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Oscar J. Cabanas


Oscar J. Cabanas
Office: Miami  
Direct: (305) 461-8710
ocabanas@wickersmith.com

Practice Areas:
  • Healthcare
  • Transportation
  • Professional Liability
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Products Liability

  • Admitted to Practice:
    • 1984, Illinois; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois and U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
    • 1985, Florida; U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
    • 2004, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
    Education:
    • University of Miami (J.D., 1984)
    • Northwestern University (B.A., 1981)
    Born:  

    Havana, Cuba


    Oscar Cabanas

    Oscar Cabanas

    Oscar J. Cabanas is a managing partner of the firm and works in the Miami office of Wicker Smith where he has been a shareholder since 1999. He holds an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell and focuses his practice in healthcare, professional liability, products liability, commercial litigation, and transportation. Mr. Cabanas has been honored as Best Lawyers in America’s® Miami Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year” in 2022 and 2018 and American Board of Trial Advocate’s Miami Chapter “Defense Lawyer of the Year” in 2020.

    Mr. Cabanas is admitted to practice in Florida before the Southern and Middle District Federal Courts and in Illinois before the Northern District Federal Court and the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. He was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of USLAW NETWORK, Inc. and named Membership Management Director to the organization in 2021.  He has held various leadership positions in a number of professional organizations including the American Board of Trial Advocates, where he served as past president and executive committee member to the Miami chapter and additionally served on the organization’s national board of directors. Mr. Cabanas has also held section-chair and vice-chair positions within the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. From 2019 to 2022, he served as Chair of the Trial Tactics and Procedure Section for the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel and now serves as Chair Emeritus. He is an active member of USLAW NETWORK, Inc.

    Mr. Cabanas received his Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University in 1981 and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami in 1984. He was born in Havana, Cuba and is fluent in Spanish, helping him further serve the diverse jurisdictions in South Florida from West Palm Beach to Key West.

    Professional & Civic Affiliations
    • American Bar Association
    • American Society for Healthcare Risk Management
    • American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
      • Defense Lawyer of the Year, 2020
      • Representative, National Board, 2016-Present
      • Executive Committee, Member
      • Past President, 2010
    • American Hospital Association
    • Cuban American Bar Association
    • Dade County Bar Association
    • Defense Research Institute
    • Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), 2006-Present
      • Chair Emeritus, 2022- present
      • Section-Chair, The Trial Tactics Section, 2019-2022
      • Vice-Chair, The Trial Tactics Section, 2016-2019
    • Florida Defense Lawyers Association
    • Florida Hospital Association
    • Litigation Counsel of America
      • Senior Fellow, 2017
    • Transportation Lawyers Association
    • USLAW Network, Inc.
      • Executive Committee, Membership Management Director, 2021
      • Board of Directors, Member, 2019-Present
      • Vice Program Chair, Professional Liability, 2019 Fall Conference
    Honors
    • Recipient, Best Lawyers in America®, Miami Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year”, 2022
    • Listed, Florida Super Lawyers, Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Defense, 2021
    • Recipient, Best Lawyers in America®, Miami Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year”, 2018
    • Panelist, USLAW NETWORK Roundtable, “Resolution Strategies in the Covid-19 World” (June 12, 2020)
    • Recipient, American Board of Trial Advocates, Defense Lawyer of the Year, 2020
    • Listed, 10 Best Attorneys, American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2017
    • Listed, Best Lawyers in America®, Medical Malpractice Law, 2015-Present
    • Faculty, Dade County Bar Association, Superstars at Trial, 2015-2016
    • Listed, America’s Top 100 Attorneys®, Florida (Southern), Lifetime
    • Listed, Florida Super Lawyers, 2007-Present
    • Listed, Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite, Civil Trial, 2010-2011, 2013, 2015
    • Invited Faculty, Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies, 2013
    • Invited Faculty, Masters in Trial, American Board of Trial Advocates, 2013
    • Listed, Super Lawyers Business Edition, 2011-2012
    Speeches
    • Panelist for USLaw Roundtable, “Resolution Strategies in the Covid-19 World” (June 12, 2020)
    • Presenter, “Ethics for Claims Professionals”, The Doctors Company, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (November 7, 2018)
    • Speaker, “Dissecting and Understanding the Tripartite Relationship”, 2018 USLAW Network Professional Liability Exchange In Cooperation With The Insurance And Risk Management Practice Group, May 2018
    • Presenter, “Defending Negligent Premises Security Claims”, Orlando PLRB Conference, April 2018
    • Presenter, Baptist Health South Florida, “The Importance of Documentation In The Electronic Medical Record”, October 2017
    • Presenter, “Trends in Negligent Security Defense: A Trial Lawyer’s Guide to Winning The Case”, Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Winter Meeting, Charleston, North Carolina, 2017
    Publications
    • Author, “What’s So Special About Special Damages”, FDCC Trial Tactic Blog, June 2017
    • Co-author, “Attacking ‘Fake Bills’ In Personal Injury Cases”, FDCC Insights, September 2017
    • Co-presenter, “The Good Fight Against Bad Medical Expenses”, FDCC Summer Meeting, Montreux, Switzerland, 2017

    Oscar J. Cabanas - Partner

    Oscar Cabanas Low res

    Oscar J. Cabanas

    Partner

    Email: ocabanas@wickersmith.com

    Direct: (305) 461-8710

    Fax: None

    Offices: Miami  

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    • Profile
    • Practice Areas
    • Professional Credentials
    • Perspectives

    Profile

    Oscar J. Cabanas is a managing partner of the firm and works in the Miami office of Wicker Smith where he has been a shareholder since 1999. He holds an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell and focuses his practice in healthcare, professional liability, products liability, commercial litigation, and transportation. Mr. Cabanas has been honored as Best Lawyers in America’s® Miami Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year” in 2022 and 2018 and American Board of Trial Advocate’s Miami Chapter “Defense Lawyer of the Year” in 2020.

    Mr. Cabanas is admitted to practice in Florida before the Southern and Middle District Federal Courts and in Illinois before the Northern District Federal Court and the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. He was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of USLAW NETWORK, Inc. and named Membership Management Director to the organization in 2021.  He has held various leadership positions in a number of professional organizations including the American Board of Trial Advocates, where he served as past president and executive committee member to the Miami chapter and additionally served on the organization’s national board of directors. Mr. Cabanas has also held section-chair and vice-chair positions within the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. From 2019 to 2022, he served as Chair of the Trial Tactics and Procedure Section for the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel and now serves as Chair Emeritus. He is an active member of USLAW NETWORK, Inc.

    Mr. Cabanas received his Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University in 1981 and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami in 1984. He was born in Havana, Cuba and is fluent in Spanish, helping him further serve the diverse jurisdictions in South Florida from West Palm Beach to Key West.

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    Credentials

    Education

    • University of Miami (J.D., 1984)
    • Northwestern University (B.A., 1981)

    Practices

    • Commercial Litigation
    • Healthcare
    • Products Liability
    • Professional Liability
    • Transportation

    Professional Credentials


    Admitted to Bar

    • 1984, Illinois; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois and U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
    • 1985, Florida; U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
    • 2004, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida

    Honors

    • Recipient, Best Lawyers in America®, Miami Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year”, 2022
    • Listed, Florida Super Lawyers, Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Defense, 2021
    • Recipient, Best Lawyers in America®, Miami Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year”, 2018
    • Panelist, USLAW NETWORK Roundtable, “Resolution Strategies in the Covid-19 World” (June 12, 2020)
    • Recipient, American Board of Trial Advocates, Defense Lawyer of the Year, 2020
    • Listed, 10 Best Attorneys, American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2017
    • Listed, Best Lawyers in America®, Medical Malpractice Law, 2015-Present
    • Faculty, Dade County Bar Association, Superstars at Trial, 2015-2016
    • Listed, America’s Top 100 Attorneys®, Florida (Southern), Lifetime
    • Listed, Florida Super Lawyers, 2007-Present
    • Listed, Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite, Civil Trial, 2010-2011, 2013, 2015
    • Invited Faculty, Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies, 2013
    • Invited Faculty, Masters in Trial, American Board of Trial Advocates, 2013
    • Listed, Super Lawyers Business Edition, 2011-2012

    Professional Affiliations

    • American Bar Association
    • American Society for Healthcare Risk Management
    • American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
      • Defense Lawyer of the Year, 2020
      • Representative, National Board, 2016-Present
      • Executive Committee, Member
      • Past President, 2010
    • American Hospital Association
    • Cuban American Bar Association
    • Dade County Bar Association
    • Defense Research Institute
    • Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), 2006-Present
      • Chair Emeritus, 2022- present
      • Section-Chair, The Trial Tactics Section, 2019-2022
      • Vice-Chair, The Trial Tactics Section, 2016-2019
    • Florida Defense Lawyers Association
    • Florida Hospital Association
    • Litigation Counsel of America
      • Senior Fellow, 2017
    • Transportation Lawyers Association
    • USLAW Network, Inc.
      • Executive Committee, Membership Management Director, 2021
      • Board of Directors, Member, 2019-Present
      • Vice Program Chair, Professional Liability, 2019 Fall Conference

    Speeches

    • Panelist for USLaw Roundtable, “Resolution Strategies in the Covid-19 World” (June 12, 2020)
    • Presenter, “Ethics for Claims Professionals”, The Doctors Company, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (November 7, 2018)
    • Speaker, “Dissecting and Understanding the Tripartite Relationship”, 2018 USLAW Network Professional Liability Exchange In Cooperation With The Insurance And Risk Management Practice Group, May 2018
    • Presenter, “Defending Negligent Premises Security Claims”, Orlando PLRB Conference, April 2018
    • Presenter, Baptist Health South Florida, “The Importance of Documentation In The Electronic Medical Record”, October 2017
    • Presenter, “Trends in Negligent Security Defense: A Trial Lawyer’s Guide to Winning The Case”, Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Winter Meeting, Charleston, North Carolina, 2017

    Publications

    • Author, “What’s So Special About Special Damages”, FDCC Trial Tactic Blog, June 2017
    • Co-author, “Attacking ‘Fake Bills’ In Personal Injury Cases”, FDCC Insights, September 2017
    • Co-presenter, “The Good Fight Against Bad Medical Expenses”, FDCC Summer Meeting, Montreux, Switzerland, 2017

    Perspectives

    • WICKER SMITH FEATURED IN ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE: 70 YEARS OF UNPARALLELED SERVICE
    • WICKER SMITH ATTORNEYS RECOGNIZED BY BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA® 2023
    • WICKER SMITH O’HARA MCCOY & FORD P.A. CELEBRATES MILESTONE 70TH ANNIVERSARY
    • Oscar Cabanas Named 2021-2022 Secretary/Treasurer for USLAW NETWORK
    • 16 Wicker Smith Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers in America® 2022
    • Managing Partner Receives “Lawyer Of The Year” Distinction in the 2022 Edition Of Best Lawyers In America®
    • 11 Wicker Smith Attorneys Named Among 2021 Florida Super Lawyers And Rising Star Lists
    • Wicker Smith Video Discussions Featured in USLAW NETWORK’s Worldwide Virtual Retreat Lightning Round: 5-Minute Drill
    • 13 Wicker Smith Attorneys Recognized By Best Lawyers In America© 2021
    • Twelve Wicker Smith Attorneys Recognized by 2020 Florida Super Lawyers
    • Update: Wicker Smith’s ‘A Slice for a Life’ Effort to Aid Local Pizzerias and Healthcare Workers Continues
    • Wicker Smith Launches ‘A Slice for a Life’ Effort to Aid Local Pizzerias and Healthcare Workers
    • Wicker Smith Partners Nominated for FLABOTA’s 2020 “Trial Lawyer of the Year”
    • 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

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