John Morgan (lawyer)

Last updated

John Morgan
John Morgan portrait.jpg
Morgan in 2019
Born
John Bryan Morgan

(1956-03-31) March 31, 1956 (age 68)
Lexington, Kentucky, US
Education University of Florida (BA, JD)
Occupation Personal injury lawyer
Years active1984–present
Political party Democratic (before 2017)
Independent (2017–present)
Website Official website

John Bryan Morgan (born March 31, 1956) [1] is an American attorney. He is best known as founder of personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan. [2] Politico described Morgan as "the godfather of Florida's medical marijuana amendment and a Democratic fundraiser." [3]

Contents

Biography

Morgan was born on March 31, 1956, in Lexington, Kentucky, the eldest of five children, to Ramon Morgan and Patricia Morgan. [4] When Morgan was fourteen years old, his family moved to Winter Park, Florida. [4] Morgan began working in various jobs at an early age, as his family struggled financially. [4] [2] In 1974, he entered the University of Florida, where he earned a bachelor's degree in arts in 1978. He took an 18-month hiatus selling ads to pay for his studies at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. [4] He received his Juris Doctor in 1982. While at university, he was the elected president of the Florida Blue Key society. [2] Morgan met his wife, Ultima Degnan, while studying law. They were married in May 1982. [5] Morgan and Ultima Ann Degnan have four children. [4]

Career

After graduating from law school in 1982, Morgan began his legal career at the law firm of Billings, Morgan (no relation) and Cunningham in Orlando. He left in 1985 to co-found the law firm Griffin, Morgan & Linder, a partnership that lasted three more years. According to Florida Trend , the partners differed in their views on marketing, in particular, Morgan insisted on advertising on television, which at the time was a controversial practice for lawyers. [4]

Morgan & Morgan

From 1988 to 2005, Morgan was a founding partner at Morgan, Colling & Gilbert. [2] In 1989, the law firm began aggressive advertising on television and radio to the discontent of the legal community. The company also practiced enticing top young lawyers from other law firms. [4] By the early 2000s, the firm expanded throughout Florida with 420 employees, [4] and by 2013 the company had 260 attorneys among 1,800 staffers in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Manhattan. [2]

In 2005, Morgan bought out his partners' share of the company and renamed the firm Morgan & Morgan, also adding his wife Ultima as partner. Three of his children, Matt, Mike, and Dan, eventually joined the law firm. [5]

The firm bills itself as "America's Largest Injury Law Firm." Morgan & Morgan is headquartered in Orlando. As of 2022, the law firm had over 3,000 employees, including 800 lawyers, in 49 states. [6] In 2018, the firm received over two million phone calls and signed up 500 new cases each day. That year, the firm collected $1.5 billion in settlements and spent $130 million nationwide on advertising. Morgan was one of the first lawyers to advertise in phone books and television commercials. [5]

In 2021, Morgan's law firm fired half of its marketing department. The staffing purge came in the wake of a controversial Morgan & Morgan national advertising campaign, "Size Matters," which was meant to convey the large scale of the firm, but was criticized as an inappropriate dick joke. The staffers who were fired had criticized the ad campaign's phallic implications. The firm said that no one was fired because of the controversy surrounding the campaign. [7] [8]

Morgan & Morgan has been involved in a number of notable legal cases, including the Daytona Beach Rollercoaster Incident , [9] [10] the Tampa Walgreens Sexual Harassment case, [11] a twenty-two million dollar case against Healogics Inc., [12] a major lawsuit against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 2018, [13] and a class action lawsuit against a data broker, Exactis, over a data breach. [14] [15]

In August 2022, Morgan starred in his firm commercial using the metaverse. [16]

Politics

Morgan is a prominent donor to the Democratic Party. [17] [2] He served as former President Bill Clinton's state finance chairman. [4]

He stated in November 2016 that he was considering running for Governor of Florida in the 2018 election. [18] On November 24, 2017, he announced on Twitter that he was disillusioned with the current state of American politics and was leaving the Democratic Party to register as an independent. He also criticized the Democratic National Committee for supporting Hillary Clinton before the Democratic primary was over in 2016. [19]

Morgan has been an advisor and fundraiser for Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi. [5]

Morgan donated to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. [20] Morgan gave $355,000 to the Biden Victory Fund in August 2020. [17] Morgan is close to Joe Biden's younger brother, Frank Biden. Morgan flew Frank Biden to Joe Biden's inauguration in his private jet. Morgan said he talked to Frank Biden about job opportunities at Morgan & Morgan. [17]

