- When you face criminal charges after a self-defense incident, you want to know who stands beside you. You want to know what drives them, how they think, and whether they truly understand what you went through. That is why we like to introduce our team not just with resumes, but with real conversations.
In the short bio video below, our co-founder, attorney David S. Katz, explains in his own words why he built a law practice focused on firearm rights and self-defense cases, and what it means to defend people who defended themselves.
Meeting David Through His Own Words
In the video, David opens with a straightforward introduction: “Hi, I'm David Katz and I'm one of the founders of the firearm firm.” He does not start with awards or titles. He starts with the story of how our work grew out of real cases and real people who needed help.
He describes how a self-defense insurance company came to Florida, interviewed many firms, and chose ours to represent their members in self-defense incidents across the state. As David explains it, because we handled these incidents statewide, “we became known for that. Eventually, our firm morphed into a self-defense and firearm rights law firm.”
That simple story shows how he thinks. Instead of chasing a marketing idea, he followed the work. People called on our team after self-defense encounters, and we built the firm around serving those needs.
How David Describes The People We Defend
One of the most revealing moments in the video comes when David talks about our clients. He does not talk about files or case numbers. He talks about people:
- Who Our Clients Are: “Our clients are wrongly accused. They're people who acted to protect themselves, their loved ones, family members, maybe pets and their property through their lawful actions.”
- What They Face Next: “They survived the encounter, but a police officer or a prosecutor decides that they broke the law.”
- What We Aim To Do: “In many cases, through Florida's immunity statutes. We're able to get these cases dismissed before they go to trial.”
- Why The Work Matters: “We're here defending people who defended themselves and their loved ones, and that's a great feeling.”
Those lines show the core of his approach. He sees our clients as people who acted to protect others. He understands that surviving a violent encounter is only the beginning. The legal system can feel just as threatening when you stand accused despite believing you followed the law.
When David says, “We're here defending people who defended themselves and their loved ones,” you hear the reason he comes to work every day. That sense of purpose drives how he prepares cases, how he talks to juries, and how he explains the law at seminars across Florida.
From Prosecutor To Defender Of Gun Owners
David’s path to this work started in the prosecutor’s office. He began his career in Seminole County, Florida, where he analyzed how state and federal gun crimes were charged and prosecuted. That experience gave him a clear view of how the government builds cases against gun owners.
After his time as a prosecutor, he formed this firm with attorney James D. Phillips, Jr. Together, they have represented thousands of clients facing criminal charges, including firearm-related cases. When David talks in the video about police officers and prosecutors deciding that someone “broke the law,” he draws on years spent on both sides of the courtroom.
Clients often tell us they feel a step behind once charges are filed. David’s background helps us anticipate how a prosecutor might view a shooting, a display of a firearm, or a defensive encounter. That perspective supports our work with Florida’s immunity statutes and other defenses that can end a case before trial.
Writing The Book On Florida Gun Law & Teaching Statewide
David does not stop at handling cases. Together with Mr. Phillips, he co-authored Florida Gun Law: Armed and Educated, a book that has received praise from professional organizations and readers. The book reflects a belief that informed gun owners make better decisions long before a crisis occurs.
As one of our firearm attorneys at The Firearm Firm, he speaks across Florida on topics such as:
- Gun laws that affect everyday gun owners
- Gun owners’ rights & the Second Amendment
- How to survive an active shooter encounter
Over the last five years, David has appeared as the featured speaker at more than 100 gun law seminars and workshops. When he speaks in the video about defending people who acted lawfully, that same message carries through at each seminar, class, and workshop he leads.
Recognition From Clients & Peers
David prefers to focus on the people we serve, but his record has attracted attention from clients, colleagues, and national publications. Over the years, he has received numerous professional accolades, including:
- “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating available
- Inclusion in the Super Lawyers – Super Lawyer Edition in his first year of eligibility
- Inclusion in Super Lawyers – Rising Stars Edition each year from 2013 to 2017
- Client Distinction Award from Martindale-Hubbell every year since 2013, an honor given to fewer than one percent of more than 900,000 attorneys listed on Martindale-Hubbell sites
- Recognition as one of Central Florida’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers in 2013 by The National Trial Lawyers
- Preeminent Client Rating from Martindale-Hubbell each year since 2012
- Client Choice Award from Avvo in 2012
- Recognition in Newsweek Magazine’s 2012 National Showcase of Leading Criminal Lawyers
- A 10 out of 10 Superb Client Rating on Avvo each year since 2011
These honors line up with what you hear in the video. The same attorney who talks plainly about “wrongly accused” clients has also earned the highest ratings from national organizations that evaluate legal skill and client service.
Serving Over 45,000 Gun Owners Across Florida
David also serves as a Florida statewide firearm attorney for U.S. LawShield, Firearm Owner’s Protection Program. In that role, he represents more than 45,000 gun owners in firearm-related matters throughout the state.
That statewide work reinforces the story he tells in the video. Our practice did not grow around theory. It grew from real calls, real emergencies, and real people who needed help after acting in self-defense. Every time he fields a call from a gun owner in crisis, he adds to the experience he brings back to our clients at The Firearm Firm.
Why His Perspective Matters To Our Clients
David’s strong support for the Second Amendment shapes how he views our role as a firm. He believes it is your right as an American citizen to own a firearm. He also agrees with the well-known passage that Thomas Jefferson quoted from criminologist Cesare Beccaria, warning that laws which forbid the carrying of arms “disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes” and make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants.
That belief aligns with how he describes our clients in the video. When lawful gun owners act to protect themselves or their families, and then find themselves charged with a crime, David sees that as the exact situation our firm exists to address.
His background as a former prosecutor, his years defending clients in firearm-related cases, his work with U.S. LawShield, and his role as an author and speaker all come together in one clear mission: to stand beside people who used force lawfully and now need a legal defender.
Get To Know David Before You Ever Call
We understand that calling a criminal defense firm can feel intimidating. You may never have dealt with the legal system before. You may still be processing what happened during a self-defense encounter.
That is why we encourage you to watch David’s bio video near the top of this page if you have not already. Hearing him describe our clients as “people who acted to protect themselves, their loved ones, family members, maybe pets and their property through their lawful actions” often reassures callers that they are in the right place.
If you or someone you care about faces charges after a self-defense incident, you can reach our team at (321) 425-8961. We will listen to what happened, explain how Florida law applies, and work to protect both your rights and your future.