Ceci Berman headshot

Ceci Berman

Ceci Culpepper Berman is a managing shareholder at Brannock Berman & Seider. Board certified in appellate practice, Ceci focuses on complex commercial appeals, and she has a proven track record of winning high-stakes, bet-the-business cases. Ceci also has extensive experience handling bankruptcy, family law, and land use appeals. She regularly speaks and writes on these and other appellate topics.

Before joining Brannock Berman & Seider, Ceci was a shareholder with the statewide law firm Fowler White Boggs, P.A., now Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney P.C., where she specialized in appellate practice and served on both the Writing Committee and the Associate Evaluation Committee. Ceci is a past Chair of the Florida Bar’s Appellate Practice Section, and she has served on the Appellate Court Rules Committee. She is also a past Chair of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee. Ceci has been recognized by numerous “Best Lawyer Lists” as a leading lawyer for appellate and commercial litigation, including Chambers USA and Florida Trend, and she has appeared annually as one of Super Lawyers’ Top 100 lawyers, and Top 50 women lawyers, in Florida.

 

Ceci is a fifth-generation Floridian and a devoted fan of Gator football. She and her husband met while attending Georgetown Law. They live in South Tampa with their two children, dog, and two cats.

Education

  • University of Florida, B.A. with honors
  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
    • CALI award of excellence in Trial Practice
    • Business Editor of the Georgetown University Law Center Immigration Journal
Certifications and Bar Admissions
  • Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Appellate Practice
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
  • United States District Court, Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida
  • All Florida Courts
Honors and Distinctions
  • Business Today, Top 10 Influential Florida Appellate Lawyers, 2023
  • Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2013-2023
  • Florida Trend’s Legal Elite NOTABLE – Women Leaders in Law, 2023
  • Florida Super Lawyers, Top 100 Lawyers in Florida, 2016-2023
  • Florida Super Lawyers, Top 50 Women Lawyers in Florida, 2014-2023
  • Florida Super Lawyers, Top 50 Lawyers in Tampa Bay, 2014 & 2016-2023
  • Florida Super Lawyers, 2013-2023
  • Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2009-2012
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, Appellate Practice, 2013-2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, Commercial Litigation, 2015-2024
  • The Best Lawyers Business Edition 2016, Women in the Law, Florida: Appellate Practice
  • Tampa Magazine, Top Lawyer in Tampa for Appellate Practice, 2017-2024
  • Litigation Counsel of America, Peter Perlman Service Award, 2016
  • Litigation Counsel of America, Senior Fellow
  • Litigation Counsel of America, Order of Certus Advocate
  • Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, 2010 & 2011, 2014-2022
  • Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Up and Comers, 2007 & 2008
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating
  • Tampa Bay Business Journal, Up & Comers, 2010
  • Gulf Coast Business Review 40 Under 40, 2006
Professional Associations
  • Appellate Practice Section of The Florida Bar
    • Former Chair of the Section
    • Program Co-Chair of the Advanced Appellate Practice and Appellate Certification Review Course
    • Former Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Section
    • Former Chair of the Programs and Continuing Legal Education Committees
    • Program Chair of the Family Law Appeals seminar
    • Marketing Chair of The Art of Objecting: A Trial Lawyer’s Guide to Preserving Error for Appeal seminar
    • Program Chair of the Bankruptcy Appeals seminar on the Continuing Legal Education Committee
  • American Bar Association
    • Member of the Litigation Section
    • Former Co-Chair of the Young Lawyers Subcommittee of the Products Liability Committee under the Litigation Section
  • Florida Civil Procedure Rules Committee
    • Former Chair of the Committee
    • Former Vice Chair of the Committee
    • Former Secretary of the Committee
    • Former Chair of the Drafting Subcommittee
  • Florida Appellate Court Rules Committee
    • Committee Member from 2009-2015
    • Former Chair of the Civil Practice Subcommittee
    • Former Chair of the Orientation Committee
    • Former Vice-Chair of the Civil Practice Subcommittee
    • Record Subcommittee
  • Hillsborough County Bar Association
    • Former Chair of the Proclamations Subcommittee of the Law Week Committee
    • Appellate Practice Section
      • Former Chair of the Section
    • Construction Law Section
    • Marital & Family Law Section
    • Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section
  • Business Law Section of The Florida Bar
  • Family Law Section of The Florida Bar
  • American Bar Foundation, Fellow
  • Florida Bar Foundation, Fellow
  • Florida Association for Women Lawyers
  • Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers
  • Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association
  • J. Clifford Cheatwood American Inn of Court (Barrister)
  • Leadership Tampa, Class of 2013
  • Leadership Tampa Bay, Class of 2006
  • United States Supreme Court Historical Society
  • Florida Supreme Court Historical Society
  • Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Historical Society
  • Second District Court of Appeal Historical Society
  • Third District Court of Appeal Historical Society
  • Diversity Law Institute, Member
  • Trial Law Institute, Member
Lectures
  • “Appeals,” Panel Discussion, ABI Paskay Memorial Bankruptcy Seminar (February 15, 2024)
  • “Motion Practice and Procedure,” Moderator, The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section’s Practicing Before the Second District Court of Appeal CLE (November 2, 2023)
  • “Development Orders: First and Second Tier Certiorari Review,” 23rd Annual Florida Land Use Law Conference (August 28, 2023)
  • “The Practitioner’s Guide to Family Law Appeals,” Panel Discussion, Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice and Marital & Family Law Sections CLE (April 12, 2023)
  • “Last Things First: What Your Appellate Attorney Wants You to Know,” Panel Discussion, William Reece Smith, Jr. Litigation American Inn of Court (November 28, 2022)
