Todd Michaels Esq, a lifelong Miami-Dade resident, joined The Haggard Law Firm in 2009. In May 2014, he was named a partner. Todd handles a wide array of the firm’s cases involving wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury, representing clients who were injured through the negligence of others. His practice primarily involves negligent security throughout the State of Florida and nationwide. 

In June of 2024 he was sworn in as the President of the Florida Justice Association.

Todd has been a frequent speaker on various aspects of negligent security law to different legal and security industry groups and has had articles relating to negligent security cases published.  In addition to his negligent security work, Todd also handles rideshare (Uber/Lift) liability, premises liability, aviation, pool drowning, auto accident and other injury cases.

In 2019 Todd Michaels tried a medical malpractice wrongful death case alongside co-counsel Daniel Harwin that resulted in a $24.5 million verdict (click to learn more about the case) in Broward County Court. The case involved the death of a mother of four children due to avoidable complications during childbirth caused by a condition the medical team responsible for her care was aware of. The jury took two hours to deliberate afTer a four day trial. Watch Todd Michaels closing argument, click here.

Todd was lead counsel in the negligent security case of Snell vs. Family Food Saver. The trial resulted in a verdict of $5.7 million for the Snell family. It was the largest premises liability verdict in the State of Florida that year. 

Michaels has been twice named Most Effective Lawyer by the Daily Business Review and has been named several times to the Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers lists, including the Top 100 Super Lawyers. among several other annual honors. In 2019 he was recognized as a BRONZE EAGLE Award Winner by the Florida Justice Association The prestigious honor is bestowed to those who have shown an extraordinary contribution to the FJA EAGLE Program. Michaels is also an FJA Board Member, Fellow, and  Executive Committee Member, among other positions.

In 2018 Michaels was selected by his peers to become one of the distinguished and exclusive Fellows of The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, the National Trial Lawyers,  Top 40 Under 40, and is a member of ABOTA, along with several other organizations. Nevertheless, Todd Michaels often says that his greatest accomplishment was becoming a father to his two sons, Ashton and Jackson Michaels.

Before joining The Haggard Law Firm, Todd served as an assistant public defender for nearly five years. During his last year with the public defender’s office, he worked as a felony training attorney, supervising other felony trial lawyers. After leaving the public defender’s office, Todd served as a federal public defender and a private criminal defense practitioner. He tried in excess of fifty trials in both the State and Federal Court systems.