Steve Puritz Named by the Best Lawyers® 2027 Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year” in Tallahassee

We are proud to announce that attorney Chase Boswell is celebrating his tenth anniversary at Pennington this year. We appreciate his decade of dedicated service to the firm, and extend our sincere congratulations on this remarkable milestone. Chase Boswell’s practice focuses on insurance defense litigation, including medical/dental malpractice, product liability, premises liability, toxic torts, and auto/trucking litigation. Chase is licensed to practice law in Florida and Georgia and has been admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. Chase has also been admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Chase has been recognized as a Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite “Up & Comer.” This honor was bestowed on only 111 attorneys and acknowledged those attorneys under the age of 40 who have exhibited leadership in the law and in their community. Chase has also been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch ® in America since 2024, in the practice areas of Medical Malpractice Law for Defendants and Insurance Law. Chase received his B.S. in Business Management at the University of South Florida, where he also played tight end and fullback for the USF football team and was an executive board officer for the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Chase graduated magna cum laude from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law and received his Certificate in Advanced Legal Writing, Research, & Drafting. As a law student, Chase was a member of the Mercer Advocacy Council and was elected as the Moot Court Chair for Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor Society. Chase was also a member of the Mercer Corporate Moot Court team and traveled to Delaware to represent Mercer Law School in the Ruby R. Vale Corporate Moot Court Competition. Following graduation, Chase was inducted into the Brainerd Currie Honor Society in recognition of excellence in academics and advocacy skills. In his personal life, Chase is an avid hunter, fisherman, and sportsman, as well as an ardent supporter of USF athletics. Pennington is pleased to recognize Chase Boswell on this significant achievement, and we look forward to his continued service and commitment to the firm!

Shareholder Christopher L. Hill recently presented at lectures for the Nurse Residency Program at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (“TMH”) concerning the litigation process. The audience was a group of nursing residency program members. TMH’s Nurse Residency Program is the only accredited nurse residency program in the region, and it bridges the gap between classroom learning and direct patient care. The participants, all new nurse graduates that were part of the year-long mandatory Nurse Residency Program at TMH, were active and engaged during the lecture, asking numerous questions regarding how litigation is handled when nursing care is involved. Christopher Hill obtained his undergraduate degree and law degree from Florida State University. Christopher L. Hill’s practice focuses on insurance defense and litigation, including medical/dental malpractice, bodily injury and under/uninsured motorist claims, auto/trucking litigation, Personal Injury Protection claims, and commercial litigation, as well as commercial Landlord-Tenant law. Christopher is licensed to practice law in Florida and Georgia and has been admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.

Partner Leean Chojnowski recently led a roundtable discussion between Continuing Care Retirement Community providers regarding recent examinations by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation at the 63rd Annual LeadingAge Southeast Convention & Exposition in Orlando, Florida. New and experienced providers discussed challenges, new and unusual issues, responding to exam findings, and how to prepare for exams. Ms. Chojnowski advises and represents for-profit and not-for-profit senior living providers ranging from single-site providers to national organizations. Our senior housing clients include independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing providers; continuing care retirement communities; management companies; investors; and others in the senior housing industry. Pennington has the depth of talent, experience, and resources to provide solutions to the most complex legal or regulatory issues, while providing clients with the accessibility and responsiveness usually associated with smaller firms.

Last month, The Florida Bar held its annual convention, during which numerous groups and organizations throughout the state meet to discuss issues and, in some cases, elect members of their respective boards. During convention, Christopher Hill has was reappointed for a three-year board term to the Florida State University College of Law Alumni Board at the June 17, 2026, board meeting. Chris was previously a Director for the Florida State Law Alumni Association Board of Directors and served as a Presidential Appointment on the Board of Directors since his graduation from law school in 2018. As a Director, Chris is responsible for sitting on one of the standing committees and assisting the College of Law in the area of development, alumni outreach, career services, or student recruitment. Additionally, Chris will attend board meetings and various other events and meet-ups throughout the next year. Christopher Hill obtained his undergraduate degree and law degree from Florida State University. His practice focuses on insurance defense and litigation, including medical/dental malpractice, bodily injury and under/uninsured motorist claims, auto/trucking litigation, Personal Injury Protection claims, and commercial litigation, as well as commercial Landlord-Tenant law. Christopher is licensed to practice law in Florida and Georgia and has been admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.

This past weekend, the Pennington associates put their teamwork and analytical skills to the test at an escape room. Despite the pressure, the group worked together to complete the one-hour challenge in just 36 minutes. A fun night, an impressive finish, and a great time all around!

