WMW — PROVIDING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AND PASSION SINCE 1967
A civil trial lawyer since 1983, Alan Wagner brings an extensive and unusual skill set to his partnership in the firm. True to the firm’s dedication to plaintiffs’ rights, his experience plays a vital role in helping clients get the justice they deserve.
Alan has distinguished himself as a courtroom lawyer, with recognized experience in handling claims of legal malpractice, medical malpractice, professional negligence, products liability, bad-faith litigation, complex commercial disputes, and toxic torts. Alan became a partner in the firm in 1994 and has served as President of Wagner, McLaughlin & Whittemore since 2003. His exceptional skills and competence have guided and fueled the practice’s growth and success over the decades.
Alan has successfully sued doctors, lawyers, hospitals, nursing homes, airlines, cruise lines, accountants, realtors, architects, famous magicians and rock stars, airlines, car companies, construction companies, and many others who, through negligence, have caused harm to his clients – his experience is that vast and varied. One of his key areas of expertise is the examination of expert witnesses, frequently a difficult yet critical component in personal injury litigation. Consistently voted by his professional peers for inclusion on U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Lawyers” lists, in plaintiff’s legal, medical, and professional malpractice, he has honed through decades of experience a reputation for general excellence in trial advocacy.
Like every member of Wagner, McLaughlin & Whittemore, Alan takes his legal and ethical obligations to his clients seriously, and he expects all colleagues in the broader profession to do the same. He is not afraid to sue other lawyers when their negligent actions or failures to act have caused harm to clients. Alan believes, and passionately so, that attorneys are privileged to earn and hold the trust of their clients; attorneys who violate that trust need to be held accountable.
Alan’s proficiency and skill are reflected in his leadership roles, professional honors, and numerous memberships. He served as president of the Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association during 2020-2021 and has served on its board of directors from 2007 to the present time. In 2005, he was inducted as a fellow of the prestigious and distinguished American College of Trial Lawyers, considered the premier professional trial organization in America. Additionally, he was appointed by the Florida Supreme Court to serve two six-year terms on the Florida Standard Jury Instructions Committee (Civil). He is board-certified as a Civil Trial Lawyer by both The Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
On the personal side, Alan holds both single and multiengine pilot’s licenses and is a dedicated husband and father. His wife, Deborah, is the founder and director of Tampa Bay’s Child, Inc., a local nonprofit organization that links impoverished children with sponsors from the community, a journalist, and ten-year member of the St. Pete Times Editorial Board. The couple are avid boaters, and Captain Wagner is well-versed in all matters marine! He has two wonderful grown “children,” both graduates of Rice University: his son Alex, a software engineer who lives in Denver with his wife Stefanie and their two Australian shepherds, Varly and Gru; and his daughter, Natalie, a senior scientist with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, who lives in New York City with her husband, Mick, and their goldendoodle, Ollie.
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