Lydia Sturgis Zbrzeznj is a native Floridian raised in St. Augustine, Florida, along with her five siblings. Lydia attended Good News Church, where her father, Smiley Sturgis, was the pastor. Lydia played varsity soccer at Nease High School for four years and won a State Championship in her senior year. She then attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, on a full soccer scholarship and played on the women’s soccer team all four years.
Lydia attended Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida. During law school, she maintained a class rank of number 1 through all six semesters, was a Staff Editor on the Florida Coastal Law Review, obtained a Sports Law Certificate and Pro Bono Honors Award, served as a research assistant to two professors, and clerked for two civil litigation firms. Upon graduation, Lydia took the Florida Bar. Based on Lydia’s high score, she was selected by the Second District Court of Appeal to speak at the fall 2012 Induction Ceremony.
Lydia is a Managing Member of Southern Atlantic Law Group and has been an attorney since 2012. Her experience as an attorney has been in the civil litigation and appellate realm. She focuses on providing efficient, effective, and practical legal services to her clients and takes pride in achieving positive results through this approach. Lydia has been an avid reader and writer since childhood and enjoys the value that strong legal research and writing skills bring to a case.
Lydia lives with her husband, Nick, and their children in Polk County. She and her family attend Heartland Church in Winter Haven, Florida, and Good News Church in St. Augustine, Florida.
Bar Admissions
- Florida
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
- U.S. Circuit Court, Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Practice Areas
- Appellate Law
- Business Litigation
- Class Actions
- Contract Disputes
- Corporate / General Counsel
- Hurricane Damage
- Insurance Claims
- Personal Injury
Distinctions
- Selected to speak at the fall 2012 Second District Court of Appeal Induction Ceremony based on performance on the July 2012 bar exam
- Graduated law school with a class rank of #1
- Dean’s Scholar all six semesters of law school
- Sport’s Law Certificate Recipient
- Pro Bono Honors Award
- Staff Editor Florida Coastal Law Review, August 2010 – May 2012
- Book Awards in Constitutional Law I & II, Criminal Procedure, Lawyers Process 1 & 2 (legal research and writing), Comprehensive Law Practice III, Florida Constitutional Law, Media Law, Sports Law Seminar, Torts I
- Florida Association for Women Lawyers Leader in the Law
- Recognized on the Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite™ in the Up and Comers category (2022)
- Recognized by Super Lawyers® as a Rising Star in 2022, 2023 and 2024
- National Trial Lawyers top 40 under 40, 2020, 2021, and 2022
- “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Polk Association for Women Lawyers President’s Service Award (2023)
- Polk Association for Women Lawyers Leader in the Law Award (2023)
- Polk County Trial Lawyers Association’s Karla Foreman Wright Attorney Award (2023)
Professional Memberships & Associations
- Tenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, 2018- Present, Chair (2019-2021)
- Florida Association for Women Lawyers, 2017-present
- Polk Association for Women Lawyers, 2017-2023, Past Vice-President, President-Elect, President, Development Director
- Florida Bar Committee on Professionalism, Term ending in 2024
- Florida Bar Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration Committee
- Polk County Trial Lawyers Association
- Federalist Society
- American Bar Association
- Board of Directors for Girls Incorporated of Winter Haven
Education
- College of William and Mary, B.A., 2006
- Florida Coastal School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude
