Riley has achieved, based on "word of mouth" referrals, over one hundred (100) verdicts and settlements in excess of seven figures, as well as numerous results in excess of eight figures, and hundreds of millions of dollars in results in numerous areas of the law. He achieved a $13,000,000.00, result in a bad faith insurance case, one of the largest bad faith results ever achieved in Florida and actually paid. He co-counseled a precedent setting whistleblower case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court involving illegal kickbacks by a spinal device manufacturer, and achieved a jury verdict of $1,800,000.00, against a well known national hotel chain for negligent security where the pre-trial offer was effectively zero and big firm opposing counsel claimed a "99%" boastful chance of winning. They also paid $3,000,000.00, in attorneys' fees because they rejected the reasonable offers to settle the case prior to trial.  So much for the "boasting" of the lawyers and employing a "win at all costs" approach. Sometimes the best way to teach lawyers who disrespect the rules is in the presence of the jury where, not only are they embarrassed, but they end up being fired by what may have been a long-standing and much desired client because their conduct and true abilities were exposed. Riley has mastered the handling of the most complex "high stakes" cases imaginable that most lawyers shy away from and has always done so, first and foremost, while adhering to only the highest ethical standards.

Career

And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag…and his sling was in his hand and he drew near to the Philistine."  (1 Samuel 17:40). David did not wait on Goliath.

Riley painted houses, mowed lawns, worked in the Post Office sorting mail and on the loading dock, and worked as a carpenter, custodian, and law clerk (for two years while in law school), but wouldn't change a thing. It shaped him to understand what a true work ethic is and to just as importantly be able to relate to anyone from any background.

Riley Allen Law (February 20, 1985 – present)   
 
RILEY ALLEN LAW is a 39-year “word of mouth” boutique law firm specializing in "high stakes" civil litigation, including "bet the business" and commercial litigation, bad faith insurance, dangerous products, catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, professional negligence, construction litigation, intellectual property litigation, consumer fraud, securities fraud, healthcare compliance and fraud, and whistleblower litigation. Riley’s precise focus in the healthcare arena is on legal compliance and the creation of the most rigorous and lawfully compliant business models in the country, an emphasis developed through his concentration on The False Claims Act (the “Lincoln Law”), (FCA, 31 USC §§3729-3733); Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS, 42 USC §1320a-7b(b)); Stark Law (42 USC §1395nn); Medicare and Medicaid fraud; and related unlawful, fraudulent, and deceptive business practices in the pharmaceutical, medical, and medical device fields. He handled his first Medicare fraud case in 1985 and facilitated sending a blatantly fraudulent physician to federal prison and his first False Claims Act case in 1986 when Congress amended the statute to strengthen it.

Riley has litigated and tried "high stakes" and complex cases throughout Florida and the United States from east coast to west coast with a well-recognized track record of significant results. He has lectured throughout the State of Florida, including as a continuing legal education speaker, on topics involving: medicine; healthcare regulation and compliance; business and consumer fraud, including FDUTPA; claims handling and bad faith insurance; complex commercial litigation, jury selection and connection; and settlement, litigation, and trial techniques and the interconnected law. He has served as a trial competition judge on behalf of the American Association for Justice, (formerly ATLA), the Florida Justice Association, (formerly AFTL), and The Florida Bar. He is a Supreme Court Certified Mediator. Riley is admitted to practice throughout the State of Florida and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits, as well as before the United States Supreme Court. He is also admitted to practice in the State of Nevada throughout its state and federal courts. He is an honors graduate of Florida State University where he received his law degree. 

Riley has argued appellate cases, orally or in writing, in four of the five district courts of appeal in Florida; argued or assisted in arguing orally or in writing before the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Eleventh Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the United States Supreme Court (Blackstone Medical Inc. v. United States ex rel. Hutcheson, U.S., No. 11-269, December 5, 2011).

