Business Litigation, Divorce, and Family Trial Lawyer

Recognition in the Legal Community

• (4x) Four times elected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star, by Florida Super Lawyers Magazine (2009 to 2012)

• (14x) Fourteen times selected as a Florida Super Lawyer, by Florida Super Lawyers Magazine (2013 to Present)

• Recipient, Theodore Millison Professionalism Award, the highest honor in the Tampa family law community (2017)

• (8x) Eight times recognized by Florida Trend Magazine as one of Florida Trend’s Legal Elite (2019 to 2026)

• (6x) Six times recognized by Best Lawyers as one of Best Lawyers in America (2021 to 2026)

• (8x) Rated AV Preeminent 5.0 by Martindale-Hubbell (2019 to 2026)

Experience

Richard J. Mockler is experienced in all phases of litigation, including discovery, motion practice, evidentiary hearings, trial, and appeal.  Richard started his legal career in Miami, where he worked at two of the nation’s most prestigious national law firms.  Richard has been involved in high-stakes litigation matters for many of America’s most well-known businesses and financial institutions.  Richard has defended public companies and their officers and directors in connection with class actions lawsuits, derivative actions, and federal investigations.  Richard has worked on several matters that received national media coverage and numerous cases with more than $100 million at stake.

Richard is always prepared, he excels at cross examination, he knows the law, he is respected in the court room, and he advocates zealously for his clients.

For the first eight years of his career, Richard practiced exclusively in civil litigation involving financial disputes. Richard has represented Fortune 100 companies, banks, investment banks, securities issuers in class action, derivative action, and other complex litigation matters. In the civil arena, Richard has also handled numerous disputes involving fraud,

Since 2008, Richard expanded his practice to include family law matters.  In the family law arena, Richard devotes much of his time representing men and women in cases involving complex financial issues, high net worth divorce, disputes over the control and valuation of closely held companies, child custody disputes, relocation requests, and military divorces. Richard has handled several family law cases where one party had more than $100 million in assets, including cases involving fraud, financial crimes, and cryptocurrency. Richard has handled multiple international child abduction cases, including successfully one case where a former military officer abducted a child to the United Arab Emirates.

Richard has served on the Executive Counsel of the Family Law Section of the Hillsborough County Bar Association.  Richard was also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator for more than 12 years.  He has been selected by his peers and recognized as a Florida Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers Magazine every year since 2013.  He was previously recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star for Florida for four consecutive years.  Richard is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell since 2019, and he has been recognized as one of the Legal Elite by Florida Trend Magazine since 2019. He is also recognized by Best Lawyers as one of the best lawyers in America since 2021. In 2017, Richard was recognized by the Hillsborough County family law community when he received the Theodore Millison Professionalism Award, which is presented by the Stann Givens Tampa Family Law Inn of Court.

Education

Richard attended the University of Florida College of Law, where he graduated with honors. In 1998, he was the Chester Ferguson Scholarship Recipient.  Richard was also a member of the International Moot Court Team and participated in the William C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. Richard was selected to serve as a Teaching Assistant for Legal Research and Writing and Appellate Advocacy.

Richard was also a leader on campus, where he was elected President of the Law School's Student Bar Association.  He also served on the Executive Board of the University of Florida's Law College Council.  Prior to graduation, Richard was inducted into the Florida Blue Key leadership honorary, received the University of Florida Presidential Recognition Award, received the Levin College of Law Pro Bono Certificate, and was named the Levin College of Law 2000 Student of the Year. 

In 2002, Richard earned his Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Florida’s Graduate Tax Program.  The Graduate Tax Program is widely recognized as one of the nation's best.

Military Service

Prior to becoming an attorney, Richard served as a United States Marine with the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion in Tampa, Florida. Richard was the Battalion Embarkation Specialist prior to the Unit's mobilization to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Richard received the Navy Achievement Medal for his exemplary efforts to prepare his battalion to embark for combat.  Richard was also recognized as the Honor Graduate during his training at the Naval Expeditionary Warfare College, Atlantic.  Richard also received the Outstanding Community Service Medal, National Defense Medal, Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal, and a Marine Corps Certificate of Commendation for exemplary community service.  Richard's military experience helps him relate to military service members and families.

