J. Scott Slater
Attorney & Firm Founder
About
Born and raised in Central Florida and attending Florida Gator football games since his early youth, Mr. Slater has deep roots in Florida and takes pride in helping other Floridians with their legal problems—bringing a passionate, practical, and professional approach to resolving cases. When not practicing law, Mr. Slater can be found most often with his cherished family, usually enjoying some kind of outdoor adventure. A proud father of four wonderful children, and husband of a beautiful wife, Mr. Slater’s biggest challenges are not in the courtroom—they are in remembering how blessed he is each and every day.
Who We Represent
Mr. Slater focuses his practice on two types of cases: (1) personal injury and wrongful death cases; and (2) defending lawyers in legal malpractice and ethics disputes.
In his personal injury and wrongful death practice, Mr. Slater helps individuals and families who have been seriously injured or killed due to someone else’s negligence. These cases include trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, car accidents, defective products, wrongful death, and various other types of serious and catastrophic accidents.
Mr. Slater also has significant experience in legal malpractice cases, where he defends other lawyers and law firms who have been accused of committing malpractice, breaching fiduciary duties, or violating ethical obligations. He has successfully defended lawyers and law firms from across the country in dozens of high-stakes malpractice lawsuits, as well as in disciplinary proceedings before the Florida Bar. Given his experience in this area, he is also consulted frequently on cases against lawyers and law firms and asked to provide insight and evaluations on plaintiff cases.
Professional Experience
Prior to co-founding Slater | Grant, Mr. Slater was a shareholder at the well-respected Tampa firm of Hill Ward Henderson. He also served as a judicial intern for The Honorable Susan C. Bucklew at the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida and for The Honorable Chief Judge Chris W. Altenbernd at Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal.
Mr. Slater founded Slater | Grant in 2017 with his partner, Javan Grant, to give people the skill and knowledge of a large law firm, but with the personal attention and care of a small law firm. Slater | Grant prides itself on strong advocacy for our clients, tempered by professionalism and a common-sense approach to resolving cases. We are dedicated to our clients and treat them like a member of our family. In recognition of our commitment to our clients and community, Slater | Grant received the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2019 – just two short years after being founded.
Awards and Distinctions
- Highest score on The Florida Bar Examination, Second District Court of Appeal jurisdiction
- The Best Lawyers in America, Personal Injury – Plaintiffs, Commercial Litigation (2021-present)
- AVVO 10 out of 10 “Superb” Rating
- Florida Super Lawyers (2009-present)
- Florida Trend, “Legal Elite” (Civil Trial) (2012—present)
- Stetson Law Review
- Stetson Trial Team
- First Place and Best Advocate, Chester Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition
- National Order of Barristers
Bar Association Memberships
- The Florida Bar
- American Bar Association
- Hillsborough County Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Section
- East Pasco Bar Association
- North Tampa Bar Association (NTBA)
Court Admissions
- All Florida state courts
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
Professional and Community Involvement
- Chair, Professional Liability Insurance Committee, ABA Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS)
- Volunteer Attorney, ABA Military Pro Bono Project
- Former Board Member, Tampa Metropolitan YMCA (North Tampa Branch)
- Former Faculty Member, National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA)
- Member, Carrollwood Area Business Association
Publications and Presentations
- Speaker, Five Steps to Avoiding (Most) Legal Malpractice, Florida Bar CLE Seminar (2022 – present)
- Author/Speaker, Mitigating Losses through Agent E&O Policies: Tips for Title Insurers and Their Counsel
- Speaker/Moderator, Counsel, We Have a Problem: The Legal, Ethical and Insurance Coverage Issues Involved in Mounting a Defense When One of Your Firm’s Attorneys is Accused of Committing Malpractice, ABA TIPS Section Conference, Philadelphia, PA (Spring 2015)
- Speaker/Panelist, Avoiding Legal Malpractice, Clearwater Bar Association CLE Seminar
- Moderator, Practicing with Professionalism, Florida Bar CLE Seminar
- Author, Florida’s Blaine Amendment and Its Effect on Educational Opportunities, 33 Stet. L. Rev. 581
- Author, All is Not Lost: Enforcing Judgments against Liability Insurers, HCBA Lawyer
- Author, Recent Developments, 32 Stet. L. Rev. 539, 559-560, 673-677, 688-691, 699-701, 713-715
Education
- Stetson University College of Law J.D., with honors, 2004
- University of Florida B.A., 2000
