Background

Ricardo “Rick” Duarte is the founder and managing attorney of The Duarte Firm. Previously, Rick was a Partner at an Am Law 200 law firm and worked in what is now the Miami office of a global law firm. There, he represented manufacturers in multimillion-dollar personal injury and wrongful death matters, as well as publicly and privately held companies in a wide array of business disputes throughout Florida.

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With a proven track record in high-stakes personal injury and business matters, Rick combines his large-firm experience with a client-focused, personalized approach to achieve exceptional outcomes for his clients.

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Present Day

Today, Rick devotes his personal injury practice exclusively to representing individuals and families who have been injured or killed by the negligent actions of others in matters involving car accidents, defective products, nursing homes, and injuries in public places. Rick’s extensive experience defending complex personal injury and wrongful death matters provides him with firsthand knowledge of the strategies utilized by insurance companies and defense counsel. This experience gives him a competitive edge as he advocates fiercely to seek justice and fair compensation for his personal injury clients.

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Rick also handles "business divorces" and business disputes among owners within closely held corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, and professional associations. His experience includes representing companies and individuals across an array of industries in business disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, non-compete, non-solicitation, and trade secret actions.

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Having successfully represented clients in hundreds of high-stakes personal injury cases and business disputes, Rick combines deep subject matter knowledge with invaluable insight on how both plaintiffs and defendants approach these types of cases. When you work with Rick, you gain an advocate who is relentless in pursuing your rights with a reputation for navigating even the most difficult cases with confidence and integrity.

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Personal

Rick has been recognized as a Rising Star by Florida Super Lawyers each year since 2016, as well as the Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation each year since 2024. Rick also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the Emory University School of Law where he teaches the Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques. When not practicing law, Rick enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, traveling, golfing, going to concerts, and following Florida Gator athletics.​

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Plaintiff Personal Injury Results​​*​

• $1,250,000     Trucking Accident​​​
   

• $750,000        Motorcycle Accident
   

• $300,000        Assisted Living Facility Negligence
   

• $200,000        Nursing Home Negligence
   

• $92,500          Premises Liability
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Business Dispute Results*

• Represented the owner of a health care company, and obtained an extremely favorable outcome on client's behalf, in a lawsuit alleging theft of trade secrets and confidential information in which plaintiff sought more than $8,000,000 in damages.
   

• Represented a key executive and investor of a logistics and transportation company, and secured a complete dismissal with prejudice, in a lawsuit alleging fraud and breach of fiduciary duties in which plaintiff sought more than $5,000,000 in damages.
   

• Represented the CEO of a health care company, and secured a complete dismissal with prejudice, in a lawsuit alleging breach of contract, conversion, piercing the corporate veil, and alter ego claims. In connection with the successful dismissal, the Court awarded attorneys' fees and costs in our client's favor.
   

• Represented a prominent South American agricultural company against a competitor in a lawsuit involving an alleged $15,000,000 breach of promissory note. Competitor’s alleged theories of liability included fraudulent transfer, piercing the corporate veil, as well as a number of different agency theories.
   

• Represented a national bank and obtained incredibly favorable outcome on client's behalf in a complex construction loan dispute involving numerous co-defendants in which the plaintiff sought damages in excess of $2,000,000.
   

• Obtained a complete dismissal with prejudice, in a lawsuit alleging breach of contract, fraud, conversion, and Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act violations in which the plaintiff sought more than $250,000 in damages.​​​​​​

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*Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Case results listed on this website include matters handled by our attorneys at prior firms. Every case is unique and must be evaluated on its own merits.