Virginia Buchanan is a shareholder at Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty, Proctor, Buchanan, O’Brian, Barr & Mougey, P.A., having joined the firm in 1989. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida in 1985, and received her Juris Doctorate Degree, with honors, from the University of Florida in 1989.

She has served as lead/co-lead counsel in more than 50 jury trials, with results exceeding $500 million. She has a national practice and works extensively in her local Pensacola and surrounding community. She is a member of Florida Super Lawyers and Florida Legal Elite, and listed by Martindale-Hubbell as a Top Rated Lawyer in Personal Injury. She has been repeatedly designated as a Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Top Consumer Lawyer.

Ms. Buchanan is a member of the American Association for Justice (formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America), as well as the Florida Justice Association (“FJA”) (formerly Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers). She is a Distinguished Fellow and Eagle Member of FJA, and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2021. She has served on the Board of Directions of the Florida Bar Foundation and has been Treasurer of ABOTA, Chairperson of the Civil Process Server Grievance Committee and has been a member of the Chief Judge's Council on Children. She currently is a member of the Women's Caucus of the Florida Justice Association, and serves on The Florida Bar Ethics Committee.

Ms. Buchanan is a member of the American Bar Association, and has served as a member of the subcommittee of the American Bar Association on legislation affecting litigation and was appointed to a special committee of the American Bar Association on health care.

Ms. Buchanan has served on the Judicial Liaison Committee of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association and as a member of the Escambia-Santa Rosa County Bar Association Grievance Committee for attorney complaints, and has also been a member of the First Circuit Fee Arbitration Committee. She has served on the Women's Life Center Advisory Board to the West Florida Regional Medical Center and to the Board of Directors to the Shands Home Care Project.

While attending the University of Florida, Ms. Buchanan was a Bickel Scholar, Scripps-Howard Scholar and received several jurisprudence awards. She was selected to the University of Florida Moot Court Team and was a Finalist in the Florida Annual Moot Court Competition and Finalist in Benton National Moot Court Competition in Chicago, Illinois. She was selected to the Order of the Coif and to Phi Delta Phi, an honors fraternity, while in school.

Year Joined Law Firm

   
• 1989

Areas of Practice

Ms. Buchanan limits her practice to serious cases involving personal injury and wrongful death. She is the head of the firm’s medical negligence department and is co-chair of the firm’s class action department.

Bar Admissions

   
• Florida
   
• Alabama
   
• United States Supreme Court
   
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
   
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
   
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama
   
• United States Court of Claims

Education

   
• Law Degree, University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida, 1989
  Honors: Order of the Coif
  Honors: With Honors
  Honors: Bickel Scholar
  Honors: Scripps-Howard Scholar
  Honors: Received Several Jurisprudence Awards
  Honors: Member, Moot Court Team
  Honors: Finalist, Florida Annual Moot Court Competition
  Honors: Finalist, Benton National Moot Court Competition, Chicago, IL
  Honors: Phi Delta Phi
   
• B.S., University of Florida, Journalism College, 1985
  Honors: Graduated First in Class Telecommunication
  Honors: High Honors, Academics, (Special Project Committee vote)

Honors and Awards

   
• ALM and Martindale-Hubbell recognition as a 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Labor & Employment Law
   
• AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale Hubbell by peer reviews 5.0 out of 5
   
• Bickel Scholarship
   
• Final Four Finalist, Alumnus of University of Florida Moot Court
   
• Finalist, National Moot Court Competition, Chicago, IL
   
• First Runner Up, Florida Bar Annual Moot Court Competition
   
• Florida Bar Committee on Student Education/Admission to the Bar, 2017-2018 (Appointed by the President of the Florida Bar)
   
• Florida Bar Examination Top Score and Invited Speaker for Attorney Swearing In Ceremony, Tallahassee, FL 1989
   
• Florida Bar President’s Award for Pro Bono Service for 1^st Judicial Circuit, 2014
   
• Florida Bar Professional Ethics Committee Member, 2019-2022 (Appointed by the President of the Florida Bar)
   
• Florida Justice Association, selected by peers and leadership as Distinguished Fellow (2019)
   
• Florida Super Lawyers, 2006 - 2022
   
• Florida Trend Magazine, Florida "Legal Elite" 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 Award
   
• Jurisprudence Awards, Criminal Law, Legal Writing & Legal Ethics
   
• Lawdragon, designated one of top 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers – 2010, 2019-2022
   
• Martindale-Hubbell - 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in ‘Personal Injury Law’
   
• National Trial Lawyers (Top 100 Trial Lawyers)
   
• Nominee for the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award from the Public Justice Foundation, 2008
   
• Order of the Coif - University of Florida Law School
   
• Public Justice - Board Member (Board Member July 2020-July 2023)
   
• Scripps-Howard Scholarship
   
• Selection to Florida Justice Association, ad-hoc committee on Claims Bill Reform, September 2015
   
• Shands Hospital, Shands Homecare Advisory Committee, member
   
• The Florida Bar - Civil Procedure Rules Committee, July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2011, member (Appointed by the President of the Florida Bar)
   
• University of West Florida Legal Studies Advisory Board, 2015
   
• Women Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers – Top 25 (2021-2022)