About Athena
Overview
Athena J. Black is a seasoned civil litigator with a broad background spanning loss mitigation, mediation, insurance defense, family law, plaintiff-side property litigation, and complex commercial defense. She is known for her analytical precision, thorough case preparation, and practical, results-driven approach to litigation.
Experience
Athena began her legal career in the foreclosure and mortgage-servicing environment, where she focused on loss mitigation and mediations. In that role, she negotiated workout options, ensured statutory and regulatory compliance, and managed high-volume files involving financially distressed homeowners. This early experience sharpened her ability to resolve complex matters efficiently and reinforced her client-centered approach to problem solving.
Athena’s litigation career began with insurance defense, where she handled first-party homeowner’s claims, personal injury matters, and coverage disputes. She later expanded her expertise by representing insured homeowners in property-damage disputes, giving her a balanced understanding of both sides of the insurance litigation process. Her work in these areas strengthened her skills in discovery, motion practice, settlement negotiation, and trial preparation.
After moving to Texas, Athena served as a civil litigation attorney with the Office of the Attorney General, handling family law matters on behalf of the State. This role required mastery of evolving statutes, efficient courtroom advocacy, and management of a fast-paced, high-stakes docket. She continued to build her litigation experience by defending clients in personal injury, auto liability, and homeowner’s insurance matters.
Today, Athena focuses her practice on defending commercial trucking companies, HOAs, construction entities, commercial auto carriers, and other business clients in complex civil litigation. Her current work includes transportation liability, premises liability, construction-defect claims, commercial auto litigation, and catastrophic-injury cases. She routinely evaluates accident reconstruction data, regulatory compliance, risk-transfer issues, and operational procedures to craft strategic and cost-effective defenses for her clients.
In addition to her legal background, Athena previously worked as a licensed financial advisor managing multimillion-dollar portfolios. This business-oriented foundation enhances her ability to align litigation strategy with clients’ financial and operational goals.
Athena is licensed in Texas and Florida and admitted to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. She is recognized for her strong judgment, meticulous preparation, and dedication to providing exceptional representation tailored to her clients’ needs.