In January 2024, Morgan mentioned the possibility of running as an independent in Florida's 2026 gubernatorial election. [3] During an interview Politico in December 2024, Morgan said that he would run under the "Capitalist Party" if he runs for governor in 2026 and would support the legalization of marijuana and prostitution, oppose allowing transgender students to play in sports that match their gender identity, and described himself as being anti-monopoly. [21]

Medical marijuana legalization

Motivated by his younger brother Tim Morgan's paralysis and struggle with cancer, [5] Morgan has been involved in efforts to legalize medical marijuana in Florida since 2013. [22] [23] Medical marijuana appeared as 2016 Florida Amendment 2 on the November 2016 ballot. Morgan contributed to the "yes" efforts by donating $6.5 million along with television and radio advertisements personally supporting the measure. [24]

Morgan organized United for Care campaign and was involved in changing Amendment 2's language. Medical use of cannabis in Florida was legalized in 2016 by way of a constitutional amendment. Appearing on the ballot as Amendment 2, the initiative was approved with 71% of the vote. [5] Morgan and Jimmy Buffett were partners in a medical marijuana company called "Coral Reefer." [5]

2020 Florida Amendment 2

Morgan & Morgan contributed $1.5 million toward a proposed Florida constitutional amendment to raise the hourly minimum wage to $15. In particular, he pledged to spend $1 million to raise Florida's minimum wage to $15. [25] Morgan & Morgan was a major donor to the political committee Florida for a Fair Wage, [26] donating the bulk of the $4.15 million raised by the campaign. [27] In October 2019, Morgan announced that he had acquired enough signatures to get the minimum wage amendment on the ballot in November 2020. [28] The amendment passed on November 3, 2020, via a statewide referendum concurrent with other elections. The amendment sets to increase the state's hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2026. [29] [30]

Orlando Weekly reported that some employees at Morgan & Morgan made less than $15 per hour. When questioned by Orlando Weekly, Morgan said "I can tell what angle you're getting at with this story, and it's bullshit," saying that many of his call center employees start out with a $25,000 annual salary (an hourly wage of $15 an hour is equal to roughly $31,200 a year). [31] Morgan said the turnover rate for employees at his call center is very high in the first six months, but those who stick it out make an average of $35,000 a year. [31]

Philanthropy and other ventures

He is a real estate investor who has purchased land, hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers. Forbes estimates Morgan and his family are worth at least $1.5 billion [32] .

Morgan and his wife Ultima Ann Degnan were among major donors and fundraisers behind Boys Town Orlando opening and Annunciation Catholic Academy in Altamonte Springs. [4] In 2013, Morgan and his wife donated $2 million to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. [33] In 2015, the Morgans pledged $1 million [34] toward a $7.4 million Harbor House domestic abuse shelter. Among other donations are $1 million to the UF law school; and $1 million to the homeless aid nonprofit Community Resource Network; $2 million to help build the Second Harvest Food Bank's central warehouse; and $1 million toward a new Harbor House domestic violence shelter. [5]

Morgan is the founder of WonderWorks Attraction, [35] PMP Marketing Group, ClassAction.com, and Abogados.com. He is also a partner in the legal software company Litify. [36]

Publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Boxer</span> American politician (born 1940)

Barbara Sue Boxer is an American politician, lobbyist, and former reporter who served in the United States Senate, representing California from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the U.S. representative for California's 6th congressional district from 1983 until 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbie Wasserman Schultz</span> American politician (born 1966)

Deborah Wasserman Schultz is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 25th congressional district, first elected to Congress in 2004. A member of the Democratic Party, she is a former chair of the Democratic National Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Crist</span> American politician (born 1956)

Charles Joseph Crist Jr. is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 and as the U.S. representative for Florida's 13th congressional district from 2017 to 2022. Crist has been a member of the Democratic Party since 2012; he was previously a Republican before becoming an independent in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Sembler</span> American diplomat (1930–2023)

Melvin Floyd Sembler was an American diplomat who was the United States Ambassador to Italy (2001–2005), and Ambassador to Australia and Nauru (1989–1993). He has also served as chairman of the board of the Sembler Company, which develops and manages shopping centers, and co-founder of Straight, Inc., a controversial drug-treatment center. Sembler was the chairman of the Scooter Libby Legal Defense Trust, and was a co-chair of the Florida Finance Committee for Mitt Romney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Scott</span> American politician (born 1952)

Richard Lynn Scott is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who has been the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served two terms as the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pam Bondi</span> American lawyer and politician (born 1965)

Pamela Jo Bondi is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician. A member of the Republican Party, she served as Florida attorney general from 2011 to 2019, the first woman elected to the office.

