ABOUT GEORGE

​George Kagan is a legend of Florida workers' compensation. His writing and wit are known by lawyers across the state and he has been a leader in the Bar, education, and appellate practice. 

Accomplishments: 

• Named among the "Top 100" of all Florida ‘Super Lawyers’ for two years and among Florida’s 31 ‘Super Lawyers’ in W.C.  for 2020 (16th year).•    

• Received Martindale-Hubbell’s ‘40th Anniversary “AV--Preeminent” rating (Highest Possible Peer Review Rating in Legal Ability & Ethical Standards) 

• Received special Martindale-Hubbell Judicial Recognition AV rating.

• Best Lawyers in America: continuous inclusion for over 20 years. 

• 2019 national winner, WorkCompCentral Comp Laude® Award ‘With Honor’ – Defense Attorney Category. Named in 2018 and again in 2019 as one of six national finalists for this award. 

• 2019 finalist for WorkCompCentral’s Comp Laude®  People’s Choice Award for the presentation “The Admiral and I.”

• Also new, for 2019 -- and just announced for 2020:  H. George Kagan P.A. is designated one of only seven law firms in Florida to receive U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Law Firms for Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers.” (His former firm, MKRS Law, is another of the seven.)

• Past national chair, Workers’ Compensation Committee of DRI: Voice of the Defense Bar, and while there:

  • Originated (and current cochair), National Workers' Compensation Review, now in its 14th year (11 years at Florida’s WCI Conference)

  • Authored ‘The Big-Ticket Medical Benefits Lottery -- A Call for Clarity’ nationally published in DRI’s principal journal ‘For the Defense,’ June 2009.

• Elected, Chair of The Florida Bar’s Workers’ Compensation Section, there, he founded and served as Editor-in-Chief (7 years); The Workers’ Compensation Section News & 440 Report.

• Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation, 1988-2023; Vice Chair, inaugural Florida Bar Board of Worker’s Compensation Certification, 1988.

• Inductee, inaugural class, Florida Workers’ Compensation Hall of Fame, 2012.  

• Inducted as a Fellow, American Bar Association’s College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, 2010.

• Included among Corporate Counsel Magazine’s ‘Best Lawyers.’

• Named among Florida Trend's ‘Legal Elite’ for Appellate work.

• Designated one of Florida's Top Lawyers by Florida Monthly.

• Included; South Florida Magazine’s ‘Top Lawyers.’

• Recognized as among “the top 1% most endorsed on @LinkedIn in United States for Workers Compensation.” 

• George was appointed

• o    By the president of the Florida Bar as Florida Bar Workers' Compensation Rules Committee chair

• o    By the president of the Florida Bar as Vice Chair of its (inaugural) Workers' Compensation Board Certification Committee

• o    By the Governor of Florida as member, Statewide Nominating Committee.

• He has for 25 years served as Steering Committee member of the National Workers’ Compensation Institute (NCI) (formerly FWCI), which puts on the annual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference, now in its 68th year. 

• George is particularly proud of the following three appointments: 

  • Appointed by the Chief Judge of Florida's 15th Judicial Circuit, the renowned Jack Cook, as his successor-President of the Craig S. Barnard Chapter of the American Inns of Court, 1994-1995, a national legal society aimed at elevating the practice and professionalism of bench and bar.

  • Selected by Florida's First District Court of Appeal as its district-wide "attorney-representative" to the Conference of State District and Supreme Courts, 1999.

  • Invited to speak at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Florida Bar special memorial ceremony honoring the memory and professionalism of the late Miami-Dade Circuit and Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal Judge (originally Judge of Compensation Claims) Wilke D. Ferguson.

• A frequent lecturer, George presented foundational topics such as

  • Legal Management in Catastrophic Cases, national IRSG (Insurance Rehabilitation Study Group) conference, Fort Lauderdale Florida, May 2017

  •  ‘Medical benefits,’ ‘Attorney’s Fees,’ ‘Death Benefits’ and other topics from year to year at the annual ‘The Forum’ Florida Bar Board Certification Course, tied to the WCCP Claims Professionals CWCL Certification course (for some 14 years overall). 

• He remains co-chair, and annual presenter, at the National Workers’ Compensation Review, which he founded and where in 2016 and again in 2017 he presented in a joint special session on “Wither the grand bargain/Constitutional crisis in Worker’s Compensation and on ‘Faith Based Claims,’ a unique annual presentation of the NWCR.

• George is also proud of having received the 1994 Friends of 440 Award, as distinguished defense attorney honoree for the year, and The Bud Adams’ Award for professionalism a few years earlier.  

• George received his J.D. degree from the University of Miami in 1975 and his B.A. from the University of South Florida in 1972.  He recalls the pivotal moment in his (future) career, when he had to decide between an offer of an Assistant State’s Attorney position extended him by Janet Reno following his internship under her, or going to work for H. Jack Miller and Dick Hodges in their boutique WC practice: he has never regretted his choice.