Biography - Barry Rigby

I attended the University of Florida.  I received my B.A. degree from the University of Florida in December, 1983, and my law degree from UF in May, 1986.  I was admitted to The Florida Bar in October, 1986.  I am also admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the U.S. Court of Appeal for the 11th Circuit.

My first position after law school was working as an analyst in the Florida House of Representatives.  In that position, I learned a tremendous amount, not just about the creation of the statutory laws, but about the need to be responsive and helpful to the public.  I moved to Orlando in 1988 to take a position with the Office of the State Attorney.  I left to go into private practice the next year.  My practice, first with a firm and then solo, consisted of construction law, commercial litigation, family law, criminal defense, and estate planning.  My practice was a general practice, and I handled many types of legal matters.  I have never been a personal injury or employment lawyer, though I have friends who practice in those areas and to whom I refer such matters.

In 1994, I closed my practice to take a position with The Florida Bar, when its first unlicensed practice of law prosecution position was created in Orlando.  I was with The Florida Bar for over eight years, working in its Orlando office first, then serving as chief counsel in its Ft. Lauderdale office, and finally rising to the position of chief discipline counsel in its Tallahassee headquarters.  My experience with The Florida Bar included unlicensed practice of law, lawyer regulation, and ultimately oversight of various departments and committees from its Tallahassee headquarters.

I returned to private practice in Orlando in 2003.  I see myself as having two law practices.  My "boutique" practice is attorney related.  It focuses on representing attorneys who have been the subject of a grievance, providing ethical guidance to lawyers, and assisting applicants for admission to The Florida Bar.  I also maintain a general litigation practice, handling cases in the areas of family law, commercial and business litigation, and contract disputes. 

I believe in giving back to the community and to the legal profession.  I’ve volunteered as a guardian ad litem in dependency cases, and I’ve served on several Florida Bar committees and local community boards.  I'm currently president of the North Orlando Kiwanis Club and I serve on the Salvation Army Board for Orlando.  I believe that I've been blessed to be able to live and work in the United States, the State of Florida and the City of Orlando.  My life has been good, and I want to help others' lives be better, both through my work as an attorney and through my civic involvement.