Larry Elliot Klayman is an American attorney, right-wing activist, and former U.S. Justice Department prosecutor. He founded both Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch.

The Rohrabacher–Farr amendment is legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey in 2001, prohibiting the Justice Department from spending funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical cannabis laws. It passed the House in May 2014 after six previously failed attempts, becoming law in December 2014 as part of an omnibus spending bill. The passage of the amendment was the first time either chamber of Congress had voted to protect medical cannabis patients, and is viewed as a historic victory for cannabis reform advocates at the federal level. The amendment does not change the legal status of cannabis, however, and must be renewed each fiscal year in order to remain in effect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical cannabis in the United States</span>

In the United States, the use of cannabis for medical purposes is legal in 38 states, four out of five permanently inhabited U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, as of March 2023. Ten other states have more restrictive laws limiting THC content, for the purpose of allowing access to products that are rich in cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis. There is significant variation in medical cannabis laws from state to state, including how it is produced and distributed, how it can be consumed, and what medical conditions it can be used for.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Gaetz</span> American politician (born 1982)

Matthew Louis Gaetz II is an American politician and lawyer who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district from 2017 until his resignation in 2024. His district included all of Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties, and portions of Walton County. A member of the Republican Party and a self-described libertarian populist, Gaetz is widely regarded as a proponent of far-right politics as well as an ally of Donald Trump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Florida Amendment 2</span> Referendum

Florida Amendment 2, Use of Marijuana for Certain Medical Conditions, is an initiative that appeared on the November 4, 2014, ballot in the state of Florida as a citizen initiated state constitutional amendment. It received a higher percentage than the 2006 vote which raised the minimum requirement to a 3/5 majority, although it failed to pass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen Graham</span> American lawyer & politician (born 1963)

Gwendolyn Graham is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 2nd congressional district from 2015 to 2017. She is the daughter of Bob Graham, the former United States senator and governor of Florida. A Democrat, she was a candidate in the 2018 Democratic primary for Florida governor. Graham is currently assistant secretary of education for legislation and congressional affairs in the Biden administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Florida gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Florida, alongside an election to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and other state and local elections. Incumbent two-term Republican Governor Rick Scott was term-limited and could not run for a third term, and he successfully ran for Florida's Class I Senate seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Florida Amendment 2</span> Ballot measure legalizing medical marijuana

The Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, also known as Amendment 2, was approved by voters in the Tuesday, November 8, 2016, general election in the State of Florida. The bill required a super-majority vote to pass, with at least 60% of voters voting for support of a state constitutional amendment. Florida already had a medical marijuana law in place, but only for those who are terminally ill and with less than a year left to live. The goal of Amendment 2 is to alleviate those suffering from these medical conditions: cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic nonmalignant pain caused by a qualifying medical condition or that originates from a qualified medical condition or other debilitating medical conditions comparable to those listed. Under Amendment 2, the medical marijuana will be given to the patient if the physician believes that the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient. Smoking the medication was not allowed under a statute passed by the Florida State Legislature, however this ban was struck down by Leon County Circuit Court Judge Karen Gievers on May 25, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Florida</span>

Cannabis in Florida is illegal for recreational use. Possession of up to 20 grams is a misdemeanor offense, punishable by up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $1000, and the suspension of one's driver's license. Several cities and counties have enacted reforms to apply lesser penalties, however.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Moody</span> Attorney General of Florida since 2019

Ashley Brooke Moody is an American attorney and politician serving as the attorney general of Florida since January 2019. Moody previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney and a circuit court judge in Hillsborough County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikki Fried</span> American lawyer and politician (born 1977)

Nicole Heather Fried is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the chair of the Florida Democratic Party since 2023. Prior to her election as chair, Fried served as the 12th Florida commissioner of agriculture from 2019 to 2023. Fried graduated from the University of Florida in 2003. She has previously practiced various forms of law, including corporate law, foreclosure defense, and public defense. Fried has also been a prominent lobbyist for the marijuana industry in the state of Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Rescue Plan Act of 2021</span> Act to address economic effects of COVID-19

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also called the COVID-19 Stimulus Package or American Rescue Plan, is a US$1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, to speed up the country's recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. First proposed on January 14, 2021, the package builds upon many of the measures in the CARES Act from March 2020 and in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, from December.

The political positions of Ron DeSantis have been recorded from his 2012 election to the United States House of Representatives and his tenure as representative, the 2016 United States Senate election in Florida, and during his tenure as governor of Florida. DeSantis is considered a conservative Republican.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan & Morgan</span> American law firm

Morgan & Morgan is an American law firm. Founded in 1988 by John Morgan, it is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. While Morgan & Morgan was historically considered a firm focused on personal injury, medical malpractice and class action lawsuits, it also expanded practices to other areas of legal services. The firm has offices in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.

