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Geralyn M. Passaro

Geralyn M. Passaro

Partner

FL – Fort Lauderdale | GA – Atlanta
T: 954.689.3011 | F: 954.689.3001

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Geralyn represents clients in complex personal injury and wrongful death actions as well as commercial and complex business litigation. She has extensive experience representing directors and officers, agents and brokers, lawyers and other professionals in non-medical liability and community association matters. Geralyn’s practice includes defending clients against toxic tort, construction and trucking accident liability matters. She has handled numerous class action cases, including an arbitration that proceeded to trial.

Geralyn had more than 20 years of legal practice experience as a partner/shareholder in two different multi-office insurance defense law firms when she was recruited by Litchfield Cavo LLP to open the Firm’s new Fort Lauderdale office, in February 2009. Since then, she served as Local Office Managing Partner and acted as Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and is a Capital Partner.

Geralyn has tried more than 50 cases to verdict and serves as an arbitrator for consumer and commercial dispute matters through the American Arbitration Association.

Practices

Representative Matters

  • Gerald Waldman, Appellant, v. Waterview Towers Condominium Association, Inc., et al., Appellees. No. 4D22-2453 (Fla DCA July 2023)
  • Stevenson v. Cyprus Amax Minerals Co., et al., 6:17-cv-417-Orl-40DCI (Fla. 2018)
  • Reamco Development Corp. v 499 Corp., 992 So.2d 431, (Fla. 4th DCA 2008)
  • Dade County School Board v Radio Station WQBA, 731 So.2d 638 (Fla. 1999)
  • Bonica v Dade County School Board, 549 So.2d 220 (Fla. 3d DCA 1989)

Representative Experience

  • Prevailed on appeal after the Circuit Court found no negligence on behalf of our apartment complex owner client in a case wherein Plaintiff sustained severe injuries following an attempt to light a grill on our client’s property that resulted in a flash fire; the Appellate Court affirmed the lower court’s decision and awarded prevailing appellate fees in favor of our client.
  • Granted summary judgment for our credit union client that repossessed Claimants’ vehicles after they failed to make payments and who then alleged that our client violated Pennsylvania’s Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) by failing to provide proper notice of repossession; the Court granted Motion for Summary Judgment for our client and denied Claimants’ class action certification motion.
  • Prevailed at arbitration against Claimant’s allegation that our client violated Section 559.72(17) of the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act after receiving our client’s email during prohibited hours; the arbitrator ruled in our favor, agreeing that our client did not violate state code, and denied Claimant’s request for relief and damages.
  • Obtained affirmative of a trial court’s decision to disallow punitive damages in an action for defamation involving a condominium  association
  • Prevailed in a final arbitration hearing on behalf of a new and used car dealership client in a case involving the sale of a truck wherein Claimant filed a claim of common law fraud and a claim under Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act
  • Prevailed on a summary judgment motion in a products liability case against our talc supplier client wherein Plaintiff claimed that Decedent’s mesothelioma was caused by regular exposure to baby powder; the Court granted summary judgment in favor of our client finding insufficient contacts and held that the Florida Court lacked specific personal jurisdiction over our client
  • Obtained Motion for Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict claim on behalf of condominium association client, wherein the Plaintiff filed a derivative action against our client alleging it and its former president acted negligently and breached his fiduciary duty; the case was tried and the jury returned a verdict of $5 million