Partner Chad Dunn was recently published as a co-author of “The Need for a Dedicated Surgical Consent Framework for Robotic Telesurgery: A Global Call to Action” in the Journal of Robotic Surgery. The article was a result of the Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS) Telesurgery Conference, which occurred in February of 2026 at AdventHealth in Celebration, Florida. Chad was invited to speak at the conference on medico-legal challenges in telesurgery, including informed consent. Robotic telesurgery is an emerging field in medicine whereby operating surgeons utilize a secure digital interface to perform remote surgical procedures through control of a robotic system. This rapidly expanding global practice allows for surgeons thousands of miles away to perform complex procedures with precision, thus leading to greater access to treatment and opportunity for underserved regions to receive healthcare that would otherwise be out of reach. As telesurgery develops, so too do the legal challenges that accompany any novel medical field. It is crucial that a dedicated consent framework is developed to address the specific ethical, technical, and safety considerations introduced by remote operation. Chad is proud to have been able to provide insight into the legal implications of this evolving field.

Pennington is proud to announce that this year, attorney Steve Puritz is celebrating 20 years of service with the firm. We appreciate his 20 years of contributions, and extend our sincere congratulations on this remarkable milestone. Steve Puritz’s legal practice includes the defense of claims involving premises liability, construction liability, construction defect, product liability, automobile negligence, and insurance coverage. Prior to joining Pennington P.A. in 2006, Steve spent thirteen years at another Tallahassee law firm that specialized in insurance defense. Steve has tried cases throughout most of North Florida and parts of Central Florida. Steve graduated from law school at Florida State University with Honors and also received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Florida State University. Mr. Puritz is licensed to practice in all State and Federal Courts in Florida. Steve has an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell’s peer review rating system, which represents the highest level of professional excellence for ethical standards and legal ability, and has been named Legal Elite by Florida Trend Magazine. Pennington is pleased to recognize Steve Puritz on this significant achievement. We look forward to his continued service ahead! 

Pennington is proud to announce that this year, Wiley Horton, attorney and Pennington president, is celebrating 25 years of service with the firm. We appreciate Wiley’s 25 years of contributions, and extend our sincere congratulations to Wiley on this remarkable milestone. Wiley Horton’s practice focuses on patents, trademarks, copyrights, licensing, and trial work and is the largest intellectual property practice in northern Florida and southern Georgia. Wiley sits on the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission, Northern District. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and he has received pro hac vice admission to numerous other federal courts throughout the United States. Prior to entering the legal profession, Wiley served as an intelligence analyst in the defense sector. Previously, he worked as a guidance and control engineer on the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Launch System, where he created guidance and control systems for air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. He also worked as a mechanical design engineer performing contract work for Motorola, Caterpillar, NCR, American Crane, and Siemens. Wiley has an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell’s peer review rating system, which represents the highest level of professional excellence for ethical standards and legal ability and has been named Legal Elite by Florida Trend Magazine. Wiley has also been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as a Top Rated Lawyer for his work in Intellectual Property. Wiley received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama, magna cum laude, and his Juris Doctorate from The Florida State University College of Law, with honors. Wiley is a former Commissioner of the Florida Commission on Ethics and a member of the American Inns of Court. Wiley is the former Chairman of the Florida Aerospace Finance Corporation, a former Commissioner of the Florida Education Standards Commission, a former member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a former member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Wiley is married and has a daughter and two sons. He sits on the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission. He is also a skilled machinist and welder. He enjoys restoring antique firearms and building mechanical prototypes. Wiley is also an instrument-rated private pilot. Pennington is pleased to recognize Wiley Horton on this significant achievement. We look forward to his continued leadership and service ahead!

Mallory Turkiewicz received her undergraduate degree in 2025 from Florida State University, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in criminology, with a minor in law and philosophy. Mallory was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and was active on the philanthropy and membership programming committees. Mallory was also a Noles Everywhere Student Ambassador. Currently, Mallory attends Florida State University College of Law, and recently completed her 1L year. During her 1L year, she became involved with the Women’s Law Symposium and the Entertainment, Arts, & Sports Law Society. Mallory is working to obtain her business law certificate. Mallory is from Atlanta, Georgia, and in her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, spending time outdoors, and spending time with friends. Martin Jilek received his undergraduate degree in 2023 from Florida State University where he graduated with a bachelor’s in science in computer engineering. For his senior project, the CIA tasked him and his team with developing a scaled down vehicle that was capable of autonomous driving. Some of his other personal projects include developing an advanced image classification AI and a Smart Pathfinder robot. He is also familiar with python, TensorFlow, convolutional neural networks and C code. Martin Jilek is a registered patent agent with the USPTO, and currently attends Stetson College of Law, where he recently completed his 2L year. Martin is a Tallahassee native who graduated from Maclay in 2018. He also loves to travel and visits his family every summer in Czechia. In his free time he likes to play piano, paint, or fish with friends and family.