Professional Recognition

Riley has been named to or recognized by diverse peer reviewed publications and organizations, as well as local and national publications, that rate or recognize the quality and ability of lawyers including:

           *  Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (less than one percent are invited);

          *  Recognized as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America by Lawdragon Magazine for thirteen (13) consecutive years, 2007-2019, and                 named a Lawdragon Legend, (92 lawyers in the United States were named a Legend as of 2016);

        * Named to Best Lawyers in America and identified in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms, TIER1, (Commercial                  Litigation & Plaintiff’s Personal Injury), for five (5) consecutive years (TIER 1 represents recipient of largest number of votes);

           *  Selected as one of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®, less than one-half percent (0.5%) of active attorneys in the United States
           receive this honor — the most exclusive and elite level of litigators and also named to America's Top 100 Attorneys ® (100 attorneys                in each state are selected);
           
          *  Selected to the National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 - invitation only peer reviewed professional organization with membership extended to                 only the premier trial lawyers of each state;

           *  Fellow of Litigation Counsel of America (LCA) (invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society limited to 3,500 Fellows, representing less                       than one-half of one percent of American lawyers);

           *  Top Attorneys in Florida (Wall Street Journal, Time, Southern Living, The Economist, and Town & Country Magazine); Newsweek's                      "25 Leaders in Personal Injury, Entertainment, & Family Law," Newsweek's "Top Attorneys in Florida," and Newsweek's "Premier Law                 Firms";

           *  Orlando's Top Lawyers (Orlando Home &  Leisure, Orlando Magazine, Orlando Life, & Orlando Style);
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           *  Named one of Orlando's 17 Best Litigation Attorneys by Expertise (2018 & 2019);            

           *  Florida’s Top Attorneys (The Miami Herald, Miami Magazine, Tampa  Tribune, and Tampa Bay Magazine);

         *  Selected as a 2019 Top Rated Lawyer in Insurance Law by Martindale-Hubbell and ALM Media and as will appear in Corporate Counsel,                The American Lawyer, and National Law Journal magazines;
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           *  Florida's Legal Elite; Outstanding Lawyers in America;  Best Attorneys in America (Rue Publishing);

           * Top Rated "Superb," 10 out of 10, by AVVO;

           *  Nevada's Legal Elite (Nevada Business Magazine) & Nevada's Top Attorneys; 

           *  Who's Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, and Who’s Who in the World;

           *  Awarded the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who's Who (less than 1/2 of 1%);

        *  "Trial Lawyer of the Year" in Florida (Global Law Experts &  Corporate LiveWire, 2014 -2015, 2018-2022, and Lawyer Monthly, 2015,          2017, 2019-2021); Lawyer Monthly "Hall of Fame" Inductee (2018); "Excellence in Civil Litigation" (Global Law Awards 2018-2022);            "Complex Litigation Lawyer of the Year" (ACQ Global 2019, 2021-2023); "Consumer Litigation Lawyer of the Year" (Corporate Live Wire           2019 -2021 and Corporate International 2020-2021); "Aviation Lawyer of the Year" (Women in Law  2019); Consumer Litigation Law                Firm of the Year 2020, 2022-2024 (Global Law Experts); Trial Lawyer of the Year 2020, 2022 (Leaders in Law); invited to be recognized in          numerous additional publications and, though appreciative, I don't put much stock in anything where you have to pay a fee to be                recognized and, in fact, refuse to do so (Best of the Best Attorneys, Lawyers of Distinction, Top 10 High Stakes Law Firm, 2024 Top 50                 Lawyers in America, America's Best Lawyers, MyLegalWin's 2024 Top Attorneys, Top Lawyers USA, National Trial Lawyers - Top 100,  
                American Association of Attorneys Advocates™ Top 10 Attorney for Florida, Most Influential Leaders in Law 2023, etc.);             

          *  Florida Super Lawyers in Business Litigation (since 2006) (less than 5% are named);
           
       * Named Gamechanger of the Year (Riley Allen) by GameChangers Magazine and ACQ5, and Riley Allen Law named Complex Litigation                Law Firm of the Year  (2019, 2022, 2024);

          *  Recognized as a Litigation Legend by the Federal Bar Association (along with the very respected Herb Allen of Allen, Dyer, et. al, and                       David King of King, Blackwell, et. al, two of the finest lawyers the State of Florida has ever known), September 15, 2015);

     * Long-standing member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum (since 1993), having achieved hundreds of millions of dollars in            results through "word of mouth" and without advertising, while continuing to litigate complex cases in numerous areas of the law            throughout the United States [whistleblowers; healthcare, consumer and insurance fraud; business and commercial litigation; real             estate fraud; construction; racial, sexual, and disability discrimination, including the ADA; political shenanigans; breach of fiduciary                 duties; ethical issues; legal malpractice; condominium management and litigation; intellectual property litigation; and any challenging                  area of the law presented]; and,

        *  AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell & listed in Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, as well as its Judicial Edition, the highest rating                               available for legal ability and ethical standards.

