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![]() Dennis “Denny” O’Hara Office: Miami Direct: (305) 461-8701 dohara@wickersmith.com Practice Areas: Admitted to Practice:
Allentown, Pennsylvania |
Dennis "Denny" O’HaraDennis "Denny" O’Hara Dennis M. O’Hara joined Wicker Smith in 1974 and is a Managing Partner, residing in the firm’s Fort Lauderdale and Coral Gables office. In his 30+ year career, Mr. O’Hara has served as lead counsel or sole attorney in numerous civil jury trials involving aviation law, commercial litigation, complex litigation and products liability. Mr. O’Hara has been involved in Aviation Law since the late 1970’s. Over the years, he has handled both commercial and general aviation cases, representing clients such as AIG Aviation, Allianz Aviation, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Global Aerospace, Starr Aviation, USAIRWAYS, United States Aviation Underwriters and XL Aerospace. He has been involved in major aviation air disasters, including acting as lead counsel for Valujet in the multi-district litigation for the Valujet crash in the Florida Everglades on May 11, 1996, and the Bahamas crash of the Cessna 402 carrying the entertainer, Aaliyah. He represented Delta Airlines in the January 9, 1997, Comair crash of an Embraer Air-120 outside of Detroit, Michigan. He also served as lead counsel for Chalks in the incident involving the crash of their Grumman Mallard seaplane that occurred in Miami harbor on December 19, 2005, and he was involved as counsel for Comair and Delta Air Lines in the Lexington, Kentucky crash of Comair Flight 5191, which occurred on August 27, 2006. In addition, he has served as co-counsel for US Airways in the 2014 flight 1702 crash in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has been involved in the handling of numerous general aviation matters on behalf of aircraft manufacturers, fixed base operators, and owner/operators, including the Miami Heat. In his healthcare work, he has defended healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies and other health care related clients in cases concerning issues related to wrongful death, infant death, brain damage, paralysis, surgical and nursing issues both in Pennsylvania and Florida. Mr. O’Hara serves as counsel for the Swiss Hoffmann-La Roche companies, namely F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd and Roche Holdings Ltd. He also served as counsel for NutriSystem, Inc. in the class action litigation involving over 300 lawsuits concerning the NutriSystem Weight Loss Centers. Mr. O’Hara has earned an AV® Preeminent™ rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating awarded by that organization. He has also been named among “Florida’s Legal Elite” by Florida Trend Magazine and one of the “Top Lawyers” by the South Florida Legal Guide from 2005 to 2015, as well as Florida Super Lawyers from 2006 to 2017 and Best Lawyers in America from 2007 to 2017. Mr. O’Hara was inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL) in 1999. In 2011, Mr. O’Hara was one of only six Florida attorneys named to the International Who’s Who list of Product Liability Defense Lawyers. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Muhlenberg College in 1965, Mr. O’Hara went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from Villanova University in 1968. Mr. O’Hara is a member of the Florida, Pennsylvania and Colorado Bar. He is admitted to all Florida Courts and is active in the Miami-Dade and Broward County Bar Associations, International Association of Defense Counsel, American Society of Law and Medicine, the Florida Medical Malpractice Claims Council, the Florida Defense Lawyers Association, the Defense Research Institute and is a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
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Dennis "Denny" M. O’Hara - Partner

Dennis "Denny" M. O’Hara
Partner
Email: dohara@wickersmith.com
Direct: (305) 461-8701
Offices: Miami
- Profile
- Practice Areas
- Professional Credentials
- Perspectives
Profile
Dennis M. O’Hara joined Wicker Smith in 1974 and is a Managing Partner, residing in the firm’s Fort Lauderdale and Coral Gables office. In his 30+ year career, Mr. O’Hara has served as lead counsel or sole attorney in numerous civil jury trials involving aviation law, commercial litigation, complex litigation and products liability.
Mr. O’Hara has been involved in Aviation Law since the late 1970’s. Over the years, he has handled both commercial and general aviation cases, representing clients such as AIG Aviation, Allianz Aviation, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Global Aerospace, Starr Aviation, USAIRWAYS, United States Aviation Underwriters and XL Aerospace. He has been involved in major aviation air disasters, including acting as lead counsel for Valujet in the multi-district litigation for the Valujet crash in the Florida Everglades on May 11, 1996, and the Bahamas crash of the Cessna 402 carrying the entertainer, Aaliyah. He represented Delta Airlines in the January 9, 1997, Comair crash of an Embraer Air-120 outside of Detroit, Michigan. He also served as lead counsel for Chalks in the incident involving the crash of their Grumman Mallard seaplane that occurred in Miami harbor on December 19, 2005, and he was involved as counsel for Comair and Delta Air Lines in the Lexington, Kentucky crash of Comair Flight 5191, which occurred on August 27, 2006. In addition, he has served as co-counsel for US Airways in the 2014 flight 1702 crash in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has been involved in the handling of numerous general aviation matters on behalf of aircraft manufacturers, fixed base operators, and owner/operators, including the Miami Heat.
