Benjamin Older

Eric Newell Appleton is a founding partner and member of Appleton Reiss, PLLC. Mr. Appleton has practiced community association and real estate law in Florida, including litigation and transactional matters, since 1999. He has substantial experience representing real estate owners, developers, office parks, commercial associations and residential condominium and homeowners’ associations throughout Florida. Mr. Appleton’s law practice focuses on assisting association officers, dire...

Jeffrey Gad focuses his practice on representing individuals, with an emphasis on estate planning, probate and trust administration, probate litigation and business planning. His practice integrates the personal and estate tax planning concerns of individuals with tax and business planning for their closely held businesses. As part of his corporate practice, Jeffrey assists businesses with choice-of-entity planning, the formation of business entities, business contracts, such as the preparati...

Gerald P. Seipp is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Immigration Law. Gerald P. practices law in Tampa, Florida Best Lawyers has recognized Gerald P. Seipp since 1997. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Gerald P. Seipp is held by other lawyers.

Kevin Darken is a federal litigator and trial lawyer with more than 30 years of experience representing clients in white-collar criminal defense, False Claims Act (FCA) litigation, health care fraud matters, and complex federal investigations. Based in Tampa, Florida, Kevin serves clients through Johnson, Pope, Bokor, Ruppel & Burns LLP, representing individuals, physicians, executives, whistleblowers, and businesses in civil and criminal proceedings in federal court. Kevin’s practi...

Duane is Of Counsel with Shumaker and also serves as a Legal Skills Professor and Director of Advocacy at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Drawing on more than 30 years of practice, he continues to represent clients in state and federal appellate courts and to advise trial lawyers on appellate strategy, preservation of error, and complex legal issues arising before, during, and after trial. Duane has been actively involved in every aspect of Florida's appellate community, inclu...

John Phillips practices in the area of labor and employment. He represents employer clients in labor and employment matters throughout the United States. Past and present clients include manufacturers, retailers, rental car companies, financial institutions, medical services, hospitals, hotels, physicians’ professional associations, employee leasing companies, government contractors, insurance companies, shipyards, mining companies, and restaurants. He regularly appears in both state an...

Ed's practice focuses primarily in the areas of banking and insolvency. He has represented lenders, lessors, trustees, committees, and debtors in chapter 11 cases and has extensive legal experience in mortgage foreclosures, workouts, lending transactions, lending-related litigation, and assignments for the benefit of creditors. Ed's bankruptcy experience includes the defense and prosecution of preference actions, fraudulent transfer actions, and other avoidance actions, claims litigation, dis...

Ryan A. Lopez is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs. Ryan A. practices law in Tampa, Florida Best Lawyers has recognized Ryan A. Lopez since 2022. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Ryan A. Lopez is held by other lawyers.

Paydon Broeder is a partner in the firm’s Tampa office specializing in the area of First Party Property Defense. He has handled numerous claims involving water, fire, theft, sink-hole, SIU Fraud, and storm related losses through trial for both residential and commercial properties. Additionally, Mr. Broeder conducts examinations under oath to assist carriers with coverage determinations. He also defends carriers in life, automobile, general liability and third party insurance matters. H...

Dennis McClelland is a board certified labor and employment Lawyer who has practiced exclusively in the area of labor and employment for over 23 years. Dennis represents employers in civil court litigation, arbitrations and administrative proceedings regarding claims involving wage and hour, employment discrimination, family and medical leave, union-management relations, employee benefits, and various employment-related torts. In particular, he has extensive experience representing companies ...