{{Short description|American lawyer (1937–2021)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Fredric G. Levin | image = File:Fred Levin - Pensacola, Florida - 2013.jpg | birth_name = Fredric Gerson Levin | birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|03|29}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Hubbell |first=Martindale |date=March 2001 |title=Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory: Florida (Volume 5 – 2001) |publisher=Martindale-Hubbell |isbn=9781561604395 }}</ref> | birth_place = Pensacola, Florida, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|01|12 |1937|03|29}} | death_place = Pensacola, Florida, U.S. | alma_mater = University of Florida | occupation = Attorney, boxing manager | known_for = Rewriting Florida's Medicaid Third-Party Recovery Act allowing the state of Florida to sue the tobacco industry; benefactor of the University of Florida Levin College of Law, manager of Roy Jones Jr., philanthropy | spouse = Marilyn Kapner Levin (1959–2011) (deceased) | children = 4 }} '''Fredric Gerson Levin''' (March 29, 1937 – January 12, 2021) was an American plaintiffs' lawyer who served as chairman of Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty, Proctor, Buchanan, O'Brien, Barr, Mougey, P.A., a law firm in Northwest Florida.<ref name="Kaczor">{{cite news|last=Kaczor|first=Bill|title=Controversy Loves Lawyers Whose Name is on School|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=March 1, 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Fredric Levin -- Attorney Profile|url=http://www.levinlaw.com/attorney-profiles/fredric-levin|website=www.levinlaw.com|publisher=Levin Papantonio|access-date=September 3, 2014}}</ref> The Fredric G. Levin College of Law at the University of Florida is named for him because of a monetary donation he made to the school in 1999.
He was best known for rewriting Florida's Medicaid Third-Party Recovery Act to allow the State of Florida to sue and recover billions of dollars from the tobacco industry for smoking-related illnesses.<ref name="Gibeaut 51">{{cite journal|last=Gibeaut|first=John|title=For Rigging Statute Lawyer Wants a Slice|journal=American Bar Association Journal|date=September 1988|pages=51}}</ref><ref name="Jones 72–73">{{cite journal|last=Jones|first=Randall|title=The Richest Person in Town|journal=Worth |date=March 2002|pages=72–73}}</ref> His flamboyant and brazen personality resulted in him being prosecuted by the Florida Bar two times, and investigated two additional times.<ref name="Graybiel">{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Attorney Levin to Testify on Ethics Charges|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=July 10, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Fellow Lawyers Sues Levin for Disparaging Junior|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=July 2, 2002}}</ref>
Levin's life was summarized in the weekly medical journal ''The Lancet''. In its December 2014 edition, the author wrote: "''And Give Up Showbiz?'' explores the extraordinary life of a pioneering and often controversial lawyer. Seen as an inspiring innovator by some, and a flamboyant self-promoter by others, Levin's work was not always met with a favourable outcome. Levin was accused of two murders, and often met with controversy because of his relentless fight for justice against big companies. His home life, while loving, was often neglected in his pursuit of business, and this is mentioned several times in the book—bringing a sense of balance to the stories."<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Spencer|first1=Kate|title=Taking on the tobacco industry|journal=The Lancet|date=December 2014|volume=2|issue=12|page=978|doi=10.1016/s2213-2600(14)70234-6|doi-access=free}}</ref>
==Personal life== thumb|left|Marilyn and Fred – 1967 thumb|170px|Fred Levin (bottom right), with his parents and brothers in 1950 Levin was born in 1937, in Pensacola, Florida. He grew up in a conservative Jewish household, with his mother (Rose), father (Abe), and brothers (David, Herman, Stanley, Martin, and Allen).<ref name="Freckmann 8–11">{{cite journal|last=Freckmann|first=Donna|title=Understanding Fred Levin|journal=Pensacola Magazine|date=June 1988|pages=8–11}}</ref><ref name="Rosen 2006 12–15">{{cite journal|last=Rosen|first=Larry|title=The Pugilist: The Three Biggest Things to Hit Pensacola Just Might be Jesus, Hurricane Ivan and Fred Levin|journal=Super Lawyers Magazine|year=2006|pages=12–15}}</ref> His father was a pawnbroker catering to the large military presence in the Pensacola area, and also ran the concessions at the Pensacola Greyhound Park and at a store on Pensacola Beach.<ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/><ref name="Rosen 2006 12–15"/> Levin attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, as an undergraduate, but did not do well academically. Instead, he was known as a drinker, smoker, and gambler.<ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/><ref name="Rosen 2006 12–15"/> He was a member of Pi Lambda Phi, one of two Jewish fraternities on campus.<ref name="Fredric G. Levin Joins Law Firm">{{cite news|title=Fredric G. Levin Joins Law Firm|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|year=1961}}</ref><ref name="Scholl 2006 88–92">{{cite journal|last=Scholl|first=Aaron|title=Fredric G. Levin|journal=The American Trial Lawyer Magazine|year=2006|pages=88–92}}</ref> While attending the University of Florida, Levin met his future wife, Marilyn, who was a member of the Jewish sorority Alpha Epsilon Phi.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kapner-Levin|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|year=1959}}</ref><ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/> The Levins were married for 51 years, when Marilyn died on February 6, 2011, survived by their four children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.<ref>{{cite news|title=Marilyn Kapner Levin September 27, 1938 – February 6, 2011|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=February 7, 2011}}</ref>
Levin began law studies in 1958, as a student enrolled in the College of Law at the University of Florida. This was mostly due to his reluctance to leave behind the college party lifestyle, as well as the fact that his older brother David had established a small law firm where Levin could work. He attended summer classes to raise his Grade Point Average for law school admission, as his grade scores were below the required minimum 2.0 G.P.A. <ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/><ref name="Smith 18–19">{{cite journal|last=Smith|first=Anthony|title=Fred Levin: A Legacy of Compassion and Excellence|journal=Out Front Magazine|date=September 2006|pages=18–19}}</ref> (Note: In 1958, virtually any white male<ref>The University of Florida, including its law school, was limited to students of the white race, pursuant to Fla. Const. of 1885, Art. XII, § 12. On September 15, 1958, the law school admitted one black student, and it had no black graduate until 1962. https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMC6CD#:~:text=On%20June%2017%2C%201958%2C%20Hawkins%20withdrew%20his%20application,College%20of%20Law%2C%20previously%20located%20in%20Bryan%20Hall.</ref> could gain admittance to Florida public law school, where approximately one-third would graduate.)<ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/>
