W. Hampton Keen

W. Hampton Keen specializes in products liability cases. Many of the cases he handles involve automotive design and manufacturing defects, defective tires, vehicle rollovers and 15-passenger van accidents. Mr. Keen has successfully litigated against almost every international automotive and tire manufacturer. He has achieved numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients.

Mr. Keen was a part of the 2004 trial team that convinced a Florida Court to allow a claim for punitive damages against Chrysler for designing and manufacturing a 15-passenger van that the firm argued the company knew was prone to rollovers.

In 2005 and 2006, Mr. Keen represented several other clients involved in 15 passenger van cases and successfully negotiated multi-million dollar settlements on their behalf. Mr. Keen has litigated cases involving almost all areas automotive defects including defective airbags, defective tires, vehicle handling and stability, and vehicle crashworthiness. Mr. Keen has handled products liability cases around the United States, including cases in Alabama, California, Georgia, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Virginia and West Virginia.

In 2008, Mr. Keen represented a family who lost their son in a car accident after his seat belt failed. The case went to trial against Mitsubishi Motors and a jury awarded the firm clients $11Million in damages.

Before he joined Lytal, Reiter, Clark, Fountain & Williams in 1999, Mr. Keen worked at the law firm of Hill, Ward & Henderson, P.A in Tampa. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Keen worked on Wall Street in corporate finance and securities management.

Education:

J.D., With Honors, University of Florida, 1995
B.A., English & History, University of Virginia, 1988

Areas of Practice:

Commercial Litigation
Personal Injury
Products Liability
Wrongful Death

Bar Admissions:

Florida, 1995
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, 1996
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 1996
U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1996

Published Works:

Contributing Author - "Florida Civil Trial Practice", The Florida Bar ( 5th Ed., 1997; 6th Ed., 2000; 7th Ed., 2005)

Classes/Seminars Taught:

Lecturer: "Early Warning Collision Systems in Truck Cases," American Association for Justice Annual Convention, Chicago, IL, July 2007
Lecturer: Various Topics, Florida Bar Speaker's Bureau, 1997-Present
Lecturer: “How to Defeat Junk Science”, Florida Justice Association Annual Convention, 2003

Awards and Honors:

Martindale Hubbell - AV Rating

Professional Associations and Leadership Activities:

Member: American Association for Justice
Member: Florida Justice Association
Member: Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Member - Young Lawyers Division, Executive Board: Palm Beach County Bar Association
Member - Membership Committee Chairman: Palm Beach County Bar Association
Member - Student Education and Bar Examination Committee: The Florida Bar
Member - Speaker’s Bureau: The Florida Bar
Barrister - Craig S. Barnard Inn of Court
Former Senior Editor – Florida Law Review: University of Florida College of Law
Former Teaching Fellow for Appellate Advocacy: University of Florida College of Law
Former College of Law Honor Committee: University of Florida College of Law

Community Associations and Leadership Activities:

Member: YMCA Board of Trustees
Judge: Pathfinder Award for Academic Excellence, Palm Beach County School Board