Ellen Leesfield

After 19 years as a Circuit Court Judge, Ellen L. Leesfield has transitioned to the role of arbitrator, mediator, expert witness and consultant on all litigation related matters, including expert testimony, evidentiary issues, and trial strategy.

As a Circuit Court Judge, Judge Leesfield presided over a wide range of cases involving medical malpractice, business torts, admiralty, construction law, insurance law, products liability, commercial real estate, employment, personal injury, wrongful death, eminent domain, and a variety of other claims. Over her 19 year judicial career, she served in the Extended Civil Trial Division, the Family Division, and the Criminal Division, where she was the Administrative Judge.

Judge Leesfield has frequently written and lectured on numerous issues, including expert witness testimony, evidence, business valuation, DNA evidence, jurisdiction in child custody issues, and the Torture Victim Protection Act, a federal law that permits victims of terrorist regimes to bring claims in state and federal court. She was an innovative jurist who was proclaimed a “revolutionary” by the Daily Business Review for being the first judge to author a model order appointing receivers for the collection of maintenance fees in cases involving condominium owners and investors.

For over 15 years, Judge Leesfield taught other Judges as an instructor at judicial conferences including the College of Advance Judicial Studies and the Florida Judicial College, teaching in the areas of expert witness testimony, contempt, evidence, ethics and trial skills. She has taught litigation skills as an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law for the past 10 years.

Prior to her judicial career, Judge Leesfield had an active trial practice in both Federal and State courts. She personally tried over 60 jury trials to verdict as lead counsel, and handled state, federal, and administrative appeals. Judge Leesfield’s trials involved diverse practice areas, including admiralty, employment, taxation, technology crimes and a variety of white collar crime. In addition, Judge Leesfield has extensive experience in labor law.