In Levin's first few weeks of law school, he received word that his brother Martin was rapidly succumbing to late stage leukemia, and his death was imminent. Levin approached the dean of the law school, asking for time off from school to attend his brother's funeral. The dean looked at Levin's undergraduate course records, said that he could take the days off, and added that he needn't return to school, as he doubted Levin would make it through law school successfully.<ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/>
Levin drove from Gainesville to Pensacola, but Martin died before he arrived at his brother's bedside in Pensacola. Ignoring his dean's advice, Levin returned to law school where he thrived, finishing third in his class. Post-graduation, his plans were to go back to Pensacola, spend one year in practice with his brother David's law firm, and then go back to college to pursue a Master's degree in tax law. At that point, he had never considered or intended on working as a trial lawyer, as he was terrified by public speaking.<ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/><ref name="Scholl 2006 88–92"/>
On January 12, 2021, Levin died from COVID-19 complications.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://weartv.com/news/local/pensacola-attorney-fred-levin-passes-after-complications-from-covid-19|title = Pensacola attorney Fred Levin passes after complications from COVID-19|date = January 12, 2021}}</ref>
==Legal career== In 1961, Levin began practicing in the law firm of Levin & Askew (now known as Levin Papantonio) in Pensacola.<ref name="Fredric G. Levin Joins Law Firm"/> The firm was founded by his brother David and Reubin Askew, who eventually would go on to become a two-term governor of Florida and candidate for President of the United States.<ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/><ref>Reubin Askew</ref>thumb|200px|Fred Levin and a few partners in the late 1960s. David Levin (top, middle), Reubin Askew (top right), and Fred Levin (bottom left).
Levin began his legal career in family law, but once a client explained that her husband said he would kill her divorce lawyer, he chose to switch to general civil law.<ref name="Scholl 2006 88–92"/> His first case involved an insurance dispute over a residential fire claim. The case ended up before a jury. Levin won the case and decided he wanted to become a trial lawyer.<ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/><ref name="Smith 18–19"/>
In the late 1960s, Levin handled a case involving the wrongful death of a child who had taken the antibiotic Chloromycetin. Levin won the case. While the compensatory damages were not large, the judge allowed Levin to pursue a punitive damage claim which ended up playing a role in the drug being pulled from the market in the United States for most uses.<ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/>
Levin received national attention with the case of ''Thorshov v. L&N''. On November 9, 1977, Dr. Jon Thorshov, a thirty-eight-year-old physician, his wife, his four-year-old daughter, and his one-year-old son were at their home in Pensacola when a freight train operated by L&N derailed near their home and released anhydrous ammonia. The family attempted to escape their home, but were overcome by the fumes. Dr. and Ms. Thorshov died, and both children sustained serious physical injuries.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Bruck|first=Connie|title=The Great Florida Train Fight|journal=The American Lawyer|date=June 1980|pages=21–24}}</ref> In 1980, Levin received a jury verdict for the family in the amount of $18 million.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Rudnisky|first=Howard|author2=Jeff Blyskal|title=Something for Everyone|journal=Forbes |date=January 19, 1981|pages=29}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Simmons|first=Martha|title=Fred Levin Won the Case (and oh yes his fee was $6 million)|journal=The Floridian|date=October 18, 1981|pages=21–23}}</ref> As a result of the verdict, ''Us'' magazine did a story on Levin in its swimsuit preview issue. On the cover were Randi Oakes from ''CHiPs'', Morgan Fairchild from ''Flamingo Road'', and Donna Mills from ''Knots Landing''. Inside was a half-page picture of Levin standing in front of an L&N railcar under the headline, "I'll Sue".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Savell|first=Taris|title=I'll Sue|journal=Us Weekly |date=April 28, 1981|pages=14–15}}</ref>
Levin received more than thirty jury verdicts in excess of $1,000,000 (six in excess of $10,000,000). At various points in his career he held the national record for jury verdicts involving the wrongful death of a child, the wrongful death of a housewife, the wrongful death of a wage earner, and the largest personal injury verdict in the state of Florida.<ref name="Fredric G. Levin--the renegades amo">{{cite journal|title=Fredric G. Levin--the renegades among renegades|journal=Florida Trend|date=December 1987|pages=63–66}}</ref><ref name="Fisk">{{cite news|last=Fisk|first=Margaret|title=Top Liti-Gators|newspaper=The National Law Journal|date=March 29, 1999}}</ref> He was listed in every edition of ''Best Lawyers in America''; was a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates; and was inducted into the National Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame in 2009.<ref name="PL">{{cite journal|last=Ozemhoya|first=Carol|title=Fred Levin--Packing a Legal Punch|journal=Black Radio Exclusive |date=March 1, 2004|pages=66–67}}</ref><ref name="Scholl 2006 88–92"/><ref name="The National Trial Lawyers">{{cite web|last=The National Trial Lawyers|title=Hall of Fame|url=http://www.triallawyerhalloffame.org/|access-date=March 30, 2014}}</ref>
==Tobacco litigation== Levin played a significant role in the litigation brought by numerous states against the tobacco industry during the 1990s. Levin was at a trial lawyer conference when another attorney saw Levin drinking whiskey and smoking a cigarette. The attorney told Levin that smoking was going to kill him, and that he was working with the State of Mississippi to sue the tobacco industry for compensation for all the money Mississippi was spending in Medicaid dollars treating smoking related illnesses. Levin did not believe the legal theory would be successful, explaining that the tobacco industry had never paid a penny to anyone as a result of smoking injuries.<ref name="Gibeaut 51"/><ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/>
Levin returned to Pensacola and thought about the potential case, and went to the Florida statute allowing the state of Florida to recover against individuals and companies that harm someone where the State has to pay Medicaid. Levin thought that with a few changes in the statute's language, he could rewrite the law so that the State could sue the tobacco industry without the tobacco industry being able to raise the numerous defenses it had relied upon in winning the cases against it.<ref name="Krueger">{{cite news|last=Krueger|first=Curtis|title=Business Rallies Against Anti-Tobacco Legislation|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=May 3, 1994}}</ref><ref name="Gibeaut 51"/><ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/>
