Lara Weems Rezapour is a partner at the firm’s Miami office. Lara is a trial lawyer who concentrates her practice in the areas of general liability, third-party insurance defense, and premises liability.

Before joining Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, Lara was a partner at a prominent Florida defense firm where she represented insurance companies in defense of their first-party property, general liability, automobile negligence, gig economy, and premises liability claims. Before that, Lara dedicated her practice to advocating on behalf of some of Florida’s most vulnerable citizens, first serving as a Guardian Ad Litem to assess the needs of children involved in high-conflict family law cases and then representing victims of domestic violence.

Lara received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Tennessee. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Florida A&M University College of Law where she received several academic awards. Prior to her admission to the Bar, Lara was chosen as one of two legal interns to United States Senator Marco Rubio, an experience which afforded her significant international conflict resolution experience.

Lara is a dedicated and active member of her community, consistently contributing her time and expertise to various local organizations. She is proud of her four-year tenure on the Board of Directors for the Volusia County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, where she played a pivotal role in promoting professional development and community outreach among her peers.

Practice Areas

Education

J.D., cum laude, Florida A & M University College of Law

  • Book Awards: Legal Research and Writing I and II; Florida Constitutional Law
  • Law Review Senior Staff Editor,
  • Moot Court
  • Volusia County Bar Association YLD Board of Directors 2019-2024

B.S., magna cum laude, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  • Obtained dismissal of client after filing summary judgment in a multi-million dollar product liability case, where Plaintiff’s leg was amputated due to an alleged defect.
  • Secured a significant victory in a case against Morgan and Morgan, whereupon Lara strategically filed a Motion to Dismiss based upon Morgan and Morgan’s attempt to sidestep procedural rules. The Court granted the Motion to Dismiss, effectively pushing the matter into Tort Reform.
  • Obtained a full defense verdict at trial against Morgan and Morgan in a general liability claim involving a premises liability dispute. Faced with exposure of $3,073,779.12, plus fees and costs, Lara launched an aggressive defense before a Seminole County, Florida jury. After a three-day trial, the jury returned a verdict in our client’s favor.

  • The Open and Obvious Doctrine and Defenses, Travelers CEU Webinar, March 2023
  • Key Tort Reform Takeaways, webinar, March 2024

  • Florida
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
  • United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida

  • Volusia County Bar Association
  • Volusia Flagler Association for Women Lawyers

  • Florida’s Children First (2022-2024)
  • United Way volunteer (2017-2024)
  • Salvation Army volunteer (2020-2024)