HISTORY / LAWYER BIOGRAPHIES
Paul A. McKenna began his career as an attorney 30 years ago defending criminal cases in the Federal Court for the Southern District of Florida and in Federal Courts throughout the nation. Paul McKenna tried dozens of historic federal cases including the Outlaws Motorcycle Gang trial, the Yahweh trial, the Bubba Bust corruption trial in Key West and many other memorable South Florida cases.
In the early 90’s Paul McKenna was presented with the opportunity to represent a man in Federal Court who had been falsely arrested and lost his business as a result. After the verdict Mr. McKenna realized that the skills he had developed as a criminal defense attorney worked equally well in civil trials. Consequently, Mr. McKenna began accepting civil cases to the point where civil cases now comprise 90% of the trial practice.
In 2009 Paul McKenna’s close personal friend and attorney Joseph H. Ganguzza suddenly passed away. Mr. McKenna stepped in to manage Mr. Ganguzza’s firm, Joseph H. Ganguzza and Associates, P.A. As a result, Mr. McKenna entered a third phase in his legal career involving primarily real estate and real estate litigation which he has incorporated into his general, civil and criminal litigation practice. Mr. McKenna has become an agent of Fidelity National Title Insurance Company, Old Republic National Title Insurance Company and First American Title Insurance Company and to honor Mr. Ganguzza’s memory and work in the real estate field, formed Ganguzza Title and Escrow which processes all the real estate closings and services the REO default industry.
Paul McKenna was admitted to the Florida Bar in October of 1982 and was a graduate of Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans. At Tulane, Mr. McKenna was a moot court champion who represented his school in the National Moot Trial Championship in Memphis, Tennessee. For his achievements in law school, Mr. McKenna was awarded the Order of the Barristers. On graduating from law school, Mr. McKenna joined the Dade County Public Defender’s Office and the Miami Federal Defender’s Office where he learned the art of trying difficult cases. Mr. McKenna entered private practice in 1985. Mr. McKenna was the recipient of the Rodney Thaxton’s Liberty’s Last Champion Memorial Award for the year 2001. Mr. McKenna has tried over 100 jury trials and has been recognized for his trial work as a recipient of the annual Rodney Thaxton Memorial Award. Mr. McKenna is also a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum whose membership is limited to attorneys who have won multi-million dollar jury verdicts. Fewer that 1% of U.S. lawyers are members.
Mr. McKenna has been married to Dominique Landra McKenna of Nimes France for 30 years. They have raised three children in Miami where they continue to reside. The couple returns to France every summer for their vacation where Dominique’s family still resides. Mr. McKenna speaks French and has the distinction of serving as the General Counsel to the French Consulate in Miami.
