Charlie Gourlis is an attorney at the Leto Law Firm. Prior to joining the Leto Law Firm, Charlie worked alongside Matthew Leto at one of the premier trial law firms in South Florida. Charlie also practiced maritime litigation for several years, handling all manner of maritime cases and representing both plaintiffs and defendants. During his career, Charlie has litigated and successfully resolved a diverse set of cases in Florida’s State and Federal Courts, including complex commercial matters, claims under the Jones Act and General Maritime Law, international arbitration claims governed by the substantive laws of Panama, Norway, and The Bahamas, personal injury matters, as well as appeals. Charlie applies an aggressive and efficient strategy to all matters he handles, focusing on the dispositive issues with a mind to achieving an efficient resolution for his clients.
Representative Cases
- Represented a municipality in a claim against numerous design professionals and contractors arising out of the construction of a park. After a bench trial against three defendants and an appeal, the case was settled.
- Represented numerous seamen in arbitration actions brought against their employers under the Jones Act and the General Maritime Law. Each case resolved prior to the final hearing.
- Represented a high-ranking ship’s officer in a claim for employment discrimination against the employer in an arbitration governed by the substantive laws of The Bahamas. The claim was resolved prior to the final hearing.
- Obtained $20 million summary judgment against agency and instrumentality of Venezuela based on its failure to pay for good related to its production of oil.
- Obtained verdict after bench trial for all sums requested, including fees and costs, based on Defendant’s failure to pay all sums due and owing under contract for buy-out of Plaintiff’s limousine business.
Reported Opinions
- Isaac Indus., Inc. v. Petroquimica de Venezuela, S.A., 2023 WL 3845432 (S.D. Fla. June 6, 2023)
- SDSol Techs., LLC v. Stardam, LLC, 48 Fla. L. Weekly D2344 (Fla. 3d DCA Dec. 13, 2023)