  • “Nuts & Bolts of Bankruptcy Appeals,” Panel Discussion, ABI Paskay Memorial Bankruptcy Seminar (March 30, 2022)
  • “Bankruptcy Appeals,” Panel Discussion, Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association (October 19, 2021)
  • “No Rest for the Weary: A Discussion with Lawyers’ Lawyers on Better Justice through Better Error Preservation,” Moderator, CLE Committee of The Florida Bar, The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section, The Florida Bar Criminal Law Section, and The Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section’s “Look Out Below! Blunders, Landmines, and the Consequences of Poor Attorney Performance in the Preservation of Record Error,” Florida Bar President’s Showcase CLE (June 11, 2021)
  • “The Unwritten Rules of Appellate Practice,” The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section’s Hidden Essentials of Appellate Law Seminar (February 5, 2021)
  • “Florida Family Law Civil Appeals,” Marital and Family Law Certification and Review Course (January 29, 2021)
  • Very Superstitious…Part 2,” Guest Speaker, Issues on Appeal Podcast (August 2, 2020)
  • “Comparison of the Florida District Courts of Appeal,” Moderator, The Florida Bar Annual Convention (June 17, 2020)
  • Lessons from the Pandemic,” Guest Speaker, Issues on Appeal Podcast (May 10, 2020)
  • “Family Law Appeals,” Panelist, The Stann W. Givens Family Law American Inn of Court and The Canakaris American Inn of Court Panel Discussion (March 4, 2020)
  • Stories from Oral Argument – Part 1,” Guest Speaker, Issues on Appeal Podcast (October 13, 2019)
  • “Preserving the Record on Appeal,” The Florida Bar Family Law Section’s 2019 Trial Advocacy Workshop (July 28, 2019)
  • “Discussion About Florida’s Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Act,” Broward Housing & Community Development Task Force Panel Discussion (June 26, 2019)
  • “View from the Bench on Avoiding the Common Preservation Pitfalls,” Moderator, The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section’s Art of Objecting Seminar (June 5, 2019)
  • “Discussion About Florida’s Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Act,” Shutts & Bowen LLP’s Annual Credit Union Round Table (April 8, 2019)
  • “Seeking Appellate Review of Land Use Decisions,” The Florida Bar’s 41st Annual Local Government Law in Florida (May 10, 2018)
  • “The Unwritten (and Written) Rules of Appellate Practice,” The Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section CLE: The Nuts and Bolts of Appellate Law (April 18, 2018)
  • “Sweating the Small Stuff: A Debate Over The Little Things That Can Make Your Good Appeal Great,” The Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section CLE: An Appellate Medley: Diverse Perspectives on Appellate Advocacy (April 5, 2017)
  • “The Unwritten Rules of Appellate Practice,” The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section Hidden Essentials Seminar (February 10, 2017)
  • “You Lost! Now What? Appellate Issues: Is your order final?” ABI Paskay Memorial Bankruptcy Seminar (February 4, 2017)
  • “Introduction to Appellate Practice,” The Florida Bar Basic Appellate Practice Seminar (October 14, 2016)
  • “How Can Your Programs Be More Successful? Marketing, Pitfalls to Avoid, Lessons Learned, and More,” The Florida Bar Section Leadership Conference (July 22, 2016)
  • “Differences Among the DCAs,” Moderator, The Florida Bar Annual Convention (June 24, 2015)
  • “Appellate Rules Update,” The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section Advanced Appellate Practice and Certification Review (January 15, 2015)
  • “Bankruptcy Appeals,” The Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section CLE & The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section Monthly Telephonic CLE (September 10, 2014 and April 15, 2014)
  • “Preparing for an Appeal,” The Florida Bar Basic Appellate Practice Seminar (March 28, 2014, October 8, 2010, November 13, 2008, October 5, 2007, and September 8, 2006)
  • “A Few Tips for the Non-Lawyer: From Negotiating Your Own Contracts to Knowing When to Hire a Lawyer,” Vistage CEO and Business Executive Coaching Services (March 13, 2013)
  • “Lessons Learned: Appellate Mistakes We’ve Made or Seen,” The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section Monthly Telephonic CLE (February 19, 2013)
  • “The 10 Critical Days After Entry of Judgment: What Corporate Counsel Must Know to Protect Their Company’s Very Existence,” West Central Florida Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (November 1, 2012)
  • “Post-Trial: Your Client Lost- Now What? (and a few other appellate odds and ends),” Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Bench Bar Conference (October 30, 2012)
  • “Redux: A Contract Drafter’s Nightmare: Ambiguities That Lead to Litigation,” West Central Florida Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (August 10, 2012)
  • “Recent Amendments to the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure,” Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Seminar (January 4, 2012)
  • “Preparing Your Employees to be Witnesses in Civil Cases,” West Central Florida Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (August 19, 2011)
  • “Family Law Appeals,” Moderator, The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Seminar (January 29, 2009)
  • “Practice in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals,” Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Seminar (December 3, 2008)
  • “Perfecting Your Civil Appeal,” The Florida Bar Basic Appellate Practice Seminar (March 30, 2006)
Publications
Community Involvement

Ceci is a hands-on participant in the Tampa community.  She is a longtime community volunteer, donating her time to Feeding Tampa Bay and the Junior League of Tampa, where she has served with organizations such as Connected by 25, the Children’s Cancer Center, and Joshua House.  Ceci is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Robinson High School Foundation, Inc. and a past Board of Directors member for the Henry Mitchell Elementary Foundation, Inc.  She was previously a member of the Executive Committee of the University of South Florida’s Women in Leadership & Philanthropy, and she has actively volunteered with organizations such as Dress for Success and Dream a Dress.

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