References

  1. ↑ "John Morgan". www.familysearch.org. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "John Morgan: The bombastic, omnipresent lawyer fueling Florida's 2014 election". Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Kihara, David (January 5, 2024). "Florida attorney and Dem fundraiser John Morgan floats potential run for governor". POLITICO. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Barnett, Cynthia. "Profile: John Morgan Unplugged". Florida Trend.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "50 Most Powerful People – John Morgan". Orlando Magazine. July 2, 2019.
  6. ↑ Kennedy Wynne, Sharon (October 21, 2021). "5 questions for John Morgan on law firm's jingle contest". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  7. ↑ Wolf, Colin (May 27, 2021). "John Morgan's marketing department argued over a nationwide dick joke. Half of them were later fired". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  8. ↑ Varn, Kathryn (October 7, 2021). "St. Petersburg billboards battle over whether bigger is better". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  9. ↑ Tutten, James (June 18, 2018). "Local attorney launches investigation into Daytona Beach roller coaster derailment". WFTV.
  10. ↑ Smith, Harley (June 18, 2018). "Attorney: Daytona Beach roller coaster victims may have lifelong injuries". Clickorlando.
  11. ↑ Patterson, Jeff. "Walgreens facing lawsuit in Tampa-based sexual harassment case". News Channel8.
  12. ↑ Reddan, Darcy (June 18, 2018). "Wound Care Center Operator Pays $22.5M To Settle FCA Suit". Law360.
  13. ↑ "Morgan & Morgan obtained a $13.5 million verdict – $8.5 million in punitive damages and $5 million in compensatory damages – in a case against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company". Memphis Chamber.
  14. ↑ "Legal firms file lawsuit over data breach that allegedly compromised personal data of 230 million US citizens". Indivigital. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Florida Class Action Claims Exactis Breach Affects 230 Million Americans". Law.com.
  16. ↑ Soderstrom, Alex. "Attorney John Morgan enters metaverse in new Morgan & Morgan commercial". Orlando Inno. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  17. 1 2 3 Korecki, Natasha (January 28, 2021). "'For Christ's sake, watch yourself': Biden warns family over business dealings". POLITICO. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  18. ↑ Lemongello, Steven (November 18, 2016). "John Morgan confirms he's pondering run for governor". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  19. ↑ Dixon, Matt (November 24, 2017). "John Morgan: I'm leaving Democratic party, Nelson should run for governor". Politico . Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  20. ↑ Chozick, Amy; Martin, Jonathan (September 3, 2016). "Where Has Hillary Clinton Been? Ask the Ultrarich". The New York Times. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  21. ↑ Leonard, Kimberly (December 12, 2024). "John Morgan on how he'd run for gov". Politico. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Florida medical marijuana amendment debate". FOX 13 News – Tampa Bay. October 13, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Florida medical marijuana debate (Part 1)". WESH 2 News. October 22, 2014.
  24. ↑ Richardson, Matthew (November 9, 2016). "John Morgan shares details, timeline for medical marijuana businesses". Orlando Business Journal . Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  25. ↑ Caputo, Marc (October 18, 2017). "Morgan pledges $1M for 'living wage' fight". Politico . Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  26. ↑ "John Morgan contributes another $154,000 in minimum wage campaign". Tampa Bay Times. May 11, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Orlando attorney John Morgan spent $1 million in July on Florida's fight for minimum wage". Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  28. ↑ "John Morgan says he has enough signatures to get $15 minimum wage on the 2020 ballot".
  29. ↑ "Florida Amendment 2 Election Results: Raise Minimum Wage". The New York Times. November 17, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Supermajority Vote Requirements". NCSL. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  31. 1 2 Wolf, Colin (November 2, 2017). "John Morgan is pushing for a $15 minimum wage in Florida, but some employees at his companies make less". Orlando Weekly.
  32. ↑ Kochkodin, Brandon. "Meet John Morgan, The Billionaire Lawyer Behind $350 Million A Year In Ads". Forbes. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Second Harvest takes big bite out of hunger today". Wesh. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  34. ↑ "John Morgan pledges $1M for new Central Florida Harbor House shelter". Florida Politics. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  35. ↑ "John Morgan's WonderWorks thrives in the shadow of the big theme parks".
  36. ↑ "Litify, whose tech supports law firm operations, raises $50M".
  37. ↑ You Can't Teach Hungry: Creating the Multimillion Dollar Law Firm. E.O. Painter Printing Company. 2011.

Official website

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.