BAR AND COURT MEMBERSHIPS:
Florida Bar, admitted 1981; U. S. District Court, Florida Middle and Southern Districts, Southern District Bankruptcy Bar; U. S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh and Third Circuits; United States Supreme Court; American Bar Association, Palm Beach County Bar Association, and South Palm Beach County Bar Association.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
1983 – 2023: STEVEN D. RUBIN, BOARD CERTIFIED SPECIALIST (B.C.S.)
Board Certified by The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education in Real Estate Law (1995 – 2025) and Condominium and Planned Development Law (2019 – 2024). Practice Areas: Residential and Commercial Real Estate Transactions, Community Association Law, Real Property and Commercial Litigation, Secured Creditors’ Rights, Business Law, and Real Estate Related Trusts and Estates.
2010 – 2022: MEDIATOR, Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Mediator and Certified Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediator; Member of Academy of Professional Mediators.
2005 – 2023: SPECIAL REAL ESTATE COUNSEL, Florida Municipal Corporations. Appointed by the Florida Municipal Corporation Commissions to assist the respective Cities in complex real estate transactions, real estate litigation, and real estate development.
2003 – 2020: CIVIL TRAFFIC INFRACTION HEARING OFFICER. Appointed annually by the Chief Judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit Court, after consultation with the Palm Beach County Judges, and approval by the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Exercised the power to accept pleas from defendants, heard and ruled upon motions, presided over trials, decided whether a defendant had committed a civil traffic infraction, and adjudicated or withheld adjudication in civil traffic infraction cases, in the same manner as a county court judge.
1994 – 2004: SPECIAL MAGISTRATE, Palm Beach County Value Adjustment Board (VAB). Appointed by the Palm Beach County VAB. Presided and heard testimony at quasi-judicial public hearings and made recommendations to the VAB with respect to taxpayers’ homestead, ad valorem and agricultural tax exemption petitions.
1999 – 2005: SPECIAL MAGISTRATE, Palm Beach County Code Enforcement Board. Appointed by the Palm Beach County Commission. Presided and heard testimony at quasi-judicial public hearings and imposed and modified fines against landowners and lessees who were in violation of Palm Beach County Codes and Ordinances.
1997 – 2001: SPECIAL MAGISTRATE, Palm Beach County Collections Court. Appointed by Palm Beach County Judge. Presided at quasi-judicial hearings in the 15th Judicial Circuit Court to enter collection orders for unpaid court costs and fines which had been assessed against criminal defendants.
1997 – 2007: COUNSEL, City of Delray Beach Nuisance Abatement Board (NAB). Appointed by the Delray Beach City Commission. Represented the NAB with respect to procedural and substantive issues which arose during quasi-judicial public hearings, and drafted orders and rules of procedure.
1981-1983: ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY, Weisman and Douglas, P.A. Real estate transactions and litigation.
COMMUNITY SERVICE /BAR/PRO BONO ACTIVITIES:
Member (Chair, 2017-2018, Vice-Chair, 2016-2017), The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education (2012 – 2018); Member (Chair, 2007-2008, Vice-Chair, 2005-2007), The Florida Bar Real Estate Certification Committee (2003 -2009); Member, The Florida Bar 15th Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee “E” (2022-2024), and Clients’ Security Fund Committee (2022 – 2025); Chair, Palm Beach County Bar Association Real Estate Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Committee (1997 -2010); Alternate Member, Palm Beach County Zoning Board of Adjustment (1995 – 1999); Attorney Title Agent, Attorney’s Title Insurance Fund, Inc./Old Republic National Title Insurance Company (1982 – 2023); Chair, City of Delray Beach Board of Adjustment (1984-1990); Past Director and President, Delray Beach Sunrise Kiwanis; Past Guardian Ad Litem, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit; Member, Florida Bar Real Property, Business Law, and City, County and Local Government Law Sections; Advisor, Florida Bar’s Lawyers Advising Lawyers (1999- 2023); Fellow, Florida Bar Foundation; Recipient of 2004 Palm Beach County Legal Aid Society’s And Justice for All Pro Bono Award; Recipient of Florida Supreme Court Pro Bono Service Silver Pin Award, 2005, 2006, and 2013, Bronze Pin Award 2011 and 2016; Program Co-Chair and Director, Craig S. Barnard American Inn of Court LIV (2006-2011); The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education Certified Lawyers on Call Service Coordinator (2018 – 2023); Member, American Bar Association Standing Committee on Specialization (“SC”) (2019 – 2022) and Chair, SC Accreditation Review Panel (2020-2023); Member, Professionalism Committee, Palm Beach County Bar Association (2020 – 2023); and Recipient, The Florida Bar President’s Annual Pro Bono Service Award for the 15th Judicial Circuit (2023).
Lecturer, Palm Beach County Bar Association. Lectures and Materials Approved by the Florida Bar for General, Ethics, and Real Estate Certification CLE Credit: “Real Estate Contract Litigation”; “Election and Recall of Community Association Directors”; “Resolution of Common Transaction Disputes”; “The Fair Housing Act and Community Associations”; “Imposition of Fines by Community Associations”; “Preparation of HUD-1 Settlement Statement, including VA and FHA Loans”; “Closing the Real Estate Transaction”; “How Bankruptcy Affects the Collection of Community Association Assessments”; “How Bankruptcy Affects Title Transactions”; “Recovery of Attorney’s Fees by the Prevailing Party in Litigation”; “Common Defenses to Community Association Enforcement Actions”; “Specific Performance and Retention of Deposits”; “Purchase Options in Commercial and Residential Leases”; “Florida’s Amended Marketable Record Title Act”; “Required Statutory Disclosures in Land Sales ”; “Community Association Covenant Enforcement Obligations”; “Assessments: How and When to Pay”; “Community Association Vehicle Enforcement Mechanisms”; “Covenant Revitalization”; and “Priority of Community Association Liens”.
REPORTED APPELLATE CASES:
Strothman v. Henderson Mental Health Center, Inc., 425 So.2d 1185 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983); Bloom v. Barry, 755 F.2d 356 (3d Cir. 1985); Langner v. Charles A. Binger, Inc., 503 So.2d 1362 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987); Homosassa Travelers Associates, Ltd., v. Mid-State Federal Savings Bank, 598 So.2d 141 (Fla. 5th DCA 1992); Nationsbank, N.A. v. Ziner, 726 So.2d 364 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999), rev. dism’d, 775 So.2d 291 (Fla. 2001); Popescu v. Laguna Master Association, Inc., 126 So.3d 449 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013); Popescu v. Laguna Master Association, Inc., 184 So.3d 1196 (Fla. 4th DCA 2016); Elharrar v. Lago Del Rey Condominium, Inc., 257 So.3d 142 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018).
EDUCATION:
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS at Champaign, Illinois J. D. 1981; Prisoners’ Rights Research Project; Law Clerk, El Paso Natural Gas Co.
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY at Evanston, Illinois B.A. 1978 with Departmental Honors in Economics; Deru, Senior Leadership Honor Society; Omicron Delta Epsilon, National Economics Honor Society
SELECTED COMMERCIAL PEER REVIEW AND OTHER RATINGS:
Rated “AV” (preeminent) in Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and Judicial Editions (1997 – 2023); Selected as a Florida Super Lawyer (top 5% of Florida attorneys) by Florida Super Lawyers Magazine (2015 – 2023); Selected as a Top Palm Beach County Lawyer by Palm Beach Illustrated Magazine (2019-2021); Selected as a Top South Florida Lawyer by South Florida Legal Guide (2021- 2022); and 10 out of 10 rating by AVVO.