County Attorney
Geri Bonzon-Keenan

County Attorney's Office
111 NW 1st Street, Suite 2810
Miami, Florida 33128

Public Records Custodian
Tomeka Ladson

Phone
305.375.5151

Fax
305.375.5634

Contact Us

Attorney Profile

Bernie Pastor

Practice Areas

  • Federal, Tort & Medical Malpractice Litigation

Education

  • Temple University, J.D., 1994
  • Fordham University, B.A. in Political Science and Economics, 1990

Clerkship

  • Law Clerk, Honorable John H. Moore II, United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, 1994-1996

Court Admissions

  • The Florida Bar
  • New York Bar
  • New Jersey Bar
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

Bernie Pastor

Joined the Office in 2004
Assistant County Attorney
Section Head, Federal, Tort & Medical Malpractice Litigation Section

[email protected] 305-375-1506

Bernie Pastor is a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial lawyer. He represents the County in a wide variety of litigation matters in trial and appellate courts, including federal lawsuits attacking the constitutionality of County ordinances and against the County and its employees in civil rights, wrongful death, and other tort claims. Bernie is an experienced trial lawyer, having successfully tried well over 20 federal and state court jury trials. Bernie has also handled dozens of appeals, and several oral arguments, before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Following his federal clerkship, Bernie was an associate at Holland & Knight, P.A., in Miami, from 1998 to 2001, and from 1998 to 2001, was an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami, where he served in the Economic Crimes, Major Prosecutions, and Appeals units. From 2001 to 2004, he was an associate at White and Case LLP, Miami, where he handled complex commercial, intellectual property, and labor and employment litigation, and actively participated in several internal corporate investigations.

Prior Experience

  • Associate, White & Case, LLP, Miami, 2001-2004
  • Assistant United States Attorney, Southern District of Florida, 1998-2001
  • Associate, Holland & Knight, LLP, Miami, 1996-1998

Community Involvement, Awards, & Recognition

  • Board Certified by the Florida Bar as an expert in Civil Trial
  • Advisory Committee on Rules and Procedures, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida ("Local Rules Committee"), 2004-2007; 2016-present
  • Adjunct Professor, Trial Advocacy, Florida International University College of Law, 2005-present
  • Adjunct Professor, Litigation Skills, University of Miami School of Law, 2022-present
  • Faculty, Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section's Advanced Trial Advocacy Program, 2022-present
  • Florida Bar Civil Trial Law Certification Standing Committee, 2024-present
  • National Faculty Lecturer, National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA), 2005-2019; 2023-present
  • President, Federal Bar Association (South Florida Chapter), 2012-2013; Board Member, 2011-present; National Delegate, 2013 to 2020
  • Former Member and Chair, Florida Bar Grievance Committee
  • Former Member, Florida Bar Federal Court Practice Committee
  • Recognized as a "Florida Legal Elite Government Attorney"  by Florida Trend (multiple years)
  • Frequently lectures on trial and litigation practice and evidentiary issues for the County Attorney's office in-house legal training program