F. Scott Westheimer joined Syprett Meshad, P. A. as an associate in 1996. He became a partner in 2000. Mr. Westheimer’s practice involves primarily the representation of plaintiffs in personal injury matters, including complex cases and those involving catastrophic injuries, and various aspects of commercial litigation.
Mr. Westheimer is the Immediate Past President of The Florida Bar, having been elected in 2022 to serve as The Florida Bar’s 75th President (2023-2024), The Florida Bar is the third largest mandatory bar in the country with over 112,000 members. Mr. Westheimer was the first to be elected president from the Twelfth Judicial Circuit. Prior to his presidency, he served on The Florida Bar Board of Governors as the Twelfth Circuit Representative, Seat One, representing over 1,800 attorneys in Sarasota, DeSoto and Manatee counties from 2013 to 2022, on the Executive Committee, and as Chair of some of the most important committees. He has been honored twice with the President’s Award of Merit, by Past President William J. Schifino at the June 2017 Annual Convention and by Immediate Past Present Michelle Suskauer at the June 2019 Annual Convention. He also received The Florida Bar President’s Award for the Technology Committee in 2021. During Mr. Westheimer’s presidency and time on the Board of Governors, he pioneered and developed many of The Florida Bar’s tangible tools and resources that lawyers use in their daily practice, including the complete rebuild of The Florida Bar website, spearheading and leading the team that created Nota (The Florida Bar’s trust accounting solution), and LegalFuel.com. To help lawyers keep pace with technology and the transforming practice of law, during his presidency, the first Committee on Cybersecurity and Privacy Law was formed, which was the first of its kind in the country. He also formed the Special Committee on AI Resources & Tools, which developed the amendments to The Florida Bar Rules and worked with the Board Review Committee on Professional Ethics to develop the first ever Ethics Opinion on generative AI in the nation.
In 2024, Mr. Westheimer received v|Lex’s annual Fastcase 50 Award, which highlights exceptional contributions of the top 50 most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders in the legal industry in the world. Mr. Westheimer has an “AV” rating by Martindale Hubbell, which means that he has been deemed to have very high professional ethics and preeminent legal ability. From 2021 through 2025 he has been selected to the Florida Super Lawyers list. A Super Lawyer is an exceptional achievement and title given to lawyers across the country who have reached high achievements and standards within their respective fields. The title of a Super Lawyer indicates that the lawyer has the respect of their colleagues and the public. They have represented their clients well, in addition to earning the respect of their peers who nominated them for this title. They have represented the field of lawyer well, with this title being an honor for a lifetime of dedicated work. In 2010 and 2011, he was also selected to the Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list. For 2012 through 2014, 2017, and 2020 through 2023, he was recognized among Florida’s “Legal Elite” by Florida Trend magazine. Only 1,165 lawyers in Florida were named to the 2023 list, which represents just 2 percent of the more than 67,000 Florida Bar Members actively practicing law in the state. Those named to the “Legal Elite” list are selected by their peers who are invited to name those attorneys for whom they have the highest regard or whom they would recommend to others.
In 2020, 2022 and 2024, Mr. Westheimer was honored in SRQ Magazine’s peer review program as an Elite Top Attorney of Florida’s Gulf Coast. In 2017, 2019, and 2021 through 2024, Mr. Westheimer was named to the 10 Best Attorneys by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. In 2017, 2019, and 2021 through 2024, he was also named to The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Attorneys, which recognizes the premier trial lawyers from across the country who exemplify superior qualifications. In 2019 through 2023, Mr. Westheimer was selected as one of America’s Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators and in 2020 through 2024 as one of America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys® (less than 0.5% of active attorneys in the United States receive this honor). In 2013, Mr. Westheimer received the C.L. McKaig Award from the Sarasota County Bar Association for his extraordinary service in support of the formation of the South County Division, his endeavors to promote diversity within the legal profession, and his numerous leadership roles in the SCBA and The Florida Bar. In 2012 and 2022, he was named one of the Top Lawyers of Sarasota and Manatee Counties by Sarasota Magazine. In 2002, Mr. Westheimer was named as of the Top 40 Under 40 by the Gulf Coast Business Review.
