Brian G. Rich

Gary Hunter is a partner at Holtzman Vogel, where he maintains a broad governmental law practice with emphasis on state government affairs, land use entitlements, property rights advocacy and environmental issues. In over three decades of practice in Florida, Gary has represented Florida’s largest landowners in complex land use strategic development, litigation, and large area planning. He has been equally privileged to represent everyday landowners in protecting property rights from re...

Steven Richardson is a partner in the Tallahassee office of Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A. He has been with the firm since 2013 and has worked in both the Tampa and Tallahassee offices. Mr. Richardson has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America® since 2024 for Insurance Law. Mr. Richardson's practice focuses in the areas of catastrophic and personal injury, general civil litigation, premises liability, trucking defense, security negligence, vehicle negligence, wrongful death, defectiv...

D. Bruce May Jr. heads the firm’s Public Utility practice. For more than 28 years, he has been actively involved before the Florida Public Service Commission and other regulatory agencies on a variety of matters relating to electric, natural gas, water and wastewater utilities. He is also active in legislative matters involving public utility, energy and environmental law issues. Mr. May’s electric and natural gas utility experience includes: representation of utilities in contest...

Jason E. Merritt is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Public Finance Law. Jason E., who practices law in Tallahassee, Florida, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jason E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Patrick Hagen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative / Regulatory Law. Patrick, who practices law in Tallahassee, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mike Papantonio is a senior partner with the law firm of Levin Papantonio. He has received numerous multi-million dollar verdicts on behalf of victims of corporate malfeasance. His award-winning work handling thousands of mass tort cases throughout the nation has helped make Levin Papantonio one of the largest plaintiff law firms in the country. Mr. Papantonio is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer by the Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a fellow in the Internation...

Thomas F. Gonzalez is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Aviation Law, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Thomas F., who practices law in Pensacola, Florida, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Thomas F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law, Martin Dix focuses his practice primarily on pharmacy and drug distribution law. His clients encompass nearly all aspects of the legal drug delivery system, including pharmacies, pharmacists, and pharmacy benefit managers; drug wholesalers; drug and dietary supplement manufacturers; retail medical oxygen dealers; and compressed medical gases wholesalers. He has also represented a variety of other health care providers and entities, such as phy...

JAMES W. GUSTAFSON JR . is a Shareholder with Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A., a member of the firm’s executive committee, and the managing partner of the firm’s Tallahassee office. He is a sixth generation Florida native who served with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and studied at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, before becoming a trial lawyer. Mr. Gustafson is a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a worldwide organization limited to ju...

Sonya Penley represents clients in the health care sector with respect to corporate, regulatory, administrative and governmental issues. Her diverse clients include long-term care providers, physician group practices, assisted living facilities, hospitals, hospices, home health agencies, DME suppliers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). She has particular experience with health facility acquisitions, mergers and other cha...