Brian W. Leeds

Brian Leeds is an attorney at Vernis & Bowling of North Florida, P.A., in Jacksonville, Florida. He represents clients in complex insurance and business litigation matters.

Born and raised in Gloucester City, New Jersey, Brian attended Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine, where he served as Delta Company Commander and graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering. He immediately put his degree to work and spent nearly two decades in the offshore oil and gas industry, working in the Gulf of America, South America, the UK North Atlantic, and Asia, including several years serving as Chief Engineer licensed by the United States Coast Guard on state-of-the-art, deep water, dynamically positioned drilling vessels. During that time, he gained invaluable experience analyzing and solving complex technical problems with mechanical, electrical, electronic, and hydraulic systems.

Today, Brian’s practice is focused primarily on complex construction defect litigation representing building contractors and other construction professionals. He also enjoys defending clients in bodily injury lawsuits, including premises liability, negligent security, and wrongful death cases, as well as business and commercial disputes and other general civil-liability matters. His engineering background gives him a practical understanding of structures, systems, and construction processes, not merely how they are described in pleadings and expert reports. His background and experience allows him to understand and evaluate technically complex claims, identify critical issues, and develop effective litigation strategies grounded in the facts and the governing law.

Brian brings a relentless work ethic to every case, and he takes pride in being responsive to his clients, candid in his assessments, and persistent in pursuing the most effective path to resolution while remaining fully prepared to try the case if necessary.