Levin made the changes, and then approached a good friend who was the dean of the Florida Senate. The two then went to the Governor of Florida, who supported the concept. The dean of the Senate was able to get the law passed on the last day of session and at the last minute. The Senator made it part of another law that received unanimous support in the Senate, and Levin's amendments passed.<ref>{{cite news|last=Morgan|first=Lucy|title=How Tobacco Bill Slipped into Law|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=March 7, 1995}}</ref><ref name="Kaczor"/><ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/> When the tobacco industry discovered the true intent of the law, it began donating money to Florida senators to repeal the statute.<ref name="Kaczor"/><ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/> The Senate voted to repeal it, but the Governor vetoed the repeal. The Senate then came within one vote of overriding the Governor's veto, but could not, and the law stood.<ref name="Kaczor"/><ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/>
After the passage of the law, John French, a lobbyist for Philip Morris USA, stated, "This is probably the single biggest issue to ever have been run through in the dead of the night."<ref>{{cite news|last=Kennedy|first=John|title=Anti-Smoking Measure is Creating a Firestorm|newspaper=Sun-Sentinel|date=May 22, 1994}}</ref> John Shebel, president of the pro-business organization Associated Industries of Florida, told the Orlando Sun-Sentinel, "This law is probably one of the worst laws ever passed by any Legislature."<ref>{{cite news|last=Kennedy|first=John|title=Chiles Joins in War on Tobacco|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|date=February 18, 1995}}</ref> Walker Merryman, vice president of the Tobacco Institute, said, "It's certainly creative, and it demonstrates how a government will try to impose a significant financial burden on one portion of the economy."<ref>{{cite news|last=Kennedy|first=John|title=Tobacco Bill May Be Deadly|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|date=May 23, 1994}}</ref>
Gannett News Service wrote: "What they engineered was a first-of-its-kind bill making it much easier for the state to recoup money it spends for treating cancer patients and others with smoking-related diseases. ... Its created such an uproar in Tallahassee that tobacco companies have pledged millions of dollars to fight the bill either by getting it vetoed or using the upcoming special session on health care to change or eliminate it."<ref>{{cite news|title=Bill threatens to extinguish tobacco industry|last=Ash|first=Jim|date=April 27, 1994|newspaper=The News-Press}}</ref>
"I could say, I think without exaggerating, that the financial life of the tobacco industry is riding on [the veto of the bill]", said John Banahaf, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health.<ref name="Krueger"/> Professor Richard Daynard of Northeastern University called the bill: "the single biggest blow against the tobacco industry and for the public health that's ever been done in the United states."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr/fred-levin-and-the-big-fi_b_6023660.html|title=Fred Levin and the Big Fist Fight|last=Kennedy|first=Robert F. Jr.|date=October 21, 2014|website=Huffington Post|access-date=December 4, 2017}}</ref>
Challenges to the law made it the United States Supreme Court, but was upheld.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ash|first=Jim|title=High Court Lets Tobacco Bill Stand|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=March 18, 1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kennedy|first=John|title=Florida's Medicaid, Smoking Law Upheld|newspaper=News & Record |location=Greensborough, NC|date=March 18, 1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ash|first=Jim|title=High Court Let's 'Tobacco Bill' Stand|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=March 18, 1997}}</ref> Immediately after jury selection, the tobacco industry settled with the State of Florida for a record $13 billion. Levin's law firm would end up earning a fee of more than $300 million.<ref name="Jones 72–73"/> Soon thereafter, Levin appeared on ABC's ''20/20'' talking to reporter John Stossel. While interviewing him for the piece, Levin lit up a cigarette, which ABC highlighted in the segment.<ref name="Trever">{{cite news|last=Trever|first=Elizabeth|title=Putting Green, Tuxedo and Cocktail? Hail 'Puff Daddy' Levin|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=May 22, 1999}}</ref> Next, he appeared on two full pages of ''George'' magazine, standing on his putting green in a tuxedo, drinking Crown Royal whiskey and smoking a cigarette.<ref name="Trever"/> He was then highlighted in a ''Time'' article entitled: "Are Lawyers Running America?"<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cohen|first=Adam|title=Are Lawyers Running America|magazine=Time|date=July 17, 2000|pages=23–27}}</ref>
==Florida Bar== Levin had a lengthy and hostile relationship with the Florida Bar whom he often and openly referred to as "lily-white elitists, country club, men".<ref name="Lavin">{{cite news|last=Lavin|first=Chris|title=A Reputation on Trial|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=January 21, 1990}}</ref> He has been prosecuted by the Florida Bar on two occasions, and formally investigated on another two occasions. In the first investigation, Levin stated on his primetime, live, call-in, television show that doctors have "this God-complex--they think they are above the law." The investigation did not result in bar charges.<ref name="Fredric G. Levin--the renegades amo"/> In the second investigation, and first prosecution, Levin admitted on his television show to gambling on football games, and said he found nothing wrong with it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=State Bar May Act Against Levin|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=June 23, 1989}}</ref> He mocked law enforcement for arresting and prosecuting local bookies, as if they were an elite swat team fighting terrorism. He commented that the local law enforcement and prosecutors wouldn't have the guts to go down to the high crime streets in Pensacola to arrest drug dealers and rapists because they would be scared to get shot. The Florida Bar charged Levin with ethics violation as he was admitting to violations of Florida law, and demeaning the legal profession.<ref>{{cite news|last=Burke|first=Michael|title=State Bar Acts Against Fred Levin|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=July 22, 1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Burke|first=Michael|title=Levin Faces Disciplinary Hearing|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=January 16, 1990}}</ref> Levin was found guilty and a public reprimand was recommended.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Hearing Becomes Testimonial for Levin|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=January 19, 1990}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Burke|first=Michael|title=Judge Advises Levin Reprimand|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=January 30, 1990}}</ref> Levin challenged the decision to the United States Supreme Court, but in the end he received his public reprimand.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hiett|first=Melanie|title=Court Upholds Levin Reprimand for Sports Betting|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=October 12, 1990}}</ref>
