Myakka City Lawyers

I have 25 years experience in the legal field as a law clerk, judicial clerk, legal intern and attorney. Since 2000, I've had my own private law practice which has been a general law practice in the past. In the last several years, I have limited my practice areas to certain legal fields. Now approximately 95% of my practice is focused on divorce and family law.

For the past four (4) decades I have been providing legal services to individuals in the areas of Estate Planning, Elder Law, Asset Protection, Probate & Trust Administration and Litigation, and Probate Avoidance. I have also represented Florida corporate entities, shareholders, LLC members, and partners in business transactions, contract drafting, succession planning, mergers & acquisitions, and business disputes. My clients include opposite-sex and same-sex couples, business owners, individuals looking to protect their assets from creditor claims, retirees, family members needing guidance in the administration of a Florida probate estate or an inheritance dispute, and relatives of individuals who need to...

An AV Rated Civil Trial attorney with more than 30 years of experience, Bernard F. Walsh first began his career protecting the rights of the public as an attorney for the State of Florida. As a trial attorney, Mr. Walsh handled numerous high profile trials concerning serious felony crimes.
Bernie has exclusively practiced personal injury law and helped accident victims in and beyond Sarasota and Manatee Counties in Florida.
Mr. Walsh has won the largest playground recovery (2008-$1,900,000.00), motorcycle recoveries (2006-$6,000,000.00), motor vehicle v commercial truck (2016-$4,700,000), auto accident recovery (2018-$1,050,000.00), and a daycare center recovery (2010-$1,000,000.00) in the State of...

Jim Dodson spent many years of his long legal career as a partner in a large personal injury law firm, but he had some different ideas about how to practice law. He envisioned a practice centered on the clients’ needs, where he could get to know his clients and be personally involved in their cases. He wanted to create an environment where any client would feel comfortable about calling, where every client with a question about their case could easily get an answer, and where all clients could expect to have their phone calls returned. Jim turned this vision into...

Jeff Luhrsen is a personal injury attorney, with more than 15 years of proven success. Licensed in both Florida and Virginia, The Liquor Law Center operates in Sarasota, Florida, yet also consults clients in any of Florida's 67 counties. As an advocate for people who have experienced wrongful accidents, Florida attorney Jeffrey Luhrsen combines his understanding of the law with a strong desire to help his clients.A graduate of The University of Tampa, Jeffrey Luhrsen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. Following his undergraduate work, Jeffrey Luhrsen received his Juris Doctor, graduating Cum Laude from Stetson...

Attorney Cheryl Ward will meet your legal needs and exceed your expectations. Mrs. Ward is a Florida Bar licensed attorney practicing throughout the state of Florida. It is her mantra that client satisfaction comes first.

As a dedicated IRS Tax defense attorney Mary has been helping clients get tax debt relief by negotiating currently non-collectible status, offers in compromise, installment agreements, innocent spouse relief, audits, removing levies, releasing liens, and negotiating penalty abatement. Mary's career as a IRS tax attorney began in 1993 after graduating from Stetson University College of Law. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree in 1988 and a Master of Business Administration Degree in Finance from Wake Forest University, Babcock Graduate School of Management in 1990. Her career in tax law...

Dedicated to helping those injured due to the carelessness or even recklessness of others fight for their rights and a fair and just recovery.

David Goldman is an experienced and accomplished Personal Injury Attorney. He believes that everyone should be treated fairly and is dedicated to bringing justice to all areas of society. David has been fighting for the rights of injured Floridians for 30 years. He is committed to providing aggressive advocacy and pursuing the results that his clients deserve.

David has has been named among the 10 Best Attorneys for Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. He received a Preeminent Rating, the highest possible, from Martindale-Hubbell. He was also honored with the Legislative Leadership Award from The Academy of...

James "Jay" Horne, Jr., is an AV Preeminent Rated trial attorney. He focuses his practice on medical malpractice, personal injury and wrongful death matters. He has successfully represented clients from intake through trial in state and federal court.

