Bay County Lawyers

Nick A. Ortiz is a Pensacola Florida attorney who represents accident victims in car, truck and motorcycle accidents. He also represents disabled claimants in Social Security Disability, SSI, and Short Term and Long Term Disability insurance claims.

I am an aggressive trial lawyer who wants to tell my clients' stories and fight for them in the courtroom or out of the courtroom.

Ryan M. Cardoso is the founder and principal attorney at Cardoso Law, PLLC, in Pensacola, Florida. He serves clients in a wide variety of practice areas, including criminal defense, personal injury, and civil litigation. Ryan is an experienced attorney who has helped countless clients seek justice and defend their rights. Ryan M. Cardoso is a graduate of the University of South Florida and obtained his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Florida College of Law in 2002 where he graduated with honors. He has been a member of The Florida Bar since 2003 and is admitted to practice before the...

Attorney, Gillis E. (Beau) Powell III, has dedicated most of his practice to criminal cases. He began his career by working at the Office of the State Attorney, prosecuting both felony and misdemeanor criminal cases. As a former prosecutor, he can evaluate your criminal case from the state's perspective and provide legal insight into what the State can or cannot prove in your case.

Luke Newman is an experienced Tallahassee criminal defense attorney who began his practice in 2004 as part of a small law firm handling only criminal matters, from civil traffic infractions to murder appeals. In 2009, Luke opened his own law practice dedicated to criminal trial advocacy and criminal appeals. He is one of fewer than 70 Florida attorneys board certified by the Florida Bar in criminal appeals. He has been appointed by the Florida Bar to chair the committee which tests and evaluates other attorneys (including prosecutors and judges) seeking criminal law board certification. He has been elected by his...

Born and raised in Florida, Aaron Wayt, focuses on defending men and women accused of DUI and other alcohol related crimes in Tallahassee. While attending law school, Aaron Wayt proved his dedication for helping those through law when he earned the Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award from Florida State University College of Law for providing over 500 hours of community service to the Leon County Public Defender’s Office. He has extended his knowledge and practice in blood and breath testing for Driving under the Influence (DUI) cases when he attended the lecture series put on by the...

Cameron M. Kennedy is a Tallahassee injury attorney at Searcy Denney, dedicated to representing clients across South Florida and the Southeastern United States. Cameron has recovered over $100 million for his clients in a variety of different cases.

Daniel Woodring was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but has lived in Florida for the past twenty years. In Florida, he has lived and worked in Pensacola, Clearwater, Jacksonville, Gainesville and Tallahassee. His wife Jean, who is also an attorney, was born in Miami, and grew up in Ft. Myers. Daniel Woodring is a member of the Florida and Georgia Bars, and is admitted to practice before the Florida Federal Southern, Middle and Northern District Courts, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. He has worked at the trial level on cases in...

Scott R. McMillen has been successfully handling medical malpractice cases for many years. He started his legal career as a hospital attorney, but for over 30 years, he has been exclusively representing patients and their families. He received his Doctor of Law degree from Emory University and his B.S. in Government from Florida State University. He is licensed to practice law in Florida and Georgia. He has been recognized in "Best Lawyers in America" in the area of medical malpractice, rated a "Super Lawyer" by Thomson Reuters, received a "Preeminent Rating" by Martindale-Hubbell, and rated "Superb- 10...

Stephen “Steve” Joseph Ryan was born in the Bronx, where his mother worked as a nurse and his father was an officer with the New York Police Department. In the early ’90s, Steve moved to Tallahassee, Florida to continue his studies at Florida State University’s College of Law, where he met fellow law student and his future law partner, Shawn Risen. In 1995, Steve graduated with honors and received a Juris Doctorate, and one year later, Steve and Shawn Risen established Risen & Ryan, Attorneys at Law.

Clark H. Henderson, originally from Waynesboro, Mississippi, is a 2007 graduate of the University of South Alabama and a 2011 graduate of the Cumberland School of Law, Sam ford University, in Birmingham, Alabama. During law school Clark interned at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and with the Honorable Laura Petro, 10th Judicial Circuit, Criminal Division. He practiced in Birmingham, Alabama before being admitted to the Florida Bar. Clark is licensed to practice in both Florida and Alabama.

Attorney David Stevens is a third-generation resident of Okaloosa County. A proud Seminole, David graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Florida State University before earning his Juris Doctorate from the Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, VA. He currently resides in Niceville, FL with his wife and three-year-old daughter.