Career – Speaker & Writer

Riley has been a speaker and writer dating back to his undergraduate studies in the legal arena: Do Students Know Their Rights?; Insurance Litigation in Florida; The Bad Faith Insurance Manual; How to Litigate, Try, and Win the Complex Case; It Takes a Carpenter to Build a Barn, But Any Jackass Can Knock it Down; The Impact of Hutcheson v. Blackstone – It’s a New Day; Is the Independent Contractor Extinct in Healthcare? Or Have You Been Listening to Lawyers and Others Who Just Don’t Know?; Legal Compliance in the Present Day;  Kevin Knows! He Wrote the Law! (OIG Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, Federal Register, Vol. 68, No. 86 (May 5, 2003)); Cut No Corners! What You Need to Know (to be legally compliant); and, Is the Proposal for Settlement Dead in the 5th DCA? His professional writings have not been limited to the legal field, as he co-authored a publication in the field of neurology sponsored by the Journal of Neurology, with his good friend, John Rothrock, M.D., one of the most respected neurologists in the country and Professor of Neurology at George Washington University.

After independently financing his undergraduate and law school educations through academic scholarships and working, graduating with honors, Riley began his career as an insurance defense trial lawyer with the very respected firm of Pitts, Eubanks & Ross, P.A., (formerly Pitts, Eubanks, Ross & Rumberger, P.A.), where he gained immeasurable  experience working directly with one of the finest trial lawyers in the country, Alton G. Pitts.  While in law school, Riley was also privileged and blessed to work directly with two of the most well-known and respected lawyers in Florida and nationally, Richard McFarlain, who was "the lawyer" for The Florida Bar, and Marshall Cassedy, the founding Executive Director of The Florida Bar, both of whom treated him like a son. Each of these gentlemen contributed significantly to shaping Riley's outlook on this very honorable profession. In 1985, after only three years, the firm was founded based on Riley's immeasurable passion, endless drive, and fearless approach to taking on the most difficult tasks.

Giving back

Guardian Ad Litem ( my most important personal message to all)

Realizing how fortunate we are, I have tried not to relinquish my responsibility to give back. In an effort to encourage others to give of their time to children in desperate need, and only for that reason, I would recite that I have been blessed to serve as a pro bono Guardian Ad Litem for approximately 75 children over my adult career and to be named by the Orange County Bar Association in  1997 as the first recipient of the Honorable Thomas S. Kirk, Guardian Ad Litem of the Year Award, presented by his gracious widow, Diane. The Juvenile Justice Center is named after Judge Kirk, a phenomenal human being and a judge who really cared, and before whom I appeared more than 100 times. He passed away in 1996 from cancer, but left a tremendous legacy.  Prior to 1997, I received numerous Awards of Merit from the Orange County Bar Association and in 1993 was given the Award of Excellence. But the awards pale in comparison to what I received back from the kids I have been blessed to serve. I was also a volunteer juvenile counselor at the Durocher House (named after another great individual, Judge Joseph Durocher). Our oldest son, Dalton, who graduated from law school with honors and is now a practicing trial lawyer in Pensacola, became a Guardian Ad Litem prior to starting law school, which he too found to be very rewarding and life altering. I encourage all to get involved. It will be life altering for you as well. So much of what these kids deal with arises from their environment and lack of opportunity. When given what we take for granted, they flourish.

Riley continues to give back with his pro bono efforts on behalf of those suffering devastating damages from Hurricanes Matthew, Ian, Nicole, Helene, and Milton, including representation to keep older citizens from being ripped off by "storm chasers," while exposing fraudsters and holding them accountable; navigating the complexities of dealing with the DEP and FWC pertaining to coastal armoring, installation of rock revetments, and beach nourishment for families whose homes were significantly damaged or destroyed by hurricanes, as well as for those who face the same risks in the future (including designing coastal armoring and necessary engineering, and actually operating construction equipment to assist in the installation); assisting numerous residents and associations with navigating the Milestone requirements necessitated as a result of the Surfside Condominium collapse; working with his close friend and well-recognized coastal engineer in being proactive to protect properties in the future from hurricanes; assisting hundreds of local residents to protect their properties from out-of-town and out-of-state investors with high-priced lawyers intent on destroying their right of quiet enjoyment in their neighborhoods, including representation at the trial court level, in the political arena, and, as necessary, at the appellate level, without charge; navigating the local political gibberish necessary to achieve the proper results primarily on behalf of an older population and exposing back-door deals and cronyism; and, specifically taking on those companies who engage in unfair and deceptive practices targeting seniors in a predatory and fraudulent manner. Since 2018, he has invested more than 2500 hours only in an effort to help and without publicizing any of it.  