Reported Decisions

Federal Reported Decisions

1.      In re Saf T Lok Sec. Litig., Fed. Sec. L. Rep. P 92,680 (S.D. Fla. July 3, 2003)

2.      Nissim Corp. v. ClearPlay, Inc., et al., 351 F. Supp. 2d 1343 (S.D. Fla. 2004)

3.      In re Cygnus Telecom. Tech., LLC, Patent Lit., 385 F. Supp. 2d 1022 (N.D. Cal. 2005)

4.      In re SFBC Int’l, Inc. Sec. & Deriv. Litig., 435 F. Supp. 2d 1355 (J.P.M.L. 2006)

5.      In re SFBC Int’l, Inc. Sec. & Deriv. Litig., 495 F. Supp. 2d 477 (D.N.J. 2007)

6.      Seikaly & Stewart, PC v. Fairley, 18 F. Supp. 3d 989 (D. Ariz. 2014) 

7.      U.S. Claims OpCo LLC v. Acosta, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 129281 (M.D. Fla. Sept. 25, 2015)

8.      FTC v. Roca Labs, Inc., 345 F. Supp. 3d 1375 (M.D. Fla. 2018)

9.      Millennium Funding, Inc. v. 1701 Management, LLC, 576 F. Supp. 3d 1192 (S.D. Fla. 2021)

Florida Appellate Decisions (Civil)

1.      Black Point Assets, Inc. v. US Nat’l Bank Assoc., 254 So. 3d 353 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018)

2.      Ginsberg-Klemmt v. Citimortgage, Inc., 253 So. 3d 574 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018)

3.      Nix v. Federal National Mortgage Association, 271 So. 3d 1050 (Fla. 5th DCA 2018)

4.      Vitaliy v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 253 So. 3d 779 (Fla. 5th DCA 2018)

5.      Rivera v. The Bank of New York Mellon, 276 So. 3d 979 (Fla. 2d DCA 2019)

6.      Green Emerald Homes v. 21st Mortgage, 300 So. 3d 698 (Fla. 2d DCA 2019)

7.      Boca Stel 2, LLC v. Federal National Mortgage Association, 272 So. 3d 1262 (Fla. 2d DCA 2019)

8.      Odem v. DiTech Financial, LLC, 287 So. 3d 529 (Fla. 2d DCA 2019)

9.      Jupiter House, LLC v. Green Tree Servicing, LLC, 289 So. 3d 540 (Fla. 2d DCA 2020)

10.  Burton v. Oates, 362 So. 3d 311 (Fla. 5th DCA 2023)

Florida Appellate Decisions (Family)

1.      Deale v. Deale, 68 So. 3d 432 (Fla. 5th DCA 2011)

2.      In Re Contempt Adjudication of Weiner, 278 So. 3d 767 (Fla. 2d DCA 2019)

3.      Lifsey v. Lauder, 344 So. 3d 411 (Fla. 2d DCA 2022)

4.      R.B. v. B.T., 353 So. 3d 711 (Fla. 2d DCA 2023)

5.      Martin v. Martin, 356 So. 3d 793 (Fla. 2d DCA 2023)

6.      Rushing v. Rushing, 2025 WL 2679794 (Fla. 6th DCA Sept. 19, 2025)

7.      Rushing v. Rushing, Case No. SC2025-1814 (Fla. 2025)

8.      Jefferson v. Jefferson, Case No. 2D2024-2375 (Fla. 2d DCA 2025)

Speak with Trial Attorney Richard J. Mockler

If your case involves business litigation, business torts, complex divorce, high net worth divorce, military divorce, relocation, or another matter that requires real trial experience, Richard J. Mockler can help you understand the issues and build a strategy.

Call Mockler Leiner Law, P.A. today at (813) 331-5699 or contact us online to speak with an experienced trial attorney.