Michael M. Brownlee
Michael M. Brownlee

About Michael M. Brownlee:

Mr. Brownlee handles civil and criminal appeals in Florida and in federal courts of appeal across the country. Mr. Brownlee obtained his board certification from the Florida Bar in appellate practice in 2016.  He is licensed to practice in each of Florida's appellate courts and most of the federal circuit courts of appeal. In addition to Florida's district courts of appeal, Mr. Brownlee has performed oral argument at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta. He has also litigated extensively in Florida’s Supreme Court and secured a victory there in 2016.  Mr. Brownlee is a member of the Appellate Practice section of the Florida Bar and the Orange County Bar Association's Appellate Practice Committee.  He holds an "AV Preeminent" peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been nominated as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in appellate practice each year since 2016.

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Location Orlando, FL
Phone 407-843-2111
Fax 407-422-1080

Litigation Percentage

  • 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Certified Legal Specialties

  • Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in Appellate Practice, 2016

Bar Admissions

  • Florida, 2009
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 2012
  • U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 2010
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit, 2013
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 2014
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 2013
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 2013
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2013
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 2014
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2013
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 2012
  • U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit, 2014

Education

  1. Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida
    • J. D. cum laude - May, 2009
    • Honors: Order of the Coif
    • Law Review: Journal of Transnational Law and Policy, 2008 - 2009
  2. Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California
    • B. A. - June, 2004
    • Major: English

Published Works

  • “Demystifying Appellate Practice in the Ninth Judicial Circuit,” Michael M. Brownlee & Thomas Wade Young, The Briefs, Nov. 2011 vol. 78 no. 11
  • “Interview with the Honorable Jacqueline R. Griffin,” Michael M. Brownlee, The Briefs, Aug. 2013 vol. 81 no. 8
  • “Interview with the Honorable Mary S. Scriven,” Michael M. Brownlee, The Briefs, April 2014 vol. 82 no. 4
  • “Interview with the Honorable C. Alan Lawson,” Michael M. Brownlee, The Briefs, July 2014 vol. 82 no. 7
  • “Interview with the Honorable Jay P. Cohen,” Michael M. Brownlee, The Briefs, January 2014 vol. 82 no. 1

Representative Cases

  • Arzillo v. Arzillo, 258 So. 3d 402 (fla. 2d DCA 2018)
  • Springhill Missionary Baptist Church, Inc. v. Mobley, 251 So. 3d 281 (Fla. 1st DCA 2018)
  • SolarBlue, LLC v. Bennett Jones, LLP, 232 So. 3d 1185 (Fla. 5th DCA 2018)
  • Langley Limited Partnership, LLLP v. School Board of Lake County, 113 So. 3d 995 (Fla. 5th DCA 2013)
  • Nieto, et al. v. Mobile Gardens Ass’n of Englewood, Inc., 130 So. 3d 236 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013)
  • Ricks v. Dodier, 119 So. 3d 805 (Fla. 5th DCA 2013)
  • United States v. Seecharan, 523 Fed.App’x 679 (11th Cir. 2013)
  • Rutan v. Rutan, 142 So. 3d 1 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014)
  • Dippolito v. State, 143 So. 3d 1080 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014)
  • Scott v. Carpanzano, 556 Fed.App’x 288 (5th Cir. 2014)
  • United States v. Kelley, 774 F.3d 434 (8th Cir. 2014)
  • Paramo v. Floyd, 154 So. 3d 477 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015)
  • Boumarate v. HSBC Bank USA, N.A., 172 So. 3d 535 (Fla. 5th DCA 2015)
  • State v. Lucas, 183 So. 3d 1027 (Fla. 2016)
  • Rautenberg v. Falz, 193 So. 3d 924 (Fla. 2d DCA 2016)
  • Sybac Solar, GMBH v. 6th Street Solar Energy Park of Gainesville, LLC, 217 So. 3d 1068 (Fla. 2d DCA 2017)
  • Black Bear Reserve Homeowner’s Ass’n, Inc. v. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, 227 So. 3d 596 (Fla. 5th DCA 2017)
  • Welch v. Welch, 244 So. 3d 1054 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018)
  • D.T. v. J.M., 241 So. 3d 912 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018)
  • J.A.D. v. K.M.A., 2019 WL 405574 (Fla. 2d DCA 2019)
  • Strong v. Underwood, 275 So. 3d 760 (Fla. 5th DCA 2019)

Classes/Seminars

  • Presenter – “Advanced Writing: Do’s, Don’ts, and Maybe’s,” Advanced Legal Drafting: How to Get the “Write” Result and Best Position Your Client to be the Appellee, The Florida Bar CLE (February 19, 2015) (co-presented with The Honorable James Edwards of Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal)
  • Presenter – Basic Overview of the Criminal Appellate Process in Florida, The Florida Bar CLE (March 24, 2015)
  • Moderator – Judicial Philosophy Panel - Orange County Bar Association, 2016 Bench-Bar Conference (Panelists: The Honorable Dorian K. Damoorgian, The Honorable Samuel J. Salario, Jr., The Honorable Richard B. Orfinger), The Florida Bar CLE (April 15, 2016).
  • Presenter – “Important Distinctions Between State and Federal Court in Criminal Cases,” Federal Traps for State Court Practitioners: What You Need to Know About the Differences Between State and Federal Court, The Florida Bar CLE (February 2, 2017) (co-presented with The Honorable John Antoon, II and William Ponall, Esq.)
  • Presenter – “Appealing to a Higher Power: Do’s, Don’ts, and Maybe’s,” Christian Legal Society National Conference (October 12, 2018).
  • Speaker – Practicing in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals - Orange County Bar Association (Co-speaker: The Honorable John Antoon II), The Florida Bar CLE (November 16, 2018).
  • Moderator – Panel Discussion with Circuit Judges of the Ninth Judicial Circuit - Orange County Bar Association, Criminal Appeals and Post-Conviction Relief in 2019 (Panelists: The Honorable Dan Traver, The Honorable Leticia Marques, The Honorable Heather Higbee), The Florida Bar CLE (March 13, 2019).

Honors and Awards

  • Martindale-Hubbell's "AV Preeminent" Rating
  • Super Lawyers  in Appellate Law 2016 - 2023
  • Martindale-Hubbell Client Champion 2021
  • Martindale-Hubbell Client Champion Platinum 2022 - 2023

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • The Federalist Society, 2010 - Present
  • Orange County Bar Association, Member, Appellate Committee, 2010 - Present
  • Orange County Bar Association, Member, 2009 - Present
  • Board Member, Ten Thousand Villages of Orlando, Inc., September 1, 2015 - Present

Past Employment Positions

  • Fisher Rushmer, P.A., Associate, 2009 - 2011
  • Brownstone, P.A., Associate, 2011 - 2014

Additional Employment

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