Florida Bar: Law Firm Challenges Celebrity Ad Ban as Free Speech Violation

By Shirley Henderson August 18, 2026, 11:17 am CDT A sign of Morgan & Morgan in Orlando, Florida. (Image from Shutterstock ) Personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan has filed a complaint against the Florida Bar, alleging that its rule banning firms’ right to use a celebrity’s voice or image in advertising campaigns violates free speech and due process rights. Morgan & Morgan, which has 140 locations across the country, filed a 36-page complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee, Florida, against the state bar last week. Florida Rule of Professional Conduct 4-7.15(c) bans lawyer from advertising “the voice or image of a celebrity.” Prior to filing the complaint, Morgan & Morgan appealed to the Florida Bar Board of Governors in April to change the rule, according to coverage by the Florida Phoenix . Gemma Torcivia, the chair of the Florida Bar’s Standing Committee on Advertising, said it was not advisable to permit using celebrities in ads because it would “create a negative potential perception.” Former NBA player Shaquille ONeal, professional stock-car racing driver Frankie Muniz and NASCAR driver Kyle Rowdy Busch are among the ad campaigns that Morgan & Morgan said it was prohibited from running. “The First Amendment protects a lawyer’s right to advertise. Yet for decades, Florida has stood alone among the states in imposing the most restrictive measures on attorney advertising, banning lawyers from using a celebrity’s voice or image in their ads, even as insurance companies run ads featuring celebrities like Peyton Manning and Jason Bateman every day,” said Deepak Gupta, an attorney representing the firm, in a prepared statement. If the bar agreed to amend the rule, it would have to be approved by the Florida Supreme Court—a lengthy process.