Onier is an AV Preeminent-rated senior trial attorney with decades of representation of a wide range of both private and public entities.
Onier Llopiz
Partner
For close to two decades, Onier has been the trusted advisor to a myriad of federal and state government entities and officials. In providing a complete range of services to government clients, Onier counsels them about the implementation and adequate maintenance of federal and state mandates, and vigorously represents them in the broad range of litigation disputes.
As an AV Preeminent-rated attorney, he has received the highest peer rating an attorney can achieve during their career. This honor is given to attorneys who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards by their peers.
In his practice, Mr. Llopiz routinely represents municipalities, state agencies, state universities, state attorneys, special taxing districts, water management districts, school boards and districts, charter schools, and public officials and police officers. He has successfully defended these in actions involving issues of sovereign immunity, qualified immunity, 11th Amendment immunity, federal state action doctrines, 1983 actions, wrongful death claims, municipal code violations, construction defects, public decency laws, Chapter 119 violations, harassment, gender discrimination, retaliation, Title VII, Title IX, Federal and State whistleblower violations, fraud, and a battery of common law torts.
Additionally, Onier is active in all fields of business law, advising on a broad range of corporate transactions, contracts, regulatory compliance, governance, controls and risk management issues, and in respect to investigations. Onier has significant experience advising US and non-US clients in relation to cross-border corporate and commercial transactions and disputes.
As litigation counsel, Onier specializes in complex commercial litigation, particularly disputes regarding financial services and products, corporate and shareholder disputes, and fiduciary issues.
Onier has also extensive experience representing attorneys and other professionals charged with malpractice, errors, and omissions. In his practice, he regularly defends attorneys, law firms, insurance agents and brokers, real estate agents, title and closing agents, escrow agents, appraisers, investment firms, as well as various design professionals, medical doctors, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and other counselors. He also handles related administrative proceedings, including complaints, inquiries, and investigations.
Prior to founding Llopiz Wizel, Onier chaired the Government Liability and Professional Liability divisions of a national defense firm and served as its General Counsel.
Education, Leadership, Membership & Honors
JD, University of Miami, cum laude, 2002
AB, University of Miami, with honors, 1999
Full-tuition scholarship
International & Comparative Law Review
Dean’s Honor Scholarship
Haas Humanitarian Scholarship
Who’s Who Among American Law Students
Florida Bar Foundation Fellow, 2000 (special underwriting recipient)
Florida Bar Foundation Fellow, 2001 (special underwriting recipient)
Guardian Ad Litem, Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida
Triple-Majored: Economics, Psychology, & Political Science
Honors Program, Member
Most Outstanding Pre-Law Student, Fall 1998
Most Outstanding Pre-Law Student, Spring 1999
President, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Society, University of Miami Chapter
Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges
University of Miami Mock Trial Team, Member
Bar Admissions
State of Florida, 2002
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
Awards and Recognitions
AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
2016, Rising Stars, Super Lawyers Magazine
2015, Rising Stars, Super Lawyers Magazine
2015, Legal Elite, The Corporate America Legal Elite
2014, Rising Stars, Super Lawyers Magazine
2014, Top Attorneys Florida’s Outstanding Young Lawyers
2013, ICFM Leading Lawyer 500
2011, Rising Stars, Super Lawyers Magazine
2011, Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite Up & Comer
2010, Strathmore’s Who’s Who
2010 Rising Stars, Super Lawyers Magazine
Who’s Who Among Executives & Professionals
Chair, Public Entity Practice Group
Chair, Professional Liability Division
2009, ACQ Finance Magazine, Award for Achievement
News & Publications
News & Publications
Fostering Long-Term Client Loyalty Is Key Driver at Lydecker Diaz
FDIC Wins $4.9M From WaMu’s Title Insurer For Loan Fraud (September 4, 2014)
Miami Herald: City Takes Hard Look at Ultra (March 31, 2014)
Corporate Counsel Magazine: Coping With (and Insuring Against) Data Breach Liability (February 13, 2014)
DBR: Cyber Liability Insurance Can Ease Your Mind by Onier Llopiz & Brian Perreault ( (February 19, 2014)
Law 360 Q&A With Lydecker Diaz’s Onier Llopiz (June 3, 2013)
FDIC Sues 2 Title Insurers Over $7.7M WaMu Fraud (October 4, 2012)
DBR: With Sovereignty Comes Increased Liability From Higher Caps (September 30, 2011)
Wish I Was in Dixie (November 15, 2007)
Professional and Community Involvement
American Bar Association, Member
Municipal Attorneys Association, Member
Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, Lifetime Member
Psi Chi National Psychology Honor Society, Lifetime Member
Member, Dade County Bar Association
Member, Cuban American Bar Association
Significant Representations & Experience
Mr. Llopiz has been involved in various cases of first impression and matters involving complex issues of law, resulting in leading authorities at both state and federal levels. Some of these representative cases include:
Martin Memorial Medical Center, Inc. v. Tenet Healthsystem Hospitals, Inc., 875 So. 2d 797 (Fla. 1st DCA 2005).
Crowley Museum and Nature Center, Inc. v. Southwest Florida Water Management Dist., 993 So. 2d 605 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008)
Your A to X Video Outlet, Inc. v. Stirling Center, LLP, Case No. CACE 08053379 (Fla. 11th Cir. Ct. 2008)
O’Donnell v. Derrig, Case No. 09-10827, 2009 WL 2501957 (11th Cir. 2009)
TheStreet.com, Inc. v. Carroll, 20 So. 3d 947 (Fla. 4th DCA 2009)
Young Apartments, Inc. v. Town of Jupiter, FL, 529 F.3d 1027 (11th Cir. 2008)
Berg v. Merchants Ass’n Collection Div., Inc., 586 F. Supp. 2d 1336 (S.D. Fla. 2008)
Florida Atlantic University Bd. of Trustees v. Lindsey, 50 So. 3d 1205 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010)
Pleasant Valley Biofuels, LLC v. SMGQ, 13-23046-CIV-Cohn-Seltzer (United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 2013)(Defense Verdict)
Smith v. Town of Davie, Case No. 13-019894 (06) (Florida 17th Judicial Circuit 2019) (Defense Verdict).
Wrinn v. Town of Davie, Case No. 16-003083 (08) (Florida 17th Judicial Circuit 2019) (Defense Verdict).
Jolicoeur v. J.B. (11th Judicial Circuit 2020) (Defense Verdict)
McCormick v. Somerset Academy Inc., Case No. 16-003125 (Florida 17th Judicial Circuit 2022) (Defense Verdict and Award of Fees).
RC v. Pirita Investment & Development Fund, LLC, Case No. 21-019633 (Florida 17th Judicial Circuit 2023) (Full Successful Verdict for Client and Award of Fees); (Fourth District Court of Appeals, Case No. 4D2023-3011).
General Computer Services, Inc. v. Merco Group at Akoya, Case No. 2006-26218 (Florida 11th Judicial Circuit 2023) (Damages Only Trial)