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Bart Valdes founded the Tampa office of DSK Law in 2005 and is the Firm’s Managing Partner in Tampa. Bart is a Board Certified Specialist in Business Litigation by the Florida Bar. As a Board Certified Specialist, Bart is considered to be an expert in the area of business litigation. Board certification is the Florida Bar’s highest level of evaluation of the competency and experience of attorneys. Also, Bart holds the highest ranking an individual attorney can receive (AV), as designated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.

Bart has represented a variety of the Firm’s clients including small business owners, individuals, local governments, insurance companies, medium and large corporations, as well as nation-wide institutional clients in a wide range of matters. Bart has litigated, and continues to litigate, complex trial matters related to contract disputes, property disputes, eminent domain and condemnation actions, real estate disputes, insurance matters and general business disputes. Bart also has extensive litigation experience in the areas of landlord and tenant disputes, bankruptcy, probate, trust and estate matters, foreclosure cases, corporate and partnership disputes, collections, construction matters, land use, zoning and code enforcement matters and local government disputes.

Additionally, Bart has significant experience in general business, corporate and real estate matters. Bart has represented clients in state and federal court actions (both at trial and on appeal) as well as in administrative proceedings.

Bar Admissions

  • All Florida State Courts
  • Florida Supreme Court
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • United States Tax Court
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
  • United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida
  • United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • Administrative
  • Appeals
  • Bankruptcy
  • Business Litigation
  • Local Government
  • Civil Litigation
  • Civil Trial
  • Code Enforcement
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction
  • Contracts
  • Corporate Law
  • Debtor and Creditor
  • Eminent Domain
  • Environmental and Land Use
  • Government
  • Insurance Litigation
  • Insurance Fraud Litigation
  • Labor and Employment
  • Landlord and Tenant Disputes (Residential and Commercial)
  • Mortgage Foreclosure
  • Personal Injury Litigation
  • Probate and Trust Litigation
  • Real Estate Litigation and Disputes
  • Real Estate/Land Development
  • Real Property, Probate and Trust Law
  • Trial
  • Trusts and Estates
  • Zoning, Planning and Land Use
  • Florida Bar Business Law Section- (Executive Council 2016-2022)
  • Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
  • Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section
  • Business Law Section COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery Task Force (Co-Chair 2020-2022)
  • E-Discovery and Digital Evidence Committee of Business Law Section (Chair  2017-2018)
  • Task Force on Proposed Amendments to Florida Rules of Civil Procedure (Chair 2018-2022)
  • Entrepreneur’s Organization- Tampa Bay Chapter (Board Member 2021-2023)
  • Bay Area Apartment Association (Government Affairs Committee 2021-2023)
  • Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Tampa Bay
  • Leadership Tampa Bay (Class of 2018)
  • Tampa Hispanic Bar Association (Treasurer 2014-2022)
  • Tampa Hispanic Bar Foundation (Director 2019-2023)
  • Hillsborough County Bar Association
  • Orange County Bar Association
  • Lake St. Charles Homeowner’s Association- Director/Treasurer (2006-2008)
  • Tampa Interbay Rotary Foundation Board of Directors (2011-2017)
  • Tampa Interbay Rotary Club (Past-President) (2009-2019)
  • Volunteer for Reading is Fundamental
  • Volunteer Captain for Tampa Bay Watch
  • Committeeman- Taste of South Tampa (2008-2009)
  • International Association of Special Investigation Units- Member

Speaking Engagements

2023

  • Update On Florida Law Impacting The Multifamily Sector In 2023– Polk County Learning Day for the Bay Area Apartment Association
  • Recent Florida Laws Affecting Multifamily – Bay Area Apartment Association
  • Practical Preservation, Collection and Use of ESI and Digital Evidence During Litigation and Trial  – Florida Bar Annual Convention

2022

  • Cyber Security Controls and Best Practices – DSK Law Quarterly Learning Series
  • Ephemeral Electronic Evidence Preservation And Discovery Obligations, And Best Practices  –  2022 Annual Florida Bar Convention

2021

  • “We are getting sued! What should we do?” – Florida Charter School Governance Conference
  • “How to Guide” and Practical Consideration for Handling Evictions and Foreclosure Cases – Featured Webinar of the Business Law Section and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar

2019

  • Uncovering Insurance Fraud in the Digital Age – Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee 27th Annual Conference
  • EUOs, 6(b) Requests, and Other Tools for Uncovering Insurance Fraud – Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee 27th Annual Conference

2018

  • Uncovering Insurance Fraud Through E-Discovery and Digital Evidence – Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee 26th Annual Conference
  • Using the Right Tool the Right Way to Uncover Insurance Fraud – Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee 26th Annual Conference
  • Emerging Technology and Transformation in the Practice of Law in the Digital Age – 68th Annual Florida Bar Convention
  • Examining Where We Are Today and Looking Ahead in E-Discovery and Digital Evidence in the Face of Technology Advancements – 68th Annual Florida Bar Convention
  • Essential CyberSecurity Controls And Tales From The Dark Web – 68th Annual Florida Bar Convention
  • Avoid Drowning in Finances – 101 Budgeting for a Successful Year – 2018 Voluntary Bar Leaders Conference

2017

  • Electronic Discovery and Digital Evidence in the Courtroom – Hillsborough Circuit Court Judges
  • Uncovering Insurance Fraud Through E-Discovery and Digital Evidence – Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee Annual Conference
  • Maintaining Competency In The Face Of Technology Advancements: How To Keep Pace With Your Professional And Ethical Requirements- Florida Bar Annual Meeting
  • Cybersecurity Controls Needed For Firms And Clients Alike – Florida Bar Annual Meeting

2016

  • Effective Courtroom Management Of Computerized Discovery – Broward County Circuit Court Judges
  • Electronic Discovery and Ethics in 2016 and Beyond – Business Law Section of Florida Bar
  • Electronic Discovery and Digital Evidence – Tampa Hispanic Bar Association
  • Balancing Life and the Practice of Law – Western Michigan University – Cooley Law School

2015

  • Electronic Discovery and Digital Evidence Pre-Discovery Through Trial – Florida Bar Annual Convention

Articles

Reported Cases

  • State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company v. Williams, 824 F.3d 1311 (11th Cir. 2014)
  • Singer v. Unibilt, 43 So.3d 784 (Fla. 5th DCA 2010)
  • VOSR Industries v. Martin Properties, 919 So.2d 554 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005)
  • Vincent Contestabile v. Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund, Inc., 22 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 1025a (Fla. 9th Cir. Ct. 2015)
  • State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. v. First Choice Care Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, 22 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 1028a (Fla. 10th Cir. Ct. 2014)
  • State Farm Mutual v. Advanced Chiropractic and Medical Center, 2019 WL 2534908 (S.D. Fla. 2019)
  • State Farm Mutual v. Family Practice and Rehab, 2019 WL 4418221 (M.D. Fla. 2019)

Education

Florida State University College of Law

  • Juris Doctor – 2000

Florida State University College of Law

  • Bachelor of Science – 1997

Awards & Recognition

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