Fred Levin

Fredric G. Levin
Born
Fredric Gerson Levin

(1937-03-29)March 29, 1937[1]
Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
DiedJanuary 12, 2021(2021-01-12) (aged 83)
Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Florida
Occupation(s)Attorney, boxing manager
Known forRewriting Florida's Medicaid Third-Party Recovery Act allowing the state of Florida to sue the tobacco industry; benefactor of the University of Florida Levin College of Law, manager of Roy Jones Jr., philanthropy
SpouseMarilyn Kapner Levin (1959–2011) (deceased)
Children4

Fredric Gerson Levin (March 29, 1937 – January 12, 2021) was an American plaintiffs' lawyer who served as chairman of Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty, Proctor, Buchanan, O'Brien, Barr, Mougey, P.A., a law firm in Northwest Florida.[2][3] The Fredric G. Levin College of Law at the University of Florida is named for him because of a monetary donation he made to the school in 1999.

He was best known for rewriting Florida's Medicaid Third-Party Recovery Act to allow the State of Florida to sue and recover billions of dollars from the tobacco industry for smoking-related illnesses.[4][5] His flamboyant and brazen personality resulted in him being prosecuted by the Florida Bar two times, and investigated two additional times.[6][7]

Levin's life was summarized in the weekly medical journal The Lancet. In its December 2014 edition, the author wrote: "And Give Up Showbiz? explores the extraordinary life of a pioneering and often controversial lawyer. Seen as an inspiring innovator by some, and a flamboyant self-promoter by others, Levin's work was not always met with a favourable outcome. Levin was accused of two murders, and often met with controversy because of his relentless fight for justice against big companies. His home life, while loving, was often neglected in his pursuit of business, and this is mentioned several times in the book—bringing a sense of balance to the stories."[8]

  1. ^ Hubbell, Martindale (March 2001). Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory: Florida (Volume 5 – 2001). Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN 9781561604395.
  2. ^ Kaczor, Bill (March 1, 1999). "Controversy Loves Lawyers Whose Name is on School". Miami Herald.
  3. ^ "Fredric Levin -- Attorney Profile". www.levinlaw.com. Levin Papantonio. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  4. ^ Gibeaut, John (September 1988). "For Rigging Statute Lawyer Wants a Slice". American Bar Association Journal: 51.
  5. ^ Jones, Randall (March 2002). "The Richest Person in Town". Worth: 72–73.
  6. ^ Graybiel, Ginny (July 10, 1996). "Attorney Levin to Testify on Ethics Charges". Pensacola News Journal.
  7. ^ Graybiel, Ginny (July 2, 2002). "Fellow Lawyers Sues Levin for Disparaging Junior". Pensacola News Journal.
  8. ^ Spencer, Kate (December 2014). "Taking on the tobacco industry". The Lancet. 2 (12): 978. doi:10.1016/s2213-2600(14)70234-6.