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The founder of Morgan & Morgan has yet again been recognized in the press for his achievements in the courtroom and around the community.
In an extended feature published this week in Orlando Magazine’s 10th annual “50 Most Powerful People in Orlando{:target="_blank"}” issue, attorney and firm namesake John Morgan ranked fourth on a list that includes some of the city’s primary “movers and shakers who also possess the power to move and inspire others,” joining some of Florida’s most influential politicians, other established lawyers, philanthropists, CEOs, educators and business owners.
The piece highlights Morgan’s self-made rise from humble Kentucky beginnings to “the king of lawyer advertising.” Since relocating to Winter Park, Fla. in 1971, Morgan’s firm now spans 19 offices across the Southeast, reaching as far north as New York City, and employs almost 240 attorneys.
It became clear to Morgan, 57, down which path his life would travel after his brother became paralyzed in a lifeguarding accident in 1975. Since then, it’s no secret that his endeavors, motives, challenges and triumphs as a personal injury lawyer have all been undertaken and accomplished for the people, not the powerful.
It’s experiences like this, the piece points out, that have helped craft Morgan’s persona of a personal injury lawyer who has never shied away from challenging insurance companies head-on.
“I don’t walk down the middle of the road,” Morgan told Orlando Magazine. “There you only find yellow stripes and dead armadillos.”
In addition to his legal achievements and marketing endeavors, Morgan is perhaps best known for his generous philanthropic and political work. Along with wife Ultima, who is also a practicing lawyer with the firm, Morgan has contributed to countless charities, including a recent $2 million donation to Second Harvest Food Bank. Various political and social causes have also benefitted from Morgan’s generosity and far-reaching social platform, such as President Obama’s election and re-election campaigns and the drive to legalize medical marijuana in Florida.
Outside of the legal realm, Morgan’s other thriving business ventures include hotels, a carnival company and the WonderWorks{:target="_blank"} interactive tourist attraction chain.