Duane is Of Counsel with Shumaker and also serves as a Legal Skills Professor and Director of Advocacy at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Drawing on more than 30 years of practice, he continues to represent clients in state and federal appellate courts and to advise trial lawyers on appellate strategy, preservation of error, and complex legal issues arising before, during, and after trial.
Duane has been actively involved in every aspect of Florida's appellate community, including service in the following roles:
- Member of the Executive Council and former Chair of the Appellate Practice Section of The Florida Bar, a 1,700-member organization of lawyers and judges devoted to promoting excellence in appellate practice
- Past Chair of The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Certification Standing Committee
- Past and current member of The Florida Bar Appellate Court Rules Committee, serving from 2012 to 2018 and again from 2024 to the present
- Host of the legal podcast Issues on Appeal, which explores appellate practice through interviews with members of Florida's appellate community
At the University of Florida, Duane teaches legal writing and advocacy and directs programs designed to develop students' practical advocacy skills. Before joining the UF faculty, he taught law-related courses at St. Petersburg College continuously for more than 25 years.
Duane also serves as a volunteer arbitrator for The Florida Bar, assisting clients and lawyers in resolving attorney-fee disputes. He has been married to his high school sweetheart for more than 35 years and is the proud father of two daughters.
Education
J.D., with high honors, Order of the Coif, Editor-in-Chief, Florida Law Review, University of Florida, 1994
B.A., with high honors, University of Florida, 1991
Professional and Community Affiliations
- The Florida Bar, Appellate Court Rules Committee, Member, 2024-present
- The Florida Bar, Appellate Practice Certification Standing Committee: Member, 2018-2024; Chair, 2022-2023
- The Florida Bar, Appellate Practice Section: Executive Council, 2018-present; Immediate Past Chair, 2017-2018; Chair, 2016-2017; Chair Elect, 2015-2016; Vice Chair, 2014-2015; Secretary/Treasurer, 2013-2014; Executive Council, 2012-2013; CLE Coordinator, 2011-2013
- The Florida Bar, Appellate Rules Committee: Vice-Chair of Internal Operations Committee, 2017-2018; IP Chair and Parliamentarian, 2014-2015; Member, 2012-2018
- The Florida Bar, Fee Arbitration Program: Arbitrator, 2005-present
- The Florida Bar, Grievance Committee (13th Circuit): Chair, 2006; Investigating Member, 2003-2005
- Hillsborough County Bar Association, Chair, Appellate Practice Section, 2008-2010
Honors
- Board Certified Appellate Specialist, 2007-present
- AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Best Lawyers in America, Appellate Practice, 2020-2026
- Florida Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine, 2017-2026
- Florida Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine, 2020, 2021
- Florida Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine, 2009
Representative Matters
- Represented an individual in connection with a dispute over the validity of service of process at both the Florida Second District Court of Appeal and the Florida Supreme Court, with a result favoring the client and creating new law in Florida on this issue
- Represented a private government contractor defending a Federal False Claims Act charge in the federal district court, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court
- Represented a top-tier surety company in a performance bond default on a high-rise condominium building with over $100 million dollars of potential exposure
- Represented a top-tier surety company in a performance bond default on a $20 million dollar golf course development project
- Represented a class of displaced workers in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) Act class-action against a military defense contractor and obtained a successful result after a non-jury trial in federal district court