Rafael Cruz-Alvarez

Rafael Cruz-Alvarez has decades of experience in all areas of product liability, pharmaceutical, construction defect, and tort law. He has defended cases involving a wide range of products from antimalarials and fungicides to the Engle progeny smoking and health cases filed throughout the state of Florida. He has also served as counsel for numerous drug manufacturers in significant pharmaceutical liability claims. He has successfully represented defendants and plaintiffs in medical malpractice and automotive liability cases, obtaining both defense and million-dollar-plus verdicts for clients.

Highlighted Matters

Pharmaceutical/Drug Defect Claims

Representative cases include Redux/Pondimin (Fen-Phen) diet drug claims, Mefloquine/Lariam (antimalarial) claims, and Accutane claims filed throughout the state of Florida, including those in the Accutane MDL in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Product Liability

Defended claims involving a range of products from fungicides alleged to cause crop damage to smoking and health cases, specifically the Engle progeny cases filed throughout the state of Florida.

Served as counsel for major tobacco companies in hundreds of cases filed in Florida’s Panhandle and South Florida. Directed the day-to-day coordination, development, and strategy for thousands of Engle progeny smoking and health cases filed in the Federal Middle District of Florida.

Professional Activities

Member, Dade County Bar Association
Member, American Bar Association
Former Chair, Committee K of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee, which is charged with investigating and making “probable cause” determinations regarding complaints of attorney misconduct

Bar and Court Admissions

Florida Bar 1993
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida

Law School

University of Pennsylvania, J.D. 1993

College

University of Miami, B.A. 1990
cum laude