T. Hardee Bass III
Shareholder
T. HARDEE BASS III has been with Searcy Denney since 2008 and became a Shareholder in 2021. He practices exclusively in the firm’s tobacco litigation unit, litigating cases against cigarette-making giants Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard Tobacco Company and Liggett. He has tried numerous complex multi-week tobacco cases in venues across the state of Florida and has obtained multiple seven- and eight-figure verdicts, including:
- $21 million, Escambia County (2010)
- $21 million, Sarasota County (2018)
- $20 million, Palm Beach County (2014)
- $13.1 million, Pinellas County (2014)
- $4 million, Palm Beach County (2014)
- $3.5 million, Highlands County (2012)
- $2.5 million, Broward County (2014)
- $500,000, Palm Beach County (2018)
In recognition of his courtroom experience, skill and expertise, Mr. Bass has earned The Florida Bar Board Certification in Civil Trial Law, the highest level of recognition for the competency and experience of a civil trial lawyer. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Mr. Bass is currently listed in Best Lawyers in America, has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers, a top Up and Comer by South Florida Legal Guide, and is a member of The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40.
Prior to joining Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. Mr. Bass served as a felony prosecutor in the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office. During his tenure, he handled nearly 50 jury trials to verdict, prosecuting crimes ranging from “driving under the influence” (DUI) to first degree felonies punishable by life in prison.
Mr. Bass earned his law degree from Stetson University College of Law and his undergraduate degree from Florida State University. He is admitted to practice in the state courts of Florida and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida. He is a member of The Florida Bar, the Palm Beach County Bar Association, the Martin County Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Palm Beach County Justice Association, and the Florida Justice Association.
To learn more about T. Hardee Bass III, see:
Publications & Presentations
- FDA Bans Store Sales of Flavored E-Cigarettes — Critics say, NOT ENOUGH!
- Put me in coach, I’m ready to play … now without smokeless tobacco
- Tobacco and the Legal Age of Smoking
- Did the Tobacco Companies Prevent Cessation Aids?
- Tobacco Executives and Their Top 10 Quotes
- Back Door Deals & Smoke Filled Rooms – Tobacco CEO longs for the good ol’ days
- Tobacco Industry — Fraud, Deception and Harm
- Tobacco Companies Trying to Hold Onto the Young Smoker Program
Awards
- Best Lawyers in America – since 2019
- Super Lawyers Rising Star Florida – 2012-2018
- South Florida Legal Guide Top “Up and Comer” – 2016-2019
- The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Lawyers (2019); Top 40 under 40 (2017)
Related Videos
Insights Into Suing Tobacco Companies
Suing Tobacco Companies is Like Facing an Army of Tobacco Lawyers
Big Tobacco and the Seven Dwarfs — Swearing Under Oath to Lie
History of Smoking and the Tobacco Industry’s Efforts to Hide the Dangers
For Big Tobacco Money Talks — How Tobacco Manipulated Public Opinion
Tobacco’s Continued Deception — The Fraud of Filters
Corporate Fraud – A History and a Practice
Hardee Bass
Our Fee Promise:
No Recovery? No Fee.
