Dan Newlin is a Florida personal injury attorney, founder and managing partner of Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys, and a former Orange County Sheriff’s Office detective. Based primarily in the Orlando area, he has built one of the larger plaintiff-side injury practices in the United States, with offices across Florida and reported activity in Illinois. He is known for high-volume car accident and personal injury representation, several publicly reported multi-million-dollar verdicts, extensive local advertising, and a 2024 nomination by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Colombia (a nomination that was later returned to the White House and from which Newlin ultimately withdrew).
People searching the name typically want basic professional background, confirmation that he is a practicing personal injury lawyer, details on his firm, notable case results, education and bar status, or context around the ambassador nomination and his law-enforcement past.
Dan Newlin: Quick Profile
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Daniel James Newlin (commonly Dan Newlin) |
| Profession | Attorney / personal injury lawyer |
| Legal Role | Founder and Managing Partner / Senior Advisor |
| Law Firm | Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys |
| Practice Areas | Personal injury (automobile accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, premises liability, and related claims) |
| Location | Orlando / Central Florida (multiple Florida offices; Illinois practice also reported) |
| Education | J.D., Florida State University College of Law (2000); undergraduate degree reported as B.A. (1996) from Columbia University or Colgate University in professional directories |
| Bar Admission | Florida (2001, Florida Bar ID 476791); Illinois (2006); Wisconsin (2001); U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida |
| Known For | Large-scale personal injury practice; reported $100 million and $24 million verdicts; former Orange County Sheriff’s Office detective; 2024–2026 ambassador nomination |
Who Is Dan Newlin?
Daniel James Newlin is a Central Florida personal injury lawyer who founded Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys in 2001 after earlier service as a deputy and detective with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Professional directories and firm materials describe him as having built the firm from a small practice into a multi-office operation that handles a high volume of injury claims, particularly motor-vehicle accidents.
He is frequently visible through billboard, television, and digital advertising across Florida that highlights recoveries for accident victims. Search interest also stems from his law-enforcement background, publicly reported large verdicts, and the high-profile diplomatic nomination announced in December 2024. Wikipedia and news accounts identify him as a Republican who previously supported Democratic candidates before shifting support and becoming a significant donor and advertiser for Donald Trump’s campaigns.
His professional significance lies in the scale of the firm he founded and the combination of investigative experience and plaintiff-side trial work. He has publicly described himself as having transitioned to a senior-advisor role with the firm while remaining associated with its leadership and branding.
Dan Newlin’s Legal Career
Newlin’s path began in public service. Accounts from firm biographies and news profiles state that he worked as a patrol officer and emergency medic in the New Chicago, Indiana area before moving to Florida. He served with the Florida Department of Corrections briefly and then joined the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in 1998. He remained with the agency until 2018, advancing to roles that included fugitive detective work in coordination with federal agencies such as the U.S. Marshals Service. He received commendations and a Distinguished Service Medal recognition according to firm and profile materials.
While still employed in law enforcement, Newlin attended law school. He graduated from Florida State University College of Law in December 2000 and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2001. He opened his own practice that same year, focusing on injury and accident victims. Over the subsequent two decades the firm expanded substantially. Firm statements and directory profiles describe growth to multiple fully staffed Florida offices, scores of attorneys, and hundreds of support staff, with claims of having assisted hundreds of thousands of clients and recovered billions of dollars in aggregate (figures that appear in firm marketing and secondary profiles but are not independently audited in the public sources reviewed).
By the mid-2010s Newlin was publicly associated with high-profile verdicts. In later years he described shifting toward a remote senior-advisor role while the firm continued under its established brand. In December 2024 President-elect Trump announced his intention to nominate Newlin as U.S. Ambassador to Colombia, citing his law-enforcement and business experience. The nomination was received by the Senate in 2025, later returned under Senate rules, and Newlin ultimately withdrew, stating that he preferred to continue his Florida-based legal and community work rather than sell or fully step away from the firm. As of mid-2026 he remained associated with the practice.
Education and Qualifications
Newlin received his Juris Doctor from Florida State University College of Law in 2000. Professional directories list an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree conferred in 1996; sources vary between Columbia University and Colgate University. He was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2001 (member number 476791) and remains listed in good standing on directory platforms that pull from bar data. Additional admissions include the Supreme Court of Illinois (2006), Wisconsin (2001), and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Memberships and recognitions reported in directories include The Florida Bar, the Illinois State Bar Association, listings in Best Lawyers in America, and recognition by The National Trial Lawyers (Top 100). No public record of disciplinary findings against Newlin himself appears in the bar-related sources consulted for this profile. Separate Florida Supreme Court disciplinary proceedings involved two former associates of the firm who left and were later suspended for client-solicitation and file-related conduct; Newlin publicly commented that justice had been served.
What Type of Law Does Dan Newlin Practice?
Dan Newlin and his firm concentrate on plaintiff-side personal injury work. Core areas documented across firm materials and lawyer directories include:
- Automobile, truck, motorcycle, and pedestrian accidents
- Wrongful death claims arising from negligence or criminal acts
- Medical malpractice and related healthcare claims
- Premises liability (slip-and-fall and similar)
- Nursing-home negligence and certain product or construction injury matters
Personal injury practice in these categories generally involves investigating liability, documenting damages (medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, future care), negotiating with insurers, and, when necessary, trying cases to verdict. Newlin’s early career as a detective is frequently cited by the firm as informing an investigative approach to evidence gathering and case preparation. The firm operates on a contingency-fee basis typical of plaintiff personal injury practices—clients generally pay no upfront attorney fees and the firm is compensated from any recovery.