In his healthcare work, he has defended healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies and other health care related clients in cases concerning issues related to wrongful death, infant death, brain damage, paralysis, surgical and nursing issues both in Pennsylvania and Florida. Mr. O’Hara serves as counsel for the Swiss Hoffmann-La Roche companies, namely F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd and Roche Holdings Ltd. He also served as counsel for NutriSystem, Inc. in the class action litigation involving over 300 lawsuits concerning the NutriSystem Weight Loss Centers.
Mr. O’Hara has earned an AV® Preeminent™ rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating awarded by that organization. He has also been named among “Florida’s Legal Elite” by Florida Trend Magazine and one of the “Top Lawyers” by the South Florida Legal Guide from 2005 to 2015, as well as Florida Super Lawyers from 2006 to 2017 and Best Lawyers in America from 2007 to 2017. Mr. O’Hara was inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL) in 1999. In 2011, Mr. O’Hara was one of only six Florida attorneys named to the International Who’s Who list of Product Liability Defense Lawyers.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Muhlenberg College in 1965, Mr. O’Hara went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from Villanova University in 1968. Mr. O’Hara is a member of the Florida, Pennsylvania and Colorado Bar. He is admitted to all Florida Courts and is active in the Miami-Dade and Broward County Bar Associations, International Association of Defense Counsel, American Society of Law and Medicine, the Florida Medical Malpractice Claims Council, the Florida Defense Lawyers Association, the Defense Research Institute and is a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
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Credentials
Education
- Villanova University (J.D., 1968)
- Muhlenberg College (B.A., 1965)
Practices
Professional Credentials
Admitted to Bar
- 1968, Pennsylvania
- 1972, Florida
- 1974, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida including Trial Bar
- 1992, State of Colorado
Honors
- Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2020
- Florida Super Lawyers, 2006-Present
- International Who’s Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers, 2011-2017
- South Florida Legal Guide “Top Lawyers”, 2005-2015
- Daily Business Review’s Most Effective Lawyer, 2007-Finalist
- Benchmark Litigation’s “Litigation Stars”, Commercial Litigation & Products Liability, 2010-2011
- Top Defense Lawyer in Florida by Florida Trend Magazine, 2004
- Florida Trend Magazine’s “Florida Legal Elite”, 2005 & 2006
Professional Affiliations
- Member – The Florida Bar; Colorado Bar and Pennsylvania Bar
- American Bar Association
- Broward County, Dade County and Lehigh County Bar Associations
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers – Board of Directors
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers – Long Range Planning Committee
- Florida Medical Malpractice Claims Council
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- American Society of Law & Medicine
- Florida Defense Lawyers Association
- Defense Research Institute
- Special Magistrate Village of Key Biscayne, FL
Perspectives
- WICKER SMITH ATTORNEYS RECOGNIZED BY BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA® 2024: 17 NEW HONOREES
- WICKER SMITH ATTORNEYS NAMED TO 2023 FLORIDA SUPER LAWYERS LIST
- WICKER SMITH ATTORNEYS RECOGNIZED BY BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA® 2023
- 16 Wicker Smith Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers in America® 2022
- 11 Wicker Smith Attorneys Named Among 2021 Florida Super Lawyers And Rising Star Lists
- 13 Wicker Smith Attorneys Recognized By Best Lawyers In America© 2021
- Wicker Smith Ranked Among Top 10 in Florida Trend Magazine’s 2020 “Biggest Law Firms In Florida”
- Twelve Wicker Smith Attorneys Recognized by 2020 Florida Super Lawyers
- Wicker Smith Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© 2020
- 12 Wicker Smith Attorneys Named 2019 Florida Super Lawyers
- Eight Wicker Smith Partners Listed in the Best Lawyers In America© 2017
- Three Wicker Smith Lawyers Receive “2017 Lawyer of the Year” Distinction by Best Lawyers In America©
- Wicker Smith Announces New Shareholders and Firm Partners
- Wicker Smith Receives 2014 Best Lawyers in America
- Wicker Smith Announces New Shareholder and Firm Partners