J. Eric Romano

T. HARDEE BASS III practices exclusively in the firm’s tobacco litigation unit, litigating cases against cigarette-making giants Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard Tobacco Company, and Liggett. He has tried numerous complex, multi-week tobacco cases in venues across the state of Florida, and has obtained multiple seven and eight figure verdicts, including: $21 million, Escambia County (2010) $21 million, Sarasota County (2018) $20 million, Palm Beach County (2014) $13.1 million, Pi...

Daniel A. Thomas is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation - Construction and Litigation - Real Estate. Daniel A., who practices law in West Palm Beach, Florida, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Daniel A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ira A. Rosenberg is Co-Chair of the Sills Cummis & Gross Corporate Department, Chair of the Firm’s Life Sciences Practice Group, and Co-Managing Partner of the Firm’s Florida office. He has more than 30 years’ experience representing life science and health care technology companies, ranging in size from start-ups to public companies, in corporate and intellectual property transactions and general corporate matters. This work has included numerous product and technology ...

Lee Cohen is a partner in the firm’s West Palm Beach office. Mr. Cohen is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney. He has extensive trial experience in state courts throughout Florida. His practice includes general civil litigation, liquor liability defense, medical malpractice, nursing home/health care litigation, commercial litigation, bad faith/extra-contractual liability, trucking claims defense, security negligence, construction litigation and condominium and homeowners’ law. ...

Marcia H. Langley joined the firm's Real Estate Practice as a shareholder in April of 1998 after seven years at Atlantic Gulf Communities Corporation where she served as vice president/general counsel. Prior to Atlantic Gulf, Ms. Langley served as general counsel and secretary to the Board of Directors of Gulfstream Housing Corporation, a large real estate development company based in Jacaranda and Tampa, Florida.

Eric Gordon is the chair of Akerman’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, a national team representing employers in legal compliance, dispute prevention, and employment litigation throughout the United States. An experienced litigator, he represents Fortune 500 companies operating in the hospitality, healthcare, retail, and telecommunications sectors, with substantial experience in federal and state jury trials, class actions, arbitrations, and defending claims before administrative ag...

Laurie J. Briggs is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. Laurie J., who practices law in West Palm Beach, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Laurie J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

JOHN (JACK) SCAROLA graduated with honors from Georgetown University in 1969 and from Georgetown Law Center in 1973. Before joining the firm in 1978, he was Chief Felony Prosecutor in the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s office, where he was lead counsel in the trials of more than 50 major criminal cases, including the nation’s first gavel-to-gavel televised murder trial. Mr. Scarola is Board Certified in both Civil Trial Practice and Commercial & Business Litigation. While ...

Rob Barkin’s practice involves the representation of clients in all aspects of commercial real estate matters. Rob represents community, regional and national institutional lenders in construction and permanent loan transactions secured by real property as well as distressed asset loan restructuring and alternatives to foreclosure. Rob also represents institutional lenders in the disposition of assets including loan documents and real property acquired through the foreclosure or loan wo...

F. GREG BARNHART , a senior partner at Searcy Denney Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley, P.A., is recognized as one of America’s leading trial lawyers. He is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar and regularly handles cases throughout the United States. In addition to being named in The Best Lawyers in America for the past 25 years, Mr. Barnhart has been recognized as one of the Legal Elite in Florida Trend magazine, named a Top Lawyer in South Florida magazine, and listed ...