In 1978, Marsha L. Lyons and Charles 0. Farrar, Jr., both former Assistant United States Attorneys who specialized in the prosecution of white collar fraud cases, and obtained extensive knowledge concerning insurance, banking, taxation, commercial practices, government programs and securities, formed Lyons and Farrar, P.A. The firm has concentrated on complex litigation in both state and federal court, using the expertise and trial experience the founders gained as federal prosecutors. 

Douglas S. Lyons joined the firm in 1992 after twenty years with Helliwell, Melrose and DeWolf and its successors. Mr. Lyons has developed a varied civil litigation practice with special emphasis on insurance defense and plaintiff personal injury cases, including product liability and medical malpractice cases. In last twenty years, Mr. Lyons has spent an increasing amount of time on class action litigation, involving a wide variety of claims.

Both Ms. Lyons and Mr. Farrar have been appointed to act as Receivers and/or Counsel to the Receiver in actions brought by government agencies, including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission against companies and individuals generally engaged in fraudulent activity. The firm also has handled cases on behalf of private litigants involving suits for securities and commodities fraud and violations of various other state and federal regulations.

The firm’s clientele has included the representation of a number of insurance companies and banks including American Bankers Insurance Company, Travelers Insurance Company, Crown Life Insurance Company, Paul Revere Insurance Company, Provident Life and Accident, Protective Casualty Insurance, American Title Insurance Company, Royal Trust Bank, Interamerican Savings and Loan Association, the Great American Bank, Walt Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, Sears, Montgomery Ward, Coldwell Banker, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Allstate Insurance Company.

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INDIVIDUAL PROFILES

MARSHA L. LYONS

Marsha L. Lyons is a graduate of Florida State University College of Law. She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Florida and all other Florida Courts. She is also admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuits, the United States Tax Court, United States District Court Southern District of Florida, Middle District and Northern District of Florida.

After graduating from law school, Marsha L. Lyons joined the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, prosecuting federal cases arising from Miami to West Palm Beach. While there, she was appointed as Chief of both the Fraud and Criminal Divisions and received Justice Department Outstanding Performance Awards throughout her career.

During her last four years at the United States Attorney's Office, Ms. Lyons assembled a Special Task Force to investigate insurance fraud bringing in investigators from Miami Metro Dade, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Florida's Department of Insurance. As a result of her work, the first successful prosecution of doctors and lawyers was undertaken in federal court in the Southern District of Florida. Because of her achievements in this area, Ms. Lyons was awarded the Chief Postal Inspectors Special Award, the Independent Insurance Agents of Dade County Outstanding Achievement Award and appointed as a member of a Special Grievance Committee on Insurance Fraud. She also was asked by the United States Congress to testify before a Special Committee on Insurance Fraud.

Ms. Lyons also served as an adjunct professor for the Trial Advocacy Program at the University of Miami School of Law from 1983 to 1986 and has taught Trial Advocacy at the University of South Florida, Nova University, and for the Florida Bar. She has lectured on various subjects affecting trial advocacy for the American Bar Association, American Trial Lawyers Association, the Federal Bar Association, Dade County, Florida State College of Law, the F.B.I. Academy and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Because of her extensive trial experience, Ms. Lyons was inducted with the rank of "Advocate" by the American Board of Trial Advocates in 1990 and has been named as Chapter representative, both while living in Miami and now in Tallahassee. 

Throughout her career, Ms. Lyons has been involved in various bar activities. Her service has included acting as Chairman of a Florida Bar Grievance Committee and President and member of the Executive Board of the South Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, and Secretary of the Federal Bar Association in Tallahassee. Ms. Lyons also has been appointed by the Court to serve in various capacities including Southern District of Florida Representative, Lawyer's Advisory Committee, llth Circuit Court of Appeals, Delegate, 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Conference, Chairman, Panel to Consider Reappointment of Magistrate; Judicial Selection Committee, South Florida Chapter, 1983-1984; Criminal Justice Act Panel Selection Committee.

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DOUGLAS S. LYONS

Douglas Lyons received his B.A. from Duke University and his Juris Doctor from Florida State University. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Florida and all other Florida courts. He is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida.

Upon graduation, Mr. Lyons clerked for Judge James Walden, of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, for one year and then joined the law firm of Adams, George & Wood, where he specialized in insurance defense work.

He later joined the firm of Helliwell, Melrose and DeWolf and remained with that firm and its successors, until joining Lyons & Farrar. Throughout his career, Mr. Lyons has been engaged in an active civil trial practice. In addition to representing individuals, Mr. Lyons has represented such companies, as American Bankers Insurance Company, Sears Roebuck and Company, Allstate Insurance Company, Coldwell Banker, Western Auto, Montgomery Ward, Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World, MGM, and Twentieth Century Fox on a wide range of matters.

During the last twenty-five years Mr. Lyons has devoted a substantial amount of his time to successful representation of consumers and taxpayers in class action law suits against Banks, Insurance Companies, Manufacturers, Car Dealers, Restaurant Chains and various taxing authorities, among others. 

Mr. Lyons has been active in various bar activities. He served on the Third District Court of Appeals Judicial Nominating Commission, served as a Grievance Committee Chairman, was a member of the Florida Bar Budget Committee, the Judicial Administration, Selection and Tenure Committee, the Young Lawyers Section Board of Governors, and served as Secretary, was elected to the Dade County Bar Association Board of Directors, the Young Lawyers Section Board of Directors, serving as its President and in 1990, was inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates. 

Mr. Lyons has held membership in the American Bar Association, the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Trial Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar, The Florida Academy of Trial Lawyers, The Dade County Defense Bar Association, The Dade County Trial Lawyers' Association,(Board of Directors), the Dade County Bar Association (Board of Directors), the Miami Judicial College for State Judiciary (Board Member)(Chairman) and the Tallahassee Bar Association. 

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CHARLES O. FARRAR, JR.

Charles O. Farrar, Jr., received both his B.B.A. and Doctor of Juris Prudence from Tulane University. He became a member of the Illinois Bar in 1969, while attending post graduate courses at Northwestern University Law School.

In 1970, Mr. Farrar became a member of the Louisiana Bar and practiced briefly as an Assistant District Attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana. He later joined the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida where he remained for eight years. While at the United States Attorney's Office, Mr. Farrar specialized in complex white collar fraud cases and was appointed Chief of the Fraud Division. Mr. Farrar handled numerous cases involving Medicare, insurance, I.R.S. and commercial fraud.

Mr. Farrar has frequently lectured on subjects effecting trial advocacy, at the Department of Justice School for New Assistant United States Attorneys, the F.B.I. Academy, South Florida Federal Bar Association Seminars, Nova University, workshops for Dade County Assistant State Attorneys, and Department of Justice Training Center.

Mr. Farrar was President of the South Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and served on its executive board. He has served as Counsel for the Florida Bar for Disciplinary Procedures and as an arbitrator for the Municipal Securities Rule Making Board. Mr. Farrar was also President of the South Florida Chapter of the Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Association, a member of its Board of Directors and a founding member of the Association.

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Call Lyons & Farrar, P.A. (850) 222-8811

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