The third investigation, and second prosecution, involved Levin's use of the word "ridiculous" to describe the defense in two separate civil cases.<ref name="Bar Charges Levin Over Inflammatory">{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Bar Charges Levin Over Inflammatory Remarks|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=May 1, 1996}}</ref><ref name="Attorney Levin Must Answer for Rema">{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Attorney Levin Must Answer for Remarks in 2 Trials|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=June 14, 1996}}</ref> Levin won both cases and received large jury verdicts, but both verdicts were taken away on appeal because the appellate court believed Levin inflamed the jury by calling the defense ridiculous.<ref name="Bar Charges Levin Over Inflammatory"/><ref name="Attorney Levin Must Answer for Rema"/> The Florida Bar then brought charges against Levin alleging that his closing argument violated ethics rules because he was stating his personal opinion.<ref name="Bar Charges Levin Over Inflammatory"/><ref name="Attorney Levin Must Answer for Rema"/> This was the first time in U.S. history that a lawyer was charged by a bar disciplinary committee in a situation such as this. This time Levin was found innocent.<ref name="Graybiel"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Stellar Attorneys Testify for Levin|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=July 11, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|title=All-Star Cast Defends Lawyers in Ethics Complaints|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=July 12, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Judge Rules for Levin in Ethics Case|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=August 8, 1996}}</ref>
The fourth investigation occurred when a friend of Levin's, the Senator who passed the tobacco legislation, was being prosecuted for violations of the Florida Sunshine Law. The key witness against the Senator (who now was a county commissioner) was another local county commissioner who claimed the now former Senator offered him a bribe to pass an item before him. When the former Senator was convicted of violation of the Sunshine Law, Levin made comments to the press calling the witness a "rat fink". He then told the ''Pensacola News Journal'', "If [the witness] was on the ''Titanic'', he would dress like a woman and jump on the first lifeboat."<ref>{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Fellow Lawyer Sues Levin for Disparaging Junior|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=July 2, 2002}}</ref><ref name="Smith">{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Sean|title=Bar Probes Ethics Complaint Against Levin|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=July 8, 2003}}</ref> Levin called the judge's ruling not to free the politician while he appealed "unconscionable". He also assailed the judge. "I have never been so embarrassed or ashamed of the legal profession", he told the paper. "I believe the inmates have taken over the asylum." Asked what exactly he meant, Levin replied, "That means the nuts are in charge."<ref name="Smith"/>
Levin's comments led to an ethics complaint being filed against Levin with the Florida Bar—the third in his career. Months later, the Florida Bar's grievance committee ruled there was no cause to pursue a full investigation into the matter.<ref>{{cite news|last=Norman|first=Brett|title=Fred Levin Cleared of Ethics Charges|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=December 9, 2003}}</ref> However, the Florida Bar sent Levin a "letter of advice" as to how to act in the future. The letter said: "While your conduct in this instance does not warrant formal discipline, the committee believes that it was not consistent with the high standards of our profession. The committee hopes that this letter will make you more aware of your obligation to uphold these professional standards, and that you will adjust your conduct accordingly."<ref>''The Florida Bar v. Fredric Gerson Levin'', Case No. 2003-01,151(2A), ''Notice of No Probable Cause and Letter of Advice to Accused'', dated February 8, 2004, signed by Robert King High, Chair, Second Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee</ref>
==Death of Jake Horton==
On April 10, 1989, at approximately 1:00 p.m. C.S.T., a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 200 crashed within minutes of takeoff from Pensacola Regional Airport, killing the two pilots and the single passenger, Jacob F. "Jake" Horton. The plane was owned by Southern Company, an American electric utility holding company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.<ref name="Gulf Power Co. Gives Lawyer the OK">{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Gulf Power Co. Gives Lawyer the OK to Talk|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=May 7, 1989}}</ref><ref name="Schmalz">{{cite news |last=Schmalz |first=Jeffrey |date=June 18, 1989 |title=Florida Mystery is Fueled by Intrigues and 4 Deaths |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/18/us/florida-mystery-is-fueled-by-intrigues-and-4-deaths.html |url-access=subscription |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="Associated Press">{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|title=Lawyer is Ordered to Reveal Talks with Executives|newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|date=August 3, 1990}}</ref> The company is currently the 16th largest utility company in the world, and the fourth largest in the U.S.<ref>Southern Company</ref>
Jake was a senior vice-president at Gulf Power Company, a subsidiary of Southern Company. The cause of the plane crash has never been solved, with theories including pilot error, poor maintenance, sabotage, and suicide. Levin became embroiled in the incident because he was one of the last people to speak with Jake, and he also was legal counsel for Gulf Power.<ref name="Gulf Power Co. Gives Lawyer the OK"/><ref name="Associated Press"/>
In the months before the plane crash, Southern Company was under a federal grand jury investigation for possible tax evasion and inappropriate political contributions. Gulf Power and Jake were at the center of the investigation, with Southern Company claiming that Jake was the primary responsible party. Between 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. C.S.T. on April 10, 1989, Jake met privately with Levin in his office. Levin's law firm had been serving as private counsel for Gulf Power for many years, and Levin also was a close personal friend of Jake. Southern Company wanted Levin to convince Jake to resign, but Jake wished to remain employed and clear his name. Prior to leaving Levin's office, Jake ordered a corporate plane to take him from Pensacola to Atlanta where he wished to meet with the president of Southern Company. Jake boarded the plane approximately 1.5 hours later, and within minutes the plane crashed, killing all on board.<ref name="Gulf Power Co. Gives Lawyer the OK"/><ref name="Associated Press"/> Within three hours after the crash, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office received an anonymous call stating: "You can stop investigating Gulf Power now. We took care of that."<ref name="Schmalz"/><ref name="Rice">{{cite news|last=Rice|first=Marc|title=Gulf Power Co. Agrees to Plead Guilty on Mysterious Case|agency=Associated Press|date=October 31, 1989}}</ref> Within two weeks of the plane crash, and in protest to Southern Company blaming Jake, Levin quit as counsel for Gulf Power.<ref name="Gulf Power Co. Gives Lawyer the OK"/><ref name="Schmalz"/><ref name="Associated Press"/>