Riley has been active for many years in charitable and humanitarian organizations, including the Orlando Brain Injury Support Group, the Florida Head Injury Foundation, the National Head Injury Foundation, the Salvation Army Bed and Bread Club, the National Stroke Association, The Good Samaritan Fund, and the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation. He currently serves or has served on the Boards of several uniquely innovative, technology driven medical companies (Blue Tip Medical, RBC Medical, Physicians’ Pharmaceutical Solutions, Cadira, and Vicrin®) dedicated to changing the face of healthcare from post-disease diagnosis and treatment to prevention and averting major causes of sickness or death in asymptomatic patients while also supporting assorted humanitarian causes. He has also chaired or co-chaired many fundraising activities for various charitable, religious, and educational organizations. He helped create the "Black Tie and Blue Jeans" bi-annual fundraiser on behalf of The Park Maitland School and served as its Chair.

Riley serves on the Board of Visitors at the College of Law at Florida State University and frequently visits and speaks with students to provide practical, “real world” insight. He additionally serves, along with his wife, Mary, on the Board of MADI, which stands for "Make a Difference Intimate" Apparel. Mary and Riley met the prospective start-up founder and recent college graduate, Hayley Besheer, at dinner one night in New Smyrna Beach. That was in 2012 and she’s turned an altruistic dream into a powerful humanitarian tool. We’ve been blessed to come along for the ride. Underwear is the most under-donated clothing item in the world, acutely so for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. MADI manufactures sustainable organic women’s underwear in the United States and donates one pair for every pair we sell to domestic violence shelters and sexual assault clinics. MADI similarly travels the world to empower women in need, most recently traveling to Ecuador and Mexico, not just to provide gifts of free apparel, but to teach the skills that inspire reaching independence.

My legal experience has undeniably opened doors to many other endeavors I may never have been exposed to. I treasure the fact that the skills acquired as a passionate and driven trial lawyer benefit my aspiration to give back.

The Art of Medicine  
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Riley is delighted to serve on the Board of the Art of Medicine Foundation founded by the CEO of the First Green Bank, Ken LaRoe, and his wife, Dr. Cindy LaRoe. The most recent Art of Medicine Gala was held at the Orlando Museum of Art. (www.artofmedicinegala.org). The next Gala will be held in Spring 2021. Dr. Oliver Sacks, Author, Neurologist, and recognized as the “Poet Laureate of Medicine,” said the brain is the “most incredible thing in the universe." It resembles the most sophisticated Symphony Orchestra comprised of thousands of instruments “that conducts itself.” Loved ones and friends may unfortunately experience damage to their individual instruments and that damage can have a lasting and occasionally devastating impact. A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a sudden jolt, bump, blow, or penetrating injury to the head. Explosive blasts can also cause TBI, particularly, among those in the military. The Art of Medicine Foundation is dedicated to providing TBI financial support and research. We partner with the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida, forerunners in the fields of TBI, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s research. Physicians and others in the medical field, who have sustained a TBI or suffered a similar malady, contribute their art to the program (along with other artists who have not been injured). 

Journey of Hope

Riley is the co-founder and co-developer with his close friend and well-known Boston-based, UMass neurosurgeon, Dr. Arno Sungarian, of proprietary TBI intellectual property in the mid-development stage that will provide assistance to thousands upon thousands of TBI victims and aid them in their journey to recovery and/or acceptance. TBI results in 2.2 million Emergency Department visits per year, 280,000 hospitalizations, and 50,000 deaths. In the largest study released to date, the Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed that veterans are killing themselves at a rate of 22 deaths a day - or one every 65 minutes, on average, and more than 69 percent of veteran suicides are among individuals aged 50 years, or older. In 2012, suicide outpaced combat deaths, with 349 active-duty suicides - almost one a day. Post-traumatic stress (PTSD) co-occurs with TBI in approximately 40% of military personnel and 15% to 30% of civilian TBI patients. And, many veterans are misdiagnosed as suffering from PTSD alone when they actually suffer from TBI or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) (think Mike Webster of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Will Smith movie, Concussion) attributable to combat exposure to mortar blasts and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in close proximity. CTE is now a recognized endemic in the pro football arena, but the impact of this devastating disease process extends to many other impact sports and activities and to the high school population, if not even younger. This proprietary intellectual property is intended to bridge the gap of understanding for survivors in all three arenas while providing much needed, but currently unavailable, specifically tailored support.

