Jonathan Strickland Coleman is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney with more than three decades of experience representing clients in complex commercial litigation, securities disputes, and high-stakes class actions in both state and federal courts across the country.
Jonathan has earned a reputation for his scholarly legal approach, exceptional advocacy, and deep understanding of regulatory, corporate, and fiduciary matters. He is admitted to practice before multiple federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
Jonathan’s litigation experience spans matters involving securities fraud, unfair trade practices, business torts, fiduciary duty, and multi-jurisdictional class actions. His background in academia and appellate strategy provides a unique advantage in cases requiring extensive legal analysis, briefing, and argument.
He is widely published, having authored and co-authored numerous legal articles on topics including contingent fee recovery, non-compete enforcement, fiduciary duties under federal securities laws, and Florida’s flexibility theory of damages. His work has appeared in the Florida Bar Journal, Securities Regulation Law Journal, AFTL Journal, and others.
Jonathan has received multiple distinctions for his academic excellence and advocacy, including:
- Order of the Coif
- Finalist and Semi-Finalist placements in national moot court competitions
- Multiple American Jurisprudence Awards (Contracts I, Jurisprudence, Conflicts of Law)
He has also served as an instructor of Securities Law at St. Petersburg College and of French and History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and remains active in legal education and mentorship.
Education
- University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D., with honors, 1988
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ph.D., with honors, 1995; M.A., with honors, 1992
- University of Richmond, B.A., with high honors, 1982
- Institut d’Etudes Européenes and Université de Paris-IV (Sorbonne) – France
Admissions
- Florida, 1989
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- United States Supreme Court
Memberships
- Hillsborough County Bar Association, Appellate Practice Section
- Sarasota County Bar Association
- Young Lawyers Division, President-Elect (1991–1992), Director (1990–1991)
- Distinguished Service Award recipient (1991)
- American Bar Association
- Sarasota Ballet – Former Secretary
- Sarasota Opera – Former Board of Directors
- Member of St. Petersburg Yacht Club
- Member of Penn Club of New York
- Member of National Society Sons of the American Revolution
- Jonathan S. Coleman, Arbitration Watch: Using the “Party Arbitrator” System to your Client’s Best Advantage (2012)
- Jonathan S. Coleman, Understanding and Applying Florida’s Flexibility Theory of Damages (2006)
- Jonathan S. Coleman, Equity Indexed Annuities: “Securities,” or Exempt Insurance Products Under the Federal Securities Laws? (2006)
- Jonathan S. Coleman, Judicial Activism, Gartenberg, and Fiduciary Duty Under the Investment Company Act of 1940: Improper Legal Standards and Excessive Fee Claims (2005)
- Jonathan S. Coleman, Bitter Fruit From Poisoned Trees: Congressional Protectionism and Securities History (2004)
- Jonathan S. Coleman, How to Maximize Contingent Fee Recovery in Commercial Litigation Cases, AFTL Journal 357 (June 1992)
- Jonathan S. Coleman, Florida Adopts the Lodestar Method of Setting Fees in Estate Cases, Florida General Practice Journal XV/2 (Spring 1992)
- Jonathan S. Coleman, Assessment of Costs by Florida State Courts and Federal Courts Sitting in Florida, Florida General Practice Journal XV/2 (Spring 1992)
- Jonathan S. Coleman, Florida Adopts the Lodestar Method of Setting Fees in Estate Cases, AFTL Journal (January 1992)
- Jonathan S. Coleman (Co-author with Gayle Coleman), Recent Changes in Florida’s “Restraint of Trade” Statute Impacts Non-Compete Agreements, Florida General Practice Journal XV/1 (Fall 1991)