J. Brent Allen
Biography
Brent Allen is the Managing Partner of Hall Booth Smith’s Jacksonville, Florida office and Chair of the firm’s Opioid Defense Task Force. He has also served on the firm’s Executive Committee since 2020.
He is a seasoned civil trial lawyer and specializes in the litigation of batch claims, high exposure cases including malpractice, commercial litigation, long term care, negligent security and premises liability on a national, regional and local level. He has represented prominent corporations, non-profits, and individuals in their most challenging civil cases, including at jury and bench trials, before arbitration panels and governmental investigations. He regularly advises senior executives and boards of directors in internal governance issues. Brent has been retained by national clients and appointed by State and Federal Courts to serve as lead counsel in various matters. Most recently, Brent served as lead counsel in one of the Nation’s largest batch malpractice claims of all time.
Brent has been Peer Review Rated as AV® Preeminent™, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell’s peer review rating system. He has been named a “Person on the Move,” a “Legal Listmaker” and an “Ultimate Attorney” by the Jacksonville Business Journal numerous times. He has also been identified as a “Bet the Company” litigator by Florida Trend Magazine.
A native of Jacksonville, Brent is active in the local community. He was appointed by the Mayor to serve on the Downtown Development Review Board and most recently held the position of Vice Chair. He is also a past Mayoral appointee and sat on the Board of Directors for the Jacksonville Housing Authority. He is an Eagle Scout and serves in various leadership roles with The Boy Scouts of America.
Brent is also actively involved in many professional and civic organizations including The Rotary Club of Jacksonville – Downtown, The Chester Bedell Inn of Court, The Florida Bar and The Jacksonville Bar Association. He lives in Jacksonville with his wife, daughter and son. In his spare time, he enjoys being outdoors and coaching youth athletics.
Experience
Brent’s practice is focused on opioid defense, medical malpractice, commercial litigation and premises liability matters in Florida, the Southeast and across the nation. He has extensive experience in litigation of high exposure cases.
Credentials
ADMITTED
EDUCATION
Memberships
Recognition
Presentations
- Opioid Defense Task Force – Litigating Opioid Overdose Claims
Baptist Health South Florida, June 2019 - Handling Opioid Exposure in the Emergency Room
University of Miami Health System, May 2019 - Mastering Deposition Preparation
Federal Bar Association, April 2019 - Amendment 7 and The Impact on Litigating the Big Picture
Ascension, Inc., March 2019 - Preventing Against Opioid Exposure
Florida Defense Lawyers Association, February 2019 - Navigating High Stakes Nursing Home Litigation
DRI, January 2019
- Drafting Better Incident Reports and Performing Thorough Investigations
St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Inc., October 2018 - Defending High Stakes Massive Exposure Cases
Western Litigation, August 2018 - Curtailing The Opioid Crisis
DRI, May 2018 - How the Outcome of Claims Can Be Influenced by Social Media, Wearable Devices and the Internet
Florida Society for Risk Management and Patient Safety, March 2018 - Reptile Tactics: A Defense Counsel’s Guide
Markel Corp. Underwriting and Claims Summit, March 2018 - Defending High Exposure Dental Malpractice Claims
Markel Corp. Underwriting and Claims Summit, March 2018 - Opioid Defense Task Force – Litigating Opioid Overdose Claims
MedMal Direct, Inc., November 2017 - Opioid Defense Task Force – Litigating Opioid Overdose Claims
Ascension, Inc., August 2017 - Conflicts of Interest in the Practice of Law
Chester Bedell Inn of Court, October 2016 - Social Media Discovery
Ascension, Inc., May 2015
Publications
- Landmark Decision in Ohio Finds CVS, Walgreens & Walmart Liable in Opioid Epidemic
HBS Opioid Task Force Blog, December 2021 (Read full article) - A Comprehensive Guide for Defending Opioid Claims
Jill Bechtold, JacquelynS. Clarke, John E. Hall, Jr., Stephanie R. McDonald, Jacob Raehn, Annalese Reese, Hall Booth Smith, P.C., March 2018 (Editor) - What to do if a Health Care Provider Receives a Notice of Intent to Initiate Medical Malpractice
MedMal Direct, Inc., June 14, 2014 - American Corporate Law: So You Want to Sit on The Board, Huh?
Hanks Livingston, Inc., August 1, 2010