Authorship – The Freedom Kids ™

Riley is a co-founder and co-author, along with his partner and close friend, Erik Raymond, of The Freedom Kids. The Freedom Kids delivers a narrative-based historical fiction series that teaches kids America’s true history. It is impossible to teach the founding of America and American History without acknowledging God’s impact. Faith in God motivated phenomenal individuals to sacrifice so much in the pursuit of liberty. It's also impossible to teach American History without the legacy of Judeo-Christian values and how they are intertwined within the American Founding. The Freedom Kids bridges the gap by teaching the complete story of our American History in an entertaining, fictional format that allows kids to learn, retain, and appreciate those who have helped to make America hands down the greatest country in the world with freedoms that everyone else aspires to attain.

Learn along with Professor Waldo Franklin and his band of adventurous Freedom Kids - Jax, Raven, Mo, and Amelia. The Freedom Kids find their inspiration, not in the mundane memorization of dates and names of the past, but in the stories they travel back in time to experience firsthand - the stories of amazing individuals who never gave up or gave in and forged ahead for freedom’s sake that formed the foundation for all that we enjoy today.

Medical Patent

Riley co-developed, designed, and patented with Boston-based (UMass) neurosurgeon, Dr. Arno Sungarian, an expandable spinal fusion intervertebral cage that is unique in the spinal arena because it maintains lordosis (the normal curvature of the spine that is lost with conventional surgical fusion procedures). Maintaining lordosis provides greater function, range of motion, and stability, and greatly decreases the future need for surgery at adjacent levels often created from the anatomical stress of prior fusion procedures. This cage can be pre-filled with biologics prior to implantation as well as post-filled in situ (while in place in the intended location, again unique in the spinal arena). It is expanded in situ to provide the best possible fit within the adjacent vertebral bodies while maintaining lordosis.    

Patent No.:  US 9,233,007 B2
Date of Patent:  January 12, 2016.
Inventors: Arno Sungarian, MD, Shrewsbury, Mass., W. Riley Allen, Apopka, FL, Philip Kuszpa, Shrewsbury, Mass., and Bradley Cole, Winter Springs, FL.

Personal

Riley and his wife, Mary Faith, have been married for thirty-five (35) years and have three sons: Dalton, Chase, and, Troy. Dalton graduated from Stetson Law School, where he was a co-editor of the Law Review, national trial team member, recipient of several academic awards, and graduated with honors, Magna Cum Laude, and accepted a position upon graduation with the very respected firm of Hill, Ward, & Henderson, P.A., in Tampa [he moved with his wife, Haley, in 2020 to Pensacola and now works with his father-in-law and brothers-in-law in their very respected, long-time trial firm]; Chase graduated with honors and degrees in biology, organic chemistry, and biomedical physics from Florida State, and graduated from law school at FSU [where he attended on a full scholarship], served as Staff Editor of the FSU Business Review, achieved Book Awards in Trademarks & Unfair Competition and Copyright Law, and thereafter took the Colorado Bar exam and recently moved to Colorado to begin his legal career with Colorado's very respected and largest trial firm, Bachus & Schanker; and Troy is a straight A's student pursuing two Master's Degrees at Georgia Tech in Data Analytics and Computer Science. Since they were old enough to participate, Riley coached his boys and many of their friends in numerous sporting activities, including soccer, football, basketball, track, and many water sports, including surfing, focusing on athletic development, but, more importantly, on sportsmanship and enjoyment. He has also served multiple terms on the Vestry of his church and presided as the Senior Warden of the Vestry for twelve (12) different annual terms, where his boys also served on the altar. Despite a busy professional and personal life, he continues to participate in competitive sports as he has done his entire life. He has traveled the world (Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, Bahamas, and Nicaragua) enjoying his passion for surfing. Surfing, particularly in third world countries, provides great "life" lessons and the opportunity to interact with and assist those far less fortunate, another long-standing commitment Riley has made with multiple return visits to help make a difference.  And, surfing in big waves, though certainly requiring a level of fearlessness, fosters respect and a humble attitude while balancing enjoyment of sport with the attendant risks. This has always helped to fuel Riley's drive as a trial lawyer.