Lance A. Harke

An esteemed Florida Supreme Court certified mediator, arbitrator and AV-Preeminent commercial litigator, Lance A. Harke has been practicing law in Florida for over 33 years. He is a full-time mediator and arbitrator at Upchurch Watson White & Max, Florida's leading alternative dispute resolution firm, where he helps lead their Center for National Class & Mass Actions.  He focuses on resolving difficult and complex cases involving class-action, product liability, statutory claims, employment disputes, insurance matters and general commercial litigation. He serves as a mediator and neutral in federal and state actions throughout the United States.

Prior to becoming a full time mediator, Mr. Harke served as lead counsel in dozens of high-stakes class-action lawsuits throughout the country, including several of the most discussed and significant cases in the history of the United States. His advocacy has played a vital role in securing some of the largest settlements in the country on behalf of borrowers and consumers across the United States.  Before that, as a partner at storied Florida firm Steel Hector & Davis, he represented large corporations and businesses such as DuPont, New York Life, Nextel and FPL in major pieces of commercial litigation throughout the country.

Mr. Harke is a highly skilled and accomplished writer and lecturer and speaks frequently on alternative dispute resolution and legal topics. 

With a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Mr. Harke graduated from the University of Florida with high honors in 1987 and enrolled in the University of Miami School of Law with a full Dean's Merit scholarship.  He served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Miami Law Review and obtained his Juris Doctor cum laude in 1990.

Mr. Harke’s focused work and commitment to his profession have garnered attention and many prestigious awards and honors, including being rated AV Preeminent* through Martindale-Hubbell. He was selected as a Most Effective Lawyer for his work in complex business litigation by the Daily Business Review, and Florida Trend magazine’s Legal Elite issue named him a Florida Legal Leader.

Mr. Harke has a long history of public service to his community and has served as President of Legal Services of Greater Miami, President of Temple Israel of Miami, President of the Miami Shores Chamber of Commerce, and President of the Miami Shores Bar Association, among others.  Mr. Harke was named Citizen of the Year by the Village of Miami Shores, where he has lived for over 33 years.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.