Jay and his team of medical professionals can handle any complex medical malpractice case. He has handled cases involving Sudden Unexpected Postnatal Collapse (SUPC), misdiagnosis and misreading of MRIs and other diagnostic methods, which resulted in catastrophic injuries to the patient. A new study published by John Hopkins Professor of Surgery, Martin Makary, indicated that Medical errors,...

Stephen M. Fernandez received his law degree, with honors, from the University of Florida College of Law. While in law school he focused on courses relevant to the field of personal injury and trial practice. Mr. Fernandez was also an active member of the University of Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy. Mr. Fernandez has focused his career on representing accident victims and their families in personal injury and wrongful death claims. He also represents the victims of wrongful insurance denials. Mr. Fernandez is licensed to practice law in both Florida and Georgia. He is also admitted to practice before...

Tampa Insurance Law Attorney

As the founder and managing partner of Germain Law Group, Michael Germain continues to represent insurance policyholders, personal injury victims, consumers, and businesses across Florida.

He is a dedicated advocate for his clients' causes, even if their case takes them against large insurance corporations. His resolve stems from nearly a decade of legal experience, which allows him to confidently fight for his clients' futures inside and outside of the courtroom.

Michael Germain founded Germain Law Group on the foundation of open-communication and a drive to help people gain the justice that they deserve.

With insurance-related matters, individuals, families,...

Paul M. McDermott, Esq., practices exclusively in the area of Marital and Family Law. He has experience in litigation, mediation, and collaboration. After practicing law in Virginia for many years as a trial lawyer, he relocated to Florida and founded McDermott Law Offices, PLLC and now practices exclusively in the 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida, which includes Manatee County and Sarasota County.

Mr. McDermott is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator. He is also trained in Collaborative Divorce Law, an emerging field within the Alternative Dispute Resolution realm focused on resolving cases with a "team" approach...

Carl E. Reynolds III was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. As a native Floridian, he was educated in the Orange County Public School System and was among the first 4-year graduating class from Dr. Phillips High School. Mr. Reynolds earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Brigham Young University and went on to obtain his Juris Doctorate, with Honors, from the University of Florida.

While at the University of Florida, Mr. Reynolds was a member of a Moot Trial Team which traveled to Austria and competed with law schools from across the globe. Mr. Reynolds graduated from UF with...

Daniel H. Smith is an elder law and estate planning attorney at Advocates in Aging, Law Office of Wiesner Smith PLLC in Sarasota, Florida, focusing on Elder Law, Medicaid Planning, Veterans Benefits, Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning, Special Needs Planning, Probate and Trust Administration, Guardianship, and Assisted Living/Nursing Home Issues. Daniel is licensed to practice law in Florida and Virginia. Daniel is also a VA Accredited Attorney, and represents veterans and their families with benefits claims and appeals of VA Benefits decisions. Daniel received his law degree with honors from the George Mason University School of Law in Arlington,...

Sara is a health care attorney for Chapman Law Group’s Sarasota Of?ce. She is dedicated to the defense of individual health care practitioners as well as health care entities.

Prior to joining the Firm, Sara worked for the Board of Governors of the State of Florida University System under the University of Florida J. Hillis Miller Health Center Self-Insurance Program defending participating health care providers. She worked on an array of topics related to trial preparation and alternative dispute resolution for malpractice defense cases.

Her passion for health care law brought her to work for the University of Florida Health System and...

I am a Partner in the Law Office of Ayo & Iken PLC, focused on all facets of Family Law. My practice areas include Uncontested and Contested Divorces (Equitable Distribution, Alimony, Time Sharing, Child Support), Paternity (time sharing and child support), Adoptions (Step-parent and relative), Dependency (DCF), and Domestic Violence (DVI).

I received my B.A. in Political Science from the University of South Florida in 2005. My J.D. was completed at Florida Coastal School of Law in 2008. For over 10 years, I have been practicing Family Law in Florida.

Confidence in my abilities and a fearlessness in the courtroom set...

