Biographical
Maureen M. Deskins
Maureen M. Deskins has enjoyed a long and successful legal career handling a wide variety of legal matters in an array of settings. Maureen’s deep experience gives her great insight into dispute resolution, litigation, and claims-handling. Throughout her career, she has worked as a defense lawyer, plaintiff’s attorney, and in-house corporate counsel handling a wide variety of matters including catastrophic personal injury liability, wrongful death, sexual assault, premises liability, trucking and motor vehicle accidents, products liability, employment law, contractual disputes, and other related litigation.
Maureen’s success, experience, and professionalism resulted in her induction into the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an invitation-only organization comprised of an equal number of plaintiff and defense trial lawyers which emphasizes skill, ethics, and professionalism in the trial of civil cases.
Recent Professional Recognitions
PROFESSIONAL LEGAL AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Maureen received her Bachelor of Science degree magna cum laude from Florida International University in 1994 and her Juris Doctorate in 1997 from the University of Florida. Prior to graduation, she had already accumulated nearly ten years of personal injury liability defense experience as a paralegal and legal assistant while working her way through school.
Upon graduation from law school, Maureen continued in her field of experience and began practicing in personal injury liability defense litigation. From 1997 until 2009, she practice with the national insurance defense firm, Butler, Pappas, et al. She then joined the Knopik Deskins Law Group in May, 2009, where she handled significant injury and death claims on behalf of plaintiffs until leaving the firm to accept an in-house position. During her tenure there, the firm was repeatedly selected as among the Best Law Firms in America.
COURT ADMISSIONS
United States District Court for the Middle Districts of Florida
Florida State Courts
EDUCATION
Florida State University, Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, 1994
University of Florida, Juris Doctorate, 1997
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
American Bar Association
American Board of Trial Advocates
The Florida Bar
The Hillsborough County Bar Association
Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (executive council member, 2009)
Defense Research Institute
HONORS & AWARDS
Rated “AV” Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
Knopik Deskins Law Group recognized as among the “Best Law Firms in America”
Knopik Deskins Law Group 2013 recipient of the U.S. Trade and Commerce Institute’s Florida Excellence Award
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AS CORPORATE COUNSEL
In 2014, Maureen joined Ocean Properties, Ltd. as its corporate counsel. Ocean Properties is the largest private held hospitality company in North America, operating more than 150 hotels, restaurants, and retail properties in the United States and Canada. While there, Maureen worked closely with company leadership on corporate matters. Her primary responsibilities also included both personally litigating and managing outside counsel in a vast array of matters including labor and employment, sexual harassment, personal injury, premises liability, wrongful death, slip-and-fall, and contractual disputes. Maureen resigned from Ocean Properties in August 2022 to pursue her other passions, including mediation and dispute resolution.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP AND LICENSES
Maureen is licensed to practice in Florida and the federal district court for the Middle District of Florida. She is a member of the American Bar Association, The Florida Bar, the Hillsborough County Bar Association, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (executive council member, 2009) and the Defense Research Institute. She is rated “AV” Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.
Maureen is active in a wide variety of professional and charitable organizations and, when not working, is often found with her beloved dogs, koi pond, garden, and saltwater aquarium.