Mr. Westheimer’s practice involves primarily the representation of plaintiffs in personal injury matters and various aspects of commercial litigation. He has handled cases involving complex and catastrophic personal injury matters, including:
He is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court; U. S. District Court, Middle District of Florida; U.S. District Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; and Florida State Courts.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. Westheimer was raised primarily in Sarasota and graduated from Riverview High School in 1989. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, with high honors, from the University of Florida in 1993, and in 1996, received his Juris Doctorate, with high honors, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. While at the College of Law, he had the distinction of graduating as a member of the Order of the Coif. He was a Teaching Assistant in Appellate Advocacy and Legal Research and Writing, and participated in the International Law Program at Leiden University in the Netherlands in the spring of 1996.
Mr. Westheimer is a member of:
He is a Past President of the Sarasota County Bar Association (2010-2011), a Past President of the Sarasota County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, a member (co-founder and former chair) of the Sarasota County Bar Association Diversity Committee, and served on the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors from 2004 to 2013.
Mr. Westheimer is an active volunteer in his community, working with various charitable organizations over the years. He served on the Board of Directors of the Humane Society of Sarasota County, a volunteer position, from 2009 through 2016; the University of Florida Levin College of Law Alumni Council Board of Directors, and the Doctors Hospital of Sarasota Board of Trustees. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and serves on the Executive Committee of its Law Center Association Board of Directors.
Mr. Westheimer has the published appellate decisions of In Re: Estate of Angelica Gabrielle Salathe v. Salathe, 703 So.2d 1167 (Fla. 2dDCA 1997); Mezroub v. Capella, 702 So.2d 562 (Fla. 2dDCA 1997); Wanner v. State, 746 So.2d 478 (Fla. 2dDCA 1999); and, Barrington v. Gryphon Investments, Inc. d/b/a RE/Max Excellence, 32 So.2d 668 (Fla. 2dDCA 2010).
Mr. Westheimer’s e-mail address is [email protected].
Practice Areas:
Civil Trial Practice; Commercial Law; Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Law
Admitted:
Supreme Court of the U.S.; U. S. District Court, Middle District of Florida; U.S. District Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; and Florida state Courts
Law School:
University of Florida, J.D., with high honors, 1996
University:
University of Florida, B.A., History, with high honors, 1993
Memberships:
Sarasota County Bar Association (President, 2010-2011; President, Young Lawyers Division, 2003-2004; Current Member, Past Chair, and co-founder, Diversity Committee); Past President of The Florida Bar (2023-2024); The Florida Bar Board of Governors (2013-2022) and Young Lawyers Division (2004-2013); Manatee County Bar Association; Cuban American Bar Association; Florida Justice Association; The American Association for Justice; Florida Association of Women Lawyers; The American Law Institute
ISLN:
911262115
Biography:
Florida Bar Past President (2023-2024); Florida Bar Board of Governors, Twelfth Circuit Representative, Seat One (2013-2022); Florida Trend Legal Elite: 2012-2014, 2017, & 2020-2022; Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star: 2010, 2011; Florida Super Lawyers, 2021-2024; National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Attorneys 2017, 2019 & 2021-2024; America’s Best 100 Personal Injury Attorneys 2020-2024; SRQ Magazine Elite Top Attorney 2020, 2022 & 2024; American Institute of PI Attorneys 10 Best Attorneys 2017, 2019 & 2021-2024; America’s Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators 2019-2024; Sarasota Magazine Top Lawyers of Sarasota & Manatee 2012 & 2022; Order of the Coif; The Florida Bar President’s Award of Merit Winner 2017 & 2019; The Florida Bar President’s Award, Technology Committee 2022.
