Scott W. Konopka

Scott is partner-in-charge of Taft’s Stuart office, where he practices probate, trust, and fiduciary litigation, and complex business and real estate litigation. He also is experienced in handling construction litigation, developer disputes, and contract, fraud and accounting claims.

Scott is currently recognized in Business Litigation by Florida Super Lawyers, recognized as a “Legal Elite” by Florida Trend, and is a Martindale Hubble AV-rated attorney.
He is a past president of the Martin County Bar Association and former president and former board member of the Justice Major B. Harding American Inns of Court. Scott is also a former chairman and member of the Judicial Nominating Commission of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit.

In addition to his local practice, Scott frequently travels throughout Florida to represent the firm’s clients, including nationally known private and public companies, local businesses and entrepreneurs, and local governments.

• Representation of dozens of fiduciaries, banking institutions, guardians, family members and beneficiaries in actions involving trust and will disputes, reformation actions, rescission claims, interpretation of wills and trusts, breach of fiduciary duty claims, trustee removal actions, legal and fiduciary fee disputes, guardianship actions, and disputes regarding distribution of estate and trust assets.
• Legacy Investing Group, LLC v. Nettles Island Marina, LLC, Case Nos. 4D2025-1108 (4^th DCA 2024), 2024 CA 009764 (15^th Judicial Circuit), 2025 CA000358 (19^th Judicial Circuit), 2024 CA001729 (19^th Judicial Circuit), 2025 CA001780 (15^th Judicial Circuit). Representation of court-appointed receiver in multi-jurisdictional litigation.
• Cty Farms v. St. Lucie River Farm LLC , Case No. 2019-CA-000361 (19th Judicial Circuit 2024). Breach of lease, deceptive and unfair trade practices, and fraudulent misrepresentation claim arising out of a farming operation resulting in a jury verdict for $12.2 million.
• Cusick v. Seacoast Nat’l Bank, 358 So. 3d 1224 (Fla. 4^th DCA 2023) (affirming dismissal with prejudice of petition to revoke probate under s. 733.109(1), Fla. Stat., and denying rescission for alleged undue influence and incapacity; affirming rights of pretermitted spouse)
• Meet Invs., LLC v. Deasy, 376 So. 3d 714 (Fla. 4^th DCA 2023) (affirming summary judgment on claims for fraudulent inducement and breach of real estate contract)
• Sodoma Partners, LLC v. Eagle Island Ranch, LLC, Case No. 2020-CA-000186 (19th Judicial Circuit 2023). Dispute regarding ownership and operation of a ranch.
• Bestenheider v. Parusa Investment Corp. Case no. 2010-CA-002346 (19th Judicial Circuit 2021). Jury trial verdict for $6 million arising out of misappropriation of funds and net operating losses from a failed business venture.
• NorthStar Moving Holding Company, Inc., d.b.a. NorthStar Moving and NorthStar Movers, Plaintiff, v. King David Van Lines, Ohad Guzi, and Itzhak Bokobza (S.D. Fla. 2022) Case No. 0:19-cv-62176 and appeal Case No.: 22-11600-E (11^th Circuit) and related state court action Case No. 2022 CA009901 (17^th Judicial Circuit). Trademark infringement dispute and related fraudulent transfer claims.
• Melissa Salmons v Estate of James Thomas Lycett, Case No.: 4D17-3616 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018) (affirming final judgment granting personal representative’s right to acquire shares of business pursuant to shareholders agreement and adopting personal representative’s valuation).
• HM Prop. Invs., LLC v. Martin Cnty., No. 14-AP-17, 2016 WL 937242, at *3 (Fla. Cir. Ct. Feb. 25, 2016) (granting petition for writ of certiorari and quashing County Board’s order denying development order based on estoppel theory and property owner’s good faith reliance upon act or omission of the government and substantial change in position).