Over the next year, the federal grand jury investigation continued, and Levin eventually was called to testify. Southern Company took the position that Levin was not permitted to testify because his knowledge was subject to attorney–client privilege. Southern Company finally agreed to allow Levin to testify, but only on the limited subject of his conversation with Jake on the morning of the plane crash. Southern Company would not permit Levin to talk to the National Transportation Safety Board or the Escambia County Sheriff's Office.<ref name="Gulf Power Co. Gives Lawyer the OK"/><ref name="Associated Press"/>
In the days before Levin was scheduled to testify, someone began leaving parakeets at his home and office with their necks broken. Also, someone called the FBI stating that Levin would be killed if he were to testify. Levin testified with U.S. Marshals escorting him to and from the hearing.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Levin Threatened Again, but Testifies|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=May 12, 1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=FBI Warns Levin of Hit Plot|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=May 3, 1989}}</ref>
Despite numerous federal and state investigations, and multiple lawsuits, the cause of the plane crash has never been solved.<ref name="Schmalz"/> Gulf Power ended up pleading guilty to illegal political contributions and other violations, and paid a $500,000 fine. Gulf Power blamed Horton for the illegal events.<ref name="Rice"/><ref name="Associated Press"/>
==Career in boxing== thumb|150px|Roy Jones Jr. & Fred Levin
In 1989, Levin began managing the boxing career of Roy Jones Jr., who had just returned from Seoul, Korea, having earned a silver medal in the 1988 Olympic Games. The fact that Roy did not win the gold medal became an international issue after it was discovered that three of the judges had been subject to inappropriate contact, and yet awarded the gold medal to Roy's opponent or ruled it a draw. Roy had dominated his opponent (Park Si-hun), landing almost three times as many punches. Although the three judges were suspended, with two being banned for life, Roy was not awarded the gold medal. He was, however, awarded the outstanding competitor in the games by the International Amateur Boxing Association.<ref name="LO">{{cite magazine|last=Gammon|first=Clive|date=May 15, 1989|title=The Last Olympian|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1989/05/15/119891/the-last-olympian-months-after-his-teammates-had-already-turned-pro-roy-jones-made-a-splashy-debut-of-his-own|magazine=Sports Illustrated|pages=42–47}}</ref><ref name="Roy Jones Jr">Roy Jones Jr.</ref><ref>Park Si-Hun</ref>
The fact that Levin was chosen to help manage Roy's career was controversial considering he had no experience in the boxing business. Roy had been courted by some of the biggest names in boxing, including Don King and Sugar Ray Leonard.<ref name="LO" /> Roy's father, Roy Jones Sr., chose Levin to manage his son's career because Jones Sr. no longer trusted the boxing establishment after the Olympic decision. Jones Sr. once stated: "The boxing biz has stolen the medal from my son."<ref name="PL" />
Levin negotiated a middleweight championship fight for Roy against James Toney. Roy won the fight, and then earned a multimillion-dollar long-term contract with HBO.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hoffer|first=Richard|title=High & Too Mighty|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=November 28, 1994|pages=20–22}}</ref> Levin received the 1995 Al Buck Award from the Boxing Writers Association of America as boxing manager of the year; and received the Rocky Marciano Foundation President's Award in 2001.<ref>{{cite news|title=Attorney Levin Wins Marciano Boxing Award|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=December 18, 2001}}</ref>
Levin managed Roy's boxing career from 1989 to 2003. Levin's last fight with Roy involved heavyweight champion John Ruiz on March 1, 2003. Ruiz had recently defeated Evander Holyfield for the championship. Jones officially weighed in at 193 pounds to Ruiz's 226 pounds. Jones won by unanimous decision, becoming the first former middleweight title holder to win a heavyweight title in 106 years, the last being Bob Fitzsimmons in 1896. Jones also became the first fighter in history to start his career as a junior middleweight and become a heavyweight champion.<ref name="Roy Jones Jr"/>
==Fighting racial injustice== thumb|180px|George Starke and Fred Levin at the law school naming When Levin entered the University of Florida College of Law in 1958, George Starke, the first African American student to enter a public institution in the state of Florida, entered with Levin's class. Levin described the first day as follows: "They had all of us on one side of the auditorium and he was all by himself, except for all the Secret Service people. Up to that point, I had not thought much about racial issues. I looked over and my heart went out to him. Here were 350 white law students and this one black guy. He was dressed in a suit, and the rest of us were dressed like bums. They started shuffling him, which is rubbing your feet together on the floor like they do in prison. ... I always studied in the library, and I would look across at George because he always had to sit at a table by himself and everybody would shuffle their feet. It just tore me up. I wanted to go over and sit with him, but I didn't have the guts."<ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/><ref name="Proctor 1–178">{{cite journal|last=Proctor|first=Sam|title=Oral History Interview with Fredric G. Levin|journal=Property of Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, University of Florida|date=June 1, 2002|pages=1–178}}</ref>
After the first semester of law school, Levin approached George to become his study partner.<ref name="Proctor 1–178"/> The two remained friends for the next two years. Although Levin ended up graduating number three out of his graduating class, George failed to graduate.<ref name="Proctor 1–178"/>
In an oral history interview conducted by Samuel Proctor at the University of Florida, Levin described the final events leading to George leaving the University of Florida. "We were going to study for the exam the next day, I told him to meet me at my apartment. I was running a little late, and I got there, and he's sitting on the steps, we were an upstairs apartment. I said, 'Why didn't you go on in?' He said, 'You don't understand, a colored man doesn't go into an apartment where a white woman is.' I said, 'Oh the hell with it, come on.' So we came in, Marilyn cooked supper for us, and we studied all night long. I had these little flip cards that worked real well. All night long. He goes home, and I clean up and go to the exam, and he never shows up. He had gone home just to lay down for a second [snap of fingers], slept through the exam. They wouldn't give him another exam, they flunked him."<ref name="Proctor 1–178"/>
