About Us
Freedland Harwin Valori Gander is a personal injury, medical malpractice, and consumer justice law firm involved in some of the nation’s most significant litigation. We are committed to seeking justice for our clients through the court system and fighting for just compensation. Whether a negligent doctor has injured you, you were hurt in an automobile accident, or by an unsafe product or pharmaceutical product, we are here to ensure your voice is heard, and your rights are considered in a court of law.
Our firm has the experience, resources and fortitude to take on big corporations on your behalf.
We have been involved in significant litigation that has resulted in millions of dollars in compensation for clients who have been wronged. Justice for those impacted by medical malpractice and catastrophic injuries is our biggest passion. For example, our attorneys were involved in two major whistleblower cases against Big Pharma. They included a $1.4 billion record-setting settlement against Eli Lilly and a $520 million settlement against AstraZeneca.
We have also become well known for handling lawsuits involving death and injury from botched plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures. In fact, our work in this area has drawn the attention of local and national news outlets, including CNN, ABC’s Good Morning America, and the Katie Couric show. We were one of the first law firms in South Florida involved in the national litigation involving Phen-Fen, and we have also brought significant claims against large HMOs and hospitals.
Our Attorneys
Each of our attorneys has the experience and knowledge to handle your unique situation. They are passionate about what they do and will work tirelessly on your behalf. As a client, you will have direct access to a partner in the firm while, at the same time, having access to the collective experiences of the entire legal team. Our attorneys are licensed to practice in both state and federal court. They have been honored by their peers for inclusion in such publications as Florida SuperLawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and the South Florida Legal Guide.
Our Approach
When you contact our knowledgeable personal injury lawyers, we will schedule a free, confidential consultation to gather information about your claim and determine whether your case has enough evidence to proceed. We will evaluate such factors as the following:
- When and where did the incident happen?
- Did you suffer a compensable injury?
- When did you discover the injury?
- Did someone else cause or contribute to your injury?
- Did the responsible parties breach a duty of care?
- Would the injury have occurred were it not for the breach of duty?
- Is the breach of duty the proximate cause of your injury?
- What types of losses have you experienced because of the incident?
- Do the at-fault parties have assets or insurance from which to pay damages?
We will use this information to determine whether we have sufficient grounds to proceed with your case. Once we accept it, our passionate, aggressive attorneys will ethically employ all resources to ensure you receive the maximum recovery.
What You Can Expect When Our Skilled Lawyers Handle Your Case
We will initiate an investigation of the incident and your injuries. This process could include a forensic accident investigation, eyewitness interviews, interviews with hospital personnel, a visit to the accident site, a search for video surveillance, and a detailed review of your medical records. We have a large network of medical professionals, forensic analysts, specialists, and expert witnesses we consult to help us gather evidence and determine the long-term financial and emotional costs of your injuries.
We will deal with insurance companies, handle paperwork, and navigate all of the legal aspects of your claim so that you can focus on recovering from your injuries. As soon as we have all of the information we need to calculate your case value, we will work to negotiate the settlement you deserve. If the responsible parties refuse to compensate you fairly, we will be ready to take them to court and fight for a maximum result.
When you are our client, you will never feel like a number. We care about every client and treat them like family. Therefore, you can count on receiving personal attention and a team dedicated to ensuring accessible communication throughout your case.
OVER 95% SUCCESS RATE
SUPERIOR RESULTS
EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
Testimonials
Committed, passionate, fierce, focused, caring, yet compassionate describe Michael Freedland and the Team – their efforts on behalf of their Clients and community should not be doubted and needs to be applauded!
Daniel
Not only are the attorneys and all of the team members professional and ethical, they are deeply committee to their clients and to achieving the best possible outcomes for them. The team will empathetically take time to listen, and will then strategize on how to position the case to be successful 0 they are with you every step of the way.
Deborah Richman
I am very confident in the expertise of this law group. They walked me through a very long process. I enjoyed the knowledge and courteous respect they consistently conducted themselves toward me.
Deborah Richman
I am very confident in the expertise of this law group. They walked me through a very long process. I enjoyed the knowledge and courteous respect they consistently conducted themselves toward me.
Deborah Richman
Awards and Recognition
We take on major insurance companies, large corporations like pharmaceutical and drug companies, multiple defendants, and other parties to pursue just and fair compensation. We have proven time and again that our approach works. We have won more than $2.6 billion for our clients, and our peers in the legal community regularly recognize us for our accomplishments.
All four of our partners have won the Best Lawyers designation:
- Michael Freedland – since 2015
- Daniel Harwin – since 2016
- Raymond Valori – since 2022
- Deborah Gander – since 2024
Best Lawyers uses a peer review process to recognize the best attorney. Thus, the Best Lawyers designation is an important marker of quality service because it indicates that other reputable attorneys endorse us.