• Greenberg v. Martin Cnty., No. 14-AP-5, 2014 WL 12970296, at *1 (Fla. Cir. Ct. Oct. 15, 2014) (reversing order denying development order and determining that County official testimony was the antithesis of competent substantial evidence; quoting John Adams, “we are ‘a government of laws and not of men” and Justice Cardozo: “The Judge, even when he is free, is still not wholly free. He is not to innovate at his pleasure. He is not a knight-errant roaming at will in pursuit of his own ideal of beauty and goodness…He is to exercise a discretion informed by tradition, methodized by analogy, disciplined by system, and subordinated to the primordial necessity of order in the social life”).
• Thanh Citizens for Sunshine, Inc. v. the School Board of Martin County, Florida, Sue Hershey, Laurie Gaylord and David Anderson, 125 So.3d 184 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013) (Appeal No. 4D12-2978). Representation of school district superintendent; denial of motion for temporary injunction affirmed.
• Nguyen v. Tipsy Spa and Salon, Inc., 2012 WL XXXXXX (S.D.Fla. 2012). Trademark infringement action resulting in a summary judgment for our client.
• Century Land Development, L.P. v. Weits, 2009 WL 252091 (S.D.Fla. 2009). Claims for constructive fraud, professional negligence, and breach of fiduciary duty related to $4.9 million purchase of vacant oceanfront property mis-advertised as a site where Plaintiffs could build a multi-unit development.
• Lynn v. Martin County Marine Corp., 980 So.2d 536 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008) (rejecting application of contemporaneous stock ownership rule and allowing shareholder derivative claims to proceed).
• State Farm Fire and Cas. Co. v. Steinberg, 393 F.3d 1226, 73 U.S.P.Q.2d 1424 (11th Cir. 2004) Insurance coverage dispute spawned by underlying lawsuit alleging misappropriation of confidential business information; misappropriation of customer list, infringement of title misappropriation of advertising ideas and misappropriation of style of doing business.
• State Farm Fire and Cas. Co. v. Steinberg, 2003 WL 25730505 (S.D. Fla. 2003). Insurance coverage dispute spawned by underlying lawsuit alleging misappropriation of confidential business information; misappropriation of customer list, infringement of title misappropriation of advertising ideas and misappropriation of style of doing business.
• Innomed Technologies, Inc. v. Worldwide Medical Technologies, Inc., SunburstConsulting, L.L.C.S. Roger Strickland, Jr., Eldon Mixon, and Cathy Mixon, Viasys Healthcare, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Jonathan S. Lee, JSL Consulting, Inc.
  and Mixon Contracting, Inc., Case # 6:03-cv-68-Orl-28JGG (M.D.Fla. 2005). Action for patent infringement and trade secret theft related to medical device, involving allegations of manufactured evidence and fraud on the court.

• Co-author, Navigating Florida’s Changing Daubert Tide in Business Cases, Florida Business Journal, September/October 2019.
• Is F.S. 732.703 Susceptible to a Constitutional Challenge by a Former Spouse Whose Claim for Benefits is Denied? Florida Bar Journal, Vol. 91, No. 5, May 2017.
• The Business Records Exception to the Hearsay Rule: Do Financial Institutions Get a Free Pass? Florida Bar Association – YLD Perspectives, July 25, 2013.
• Social Media Shows Trademark Confusion, South Florida Daily Business Review, June 11, 2013.
• Legal Rights Series, Martin Country TV, Aug. 28, 2009.
• The Governor and The Great Florida Land Boom, The Sidebar, March 2010.
• In 20 Years, How Will The Public Perceive Our Profession, The Sidebar, July 2009.

Presentations

• Presenter, “Updates to Florida Rules of Civil Procedure,” 19th Judicial Circuit Court Judges (2025).
• Presenter, “Negotiation and Mediation Techniques in Business Disputes and Probate Litigation,” 19th Judicial Circuit Bench Bar Conference (October 2016).
• Speaker, Florida Bar Annual Convention, Business Litigation (July 2013).