When the law school was renamed to the Fredric G. Levin College of Law in 1999, George attended in support of Levin.<ref name="Smith 18–19"/><ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/>
thumb|170px|Fred Levin being inducted as a chief of Ghana
Shortly after becoming a lawyer in Pensacola, Levin nominated Nathaniel Dedmond to be the first African American as a member of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Counties Bar Association. Several lawyers in the association were offended by the nomination and had their wives call Marilyn, Levin's wife. They asked Marilyn how she would like to be sitting next to Nathaniel Dedmond's wife at a bar meeting. They were hoping to get Marilyn to go to Fred and have him drop the nomination. Instead, Marilyn replied: "Oh, yes, that will be fine." Levin commented that he had never been more proud of Marilyn.<ref name="Proctor 1–178"/> When the nomination came up for vote, the association voted against Levin's nomination.<ref name="Lavin"/><ref name="Smith 18–19"/>
In 1999, Levin received recognition for his support of the African American community by being named a chief of the country of Ghana,<ref name="Katz">{{cite news|last=Katz|first=Michael|title=Smoke Signals Hail Chief|newspaper=Daily News|date=January 21, 1999}}</ref><ref name="Finn">{{cite news|last=Finn|first=Richard|title=Levin Elevated to Tribal Chief in Ghana|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=January 23, 1999}}</ref><ref name="PL"/><ref name="Freckmann 8–11"/> and receiving a citation from the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus; which provides in part: "We of the Congressional Black Caucus wish to join with the distinguished world citizens and other leaders in congratulating you on your designation as a Ghanaian Chief. But more specifically, we wish to honor your lifelong contributions to bettering the lives of the people of Ghana and the people of America. Long before we became aware of your outstanding contributions in Africa, we knew of your work as a lawyer fighting on the side of underprivileged people in America. We thank you for that rich legacy. We are proud that the world community is now beginning to recognize your valuable service to it as well."<ref name="Letter from the Congress of the Uni">{{cite news|title=Letter from the Congress of the United States to Fred Levin, signed by all members of the Congressional Black Caucus|date=January 20, 1999}}</ref>
==Awards and honors==
Levin received the Perry Nichols Award in 1994, which is the highest honor bestowed by the Florida Justice Association, and is given in recognition of a person's lifetime achievements in the pursuit of justice.<ref name="PL"/><ref name="Scholl 2006 88–92"/>
For the year 1999, ''The National Law Journal'' named Levin as the top civil litigator in Florida. This honor encompassed plaintiff and defense counsel.<ref name="Fisk"/> Levin also was named in the October 4, 1999, edition of ''The National Law Journal'' as one of the "Top Ten Litigators for 1999", which again included both plaintiff and defense counsel.<ref name="Scholl 2006 88–92"/>
In 1999, Levin was honored at the United Nations by being made a chief in the Republic of Ghana.<ref name="Katz"/> This honor was bestowed on Levin because of his lifetime of dedication to equal justice for people of all races.<ref name="Finn"/> At the same time, Levin received a citation honoring him by the United States Congressional Black Caucus.<ref name="Letter from the Congress of the Uni"/>
Levin was a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an organization limited to 100 of the top trial attorneys in the country, and has been listed in every edition of the publication ''Best Lawyers in America''. In 2009, he was inducted into The National Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame.<ref name="PL"/><ref name="Scholl 2006 88–92"/><ref name="The National Trial Lawyers"/> In 2016, Levin was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by The National Trial Lawyers.<ref name="Group">{{Cite web|url=http://weartv.com/news/local/pensacola-lawyer-named-trial-lawyer-of-the-year|title=Pensacola lawyer named Trial Lawyer of the Year|author1=Kirstin Kerns|website=WEAR|date=April 22, 2016|access-date=May 3, 2016}}</ref>
In December 2017, Levin was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from University of West Florida.<ref>{{cite web |title=UWF Fall 2017 Commencement celebrates 50th Anniversary, honors Marny Gilluly, Fred Levin |url=https://news.uwf.edu/uwf-fall-2017-commencement-celebrates-50th-anniversary-honors-marny-gilluly-fred-levin/ |website=University of West Florida |date=December 18, 2017 |access-date=January 30, 2019}}</ref>
==Later career==
At the age of 80, Levin continued to practice law. "I want the practice of law to continue", he said. "I want there to be lawyers. Less and less people are going to law school now. In 2013, applications to accredited law schools dropped for a third consecutive year. My son, Martin, left the practice of law because of its transformation from the personal--a lawyer representing one client--to a business where a lawyer represents thousands of clients in mass tort or class action."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Young|first1=Josh|title=And Give Up ShowBiz? How Fred Levin Beat Big Tobacco, Avoided Two Murder Prosecutions, Became a Chief of Ghana, Earned Boxing Manager of the Year & Transformed American Law|date=2014|publisher=BenBella Books|isbn=978-1-940363-41-7|page=218}}</ref> Despite his opposition to mass torts, Levin agreed to transfer his law firm's primary practice to this niche area of law.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Young|first1=Josh|title=And Give Up ShowBiz? How Fred Levin Beat Big Tobacco, Avoided Two Murder Prosecutions, Became a Chief of Ghana, Earned Boxing Manager of the Year & Transformed American Law|date=2014|publisher=BenBella Books|isbn=978-1-940363-41-7|pages=207–208}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Defective Prescription Drug Lawsuits|url=http://www.levinlaw.com/practice-areas/defective-prescription-drug-lawsuits|website=www.levinlaw.com|publisher=Levin Papantonio|access-date=September 2, 2014}}</ref> The firm now runs [http://www.masstortsmadeperfect.com/ Mass Torts Made Perfect], a conference held twice a year, usually in Las Vegas, to bring together mass tort lawyers from across the country.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Young|first1=Josh|title=And Give Up ShowBiz? How Fred Levin Beat Big Tobacco, Avoided Two Murder Prosecutions, Became a Chief of Ghana, Earned Boxing Manager of the Year & Transformed American Law|date=2014|publisher=BenBella Books|isbn=978-1-940363-41-7|pages=203, 207}}</ref>
