Fred D. Franklin

Meg is an experienced advisor and litigator working in the firm’s healthcare, labor and employment, and litigation practice areas. For more than a decade, she has supported clients in managing a broad range of complex legal issues in employment and healthcare matters. A key focus of Meg’s practice includes counseling firm clients and businesses of all sizes in navigating personnel management issues like employee contracting, discipline and termination; employer best practices, pol...

Mr. Vermut, a partner at DMHD, practices exclusively in the area of information technology law and intellectual property law. His intellectual property law practice includes patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret and unfair competition matters. He represents clients on patent and trademark matters before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He also assists individual inventors, start-ups, small businesses, corporations and universities in all aspects of intellectual property law. Informa...

Casey W. Arnold is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Insurance, Litigation - Real Estate, Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Litigation and Controversy - Tax. Casey W., who practices law in Jacksonville, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Casey W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice a...

Mr. Brigham is a third generation trial lawyer with experience in complex, high-profile cases involving real estate of many kinds. He is best known for work throughout Florida representing property or business owners in eminent domain proceedings. In 2008, Mr. Brigham was lead counsel in a case where he obtained the largest jury verdict in Florida state court eminent domain proceedings in the amount of $67,410,000 against the Jacksonville Port Authority. More recently, in 2013-2018, he was le...

E.K. Cottrell practices in the area of complex commercial litigation. Some of his representative areas of practice include defense of class actions on behalf of insurers, business entities, and management for alleged improper market conduct or business practices, and fiduciary obligations; representation of insurers and reinsurers in coverage and regulatory compliance matters; and other general business litigation. E.K. has litigated class actions and other complex commercial litigation matte...

Matt McAfee is a founding partner at DMHD. He focuses his practice in the area of real estate and banking law. He represents buyers and sellers in commercial real estate law, acquisitions and dispositions, commercial development, and commercial leasing. He has extensive experience in real estate project finance, including securitized debt and mezzanine financing. Mr. McAfee also represents clients in real estate-backed lending and the workout of distressed credits.

Ross H. Chafin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Real Estate and Real Estate Law. Ross H., who practices law in Jacksonville, Florida, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ross H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Chris is Board Certified by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education in construction law, a distinction that is unique to less than 400 attorneys in the state. During his career, he has worked with general contractors, sureties, subcontractors and specialty trade contractors, product manufacturers, architects, and engineers in matters ranging from defective construction or design, delays, contract disputes, lien and payment disputes, and construction-site personal injury. C...

Jim is a trial lawyer whose practice is concentrated in commercial litigation and insolvency matters. Jim is experienced in jury trials regarding business torts, contracts, secured transactions, mortgage foreclosures, fraudulent transfers, mechanics liens, trade secrets, workouts and lender liability, government contracts, non-compete issues, insurance coverage, banking and commercial paper, state court assignment proceedings and the defense of class actions. Jim’s insolvency experience...

Joseph T. Kissane is a partner in the Jacksonville office. He handles an active litigation practice in the areas of personal injury, insurance bad faith, negligent security, insurance coverage, professional malpractice trucking accident defense and fraud claims. He has experience handling Errors and Omissions claims, including those brought against insurance brokers and agents. Mr. Kissane has exclusively represented the interests of insurance carriers and their insureds throughout his entire...