Michael Hanzman Awarded Florida Justice Association’s Judicial Achievement Award
Miami, FL – Bilzin Sumberg is pleased to announce Michael A. Hanzman, former Florida Circuit Court Judge and Senior Counsel to the firm’s Litigation Group, has been awarded the 2023 Judicial Achievement Award by the Florida Justice Association (FJA). The award recognizes an outstanding jurist who has been dedicated to the preservation of individual rights and free access to the courts. The award was presented to Michael during the Florida Justice Association Justice Luncheon held on Thursday, June 8, 2023 in Orlando, Florida.
The 2023 Judicial Achievement Award specifically highlights Michael’s work in the Surfside condominium collapse case. Michael presided over the litigation stemming from the tragic 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South in the Town of Surfside. Over the span of 14 months, Hanzman approved the $120 million sale of the oceanfront property where the collapse occurred, guided the parties to a landmark $1.1 billion settlement, and determined compensation for victims who lost their property and their lives. Michael’s indelible impact on the South Florida community is further evidenced by his passionate advocacy of children’s rights, taking on issues while on the bench involving adoption, mental health services, and funding for caregivers of foster children. He is an active member of United Way of Miami-Dade’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society and a board member of Voices for Children Foundation.
Appointed to the bench by former Governor Rick Scott in 2011, Michael was subsequently reelected without opposition in 2012 and 2018. He served in the Circuit Court’s juvenile dependency, general civil, and criminal divisions before joining the complex business litigation (CBL) division in 2016, and sat as an associate judge on the 4th District Court of Appeal in 2013, 2014, and 2017.
In his role as Senior Counsel at Bilzin Sumberg, Michael focuses his practice on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), including private judging, arbitration, and mediation. Michael also employs his extensive experience and legal acumen to strategize and consult on trial and appellate matters. Additionally, he spends time training and mentoring attorneys.
About Bilzin Sumberg
Bilzin Sumberg counsels clients whose business and legal opportunities and challenges span the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. The firm’s growth has paralleled that of its Miami home base, a region known for its rich cultural, social, and professional diversity. Bilzin Sumberg stands at the center of virtually every major transaction shaping Florida and is at the forefront of the state’s most pressing economic issues – from infrastructure, transit and mobility, to affordability and the diversification of the state’s economy. Bilzin Sumberg lawyers concentrate on services at the heart of both regional and international commerce, including real estate, land development and government relations, environmental, construction, corporate and securities, finance, joint ventures, domestic and international tax and private wealth planning, antitrust, business litigation, and public-private partnerships. For more information, please visit bilzin.com.