The firm does not hold itself out as a general-practice or defense firm; its public positioning is as a high-volume injury advocate for accident and crime victims.
Dan Newlin and Their Law Firm
Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys is headquartered in Orlando (7335 W. Sand Lake Road, Suite 300, and additional local addresses) with reported satellite offices across Central and North Florida, including locations in Tampa, Altamonte Springs, Melbourne, Ocala, Gainesville, Lake Mary, and others. Firm materials and directory listings describe a large staff of attorneys and support personnel. Newlin is identified as founder, managing partner, or senior advisor depending on the source and time period.
The firm markets itself as having recovered billions for clients and as one of the larger personal injury practices in the country by case volume and staff size. It accepts cases involving serious injury and death claims and emphasizes trial readiness. Advertising is highly visible throughout the region. The firm’s website and profiles also highlight bilingual capability and 24/7 availability for consultations.
Notable Cases and Legal Work
Two civil verdicts are repeatedly cited in firm and news materials:
In 2011, Newlin (working with co-counsel) obtained a $24 million jury verdict for the family of Orlando police officer Alfred Gordon, who was killed in an off-duty robbery at an ATM. The civil action focused on inadequate security and related claims; the perpetrators had already been convicted of murder.
In 2014, Newlin obtained a $100 million jury verdict (described by the firm as a record in Orlando at the time) on behalf of Danielle Sampson, a teenager who suffered catastrophic brain injury after being struck by a stray bullet during a crime incident while riding in a family vehicle. The award encompassed past and future medical care, pain and suffering, and related damages. Judgment was entered; collection status is listed by the firm as pending in some materials.
Firm marketing lists numerous other multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts in car-accident, motorcycle, medical-malpractice, and wrongful-death matters. Specific case details beyond the two high-profile examples above are less extensively documented in independent news sources. All such results are case-specific and do not guarantee outcomes in other matters.
Dan Newlin’s Professional Reputation
Directory platforms such as Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, Justia, and Lawyers.com show client-review aggregates in the mid-to-high range (commonly around 4.5–4.7 stars based on hundreds of reviews) and peer ratings. Recognitions listed include Best Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Top 100, and various “best of” local business or consumer rankings claimed by the firm.
Newlin is a polarizing public figure in Central Florida because of the intensity of the firm’s advertising and his political visibility. Supporters point to the volume of recoveries and accessibility for injury victims; critics of high-volume personal-injury marketing sometimes question the business model more generally. No verified disciplinary record against Newlin appears in the sources reviewed. His political donations and the ambassador nomination generated additional media coverage that mixed professional biography with partisan context.
Why Are People Searching for Dan Newlin?
Search volume is driven by several concrete factors. Florida drivers and accident victims encounter the firm’s advertising daily and search the name for reviews, contact information, or case results. Others look up the attorney after seeing news about large verdicts or after the December 2024 ambassador announcement. Law-enforcement and political observers search in connection with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office background and Trump-campaign activity. Some searches are simply “who is Dan Newlin” or “Dan Newlin lawyer” from people encountering the name in news or social media. The combination of a large local law firm, visible marketing, former detective status, and a short-lived diplomatic nomination produces ongoing informational interest.
Conclusion
Dan Newlin is a Central Florida personal injury attorney who founded Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys after a lengthy career as an Orange County Sheriff’s Office detective. He holds a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law, is admitted in Florida, Illinois, and Wisconsin, and has been linked to substantial reported verdicts, including a $100 million brain-injury award and a $24 million wrongful-death verdict for a police officer’s family. The firm he built operates multiple offices and markets itself as a high-volume advocate for accident victims. In late 2024 he was nominated for U.S. Ambassador to Colombia; that nomination did not result in confirmation, and he returned his focus to Florida legal practice and community activity. Public information about his professional record is drawn primarily from bar directories, firm materials, court-reported verdicts, and mainstream news coverage of the diplomatic nomination and large cases. Individuals considering legal representation should evaluate any attorney or firm based on their specific circumstances, current bar status, and independent consultation.
FAQs
Is Dan Newlin a real lawyer?
Yes. He is a licensed attorney admitted to The Florida Bar since 2001 (ID 476791) and also admitted in Illinois and Wisconsin. Directory platforms confirm active status with no reported misconduct findings against him.
What law firm is Dan Newlin associated with?
He founded and remains associated with Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys, a personal-injury firm headquartered in Orlando with multiple Florida locations.
What kind of cases does Dan Newlin handle?
Primarily plaintiff personal-injury matters: car, truck, and motorcycle accidents; wrongful death; medical malpractice; slip-and-fall; and related claims.
Where did Dan Newlin go to law school?
Florida State University College of Law (J.D., 2000).
Was Dan Newlin nominated as ambassador to Colombia?
Yes. President-elect Donald Trump announced the nomination in December 2024. The nomination was later returned by the Senate and Newlin withdrew, choosing to continue his Florida legal and community work.
Has Dan Newlin won large verdicts?
Firm and news sources report a $100 million jury verdict in a brain-injury case (2014) and a $24 million verdict for the family of a slain Orlando police officer (2011). Other multi-million-dollar results are listed by the firm.
Does Dan Newlin still practice law?
He remains associated with the firm in a leadership or senior-advisor capacity after the ambassador nomination process concluded.
You May Also Like: Morris Bart: New Orleans Personal Injury Lawyer and Legal Advertising Pioneer
