Wilson McCoy, P.A.is honored to announce that co-shareholder and co-founder, Gary Wilson, has again been named to the 2014 Florida Super Lawyers List. He was previously bestowed the honor in 2012 and 2013.
This honor is reserved for “lawyers who exhibit excellent in practice,” and it will be publicized in Florida Super Lawyers Magazine later this year, which is distributed to 45,000+ attorneys.
The Super Lawyer selection process was patented in April 2013 to distinguish it from other similar attorney vetting processes, highlighting its objective, impartial rating system. The process combines peer nominations and evaluations with independent third party research. Analysts evaluate every candidate on 12 indicators to determine, for purposes of “creating a credible, comprehensive, and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys,” which is to be used as a “resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel.” The three step vetting process is as follows:
1. Create the candidate pool.
2. Assess candidates using various research tools.
3. Use peer evaluation to winnow down the pool.
First, legal peers nominate candidates. Various mechanisms prevent attorneys from “gaming” the system and nominating prospects that really should not be on the list. The next step involves research, which is led by attorneys. Their purpose is to vet the prospect list and also to identify attorneys who might have slipped under the radar during the first pass, but who should be nominated as well.
This next step assesses lawyers based on indicators such as:
• Pro bono and community service;
• Special licenses;
• Verdicts and settlements;
• Experience;
• Honors and awards;
• Scholarly lectures.
The final step — the so-called “Blue Ribbon Review” — subjects attorneys to peer review and uses an “apples-to-apples” process, so that small law firms are compared with small law firms and big law firms are compared with big law firms.