David was sworn in to practice law in Florida in 2010, and soon joined a civil litigation law firm in Santa Rosa Beach as an associate attorney. He went on to become a prosecutor with the State Attorney's Office in Shalimar, FL, and served in that capacity for...

My name is Brandy Merrifield. I am a criminal defense attorney and partner at Flaherty & Merrifield Criminal Defense. We serve Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Destin, and all of Northwest Florida. I devote 100% of my practice to criminal defense. With my background in psychology, I bring a unique perspective to the resolution of criminal cases. My objective in all of my cases is aggressive defense coupled with compassion and understanding. No matter what you are accused of, Flaherty & Merrifield will not judge you. We will defend you. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help...

William R. Wade has practiced criminal defense law for 29 years in Kentucky, Alabama and Florida. He is the President of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (2014-2015). He is admitted to practice in all Florida State and Federal Courts. While his principal physical office is in Milton, Mr. Wade practices in all courts of the 1st Judicial Circuit.

I have been a member of the Family Law Committee of the Escambia/Santa Rosa Bar Association and have participated as a speaker on Family Law topics. I am a member of the Florida Bar (both in Family Law and Criminal Law Sections), Escambia/Santa Rosa Criminal Defense Society and The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. I received my law degree from Florida State University College of Law (1994), and have been a member of the following Bar and Courts: Florida Bar since 1995; Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals for the Northern and Middle District of Florida since 1995. I am...

As a Pensacola native, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of West Florida and with my Juris Doctorate degree from Faulkner Law in Montgomery, Alabama. I have been practicing law in Pensacola for 8 years, focusing exclusively in the area of marital and family law. I am admitted to practice in both the State of Florida and the State of Alabama. I am also a member of the Florida Bar Association, the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association, the Alabama Bar Association and the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar. I am also a member of the Pensacola...

Caryn A. Van Matre, Attorney at Law, has been representing families in Northwest Florida in a variety of family law matters since 1993. Our practice first opened in the downtown Pensacola historic district, which is where our office remains. We represent clients involved in family law disputes in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.

Our focus areas include divorce and modification actions involving alimony, child custody, time-sharing and support and asset protection. We also assist clients in establishing paternity rights and support obligations for children. Associated with these matters are issues of enforcement and contempt...

I am an AV-rated former assistant state attorney, former bar counsel and former assistant attorney general with over 24 years experience. I represent people who are being prosecuted by the government. If you are in Florida and have been accused of a crime or your licensing board is trying to discipline you, call me. I can help.

Ryan Yeary joined the firm of Caminez & Yeary, P.A. in 2016. Mr. Yeary began his legal career working as a trial court staff attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit. In this position he worked closely with members of the judiciary gaining invaluable insight into the judicial process.

In 2011, Mr. Yeary joined a Tallahassee law firm where he represented insurance companies in defense of lawsuits brought by those injured in automobile accidents. As a defense lawyer, he gained invaluable insight into the defense of a personal injury claim while gaining experience as a trial attorney.

After nearly five years...

Dwight Slater is a Board-Certified Specialist in Appellate Practice. He was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in 2002, and his law degree from Emory University in 2006.

Dwight Slater has extensive trial and appellate litigation experience. He began his career as a criminal defense attorney in Orlando, Florida, where he tried numerous misdemeanor and felony cases. He moved to Tallahassee in 2009 to the join the General Counsel’s Office at the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. There, Slater handled health facility licensure and Medicaid overpayment cases at the trial level and...

I represent clients with personal injury claims, including wrongful deaths, caused by automobile collisions, truck collisions, motorcycle accidents, ATV accidents and dangerous products.

To put it simply, I am an attorney that loves helping people. My practice includes estate planning (Wills, Trusts, and everything in between), business (formation, operation, and purchase and sale), real estate (buying, selling, insuring, and litigating), and litigation (civil and criminal).

Lynchard & Seely serves clients from Pensacola to Jacksonville in numerous areas of law. Some of our services include estate planning, probate, trust administration, business formations and transactions, and commercial and residential real property transactions. Additionally, we handle general civil litigation personal injury, wrongful death, criminal law, and family law.

If you have any questions, please feel free to...

Jeff founded Burns Firm in 2021 to serve hard-working individuals and small businesses needing legal services to start, grow, and protect their livelihoods and nest eggs. Jeff has experienced thousands of lawsuits as a former commercial litigator and former Circuit Court judge, and he can draw on this wealth of experience to assist his clients with their needs. Jeff concentrates his law practice on business law, real estate law, property law, water law, asset-protection law, and simple estate planning. Before he took the bench as a Circuit Court judge, Jeff concentrated on complex commercial litigation, local government representation, and appellate law....

