Biography

Ron Cabaniss received his B.S. from Ohio State University in 1967. After his first year of law school, he joined the Air Force and served as a pilot. After completing military service, he returned to the Ohio State University College of Law and graduated cum Iaude in 1974.

Mr. Cabaniss entered practice with the Ohio law firm of Fuller, Henry, Hodge & Snyder, where his practice ranged from ERISA compliance to business litigation. In 1976, he joined the Orlando firm of Pitts, Eubanks, Ross and Rumberger, defending personal injury actions. In 1978, Mr. Cabaniss became a founding partner of Rumberger, Kirk, Caldwell & Cabaniss where he continued the defense of serious personal injury cases, primarily representing manufacturers of automobiles and aircraft. He resigned from that firm in 1991 and founded his own firm, which eventually became known as Cabaniss, Smith, Toole & Wiggins, where he continued the defense of catastrophic personal injury cases throughout the nation.  Mr. Cabaniss resigned from that firm in September, 2009 to become a founding member of our firm.

Mr. Cabaniss' career has focused on the trial of high exposure personal injury cases for clients such as Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, Hyundai Motor America, Medtronic, Inc., and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. In March of 1999, Mr. Cabaniss was named one of Florida's Top 10 Litigators by the NATIONAL LAW JOURNAL.  This was followed in October, 1999 when Mr. Cabaniss was nationally recognized by the NATIONAL LAW JOURNAL in its article entitled 'Strategies from Ten of the Nation's Top Litigators.'  Mr. Cabaniss was again recognized in July, 2001 by the NATIONAL LAW JOURNAL and was featured as one of the nations leading litigators.

Areas of Practice

Business & Commercial Law
Complex Litigation
Federal Trial Practice
Multidistrict Litigation
State Trial Practice
Personal Injury - Defense
Premises Liability - Defense
Products Liability Law
Medical Products & Devices
Motor Vehicle Defects
Recreational Products
Toxic Torts
Certified Civil Mediator 

Admissions

Florida, 1975.
U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, 1981. 
U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1976. 
U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 1982.
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1981.
U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1981.
U.S. Supreme Court, 1982.

Education

Ohio State University College of Law, Columbus, Ohio, 1974.
J.D.
Honors: Cum Laude 

Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1967.
B.S.
Major: Business

Honors and Awards

Named one of Florida's Top 10 Litigators by the NATIONAL LAW JOURNAL, 1999.
Nationally recognized by the National Law Journal as one of the Nations Top Ten Litigators in 1999, and as one of the Nations Leading Litigators in 2001. 

Professional Associations and Memberships

United States Air Force, 1969-1973.
Product Liability Advisory Council, 1989 - Present.
American Bar Association.
Defense Research Institute.
Orange County Bar Association.

Past Employment Positions

Fuller, Henry, Hodge & Snyder, Attorney, 1974-1976.
Pitts, Eubanks, Ross and Rumberger, Attorney, 1976-1978.
Rumberger, Kirk, Caldwell, Cabaniss, Burke & Wechsler, Founding Partner, 1978-1991.
Cabaniss, Smith, Toole & Wiggins, Founding Partner, 1991-2009.