Mark K. Eckels Appointed to the Workers’ Compensation Rules Advisory Committee and the Board of Legal Specialization & Education by The Florida Bar
June 4, 2024 by boydjenerette on News
Boyd & Jenerette is excited to reveal that Shareholder Mark K. Eckels has been appointed to the Workers' Compensation Rules Advisory Committee and Board of Legal Specialization & Education (BLSE) by The Florida Bar.
Boyd & Jenerette extends heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Eckels on his appointments by The Florida Bar. His expertise and dedication will undoubtedly make significant contributions to these esteemed committees. We are proud to see his hard work and commitment to excellence recognized in such a meaningful way.
Mark K. Eckels
Shareholder/Practice Group Leader
Direct: 904.353.6244
Email: meckels@boydjen.com
About Mark K. Eckels
Mr. Eckels devotes his practice to the defense of employers and insurance carriers in workers’ compensation and Longshore claims. He practices throughout Florida and Georgia in the workers’ compensation context, while his longshore and Defense Base Act practice extends nationwide.
He handles all facets of workers’ compensation and longshore claims from the initial reporting of an accident and its investigation, including site visits, through the discovery process to trial, and any appellate proceedings thereafter. He is routinely called upon by insurance companies to provide coverage opinions in complex coverage disputes or to evaluate jurisdictional issues that often arise between competing state and federal jurisdictions.
Mr. Eckels is Board Certified in Workers’ Compensation by The Florida Bar, a designation he achieved in 2000. He has served on The Florida Bar’s Workers’ Compensation Board Certification Committee (2007-2013), including a term as chair, and is presently serving a 3-year term, including serving as its chair for one year. He also served on The Florida Bar’s Workers’ Compensation Rules Advisory Committee (2002-2012), and served as its chair (2011-2012). Last year, he was appointed to the Executive Council of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Florida Bar to serve through 2024.
Employers, manufacturers, insurance carriers, shippers, logistic companies, maritime employers, stevedoring companies and defense contractors are clients of Mr. Eckels. He represents companies engaged in all facets of the shipping industry, from ship to shore and overland transportation. In this regard, he serves as designated statewide or national counsel for several logistic companies, insurance carriers, longshore employers and Defense Base Act contractors.
His ability to practice law in Georgia, along with his longshore claims experience, allows him to sort out issues that arise from the concurrent jurisdiction that exists in Georgia. His maritime practice also includes the defense of Jones Act claims, general maritime negligence claims, and 905(b) claims.
Mr. Eckels lectures extensively on a wide range of workers’ compensation and longshore/Defense Base Act topics. He has presented at nationally recognized seminars including the Loyola Longshore Conference in New Orleans, the Signal Maritime Conference, and the Florida Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference in Orlando. In addition, he provides in-house training for clients on topics including claims handling, jurisdictional disputes, ethics, and the interplay between the ADA, FMLA, and state workers’ compensation laws.