I have been practicing law for over 17 years and for the majority of that time have practiced in some area of family law. In the last three years, however, I have devoted my practice on a full time basis to areas of family law and probate document preparation. The technicalities and long term implications of handling family law matters are often less than obvious. The legal forms available for pro se individuals are sometimes insufficient to address all the long term effects of decisions made today. Though engaging an attorney in what seems to be...

Matt has been named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine for seven years running. His peer review rating by other lawyers in the community is the highest possible rating (AV Martindale Hubbell). He maintains a 10.0 (Superb) rating through Avvo.com. Ask around about us. Look us up and see what our clients have to say about us. We have built our reputation one client at a time and would be honored to add you to our list of satisfied clients.

I always liked a good fight, and that is one thing I will guaranty. I enjoy what I do, and I enjoy being in the courtroom. However, simple gratitude from my clients is my greatest satisfaction. Outside of the courtroom, I enjoy the outdoors, surfing, hunting, fishing (when I can), and spending time with my family. If you have any issues, just give me a call.

Stephen “Steve” Moorhead is the founder and managing partner of Moorhead Real Estate Law Group. He is board-certified in real estate law by The Florida Bar Committee on Education and Legal Specialization. His practice includes real estate litigation, closings, contract negotiation, financing, leasing, sales, title insurance, and development. He is a member of the Escambia?Santa Rosa Bar Association, is serving his 21st year as general counsel for The Home Builders Association of West Florida, is a member of the Leadership Council of Achieve Escambia, and is past chairman of the board of directors for The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce....

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Mr. Connors attended the University of North Florida, where he played baseball and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1994. Mr. Connors attended Loyola University New Orleans School of Law and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1999. After graduation, Mr. Connors stayed in Louisiana and served as the judicial law clerk for the Honorable Jacques A. Sanborn of the 34th Judicial District Court, Division “E”, Parish of St. Bernard, State of Louisiana. Mr. Connors entered private practice in Louisiana in 2002, and returned to Florida to practice law in 2011. In May of 2017,...

Shane Dean has recovered millions of dollars representing victims in personal injury and wrongful death claims resulting from the negligence of others.

Mr. Dean has been selected to the Florida Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for three years in a row. Each year, no more than 2.5% of the lawyers in Florida are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made...

Practice Areas:
Personal Injury
Criminal Defense

At Medley Law Firm, we focus on elder law, estate planning and special needs planning for clients of all ages, and probates. Elder law is the practice of law that deals with the unique legal issues faced by seniors and their families. This includes estate planning (wills, trusts, powers of attorney, etc.), especially with regards to people suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia, and Medicaid planning so that a person can receive nursing home care while still protecting the valuable assets they've worked so hard for. Estate planning is a way to make sure that, no matter what...

Providing personal service to clients in Northwest Florida since 1993 needing help with claims involving Personal Injury, Car Accidents, Work Accidents, Social Security Disability, Medical Malpractice and Wrongful Death.

I was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. With the exception of the three years I spent in Gainesville, Florida for law school, I have lived in the Pensacola area my whole life.

Growing up, both of my parents worked in the medical field. I had plans to become a doctor from a young age. My medical school intentions changed in college when my experience helping an injured friend helped me realize I would be better-suited to help others in a different field. My mom had always told me I could “argue with a brick wall,” so I decided to take...

At the law office of James W. Magaha, my more than 28 years of experience and knowledge enable me to achieve targeted solutions faced by businesses and individuals throughout Santa Rosa, Okaloosa County and the Florida Panhandle. My goal is to offer sound counsel and good judgment, so that you can make the most informed decisions about your legal matters and your future. As a solo practitioner, I offer the personal attention necessary to provide solutions that fit your specific needs. I welcome clients seeking quality representation from a lawyer who consistently develops long-lasting resolutions. As a Pensacola native,...

Attorney Erich M. Niederlehner, founder and owner of Trusted Elder Law & Asset Protection practices in the state of Florida and Alabama. Erich provides Elder Law services to seniors throughout Florida and Alabama. What is Elder Law? Elder law includes Medicaid ICP planning. It also includes asset protection for the Medicaid waiver program, for home healthcare benefits and financial help for assisted living facilities (ALF). We also provide all age groups with estate planning (i.e. wills, trusts, durable power of attorney geared towards Medicaid planning, living wills, pre-need guardians, and other legal documents). We also...

20+ Years experience in Family, Dependency, Consumer Defense and Disability Law. Our practice gives you the attention you deserve!