In 2013, when he was 76, he won a $3.4 million jury verdict in an ATV case.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Young|first1=Josh|title=And Give Up ShowBiz? How Fred Levin Beat Big Tobacco, Avoided Two Murder Prosecutions, Became a Chief of Ghana, Earned Boxing Manager of the Year & Transformed American Law|date=2014|publisher=BenBella Books|isbn=978-1-940363-41-7|pages=216–217}}</ref> In 2014, at the age of 77, he won a $12.6 million jury verdict in an automobile accident case.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jury Returns Verdict for $12.6 Million|url=http://www.levinlaw.com/news/jury-returns-verdict-126-million|website=www.levinlaw.com|publisher=Levin Papantonio|access-date=September 2, 2014}}</ref> In 2016 (age 79), he was named national Trial Lawyer of the Year.<ref name="Group"/>
==Charitable work==
In 1995, Levin gave a professorship at the University of West Florida, in honor of his father.<ref name="Stobbie 18–21">{{cite journal|last=Stobbie|first=Denise|title=Gift From Alumnus Fredric Levin Gives UF Law Stability and Vision|journal=University of Florida Today Magazine|date=June 1999|pages=18–21}}</ref>
In 1998, Levin gave the University of Florida law school $10 million, the second largest cash donation ever given to a public law school as of that time.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Levin donates $12 Million of Tobacco Money|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=January 6, 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Lewis|first=Sonja|title=Levin's Gift Will Add to UF's Prestige|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=January 12, 1999}}</ref> In 1999, the law school name was officially changed to the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law.<ref name="Levin Gift Means New Name for Law S">{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Levin Gift Means New Name for Law School|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=January 7, 1999}}</ref>
In 1998, Levin contributed $2 million to the Levin & Papantonio Family Foundation.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graybiel|first=Ginny|title=Levin Donates $12 Million of Tobacco Money|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=January 6, 1999}}</ref>
In 2006, Levin gave the University of Florida law school $2 million to help fund the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center.<ref>{{cite news|last=Proctor|first=Carlton|title=Levin Donates $2 Million to UF|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=February 23, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Stripling|first=Jack|title=Fred Levin Gives UF $2 Million for Courtroom Facility|newspaper=The Gainesville Sun|date=February 25, 2006}}</ref>
In 2013, Levin gave $1 million in memory of his recently deceased wife to the Lubavitch-Chabad Student and Community Center at the University of Florida.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schwartzman|first=Bryan|title=Public University with Largest Number of Jewish Students 'Gains' Ground|url=http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/2488566/jewish/Public-University-With-Largest-Number-of-Jewish-Students-Gains-Ground.htm|publisher=Chabad.org|access-date=March 28, 2014}}</ref>
In 2015, Levin (along with his sister-in-law Teri) gave $1 million to the YMCA of Northwest Florida to support the construction of its new facility in downtown Pensacola.<ref>{{cite web|title=Levin family donates $1 million to new YMCA|url=http://pensacolatoday.com/2015/02/levin-family-donates-1-million-new-ymca/|website=Pensacola Today|publisher=Studer Community Institute|access-date=June 6, 2015|archive-date=May 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524143133/http://pensacolatoday.com/2015/02/levin-family-donates-1-million-new-ymca/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2016, Levin gave $1 million to the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition to help fund the institute's 30,000 square foot research facility in artificial intelligence, robotics, human-centered computing, agile and distributed computing, and many related areas.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pnj.com/story/money/business/2016/09/26/levins-1-million-gift-propels-new-ihmc-facility/91110666/|title=Levin's $1 million gift propels new IHMC facility|work=Pensacola News Journal|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref>
In 2017, Levin gave $550,000 to the University of West Florida to establish the Reubin O'D. Askew Institute for Multidisciplinary Studies.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.uwf.edu/fred-levin-gifts-550000-to-uwf-to-establish-new-institute/|title=Fred Levin gifts $550,000 to UWF to establish new institute|date=April 17, 2017|work=UWF Newsroom|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref>
In 2017, Levin gave $2 million to the Brigham & Women's Hospital to establish the Fredric G. Levin Distinguished Chair in Thoracic Surgery and Lung Cancer Research. The gift was given in honor of Dr. Raphael Bueno for saving Mr. Levin's life after he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pnj.com/story/news/2017/08/28/fred-levins-two-million-donation-pensacola-conference/608375001/|title=Fred Levin's $2 million donation to Boston hospital creates Pensacola medical conference|work=Pensacola News Journal|access-date=December 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/why-this-prominent-personal-injury-lawyer-gifted-brigham-and-women-s-2m.html|title=Why this prominent personal injury lawyer gifted Brigham and Women's Hospital $2M|last=Haefner|first=Morgan|website=www.beckershospitalreview.com|date=December 4, 2017 |access-date=December 4, 2017}}</ref>
In 2018, Levin gave an $8 million home, including its personal belongings, to the University of West Florida. In honor of the gift, the school named its government department the Reubin O'D. Askew Department of Government, after Levin's former law partner and two-term governor of the state of Florida.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pnj.com/story/news/education/2018/01/20/levin-donates-8-million-tanglewood-estate-university-west-florida/1044214001/|title=Levin donates $8 million Tanglewood estate to University of West Florida|work=Pensacola News Journal|access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref>
In 2019, Levin gave 300,000 shares of Charlotte's Web Holdings, LLC stock to the University of Florida Levin College of Law. At the time of the announcement of the donation, the stock was valued at $6 million.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Straughn |first1=Sue |title=University of Florida Levin College of Law receives $6 million donation |url=https://weartv.com/news/local/university-of-florida-levin-college-of-law-receives-6-million-donation |access-date=March 29, 2019 |publisher=WEAR TV |date=March 27, 2019}}</ref>
In 2019, Levin donated $2 million to Dana–Farber Cancer Institute to establish the Fredric G. Levin Endowment in Translational Cancer Research.<ref name="Lindsey">{{Cite web|url=https://weartv.com/news/local/fred-levin-donates-millions-to-cancer-research|title=Fred Levin donates millions to cancer research|last=Lindsey|first=Auriette|date=November 26, 2019|website=WEAR|access-date=November 29, 2019}}</ref>
