EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts, University of Buffalo, NY

Juris Doctorate, University of Florida Law School

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Florida Bar Association

U.S. Supreme Court

Southern District of Florida

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits

Professional Experience

Assistant County Solicitor, Broward County, Florida 1969-1971

Municipal Prosecutor, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida 1971-1975

Municipal Judge, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida 1975-1978

Florida Bar Association, Member and Chairman, Grievance Committee, 1976-1979

Town Attorney, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, 1977-1987

Special Counsel, Fort Lauderdale Civil Service Board, 1981 to Present

Broward County Probate Law Committee, Vice Chairman, 1997-1998

Broward County Probate Law Committee, Chairman, 1998-1999

President, Kenneth R. Mikos, P.A. 1987-Present

Professional Affiliations

Florida Bar

Former Member, Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association

Former Member Academy Florida Trial Lawyers (Now Known As Florida Justice Association)

Broward County Bar Association

Broward County Estate Planning Council

Kenneth R. Mikos is a Martindale-Hubbell AV preferred rated attorney who has practiced law in south Florida since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 1969. He initially worked as an assistant Broward County solicitor prosecuting misdemeanor and noncapital felony cases. During his tenure, he successfully litigated some 136 jury trials and in excess of 750 misdemeanor and felony bench trials. After some two years working for the state prosecuting cases, he entered private practice in Broward County as a criminal and civil trial lawyer. In the early 1980s, he began devoting his practice exclusively to probate, estate, trust, and guardianship litigation, as well as probate and trust administration and has practiced in those areas of the law exclusively for the past 40 years.

Judicial Appointments

During this practice in south Florida, he has served pursuant to court appointment on numerous occasions in various capacities as Administrator ad Litem, Mediator, Curator and Personal Representative and Trustee. Some of the cases on which he has been appointed Successor Personal Representative, Successor Trustee and/or Curator have been:

In Re the Estate of Edna Winston. Judge William Clayton Johnson/ Mark Speiser: Estate opened 1986. Initially appointed Administrator ad Litem 1993. Subsequently appointed Successor Personal Representative 1996. Administration involved liquidation of extensive jewelry collection, search for missing jewelry pieces, and involvement in litigation involving Trust of Harry Winston litigated in Westchester County, New York on behalf of estate. Discharged upon ultimate closing of estate 2002.

In Re Estate of Vera Mooney. Judge Melvin Grossman; Estate opened 1999. Appointed Successor Personal Representative 2004 upon death of initial Personal Representative, Elena Artuichow. Appointed Successor Trustee 2006. $15,000,000 total asset value. Involved in extensive litigation, including the U.S. Tax Court resulting in resolution of $4.4 million deficiency by refund of $2.2 million to the estate. Successfully prosecuted on behalf of estate a number of claims resulting in benefit to estate of between four and five million dollars. Final tax returns filed and closing of estate pending.

In Re Estate of Wilhelmine Tappan. Judge Melvin Grossman; Estate opened 2005. Asset value $20,000,000. Appointed Co-Personal Representative 2005. Case involved administration of assets both in Broward County and more than $2 million of Iowa farmland. I had represented Decedent’s Guardian of the person and property 1996-2005 during the guardianship which enhanced initial assets of $7 million to estate value at date of death. Estate closed 2009.

In Re Estate of Jeff Steffens. Judge Charles Greene; Estate opened 2009. Appointed Curator July 2011. Estate asset value $9,000,000. Estate administration involved overseeing the operation and management of two closely held corporations in North and South Carolina and the state of Washington. This estate required numerous tax filings for both the companies and estate 1041s and required the Curator to serve as CEO for two companies. Resolved potential estate tax liability of some $750,000 in favor of the estate. Sold and distributed the companies to family and two trusts for Decedent’s two children. Discharged September 2016.

In Re Estate of Guido Franco Acevedo. Judge Kenneth Gillespie. Appointed Mediator in July 2019. Successfully mediated a contested probate administration case among six litigants during a mediation that encompassed two consecutive days and reached a conclusion.

In addition to the above cases, Kenneth Mikos has served as mediator both at the request of the court and that of the litigants. Moreover, he has presented affidavits and testified an expert witness about the reasonableness of attorney’s fees in many cases on behalf of attorneys throughout the seventeenth judicial circuit.