Becker & Poliakoff

Gary M. Schaaf

Office Managing Shareholder

GSCHAAF@beckerlawyers.com

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Practices

Credentials

    Education

      • Temple University, J.D., cum laude, 1986, B.B.A. 1983

    Bar Admissions

      • Florida, 1987
      • New Jersey, 1986
      • Pennsylvania, 1986

    Court Admissions

      • United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
      • United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
      • United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
      • Supreme Court of the United States

Perspectives

  • Board Certified – Business Litigation

Bio

Gary Schaaf is the managing shareholder of Becker’s Tampa Bay office and supervises our Tampa Business Litigation practice. He has been a business litigator in the Tampa Bay Area since 1987.

Gary is Board Certified in Business Litigation by The Florida Bar, which is the highest level of recognition of an attorney’s competency and expertise in that area of law. Gary has been recognized as a Best Lawyers in America© for Commercial Litigation since 2013.

He is also AV® Preeminent™ 5 out of 5 rated (the highest level attainable) by Martindale-Hubbell, based upon the endorsement of his colleagues in the areas of professional conduct, ethics and ability, and has been selected by Florida Trend magazine as a member of the Legal Elite, recognizing the top tier of attorneys practicing in Florida as chosen by their colleagues.

His clients have included individuals, business owners, national and local financial institutions, multi-national, national and local businesses, community associations, governmental and quasi-governmental agencies.

Gary has been a Certified Circuit Court Mediator since 1995.

EXPERIENCE

Gary has significant trial experience in the state and federal courts as well as appellate practice experience before Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He is also admitted to the United States Supreme Court. His experience includes:

  • Jury defense verdict for a national financial institution accused of fraud, malicious prosecution, and negligence.
  • Jury verdict in favor of a Brazilian manufacturing company, in a suit concerning defective packaging machinery.
  • Favorable opinion from the federal Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of a distributorship client, reversing a lower court ruling, and leading to a multimillion dollar settlement.
  • National bank institution representation in its statewide trust business litigation.
  • Verdict in favor of national franchisor client in attempt by national creditor to pierce the corporate veil.

RECOGNITION

  • Included in The Best Lawyers in America© from 2013-Present
  • AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 rated (the highest level attainable) by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Selected for Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite in various years.

PROFESSIONAL / COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

  • Serves on the Public Policy and Transportation Committees of the Tampa Chamber of Commerce.
  • Serves on the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Master Planning Committee, and Transportation Committee of the Westshore Alliance.
  • Past director of the Largo Mid-Pinellas Chamber of Commerce.
  • Served as General Counsel to the Philippine Cultural Foundation, Inc. and Bacchus Events Solutions, Inc.