Barbara J. Riesberg
Barbara J. Riesberg is an experienced litigation lawyer with over 17 years experience. Ms. Riesberg focuses her practice primarily on complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts, including trials and appeals. Her past and present clients are corporations, public entities, and individuals. Ms. Riesberg regularly litigates claims for breaches of contracts and other commercial agreements, business torts, employment issues, and property development disputes. She also counsels her clients on strategies designed to avoid protracted and costly litigation.
She has taken numerous cases to trial and conducted many evidentiary hearings. In addition, Ms. Riesberg has litigated appeals in both state and federal courts, as well as before governmental and administrative agencies. Her reported opinions include General Star Indemnity v. Cheminova America Corp., 218 F.3d 748 (11th Cir. 2000), Davis v. City of Hollywood, 120 F.3d 1178 (11th Cir. 1997), Catsimatidis v. Fleming Supermarkets of Florida, Inc., 706 So.2d 16 (Fla. 3d DCA 1997) and Dade County Police Benev. Ass’n v. City of Homestead, 642 So.2d 24 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994).
Ms. Riesberg also devotes a substantial amount of her practice to municipal law. She is currently a Special Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Medley, Florida. In addition to providing litigation services, she counsels the Town on comprehensive land use planning, amendments to the Town’s Zoning Code as well as a variety of legal issues arising on a daily basis.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Ms. Riesberg donates her time to the South Florida community. She is currently the President-Elect of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Miami-Dade County. She is also serving a 3-year term as a member of an Eleventh Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee of the Florida Bar, which investigates formal complaints against Florida lawyers. Other activities include participation in fundraising efforts on behalf of Educate Tomorrow, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and mentoring of disadvantaged children aging out of the foster care system (www.educatetomorrow.org). In addition, she has served as a pro bono guardian ad litem on behalf of children involved in custody disputes, and previously served on the Board of Directors for the Dade County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section. Ms. Riesberg also produced an acclaimed 12-part cable television series examining various perspectives on legal issues affecting adolescents.
Ms. Riesberg graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh in 1989, and obtained her law degree from Cornell Law School in 1992. She is admitted to practice before all Florida state courts, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.