Attorney/Partner
Ben Diamond is the managing partner of the firm, where he concentrates his practice on estate planning, estate and trust administration, and fiduciary litigation. Ben’s clients appreciate his attention to detail, careful preparation, and ability to solve complicated problems. Ben has significant experience in all aspects of fiduciary litigation. Ben has aggressively pursued and defended will contests. He has successfully defended trustees against breach of fiduciary duty claims, and pursued such claims by beneficiaries. Ben represents clients in disputed matters
involving estates, trusts, fiduciaries, guardianships, family issues, and closely held family businesses.
Drawing on his experience in contested matters, Ben also advises clients on complex fiduciary matters in estate planning and estate and trust administration. Ben’s litigation experience informs his work as an estate planner. Ben takes the time to fully understand his client’s objectives and family dynamics. He helps clients develop cost-effective plans to achieve their goals, avoid family fights, and minimize the impact of gift, estate and income taxes. Ben represents high-net worth individuals, corporate executives, and closely held business owners.
Ben has experience in charitable planning and counsels charitable and non-profit organizations in matters involving fiduciary decisions.
Ben represents high -net worth individuals, corporate executives and closely held business owners. Ben’s practice also includes representing his clients’ businesses in litigation in Florida’s trial and appellate courts.
Professional Accomplishments
Ben devotes substantial time to legal education and service to the legal profession. Ben is a member of the Executive Committee of the Florida Bar’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, and was recognized with the Section’s “Rising Star” award for his leadership and service. Ben is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Stetson University College of Law, where he teaches Trusts and Estates and Florida Constitutional Law. Ben has been named as one of Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite” for his work in wills, trusts, and estates. Ben is a graduate of the inaugural class of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel’s (ACTEC) Florida Fellows Institute. Ben was recently reappointed by the Florida Bar President to the Florida Bar’s Probate Rules Committee. Ben frequently lectures on issues relating to estate administration, estate planning, and probate and trust litigation.
Community Leadership
Ben is passionate about community service, and is known for connecting and building relationships. Ben served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2022, representing Florida’s sixty-eighth state house district in Pinellas County. In the state Legislature, Ben championed the need for environmental stewardship for Florida’s land and water resources, and was an outspoken advocate for statewide resiliency efforts to prepare Florida for the impacts of climate change. Ben served as ranking minority member on the House Judiciary Committee, and served on the House Appropriations Committee. Ben was recognized by his colleagues in the Legislature as a consensus builder and a leader, devoted to his work and serving his constituents.
Ben currently serves on the Board of Directors of the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, and the Board of Directors of the University of Florida Law Center Association Board of Trustees. Ben has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Pinellas County Urban League, and the Board of Directors of his synagogue, Temple Beth-El. Ben is a graduate of Leadership Florida and previously served on Leadership Florida’s Board of Directors.
Prior Work Experience
Ben previously practiced law at the national law firm Akerman Senterfitt. He spent four years in Tallahassee as an attorney for Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, where he served as General Counsel to the Chief Financial Officer and the Florida Department of Financial Services. In this capacity, Ben supervised a staff of over 60 government attorneys and was responsible for a wide range of legal and regulatory issues. Prior to his work in state government, Ben served as a law clerk to the Honorable Emmett Ripley Cox on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Education
J.D., University of Florida Levin College of Law, 2003.
– Editor-in-Chief, The Florida Law Review
– Member of the Florida Blue Key Honor Fraternity
– Recognized by the University of Florida Alumni Association as an Outstanding Young Alumnus, 2013.
B.A., Yale University, 2000.
Court Admissions
Ben is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the United States Tax Court, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and all Florida state courts.
