ATTORNEY PROFILES

JOHN S. HAGER, ESQ. was raised in the state of New York but went to pursue his bachelor's degree at the University of Florida. He went on to receive postgraduate education at Nova Southeastern University and graduated from there with his Juris Doctorate in 1999.

Shortly after graduating, he passed the Florida Bar examination and quickly accepted a job offer as an Assistant State Attorney at the Broward County State Attorney's Office. Mr. Hager gained insurmountable trial experience while working there and he also developed a strong understanding of the criminal justice system in Florida. His time as a prosecutor adequately prepared him for his career as a defense attorney. His next position was at one of the largest defense firms in Florida for insurance litigation.

John is admitted to practice before all Florida State Courts and the United States Southern District Court. He has also been honored in the South Florida Legal Guide from 2009-2012 as one of their "Top Up & Comers". This honor is decided by this year's top attorneys and awarded to attorneys that are under 40 years of age.

John is a member of The American Bar Association(ABA), The Association of Trial Lawyers of America(ATLA), The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL), The Broward County Bar Association, and The Broward County Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association. He was also appointed by the President of the Florida Bar to serve as a committee member for the Traffic Rules Committee in the State of Florida

BRETT M. SCHWARTZ, ESQ. was born and raised in Miami, Florida and also continued his education there receiving his Bachelor's at the University of Miami. During his undergraduate education at UM, he and one of his peers founded a pre-legal society. After graduating in 1994, he pursued his Juris Doctorate at South Texas College of Law. At this school, he heavily involved himself in national mock trial competitions as well as trial advocacy competitions.

Upon graduating from law school, he began work as an Assistant State Attorney at the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office. This job gave him impressive litigation skills as well as a deep understanding of the criminal justice system. As a prosecutor, he was introduced to handling cases such as DUI, domestic violence and juvenile cases, as well as many other misdemeanor and felony cases. Throughout his career, He has tried hundreds of cases to verdict in both the County and Circuit Courts.

After leaving this position, he began work at one of Florida's largest insurance litigation firms. Here, he defended some of the largest insurance companies in the state. His experience in prosecution was able to give him a better understanding of how to defend clients.

Brett is an active member of The Association of Trial Lawyers of America(ATLA), The American Bar Association(ABA), The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers(FACDL) and The Dade County Bar Association. In addition, Brett is on the Board of Directors for the Shaken Baby Alliance. Brett is admitted to practice before all Florida State Courts and the United States Southern District Court.