When people in St. Augustine talk about courtroom trial work, they often talk about Patrick T. Canan. He founded Canan Law and still serves as managing partner of our litigation firm, but his story starts long before our doors opened. In the video below, he shares how early jury trials, a move to the Florida Keys, and decades in local courtrooms shaped the way he practices law today.
From Law School Trials To A Life In The Courtroom
Patrick knew early on that he wanted to stand in front of juries. While at the University of Florida College of Law, he interned in the public defender’s office and stepped into the courtroom before he even had his degree.
As he explains in the video, “I did four trials before I ever even graduated. I think it was there that I…made a decision that I wanted to be a trial lawyer.” That decision has driven every step of his career since.
After law school, he continued to try cases as an Assistant Public Defender in Alachua County and then in Monroe County. Those years gave him a close look at what it means to stand beside people who face serious charges and high stakes.
Following The Ocean & Building A Home In Northeast Florida
Patrick’s path also reflects something simple and personal: where he wanted to live his life. In the video, he talks about trying many cases in Gainesville, then realizing that Florida only felt right if he lived near the water. “I realized I really didn't want to live in Florida unless I was near the ocean. And so I just moved to Key West and I got near the ocean,” he says with a smile.
After about six years in the Keys, he started to think about the future—marriage, children, and long-term roots. That shift in perspective led him toward St. Johns County, where he would go on to shape the local legal landscape for decades.
Public Defense, Prosecution & A 360° View Of The System
When Patrick came to this area, he wanted to return to public defense. As he puts it in the video, “I tried to become a public defender here because that was in my soul.” The office had little turnover, though, so he accepted a position as an Assistant State Attorney instead.
He went on to serve as an Assistant State Attorney and then Chief Assistant State Attorney in St. Johns County, effectively running the office locally as division chief. “After some years and trying cases, I ended up being the division chief, meaning I ran Saint Johns County. So I got to try all the big cases in our county,” he recalls.
That role changed how he saw his ability to help people. “It turned out that being a prosecutor was a lot easier than being a public defender. And also, I felt like I actually was in a position to help people more as a prosecutor than as a public defender. As a prosecutor, I then could make decisions myself,” he explains.
By the time he left that office for private practice, he had already tried close to 200 jury trials. Along the way, he built experience in criminal cases, medical malpractice matters, car accidents, and family law—“just really anything litigation,” as he says in the video.
Focusing On Personal Injury & Litigation Work
Patrick founded his own litigation firm in St. Augustine, now known as Canan Law, and has practiced here in private practice for about three decades. Over time, he made a deliberate choice to focus more of his work on those who have been injured.
In the video, he notes, “I was doing this well, but I really wanted to focus more on the personal injury.” Today, his practice centers on:
- 65% auto accident litigation
- 10% civil litigation
- 10% medical malpractice
- 10% personal injury
- 5% mediation
That breakdown reflects what many of our clients see when they walk into our office: a founding attorney who spends most of his time in litigation for injured people, while still handling a range of other civil matters and serving as a certified Circuit Court mediator.
Credentials That Back Up The Courtroom Story
The video gives you a sense of Patrick’s personality and history. His formal credentials show the depth of that experience.
He earned both his B.A. in political science and his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida in Gainesville. The Florida Bar admitted him in 1983, and he practices in all Florida state courts. He also holds admissions to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Since 2002, the Florida Supreme Court has recognized him as a Certified Court Mediator. That training adds another layer to his litigation work, allowing him to approach cases with both a trial mindset and a practical understanding of settlement and resolution.
Over the years, Patrick has received recognition from peers and the community, including:
- Best Attorney – Best of St. Augustine, 2012–2013 and 2015–2016
- AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell in 2016
- Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 rating from Martindale-Hubbell in 2013
- Pro Bono Awards from the Volunteer Lawyers Project in 1998, 1999, and 2001
He remains active in the St. Johns County Bar Association and has provided pro bono services through St. Johns County Legal Aid since 1994. He also serves on the St. Johns County School Board, reflecting a long-term commitment to local families & students.
Why Patrick’s Story Matters To Our Clients
Patrick’s background doesn’t just sit on a résumé. It shapes the way our entire firm practices law. When he says in the video, “I do think that my reputation as a trial lawyer is real in our community, in part because there's really not very many lawyers who have that kind of experience, that kind of number in front of juries,” he is describing the foundation on which Canan Law is built.
Many people who come to see us already know his name. “Those who walk into my office here in Saint Augustine at Canon Law…a lot of them already have a sense of who I am because of word of mouth in the community,” he explains. That kind of word-of-mouth trust only grows over time when clients see consistent work in and out of the courtroom.
Patrick also sees our success as a team effort. Near the end of the video, he notes, “I think my success, the firm success, is a result of my experience and the experience that I brought along to back me up with all the other lawyers and the staff who I, you know, hold in high regard…have been very fortunate in the quality of person and the quality of lawyer and the quality of the of the staff to make us a success.”
That mindset matches how we handle every case at Canan Law: we share ideas, test strategies, and support one another so that clients benefit from the experience of the whole team, not just one attorney.
Get To Know Patrick Before You Walk Through The Door
You learn a lot about someone when you hear them tell their own story. In just a few minutes, this video takes you from Patrick’s first jury trials as a law student, through years as a public defender & prosecutor, to decades in private practice in St. Augustine.
If you are considering working with our firm, we invite you to watch the video again, listen to how he talks about trials, community, and helping people, and then reach out. When you call (904) 849-2266 or visit our office, you will meet a team built around the same values you see on screen.
By the time you sit down with us, our goal is that you already feel you know the person who helped shape Canan Law, and that you can trust us to put our experience to work for you.