James A. Bledsoe, Jr.

Donald W. St. Denis is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Legal Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs. Donald W., who practices law in Jacksonville, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Donald W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Robert Schrader is a shareholder in the firm and has over 25 years of state and federal litigation experience. He concentrates his practice in the areas of general litigation and trial advocacy. He serves a diverse client base and maintains an active caseload throughout Florida in matters involving premises liability, general liability, automobile personal injury defense, trucking liability, negligent security, wrongful death, and products liability. Mr. Schrader has tried numerous jury and n...

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

Mr. Samuels concentrates his practice on workers’ compensation disputes in Florida state courts. He also regularly defends claims brought under the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act throughout the southeastern United States. Mr. Samuels’ breadth of experience in the employer liability arena allows him to provide practical, in-depth knowledge of the law when counseling employers, manufacturers, insurers, servicing agents, and self-insured entities on a di...

Rachel Chewning is a partner in the Jacksonville office. She practices in the areas of Product Liability, Catastrophic and Personal Injury, Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation, Consumer Law, Commercial Litigation, Liquor Liability Defense, Trucking Accident Defense, Class Action, Vehicle Negligence, Premises Liability and General Civil Litigation. Her practice focuses on providing aggressive representation to clients on both a local and national level and participating as local couns...

Mr. Diebenow is a partner at the firm. His primary focus is real estate, land use, zoning, and government law. As a registered lobbyist across a wide range of issues, Mr. Diebenow represents individuals, corporations, landowners and developers to secure business and development incentives as well as entitlements including land use, zoning, concurrency and mobility fee approvals. He also provides legal counsel in real estate transactions including the acquisition, entitlement, financing, and d...

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

William E. Gibbs is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law and Real Estate Law. William E., who practices law in Jacksonville, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Pete Larsen is the chair of Akerman’s national Tax Practice Group, a team advising clients in global tax compliance and controversy matters, including complex transactions in the middle market. The practice was recognized by Law360 as a “Tax Practice Group of the Year” for its precedent-setting work in the United States. Pete works closely with financial institutions, finance companies, vehicle and equipment lessors, retailers, and telecommunication, software, and technology...

Michael M. Gropper is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Michael M., 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 Michael M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.