PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_Dec. 2019 | Page 15

Member Spotlight Jonathan Burns by Nichole Segal Jonathan Burns is the founder of JB Law, P.A. in Boca Raton. He primarily represents plaintiffs in personal injury litigation, but also handles probate and trust litigation. In addition to being a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association, Jonathan is a member of the Palm Beach County Justice Association and the Broward County Trial Lawyers Association. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been honored by Super Lawyers on numerous occasions as a Rising Star. Jonathan has volunteered his time over the past several years representing victims of domestic violence in injunction proceedings on behalf of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County. Jonathan grew up in Miami. From there, he moved to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida, his parents’ alma mater. It was there that he met his wife, Jodi, who was also attending UF. After undergrad, Jonathan moved back to Miami to attend law school at St. Thomas University. Jonathan began his legal career practicing insurance defense specializing in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. Jonathan eventually “switched sides” and has been representing plaintiffs for the past 12 years. Jonathan now lives in Delray Beach with his wife and two young daughters, who are Gators-in-training. Jonathan was an athlete growing up, playing baseball and basketball. In his late teens, he realized he was not going to be the next Michael Jordan, and decided to look for a competitive sport he could play for the long-term. He did not have to look far. His dad was a competitive racquetball player and Jonathan decided to follow in his footsteps. Jonathan played recreationally for several years but got serious about the sport in his mid-20s. Jonathan is currently the President of the Florida Racquetball Association and has been playing racquetball competitively for more than 15 years. In that time, he has racked up an impressive list of titles. He competes in seven or eight tournaments each year in Florida and has won six state championships in singles and doubles. Additionally, he competes each year at the U.S. Open Racquetball National Championships, the largest racquetball tournament in the world. Earlier this year, Jonathan won his second consecutive 40+ national championship. He has now won four national championships. In addition to competing individually, Jonathan competes in doubles tournaments with his dad, who is one of the top players in the country in his age group. They compete in the Centurion Division, where the combined ages of the team members equal or exceed 100. They won the division at the 2017 U.S. Open and finished second this year. Racquetball is a physically intense sport requiring significant hand-eye coordination, power, speed, and stamina. At Jonathan’s level, the shots frequently travel between 120-150 mph. Jonathan trains hard to keep his competitive edge. He needs to be physically and mentally prepared to play three or four matches a day for several days at the highest level of the sport. Besides regular racquetball practice, he engages in extensive strength and cardio cross- training. Stretching is also important to stave off injury, so he does yoga several times a week. Jonathan is fortunate to have the support of his family. His wife and daughters often attend local tournaments to root him on. He thinks it is a great opportunity for his daughters, who play soccer and basketball, to see the hard work and dedication required to succeed. Jonathan believes that the attributes that make him successful on the racquetball court translate to his legal practice. Preparation, experience, talent, and a winning mindset are all required to win both on the racquetball court and in the courtroom. If you know a member who should be featured, please let us know by emailing [email protected] PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 15