Recognized attorneys answer the following question about each nominee: “If you were unable to take a case yourself, how likely would you be to refer it to this nominee?” The voter can rate each nominee from one to five and leave a comment if desired.
Best Lawyers also includes a category for attorneys whose careers are still new. Attorneys with the Ones to Watch designation are attorneys with notable accomplishments over a short time.
Having at least one ranked attorney also makes a law firm eligible for the Best Law Firms ranking. Best Lawyers uses a rigorous process involving feedback from clients and lawyers. As of 2024, our firm has won Tier 1 Best Law Firm Metro Rankings for mass tort/class actions and personal injury litigation and a Tier 3 ranking for product liability litigation.
Expertise.com conducts a comprehensive evaluation process to recognize top law firms across various practice areas. The selection process includes detailed research, client reviews, and a thorough analysis of the firm’s reputation and credibility. Expertise.com evaluates over 25 variables across five categories, including reputation, credibility, experience, availability, and professionalism. This rigorous methodology ensures that the firms recognized have demonstrated a consistent track record of excellence and client satisfaction.
At Freedland Harwin Valori Gander, we are proud to have been recognized by Expertise.com as one of the “Best Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in Fort Lauderdale,” “Best Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Davie,” and “Best Brain Injury Lawyers in Fort Lauderdale.” These awards signify our commitment to providing top-tier legal representation and the trust our clients and peers place in us.
Three of our partners have earned the coveted Super Lawyers designation, which is only awarded to the top five percent of attorneys in the state:
- Michael Freedland – six years
- Daniel Harwin – five years
- Raymond Valori – seven years
Attorneys who are under the age of 40 or less than 10 years into their careers may be designated as Rising Stars by the Super Lawyers program. Partner Daniel Harwin received this honor every year from 2010 to 2016. It is only awarded to the top 2.5 percent of eligible attorneys in each state.
The selection process for Super Lawyers is a more rigorous process that includes peer evaluation and independent research.
Lawyers may be nominated by their peers, through a managing partner survey, through third-party feedback, or by the Super Lawyers research team. During the independent research, the research team evaluates 12 indicators of professional achievement, including verdicts and settlements, other honors and awards, pro bono and community service, scholarly lectures and writing, and other outstanding achievements. The top candidates serve on the Blue Ribbon panel to evaluate other candidates.
During the final selection process, the candidates are compared to others in similar-sized firms, and the highest-scoring candidates are selected.
The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 is an invitation-only professional organization comprised of the top trial lawyers in every state. The organization only extends invitations to a select few attorneys in each state who demonstrate such qualities as the following:
- Leadership
- An excellent reputation
- Influence
- Stature
- A well-known public profile
Partner Daniel Harwin is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100.
Martindale-Hubbell provides verified attorney ratings based on an attorney’s legal ability and ethical standards based on reviews by other attorneys and clients. The highest rating an attorney can receive is the AV Preeminent rating. Partner Deborah J. Gander has received this rating.
Courtroom View Network is a media organization providing live coverage of high-stakes civil trials nationwide. It awards Who We’re Watching designations to the attorneys they consider the “best of the best” based on their most noteworthy verdicts. Partner Daniel Harwin has achieved this recognition as a result of his numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts in high-stakes cases, including the following:
verdict in a medical malpractice case involving a woman’s death during childbirth
verdict on behalf of a 54-year-old husband and father who died of a narcotic overdose in the hospital due to his doctor’s failure to monitor and ask the right questions
Florida Trend is a business publication that provides in-depth news and insights throughout the state. Every year, the publication recognizes the state’s most accomplished lawyers. The publication recognized partner Daniel Harwin as a Florida Legal Elite in 2020 and 2021 in the category of civil trials.
Top Verdicts recognizes the highest verdicts in each state. Partner Deborah Gander’s $20.3 million verdict for an injured cruise ship crew member won the Top 10 Jury Verdicts designation in 2018.
In 2019, partner Daniel Harwin and attorney Melissa Gunion won a $24.5 million verdict in a medical malpractice claim that achieved a Top 20 Jury Verdicts designation. That verdict was also among the top 20 medical malpractice verdicts in the United States and the top 10 wrongful death verdicts in the state.
In 2023, his $20.2 million medical malpractice verdict made the Top 10 list.
Achievement Award
Selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys is an honor bestowed on the most esteemed attorneys in the nation. As the name implies, an attorney can only receive this award once in a lifetime, and only about one-half of one percent of attorneys ever receive it. The selection process involves a rigorous, multi-phase screening process that evaluates an attorney’s lifetime of hard work rather than a single accomplishment or year of success. Award recipients are chosen based on criteria such as the following:
- Their hard work
- Community impact
- Ethical standards
- Professional experience
- Lifetime achievements
- Case results
- Peer reputation
Our law firm is proud that partner Deborah Gander has received this honor.
