Metz Law Firm, P.A.

Attorneys

History

LARRY E. METZ is a civil litigator with over 25 years of Florida experience. Over the course of his career he has handled many significant state and federal cases throughout Florida, representing diverse clients in disputes involving automobile liability, premises liability, professional liability, construction defects litigation, and business litigation.  Mr. Metz received his Juris Doctor with High Honors from Florida State University in 1983, graduating tenth in a class of 197. Upon graduation he was elected to The Order of the Coif, the nation's only legal honorary society, for graduating in the top ten percent of his class. He is admitted to The Florida Bar, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court, and is a member of the American (Tort and Insurance Practice Section) and Lake County Bar Associations.

Mr. Metz received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida in 1976, and upon graduation was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps through the Platoon Leaders Class program. After completing infantry officers' training school, Lieutenant Metz received specialized training as an assault amphibian officer. He served as a platoon commander, detachment commander, battalion staff officer, company executive officer, and base staff officer, including one year in Japan. After release from active duty in 1980, Lieutenant Metz remained in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. In 1981, Captain Metz was called to active duty to oversee readiness training of assault amphibian reserve units. He was honorably discharged in 1982. Presently, Mr. Metz is a member of the Marine Corps League, North Lake Detachment, Leesburg, Florida, where he serves as a member of the color guard.

Over the years, Mr. Metz has participated in various pro bono projects. In 1989, he received Broward Lawyers Care's outstanding member award for "leadership in providing free legal services to the low-income residents of Broward County." In 1990, Mr. Metz received a like award for "his outstanding contribution ensuring equal access to the legal system for the economically disadvantaged of Broward County." From 1991-1997, he was a member of the 17th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem Program, providing pro bono representation to children in contested domestic cases.

Since high school, Mr. Metz has been active in the political process, volunteering countless hours as a leader in political and citizen-initiative campaigns. In 1992, he was the Republican nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 19th district. Following that campaign, he continued to work for congressional reform through the Coalition to End the Permanent Congress ("CEPC"), and appeared as a CEPC speaker on C-SPAN. In August 2004, he placed a strong second in a five-way Republican primary election for an open seat in the Florida House of Representatives.

Presently, Mr. Metz is a member of the School Board of Lake County, having first been appointed to a vacancy by Governor Jeb Bush in October 2004 and winning election to a four year term in 2006. He served as Vice Chairman from 2005-06, Chairman from 2006-07, and was re-elected Chairman for 2007-08 Mr. Metz is a Florida School Boards Association Certified School Board Member and also serves as a member of the Florida School Boards Association Board of Directors (District 22) and as Chairman of the Florida School Boards Association Legislative Committee for 2008-09. He is also a member of the Lake County Zoning Board, the Four Corners Charter School, Inc. Board of Directors, the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization Governing Board, the Lake County Value Adjustment Board and the Lake County Republican Executive Committee. In 2008 Mr. Metz was honored to receive the annual Lake County Community Service Award for Leadership.

Mr. Metz has been married for over 28 years. He and his wife, Mariko, have two adult daughters who are U.S. Naval officers. They live in Yalaha, Florida.

Litigation Percentage

• 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Certification/Specialties

• Certified Circuit Court Mediator, Supreme Court of Florida, 2006

Bar Admissions

• Florida, 1983
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1983
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 1983
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, 1984
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1984
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1987

Education

• Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida, 1983
  J.D.
  Honors: With High Honors
  Honors: Order of the Coif
  
• University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 1976
  B.A.
  Major: Political Science
  
• San Diego State University, San Diego, California, 1978
  Graduate Courses - Public Administration
  

Classes/Seminars Taught

• Business Litigation in Florida - The Economic Loss Rule, Sterling Education Services, 2002

Honors and Awards

• Broward Lawyers Care Outstanding Member Award, 1989
• Broward Lawyers Care Outstanding Member Award, 1990
• Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem Program Five Year Service Award, 1996
• Marine Corps League Special Achievement Award, 2002
• Lake County Community Service Award for Leadership, 2008

Professional Associations and Memberships

• American Bar Association, 1983 - Present
  Member
  
• Lake County Bar Association, 2001 - Present
  Member
  
• Marine Corps League, 1992 - Present
  Member
  

Past Employment Positions

• The Unger Law Group, P.L., Senior Associate - Partner, 1999 - 2006
• Herzfeld & Rubin, Senior Associate - Partner, 1993 - 1999
• Larry E. Metz, P.A., Solo Practitioner, 1988 - 1993
• Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Attorney, 1986 - 1988
• Fleming, O' Bryan & Fleming, Associate, 1983 - 1986
• United States Marine Corps, Captain, 1976 - 1982

Pro Bono Activities

• 17th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem Program, 1991 - 1997
• Broward Lawyers Care Pro Bono Program, 1988 - 1994