Jay M. Howanitz

Peter P. Hargitai is a trial lawyer, focusing on real estate and complex commercial litigation. Mr. Hargitai has extensive trial experience in both traditional and alternative dispute resolution tribunals, and has handled complex matters involving real estate disputes, business torts, restrictive covenants, trade secrets and anti-competitive practices. Mr. Hargitai also has developed a banking operations practice and currently represents many national and regional banks. Prior to entering pri...

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...

A commercial real estate and transactional attorney with experience spanning a variety of areas, Robert Leapley represents investors, borrowers, developers, financial institutions, and landowners in loan workouts and restructurings, joint venture agreements, historic tax credit transactions, EB-5 related development and redevelopment projects, land use and entitlements, corporate law, and federal, state, and local taxation. Additionally, Robert represents clients in the acquisition, construct...

Melissa A. Dearing is a partner with Rivkin Radler LLP, based in Jacksonville, Florida, and a member of the firm’s Immigration Practice Group. She advises employers on navigating nonimmigrant and immigrant visa processes in support of their workforce needs, with a focus on compliance and strategic planning. Her practice includes representing employers in Employment Law – Management matters related to workforce mobility, as well as Litigation – Labor and Employment issues tha...

Timothy J. Bramwell is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Public Finance Law. Timothy J., 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 Timothy J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Timothy J. Conner is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Timothy J., who practices law in Jacksonville, Florida, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Timothy J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Biography: Matt Baggett founded Baggett Law in 2012, driven by his desire to deliver better and faster results for his clients. From the very beginning, his vision was clear: to create a law firm that delivers outstanding results for clients in the least amount of time possible. As the founder and managing partner of Baggett Law, Matt works alongside his law partner and life partner, Amanda Baggett , leading the firm together with shared purpose and dedication. Matt was born in Jacksonville, ...

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...

Patrick Snyder is a partner in the firm’s Jacksonville office. He is a civil trial attorney with a focus on general civil litigation, insurance coverage, construction defects, professional malpractice, insurance bad faith, errors and omissions, trucking claims defense, products liability, security negligence, personal injury/wrongful death and personal injury protection (PIP) litigation. Mr. Snyder attended law school at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts and obtained his juris...

Steve is chairman of the firm and head of its Litigation Department. Steve is a trial lawyer, with his practice centered on complex commercial litigation and insolvency matters. Steve has a successful record in extended jury trials in major business disputes. Steve represents plaintiffs and defendants in contract, business torts and corporate governance disputes. His insolvency experience includes lead representation of debtors and creditors in chapter 11 reorganizations of publicly held comp...