In 2021, Levin donated an additional $40 million to the University of Florida Levin College of Law through his estate.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Transformative $40 Million Gift to University of Florida Levin College of Law|url=https://us3.campaign-archive.com/?u=6756fffd0700143fd0ee10de4&id=043b569b0a|access-date=October 21, 2021|website=us3.campaign-archive.com}}</ref>
==Levin College of Law==
The Fredric G. Levin College of Law at the University of Florida is named for him because of a $10 million cash donation he made to the school in 1999. The gift was the largest-ever cash donation to the University of Florida; the second-largest gift ever to a public law school when matched with state funds; and more than three times larger than any gift in the college's 90-year history.<ref name="Stobbie 18–21"/> The naming drew statewide attention because of the vehement criticism of having the state's prestigious law school named after a person many thought to be reprehensible and undeserving.<ref name="Levin Gift Means New Name for Law S"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Geller|first=Brian|title=Some Question Law School Naming|newspaper=The Gainesville Sun|date=January 10, 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=MacDonald|first=Mary|title=New Law School Name Angers Some Alumni|newspaper=The Florida Times-Union|date=January 20, 1999}}</ref>
One letter to the then dean of the law school read: "I have no problem with naming the law school in honor of an appropriate person, as other colleges have done, but naming our college after Fred Levin does no honor to him, to the institution, or its constituency, and demeans the efforts of the many deans, faculty, and alumni who have worked for so many years to achieve the vision of making our college one of the top twenty law schools. ... You degraded the image and prestige of the University of Florida College of Law by selling its good name to Fred Levin, a lawyer who has been castigated by the courts for abusing the rules, and is notorious for commercializing the practice, thumbing his nose at the bar, and otherwise manipulating the system."<ref>{{cite news|title=Letter from James C. Rinaman, Jr. to Richard Matasar, Dean University of Florida College of Law|date=March 18, 1999}}</ref><ref name="Rosen 2006 12–15"/> In response, Levin told the press: "Two hundred years from now the great, great, great grandchildren (of my critics) will be getting their law degrees from a school with my name on it. It's a good feeling."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Brou|first=Paul|title=Lightning Rod: He's One of Florida's Most Controversial Lawyers|journal=Florida Trend|date=November 1999}}</ref> "It makes me feel great, when their great-grandchildren go up to that stage to get the law degree, they'll know that, dadgum it, that Jew's name is up there on the damn diploma. It's just gotta eat at them."<ref name="Rosen 2006 12–15"/>
In 2024, the law school gave an award to a student paper arguing that "We the People" in the US Constitution protects only white people, calling for the removal of voting rights for non-white people, and contending that white people "cannot be expected to meekly swallow this demographic assault on their sovereignty." The author of the paper has publicly called for Jews to be "abolished by any means necessary." The law school's interim dean, Merritt McAlister, defended the decision to honor the student with the award. <ref>{{cite web |last1=Faucett |first1=Richard |title=A White Nationalist Wrote a Law School Paper Promoting Racist Views. It Won Him an Award. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/21/us/white-supremacist-university-of-florida-paper.html |website=New York Times |publisher=New York Times Company |access-date=21 June 2025}}</ref>
==Health issues and death== In January 2016, Levin was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer that had metastasized to his brain. The brain tumor was removed at the University of Florida Health, and he was treated for his lung cancer at Dana–Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pnj.com/story/news/2017/08/28/fred-levins-two-million-donation-pensacola-conference/608375001/|title=Fred Levin's $2 million donation to Boston hospital creates Pensacola medical conference|last=Staff Reports|date=April 28, 2017|work=The Pensacola New Journal|access-date=December 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bornhoft |first1=Steve |title=Legendary Fred Levin Has Had A Long Streak Of Luck And Good Ties |url=https://www.emeraldcoastmagazine.com/legendary-fred-levin-has-had-a-long-streak-of-luck-and-good-ties/ |website=Emerald Coast |date=August 2018 |access-date=January 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Lindsey"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://give.brighamandwomens.org/stories/levin-honors-life-saving-care/|title=Levin Honors Life-Saving Care|website=Brigham and Women's Hospital|date=August 14, 2018 |access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref>
Levin died from COVID-19 on January 12, 2021, after surviving stage 4 lung and brain cancer. He was asymptomatic for 10 days and died within 5 days of experiencing any symptoms. He was 83 years old.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Editorial Board|title=Editorial: Fred Levin, the world's greatest lawyer, called Pensacola home|url=https://www.pnj.com/story/opinion/2021/01/16/editorial-fred-levin-worlds-greatest-lawyer-called-pensacola-home/4155372001/|access-date=January 17, 2021|website=Pensacola News Journal}}</ref>
==Publications== * ''Operations and the Rule Against Perpetuities'', 13 Fla. L. Rev. 214 (1960–1961) * ''Wrongful Death and Florida's '10–20' Liability Policy -- The Twilight Zone'', 13 Fla. L. Rev. 377 (1960-1961) * ''A Trial Lawyers look at No-Fault'', 1 Miss. College L. Rev. 271 (1979) * ''Personal Injury Protection Coverage'', Florida No-Fault Ins. Prac. (2d ed. 1979) * ''Attorney's Fees'', Florida Civil Practice (2d ed. 1980) * ''Visiting Florida's No-Fault Experience: Is it Now Constitutional?'', 54 Fla. Bar. J. 2 (1980) * ''Structured Settlements in Review: A Case Study'', The Am. J. of Trial Advocacy Vol. 4, No. 3, pg. 579 (Spring 1981) * ''Effective Opening Statements: The Attorney's Master Key to Courtroom Victory'' (1983) * ''The Trial Masters, Strategy for Opening Statement: A Case Study'' pp. 158–196 (1984) * ''The Art of Cross-Examination: A Case Study'', 9 Trial Diplomacy J. 1 (1986) * ''Plaintiff's Trial Strategy'', Periodic Payment Judgment (1987) * ''The Winning Attitude'', 2 Trial Practice News Letter 4 (1988) * ''A Plaintiff's Guide to Effective Opening Statements'', 9 Verdicts, Settlements & Tactics (Sept. 1989) * ''Opening Statement'', Fla. Civil Trial Prac. (4th ed. 1990) * ''Opening Statement'', Florida Civil Trial Practice Ch. 8 (5th ed. 1998) * ''Closing Arguments'', The Last Battle (2003)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.levinlaw.com/ Levin Papantonio] *[http://www.law.ufl.edu/ University of Florida Levin College of Law]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Levin, Fred}} Category:1937 births Category:2021 deaths Category:American Jews Category:Trial lawyers Category:Florida lawyers Category:University of Florida alumni Category:Fredric G. Levin College of Law alumni Category:People from Pensacola, Florida Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida