Florida Evidence and Procedure

Ervin A. Gonzalez was a partner at the firm of Colson Hicks Eidson, in Coral Gables, Florida. He was  board certified as a specialist in civil trial law (personal injury and wrongful death cases) and business litigation law by The Florida Bar and The National Board of Trial Advocacy.

Mr. Gonzalez was a former Governor of The Florida Bar and served on its executive committee and long range planning committee. He was a member of the National Board of Trustees of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) and an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He was Past President of the Dade County Bar Association, Past President of the Dade County Trial Lawyers Association, and a former Director of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers. 

Mr. Gonzalez also served as a member and Subcommittee Chairman for the Florida Bar's Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure. In 2009, Mr. Gonzalez was appointed by a Federal Judge to serve on the Plaintiff's Steering Committee for Chinese Drywall Litigation, and in 2010 Gonzalez was again appointed by a Federal Judge to serve on the Plaintiff's Steering Committee for the BP Oil Spill Litigation.  Mr. Gonzalez was an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law for the trial skills litigation program. He graduated from University of Miami School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 1985, cum laude.

Patrick S. Montoya is a partner at the firm of Colson Hicks Eidson, in Coral Gables, Florida. He is a trial lawyer whose practice includes products liability, personal injury litigation, aviation law, construction law and toxic torts, class actions and commercial litigation. Mr. Montoya has won clients numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements that not only compensate his clients for the wrong they suffered, but also bring effective change to the laws that protect society.

He frequently lectures on a variety of legal topics at continuing legal education programs such as: electronic discovery, how to take a winning deposition, trial themes, demonstrative evidence, effective cross examination, mass torts and MDLs, among other topics.
Mr. Montoya currently serves as a Director of the Dade County Bar Association, is past-President of the Miami Inns of Courts Chapter and has received numerous honors and awards, including “Top Up & Comer in South Florida,” South Florida Legal Guide from 2009 – 2013, and Florida Rising Stars by SuperLawyers from 2010 – 2017.

He graduated from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, and received his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, graduating cum laude.