Lawdragon is a media company that provides legal guides and lists of the most effective lawyers in the nation. It recognizes lawyers through a proprietary selection process the company has developed after 30 years of researching and reporting on the legal profession. The company takes a journalistic approach to studying lawyers, their practices, and their impact. It selects lawyers based on the following criteria:
- How they handled recent cases
- How often people in the community turn to them for expertise
- Their history of cutting-edge litigation
- Their record of winning
- Their refusal to rest until they have exhausted all avenues to justice
- Esteem by their peers
- Leadership qualities
- Personal conduct
- Bar organization memberships
Most Lawdragon 500 lawyers have at least 10 years of experience and are partners in their law firms. The organization prefers personable attorneys.
Partner Deborah Gander has been named among the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers every year since 2020.
Daniel Harwin was awarded the Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year by the Daily Business Review in 2019. This recognition is only given to attorneys with notable accomplishments in the law or legal community and attorneys who advance the cause of justice.
Professional Associations
Our attorneys are leaders in the legal community at the local, state, and national levels. All our lawyers are members of the Florida Bar Association and numerous other respected legal organizations. Membership in these organizations requires attorneys to be members in good standing and of sound moral character.
Michael Freedland’s Memberships and Associations
Attorney Michael Freedland is a member of the Broward County Justice Association, the Florida Justice Association, and the Florida Bar Grievance Committee, where he investigates complaints against attorneys and holds unscrupulous attorneys accountable for wrongdoing. Mr. Freedland was a Court-appointed Plaintiff’s liaison counsel in one of the largest multi-plaintiff consolidated medical malpractice litigations in the country.
Freedland has served on the Florida Democratic Party’s executive committee. He and partner Daniel Harwin are also members of the Rotary Club of Weston.
Raymond Valori’s Membership and Associations
Raymond Valori is a member of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers and the American Association for Justice. The AAJ is a nonprofit advocacy group with a mission to “promote a fair and effective justice system.” The organization opposes tort reform efforts that hurt injured accident victims and benefit large corporations and insurance companies.
Deborah Gander’s Memberships and Associations
Deborah Gander holds the following memberships:
- Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers since 2023
- American Board of Trial Advocates since 2005
- Florida Justice Association
- Martindale-Hubbel Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers
- Florida Association of Women Lawyers
Fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers is offered on an invitation-only basis to preeminent trial lawyers throughout the United States and Canada. ACTL invites no more than one percent of the lawyers in any state. A thorough investigation must determine that the attorney has adhered to the highest standards of conduct. Only attorneys regarded among the best in their fields receive invitations. A minimum of 15 years of trial experience is required.
Daniel Harwin’s Memberships and Associations
Daniel Harwin’s other memberships include the following:
- Broward County Justice Association
- Fort Lauderdale ABOTA, where he serves as Chapter President
- The Florida Justice Association’s medical malpractice committee
- The American Association of Justice Birth Trauma Litigation Group
ABOTA is the American Board of Trial Advocates. It is a national invitation-only association of more than 7,600 lawyers and judges. To qualify for membership, an attorney must have at least five years of active trial experience, 10 completed civil jury trials, and additional experience. All members must exhibit such virtues as integrity and professionalism and adhere to the board’s Code of Professionalism and Principles of Civility. In 2020, Daniel Harwin was awarded the Broward County ABOTA Chapter Attorney of the Year.
In the Community
Freedland Harwin Valori Gander is dedicated to giving back to our community. Our firm is known for its philanthropy, supporting many nonprofit organizations and charitable causes annually. The firm also takes a very active role by donating money and volunteering for community organizations.
Founding partner Michael Freedland is a past president of the Rotary Club of Weston. Michael has worked and chaired the annual Rotary Run and Golf Tournaments, as well as numerous community events and projects. Community support is a vital part of our law firm.
We would like to acknowledge some of the special organizations we have worked with over the years whose caring has enriched the lives of so many. Their websites include valuable information and services available to the locals around Florida.
Please visit their sites and learn more about these fine organizations:
- Association For Retarded Citizens
- American Heart Association
- American Lung Association
- Baudhuin School for Autism
- Association of Florida
- Bewise10
- Boy Scouts of America
- Boys & Girls Club of Broward County
- Brain Injury
- Broward County Historical Commission
- City of Weston
- Comprehensive AIDS Program
- Conine’s Clubhouse
- Pinecrest School
- Rotary Club of Weston
- Rotary International
- Sagemont School
- Silver Knights
- The Miami Project
- University of Miami
- Weston Philharmonic Society
- Western High School
- Weston Wine & Food Festival
- YMCA of Broward County
Contact Us Today If You Have Been Injured Because of Someone Else’s Carelessness
We have the experience, resources, and fortitude to take on big corporations on your behalf. When you choose our law firm, you will have direct access to a partner in our firm and the benefit of the collective experiences of our entire legal team. We share a core desire to help others and are ready to fight for you. We charge no upfront fees, and you only pay after we win.
Call us today at (954) 467-6400 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with an experienced attorney.
