Brooke M. Gaffney
Practice Areas
- Insurance Defense Litigation
- Medical Malpractice Defense
- Nursing Home Defense
- Automobile Negligence Defense
- Personal Injury
- Bad Faith Litigation
- First Party Property Defense
Biography
Brooke Gaffney is Of Counsel working with our Insurance Defense practice group at Smith Bigman Brock. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Ms. Gaffney graduated from Barry University School of Law, Magna Cum Laude, earning her Juris Doctorate in 2014. During law school Ms. Gaffney was a Law Review Associate Editor; served on the Editorial Board as a Note and Comment Editor; and authored, Amendments to Federal Removal Statute: Curtailing Adjudication of Diversity Cases or Bad Faith Causes of Action?, published in the Spring 2014 Journal which was selected as Barry University's 2014 entry for the Scribes Law Review Award and Burton Award for Excellence in Student legal Writing. Ms. Gaffney earned highest grade awards for Torts, Legal Writing and Research I, Contracts, Legal Writing and Research II, Insurance Law, Florida Constitutional Law, Motions and Depositions, Florida Evidence, and Remedies. Prior to and while pursuing her undergraduate degrees, as well as throughout the majority of her time in law school, Ms. Gaffney worked in the legal field. In fact, one of her first positions was as billing clerk for Smith Bigman Brock in 1999. During the course of her employment with our Firm, Ms. Gaffney was promoted from billing clerk to legal secretary, paralegal and, during law school she continued her employment with the firm as a law clerk. There were periods in time when, due to relocation, Ms. Gaffney worked as a paralegal for law firms in both Texas and Colorado. Ms. Gaffney has in excess of a decade of experience working as a litigation paralegal in the practice areas Insurance Defense, Medical Malpractice Defense, Nursing Home Defense, and Personal Injury. Her years of practical, hands-on experience, combined with her excellent academic achievements and long sustained professional relationship with our Firm exude the very commitment to excellence that we strive for every day, with every client and in every matter at Smith Bigman Brock.
Education
- Barry University School of Law, Orlando, Florida
- Juris Doctor - 2014
- Honors: magna cum laude
- Daytona State College, Daytona Beach, Florida
- Associates of Arts - 2005
- Honors: With High Honors
- University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
- B.A., Bachelor of Arts - 2010
- Major: Political Science
- Daytona State College, Daytona Beach, Florida
- Associate of Science - 2002
- Honors: With High Honors
- Major: Legal Studies
Published Works
- Amendments to Federal Removal Statute: Curtailing Adjudication of Diversity Cases or Bad Faith Causes of Action?, Barry Law Review Journal, Spring, 2014
Professional Associations
- Volusia County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, Board of Directors, 2015 to 2016
- Florida Defense Lawyers Association, Member, 2014 to Present
- Volusia/Flagler Association for Women Lawyers, Member, 2014 to 2018
- Volusia County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, Member, 2014 to Present
- Volusia County Bar Association, Member, 2014 to Present
Current Employment Position
- Of Counsel
Bar Admissions
- Florida, 2014
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 2015
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 2015
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, 2021
Honors
- Trial Team, 2011 - 2012
- Moot Court, 2012 - 2014
- Moot Court First Year Oral Arguments - Elite Eight, 2012
- ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition, 2013
- ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition - Sweet Sixteen, 2014
- Book Award - Torts - Fall 2011
- Book Award - Legal Writing & Research I - Fall 2011
- Book Award - Contracts - Fall 2011
- Book Award - Legal Writing & Research II - Spring 2012
- Book Award - Insurance Law - Spring 2013
- Book Award - Florida Constitutional Law - Spring 2013
- Book Award - Motions & Depositions - Fall 2013
- Book Award - Florida Evidence - Spring 2014
- Book Award - Remedies - Spring 2014