Christopher D. Smith received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) and his Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.). A long-time resident of Florida, Mr. Smith also graduated from Pine View School in Sarasota. He is a member of the bars of Florida, Virginia and Washington, D.C., and is admitted to practice in the Middle, Southern and Northern Districts of Florida. Christopher is also certified in consumer bankruptcy law by the American Board of Certification.


Christopher started his career with the international law firm of Dechert LLP in 2001, working as an associate in the securities law...

Matt Erjavec is a native Floridian who graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Business Management and received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Upon graduation from law school, Matt returned home to Florida and began practicing as a personal injury attorney at a high volume law firm in Tampa, Florida. During this time, Matt gained invaluable experience handling all aspects of personal injury cases while representing thousands of injury victims. However, this experience also exposed Matt to the shortcomings of high volume law firms - namely, that many times...

We handle almost all aspects of Retirement and Estate Planning. We assist you with planning for Medicaid qualification so that you can obtain payment for assisted living or long-term nursing care without depleting your assets. We create all types of trusts depending on the nature of your property and your plans for it. We draft documents that provide for end-of-life care to be exactly according to your wishes. Florida law is complex and there are specific rules and regulations we carefully follow to be sure your documents are all in legal compliance.

I have guided and advised clients through their personal and commercial transactions in business and real estate, through their simple and complex estate planning situations and also through all forms of estate administration and probate.

Christina focuses her practice primarily upon plaintiff’s Personal Injury, which encompasses, but is not limited to, car crashes, slip/trip-and-fall accidents, motorcycle accidents, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, homeowner negligence, and other negligent injury claims. Christina also handles Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Litigation on behalf of doctors who have been unfairly denied payment by insurance carriers, and has also represented those who are disabled in Social Security Disability cases.

Her heart is in plaintiff's work, and she is dedicated to representing the injured who have been the victims of other's negligence. As a former insurance defense lawyer, Christina saw how "big...

Over the years many of my clients have asked why I became a lawyer. My choice was sparked by an injustice suffered by a family member. I was in grade school when my dad was hit by a drunk driver who was from a wealthy family. It appeared that she received preferential treatment because of her wealth.

From that day my passion for justice was ignited. Over the years it was fueled by meeting individuals who were not treated fairly in the civil or criminal justice system. Before going to law school I listened to people who had been wronged in...

Bradford M. Gucciardo is an experienced attorney whose work is devoted almost exclusively to the representation of stock market investors who have been victims of stockbroker and brokerage firm misconduct. Specifically, Mr. Gucciardo helps brokerage firm customers recover stock market losses, most often of retirement savings, that they sustained as the result of mishandling of their brokerage accounts. After he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in the study of English literature, creative writing and criminology from the University of South Florida, Mr. Gucciardo, a native New Yorker, returned to New York to attend St. John’s University School of...

Attorney Anthony "Tony" Olson obtained his law degree from Tulane University. He has been practicing in all areas of employment and family-based immigration law since 2000. Tony has lived and studied in Europe for extensive periods of time, and he has gained a solid understanding of other cultures and immigrants' hopes for a successful future in the United States. He is actively participating in lobbying efforts by legal, community-based, and business organizations that promote comprehensive immigration reform and expanded opportunities for legal immigration.

Tony is fluent in English, German, and Czech, and conversant in Swedish, Hungarian, Russian, and Spanish.

Originally from Columbia, Missouri, Rodney Gerling is the firm’s Personal Injury, Estate Planning, Probate, and Civil litigation Attorney. He attended law school at Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, Connecticut. He has been admitted to the Florida Bar and the Federal Bar. Rodney is also a member of the Manatee County and Sarasota County Bar Associations in addition to the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Manatee Chamber of Commerce. He began his legal career at the Sarasota County Public Defender’s Office where he handled thousands of cases, served as Lead Attorney on over 50 Jury Trials,...

