Judge John Dommerich Twentieth CircuitApril 16, 2008 Judge Jim Shenko Twentieth Circuit April 16, 2008 Judge Brantley Clark, Jr. Fourteenth Circuit April 22, 2008 Judge Robert Egan Ninth CircuitMay 5, 2008 Judge Tom Barber Thirteenth CircuitMay 6, 2008 Judge Angela Cowden Tenth Circuit May 15, 2008 Judge Michael Raiden Tenth Circuit May 15, 2008 Judge William Haury Seventeenth Circuit May 29, 2008 Judge Jack Cox Fifteenth Circuit July 22, 2008 Judge Alane Laboda Twentieth Circuit July 20, 2008 Judge Ramiro Manalich Twentieth Circuit July 20, 2008 Judge Donald Hafele Fifteenth Circuit October 22, 2008 Judge Jack Helinger Sixth Circuit December 5, 2008 Judge Kenneth Gillespie Seventeen Circuit January 7, 2009 Judge Barbara McCarthy Seventeenth Circuit January 28, 2009 Judge Carlos Rodriguez Seventeenth Circuit January 28, 2009 Judge Dawn Caloca-Johnson Second Circuit March 26, 2009 Judge John Brown First Circuit April 6, 2009 Judge Elizabeth Rice Thirteenth Circuit May 12, 2009 Judge Michael Rudisill Eighteenth Circuit June 5, 2009 . Judge Rodney Smith Miami-Dade County Court May 16, 2008 Judge Flora Seff Miami-Dade County Court June 19, 2008 Judge Jay Hurley Broward County Court July 28, 2008 Judge Reinaldo Ojeda Polk County Court August 12, 2008 Judge Archie Hayward, Jr. Lee County Court August 12, 2008 Judge Susan Barbara Flood Polk County Court August 12, 2008 Judge Jon Abdoney Polk County Court August 12, 2008 Judge Paul Jeske Hillsborough County Court August 26, 2008 Judge Michael Provost Collier County Court December 11, 2008 Judge Edward H. Merrigan, Jr. Broward County Court April 6, 2009 Judge Darren Steele Martin County Court May 28, 2009 . Judge Doris Jenkins Court of Compensation Claims (Tampa) March 26, 2008 Judge Tim Basquill Court of Compensation Claims (West Palm Beach) March 26, 2008 Judge Paul Terlizzese Court of Compensation Claims (Melbourne) March 26, 2008 Judge Thomas Portuallo Court of Compensation Claims (Daytona Beach) November 26, 2008 Judge Shelley Punancy Court of Compensation Claims (West Palm Beach) November 26, 2008 Judge Sylvia Medina-Shore Court of Compensation Claims (Miami) November 26, 2008 Judge Gerardo Castiello Court of Compensation Claims (Miami) November 26, 2008 Judge James Condry Court of Compensation Claims (Orlando) November 26, 2008 Judge Charles Hill Court of Compensation Claims (Miami) November 26, 2008 Judge Mark Hofstad Court of Compensation Claims (Lakeland) November 26, 2008 Judge Ellen Lorenzen Court of Compensation Claims (Tampa) November 26, 2008 Judge Robert McAiley Court of Compensation Claims (Ft. Pierce) November 26, 2008 Judge Joseph Farrell Court of Compensation Claims (Orlando) November 26, 2008 Judge Stephen Rosen Court of Compensation Claims (Jacksonville) November 26, 2008 Judge Mary D'Ambrosio Court of Compensation Claims (West Palm Beach) February 11, 2009 Judge Alan Kuker Court of Compensation Claims (Miami) February 11, 2009 Judge Daniel Lewis Court of Compensation Claims (Ft. Lauderdale) February 11, 2009 Judge Marjorie Renee Hill Court of Compensation Claims (Gainesville) March 25, 2009
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