Several prominent and influential lawyers died in 2017, leaving a mark on courts and colleagues. Here's a look back at who passed on.
Noted South Florida Litigator Ervin Gonzalez Dies at 57 "I remember trying my very first plaintiffs case 18 years ago," Miami attorney Jack Hickey said. "He was in trial in another courtroom on the same floor. I was telling him about my case. I was pretty worried about it because I didn't know what I was doing. … He looked at me and said, 'You know what? You're going to win because you're a great trial lawyer.' "
  Former Florida Justice McDonald Dies at 93 McDonald served 15 years on the high court and retired from the court after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. He served as chief justice from 1986 to 1988.
Miami Appellate Attorney Richard Strafer Dies at 66 Strafer was known for his compelling appellate writing, including a 2012 petition that persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to hear arguments in the Kaley v. United States on the constitutionality of pretrial asset freezes. The court later found them legal.
Funeral Set Tuesday for Judge Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat "We miss him, what can I tell you," said his former mentor, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Peter Lopez. "He loved his job. He loved going to work every day. He didn't feel he was ready to retire."
Law Professor Fred McChesney, Known for Tying Law and Economics, Dies at 68 Former University of Miami law professor Fred S. McChesney, an author known for applying economics to the study of law, died after battling an extended illness. He was 68.
Lawyers' Advocate Michael Cohen Has Died: 'My Heart Is Still Full of Love' "Michael's passing leaves a huge hole in the heart of our bar family," Florida Bar President Michael J. Higer said Thursday. "We will miss him personally, and we will miss him for all that he has done for the lawyers throughout Florida. He leaves an indelible legacy of compassion and dedication to those suffering from addiction and other challenges."
Veteran Miami Litigator Parker Thomson Dies at 85 Thomson, who was of counsel at Hogan Lovells, was known for his work as a high-caliber commercial, environmental and First Amendment expert in trial court and at the appellate level.
Miami International Law Attorney Owen Freed Dies at 84 Miami international law attorney Owen Freed, one of the partners at the predecessor to Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, died on a trip to Bogota, Colombia, a family spokeswoman said. He was 84.
Harper Meyer Co-Founder George Harper Dies at 74 Harper, who was often called on to speak about Cuba, came to the U.S. from Cuba in 1960, two days after graduating from high school. Harper's parents were wealthy rice and cattle ranchers on the island, but after the revolution they were forced to flee. His mother, a teacher, insisted he first finish his senior year so he would be able to attend college.
Denise Kelly Johnson, Chief of Child Support Enforcement Division for State Attorney's Office, Dies at 61 Kelly, 61, who had worked for the state attorney's office for more than 22 years, oversaw and assisted the roughly two dozen attorneys assigned to work with thousands of parents who need help obtaining child support from a parent who has not met child support obligations. Friends and family said she was active in her church and volunteered with the Greater Miami chapter of the charity The Links, Incorporated—an international nonprofit made up of professional women of color committed to enriching and sustaining the culture and economic survival of African-Americans. They said she rarely took time off from work, and was "a mother hen" to the lawyers who worked with her.