Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog : Florida Insurance Lawyer & Attorney : Merlin Law Group Law Firm : Tampa, Houston, Coral Gables, Gulfport

His government biography indicates the following:

Inspired by his father, the first African-American judge to serve as Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, Sean is driven to advocate on behalf of Floridians who don't have a voice on insurance issues.

Sean M. Shaw has been a member of the Florida Bar since 2003 and has practiced in the areas of civil, criminal and administrative litigation with an emphasis on employment law. He is admitted to practice before all Florida state courts, the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

In 2004, Mr. Shaw was appointed to serve as the Secretary of the Board of Governors for the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar. In 2005, he was reappointed by the Board to serve as a Co-Chair of its Membership Outreach Committee and was elected to the Board of Directors for the Young Lawyers Section of the Tallahassee Bar Association. That same year, Mr. Shaw was appointed to serve as vice-chair of the Minorities in the Profession Committee of the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association and as a member of the Student Education and Bar Admissions Committee of the Florida Bar.

Mr. Shaw is a member of the American Bar Association, Tallahassee Barrister's Association, Tallahassee Bar Association and National Bar Association. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Tallahassee Branch of the NAACP and chairman of its Political Action Committee. Mr. Shaw is also a member of Leadership Tallahassee XXIII.

Mr. Shaw is a Tallahassee native and graduate of Leon High School. He attended Princeton University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. Mr. Shaw then attended the University of Florida, Levin School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate. In law school, Mr. Shaw was a Florida Minority Participation in Legal Education (MPLE) Scholar and served as an extern to the Honorable Judge Stephan Mickle of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

In a press release regarding Shaw, I made the following comment:

Sean is an exceptional and professional advocate. His educational pedigree and prior experiences, including being Florida's Consumer Insurance Advocate, have prepared him well for the courtroom battles he will face.

Insurance companies are professional litigation machines. They don't delay and deny claims without having armies of lawyers trying to support those actions and decisions.

Consumers of insurance need skilled, experienced and dedicated attorneys like Sean who protect consumers and level the playing field so justice can prevail. I am fortunate to practice law with so many other attorneys with similar dedication. Sean perfectly fits our firm's culture and purpose as the Policyholder's Advocate.

I first met Sean while he worked as the Insurance Consumer Advocate, and I was impressed to see that he is a person who makes things happen and questions the status quo. He held roundtables and public inquiries on insurance related topics that had never been addressed in a public manner. He sought out and included all viewpoints on various issues. He made recommendations regarding insurance claim handling--some that I disagreed with, but not after honest discussion and debate.

Last year, he repeatedly countered attempts by the insurance industry to raise rates and lower consumer protections. Sean's writing and oral advocacy made significant differences in votes and events within the legislative process. He will continue in those endeavors this year with our firm. I  strongly urge others with concerns about the making of insurance law from a regulatory and legislative standpoint contact Sean. He will continue to be a leader of consumer interests in Florida. I expect he will continue to be a strong and influential advocate for Florida policyholders and truly feel fortunate to practice law with him.