Michael F. Guilford

Mr. Guilford was born and raised in Coral Gables, Florida and is a third generation Miamian. Mr. Guilford enjoys outdoor activities including motorcycle riding, offshore fishing, scuba diving and hiking. Mr. Guilford attended the prestigious Ransom preparatory school and graduated from Florida State University with a double undergraduate major in Finance and Economics. Thereafter, Mr. Guilford attended the University of Miami School of Law where he was a member of the Student Senate and was president of the Student Bar Association. Mr. Guilford is a member of Iron Arrow, the "Highest Honor Attained" at the University of Miami.

From 1985 to 1991 Mr. Guilford was a member of the Law Firm of Patton & Kanner where he defended ship-owners, charterers and cruise lines in crew member litigation including Jones Act, Unseaworthiness and Maintenance and Cure claims and passenger personal injury claims.

From 1991 to 1997 Mr. Guilford was Vice President and assistant General Counsel of Scandinavian Marine Claims Office, the North American arm of Scandinavian Underwriters Association. In this position he was working directly for underwriters/insurers both actively handling and overseeing outside counsel on crew member, passenger, personal injury and physical damage/Hull & Machinery claims.

From 1997 to the present Mr. Guilford has been the founding partner of Michael F. Guilford, P. A. and during this period was also a founding partner of Guilford & Rash, P. A. where he has focused his practice primarily on representing injured crew members and passengers against the major cruise lines and ship owners throughout Florida and the United States.

Mr. Guilford is one of a very few admiralty trial lawyers who has worked for a defense firm representing cruise lines and in house for the cruise lines' insurers and therefore knows from the inside how cruise lines and their insurance companies handle these claims and uses that knowledge to obtain the very best results for his clients.

Mr. Guilford is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale, a rating acquired by only 5% of all attorneys. The rating indicates he has reached the height of professional experience and is recognized by his peers for the highest levels of skill and integrity. Mr. Guilford has been a member of The American Association for Justice since 1999, is a member of the Florida Justice Association, and the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, has been the vice chair of the ABA Admiralty Committee and is currently a member of the Florida Bar Admiralty Committee. Mr. Guilford has been a frequent guest lecturer on seaman's rights, including at both the University of Miami and the Direccion General De La Marina Mercante De Honduras.

In addition to Mr. Guilford's professional activities he is a member of the University of Miami Citizens Board, a past member of the University of Miami Law School Alumni Association Board of Directors, an adult advisor to Boy Scout Troop 457 and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Alma Jennings Foundation.

Mr. Guilford is a member of the Florida Bar, The United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern District of Florida and has appeared before the District Courts of the Southern District of New York and the Western District of Washington as well as the Florida District Courts of Appeal and the Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals for the 2nd, 9th, and 11th Circuits.