Originally from a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dana Laganella practices in Estate Planning, Probate, Trust Administration and Elder Law. She attended law school at Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, Connecticut and graduated Cum Laude. She was awarded the Best Advocate of the Northeast Region and was voted Best Attorney in East Manatee County by Living Out East Magazine. It is Dana’s commitment to providing quality, affordable legal services that has won her respect and acclaim from both her peers and her clients. She truly enjoys her work. Her passion for helping people in her community is evident in...

Bart Scovill was admitted to the practice of law in the State of Florida in 1993. Prior to Law School, he served four years in the United States Army and was honorably discharged in 1985. Since admission to the bar, he has handled a wide variety of legal issues including business law, transactional law, construction law, and guardianships. His primary focus is on Estate Planning, Probate Administration, and Business Law. He is married and has two beautiful daughters. Outside of the office, he enjoys snow skiing with his family, both teaching and training in Karate, and playing and coaching volleyball.

Estate Planning, Probate, Trust Administration, Business Planning and Corporate Legal Counsel

Ms. Phidd practices corporate law and commercial litigation.

For over a decade, Michael Murphy has enjoyed representing Florida accident victims and their families. After graduating from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center, Mr. Murphy started his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney for the 12th Judicial Circuit in Sarasota. He joined the Mallard Law Firm in 2011, and because of his invaluable trial knowledge, he is better able to prepare the firm’s clients for trial and provide them with exceptional personal injury litigation.

Attorney Timothy Farrow has practiced exclusively in the area of personal injury and wrongful death for more than 20 years. He is admitted to practice in all of the Florida State courts and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Mr. Farrow is a member of the American Association of Justice, the Florida Justice Association and a member of the Florida Bar and the Florida Bar Foundation. Mr. Farrow attends specialized programs on the handling of personal injury cases and trial practice both in the State of Florida as well as nationally. Mr. Farrow has volunteered...

I am Board Certified by the Florida Bar in both Condominium and Planned Development Law and Business Litigation. I represent condo and HOA Boards and assist them in their day-to-day governance issues, amending governing documents, and enforcing the restrictive covenants. Additionally, I represent the association in court in a wide variety of matters, such as disputes with owners, enforcement issues, or collecting past due assessments.

Your legal resource for growth and expansion. Mary Clapp strives to provide her clients with the highest quality legal services throughout every business season. From the contracts necessary to begin a new business venture to trial representation through the storm of litigation, Ms. Clapp provides her clients, large and small, with solutions to their business issues, complex and simple. Mary Clapp assists her clients in successfully planning, negotiating and structuring a variety of business transactions. Her practice areas include: Franchise Law, General Business, Employment Law, Contracts, Commercial Leases, and Trademark Law. Ms. Clapp focuses on providing outside...

Daniel A. Murphy received his Bachelors’ Degree in Criminology from the University of South Florida December, 2009. Mr. Murphy attained his law degree, Cum Laude, from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School – Tampa Bay Campus, April of 2015.

Mr. Murphy is a member of the Florida Bar since October, 2015. Daniel is also a member of the Manatee County Bar Association and Sarasota County Bar Association which advances professionalism, promotes practice development, encourages public service, fosters fellowship and supports access to legal services for all.

Daniel is an EAGLE member and is on the Board of Directors,...

Patrick Hale is the managing partner of Hale Law, P.A. Patrick is a 5th generation Floridian who cares about the people of this great state. His experiences have positioned him to be an advocate for you in your time of need.

After graduating law school, Patrick proceeded to work as an Assistant State Attorney where he prosecuted both misdemeanor and felony cases, learning to feel at home in the courtroom in the process. In his prosecutorial career, he completed over thirty trials to verdict on behalf of the people of the State of Florida.

In the spirit of representing the people of...

Maria Gerber is an attorney devoted to the practice of personal injury law in Sarasota, Florida. As a Florida native with two decades of legal experience, Attorney Gerber knows exactly what it takes to help a client get the amount of compensation they deserve. In addition, Ms. Gerber’s firm operates on a contingency fee basis, which means that her clients do not owe anything unless she is able to help them win. To find out more about working with Attorney Gerber, be sure to contact her firm, The Gerber Law, PA, today.