Practice areas: Insurance Coverage, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation; view more
Licensed in Florida since: 1978
Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2007, 2009 - 2026 Call today:
(813) 273-0017
Free Consultation Swope, Rodante, Newsome & Steinberg
1234 E 5th AveTampa, FL 33605 Visit website
Dale Swope is managing partner of Swope, Rodante, Newsome & Steinberg which is the development of the solo firm practice he founded six months out of law school, in 1979.
Mr. Swope is a Tampa native, and a graduate of Hillsborough High School, the University of South Florida, and the University of Florida Law School. The firm’s most senior lawyer, Mr. Swope has received virtually every professional recognition available to lawyers who practice in his field.
He has an AV rating (the highest possible) by Martindale-Hubbell, the oldest reviewing agency in the country. He has a ‘Superb’ rating (the highest possible) by AVVO.com, that is probably the newest rating agency in the country.
He has been designated as a ‘Super Lawyer’ by Super Lawyers Magazine. He is also listed in ‘Best Lawyers in America,’ ‘Who’s Who in the South’ and ‘Who’s Who in American law.’
For more than twenty years he has been Board Certified as a Civil Trial Specialist and was previously also Board Certified as a Business Litigation Specialist. These certifications are considered the most substantive credentialing of attorneys, since admission actually requires taking a substantial test and serious peer review by lawyers and judges familiar with the lawyer’s work.
He was the original incorporator of the Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association and the first of two partners in the firm (along with Angela Rodante) who have been elected as president of that organization. He has been a director of the Florida Justice Association and served on its Executive Committee as the 2017-2018 President.
American Board of Trial Advocates is an organization that requires actual trial experience and peer approval for admission, and he has been a member for more than a decade. Recently, Mr. Swope was elected to be a member in the prestigious American Law Institute.
Receiving endorsements from peers and recognition from prestigious organizations is flattering, but Dale Swope will quickly tell you that none of these ‘credentials’ mean a thing compared to a simple ‘thanks’ from a client or family that has been helped by the law firm.
Practice areas
Insurance Coverage, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation: Plaintiff, General Litigation, Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Professional Liability: PlaintiffFocus areas
Animal Bites, Bad Faith Insurance, Brain Injury, Construction Accident, Insurance, Legal Malpractice, Litigation, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Professional Malpractice - Other, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 50% Insurance Coverage
- 10% Business Litigation
- 10% Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 10% General Litigation
- 10% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 10% Professional Liability: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 1978, Florida
Professional Webpage: https://www.swoperodante.com/our-firm/our-attorneys/dale-swo...
Bar / Professional Activity
- President of the Florida Justice Association
- Florida Justice Association President, 2017–2018 EAGLE Hall of Fame
- American Bar Association
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association
- American Law Institute, 2010-present
- Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association – Original Incorporator and Former President
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- The Florida Bar Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, 1992–Present
Special Licenses / Certifications
- Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, The Florida Bar, 1992–Present
Pro bono / Community Service
- Hillsborough High School Football Trust – Chair, 2008–Present
- Save Tampa History LLC – President and Founder, 2005–Present
Educational Background
- University of South Florida, B.A., 1975
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Unfair Claims Practices and Bad Faith, Florida Automobile Insurance Law, 2022 Co-author with Daniel Greene and Dennis Dore, Co-author with Daniel Greene and Dennis Dore, Unfair Claims Practices and Bad Faith, Florida Automobile Insurance Law, 2022
- Insurance & Bad Faith Seminar, The Florida Bar – Masters of Justice, 2023, Insurance & Bad Faith Seminar, The Florida Bar, 2023
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Founder, Swope, Rodante, Newsome & Steinberg, 1979
- American Law Institute – Elected Member, 2010–Present
- Florida Justice Association – President, 2017–2018
- Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association – Original Incorporator and Former President
Honors
- A distinguished group of attorneys who have consistently earned high rankings from their peers in the annual Legal Elite voting., Legal Elite Hall of Fame - Insurance, https://www.floridatrend.com/article/34036/legal-elite-hall-of-fame, 2022
- Legal Elite Hall of Fame, 2019
- Superb Rating, AVVO, 2009–Present
- EAGLE Hall of Fame, Florida Justice Association
- Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine, 2006–Present
- Best Lawyers in America, 2005–Present
- AV rating, Martindale Hubbell
Awards
AV Preeminent®: This elite award is granted to attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for their very high ethical standards, with an average peer review score of 4.5 or higher.
Industry Groups
- Automotive
- Commercial Transportation
- Construction
- Consumer Products
- Hospitality
- Insurance
- Legal Services
- Manufacturing
- Professional Services
- Property Management
- Transportation
- Trucking
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2007, 2009 - 2026
Top Lists
Top 50: Tampa Bay Super Lawyers: 2016 - 2017, 2021Certificates and credentials
Civil Trial
