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| date_of_birth =[[March 29]], [[1937]]
| place_of_birth =Pensacola
| date_of_death =January 13th, 2021| place_of_death =Pensacola, FL
| occupation =Attorney, boxing manager
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'''Fredric Gerson Levin''' (b. [[1937, d. 2021]]) is was a prominent plaintiffs' attorney and principal of the law firm [[Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Echsner & Proctor]], best known for the $13.2 billion tobacco settlement he helped win for the State of Florida. He is also known for his philanthropy to the [[Wikipedia:University of Florida|University of Florida]] and the [[Levin & Papantonio Family Foundation]], and for being the advisor and manager to champion boxers including Pensacola local [[Roy Jones, Jr.]]
==Early life & education==
Fred Levin was born on [[March 29]], [[in 1937]] to and [[Rose Levin|Rose]] and [[Abe Levin]], a South [[Palafox Street]] pawnbroker who was president of the [[B'Nai Israel Synagogue]] when it moved to its [[9th Avenue]] location. Levin attended [[Pensacola High School]] and in [[1954]] was among the first class to graduate from the school's new [[Maxwell Street]] location, alongside future community leaders [[M. J. Menge]], [[Lane Gilchrist]] and [[Monte Blews]].<ref>"Catching up with Class of '54." ''Pensacola News Journal'', May 15, 2004.</ref>
He attended the University of Florida, where he was a member of the [[Wikipedia:Pi Lambda Phi|Pi Lambda Phi]] International Fraternity, and received his bachelor's degree in 1958. Despite earlier intentions to be a businessman, he decided to follow his brother [[David Levin|David]] into the legal profession.
{{cquote|Up until I went to law school, I never had any direction. I never really thought I was good at anything other than partying. I had to go to summer school just to get over a 2.0 to get out of the University of Florida to go to law school. I got to law school, then for the first time in my life, I really knew that I was good, I mean really good, at something and I knocked their socks off. I loved it, 16, 18 hours a day, seven days a week didn't bother me.<ref name="q&a"/>}}
He met [[Marilyn Levin|Marilyn Kapner]] in Gainesville, and they married after his first year in law school. She passed away Feb. 6, 2011. In 1961 he graduated third in his class from the UF College of Law. (The college was later named for him in [[1999]] following a $10 million donation; see [[#Philanthropy & personal life|below]].)
==Legal career==
Levin is married to the former [[Marilyn Levin|Marilyn Kapner]]. They have three daughters and a son: Marci, Debra, Kimberly, and Martin. All four of Levin's children attended the University of Florida, with two of the four following their father into professions relating to law. His daughter [[Marci Goodman|Marci]] has since become a [[Circuit Court]] judge, and his son [[Martin Levin|Martin]] was a rising star star attorney and became president of his father's firm in [[1996]] before renouncing the legal profession to attend Harvard Divinity School in 2002.<ref name="divinitystudent">"The Divinity Student." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 11, 2002.</ref>
Fred and Marilyn live in moved into their 47-room [[Gulf Breeze]] home, "[[The Phoenix]]," which they began in [[1988]] as an investment property. They moved from their home on [[Bayou Texar]] in [[1991]] when no buyer emerged. "It was an investment that just got out of hand," said Levin. "Not many people are looking for a 26,000-plus square-foot home."<ref>"Levin home is a work of art." ''Pensacola News Journal'', February 27, 2000.</ref> Levin also owns an extravagant condominium at the [[Portofino Island Resort]], which his brother [[Allen Levin|Allen]] developed. The Levins moved back to their Bayou Texar residence after [[Hurricane Ivan]] did serious damage to The Phoenix; the property was torn down 18 months after the damage occurred.<ref>[https://news.gulfbreezenews.com/articles/the-phoenix-returns-to-ashes/ "‘The Phoenix’ returns to ashes. Fred Levin tears down Gulf Breeze home"] ''Gulf Breeze News'', January 26, 2006,</ref>
Levin has frequently said that he regrets dedicating so much time to his career, at the expense of his family life. "My wife raised a family without a husband and it was very difficult for her," he said. "She suffered a great deal and as a result has a lot of physical problems today."<ref name="q&a"/> He has since devoted himself to spending more time with his grandchildren than he did with his own children.
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:Attorneys|Levin, Fred]][[Category:Philanthropists|Levin, Fred]] [[Category:Pensacola High School graduates|Levin, Fred]] [[Category:Levin family]]