Jeff Blaker

Mr. Crawford is the General Products Team Leader overseeing products, admiralty, and general negligence matters defended by the firm. He has substantial experience in the defense and trial of product design and manufacture defect claims involving products such as heavy construction equipment and power tools, motor vehicles, recreational watercraft, gas, and diesel engines. Mr. Crawford has been involved in complex litigation regarding the defense of foreign substance food cases, carcinogenic ...

Frank Owen Evans III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law. Frank Owen, who practices law in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Frank Owen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David M. Halpen is Principal-in-Charge of the Palm Beach office of Cummings & Lockwood. David has over twenty years of broad-based legal experience in trusts and estates planning, estate settlement, trust administration, business succession planning, and U.S. and international tax planning for a variety of high net worth clients. Prior to joining Cummings & Lockwood, he was a shareholder with Dunwody, White & Landon in their Naples and Palm Beach offices.

CHRISTIAN D. SEARCY is president and CEO of Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. and writes and lectures extensively about civil trial practice, personal injury and wrongful death. For 46 years he has litigated cases primarily involving catastrophic injury and death in venues throughout Florida as well as in other states. At age 29, he had the distinction of being the youngest lawyer in the United States to achieve a verdict of $1 million for a single personal injury lawsuit. In...

Melissa S. Zinkil is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Melissa S., who practices law in West Palm Beach, Florida, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Melissa S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

DONALD J. WARD III is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Notre Dame Law School, where he earned his degree cum laude. At age 26, in his first jury trial, Mr. Ward obtained a verdict of $824,200, which was more than thirteen times what the defendant had offered to settle the case. Since joining Searcy Denney, he has recovered in excess of $100 million on behalf of his clients. He currently serves as President of the Palm Beach County Justice Association, a countywid...

Tracy T. Segal is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice and Commercial Litigation. Tracy T., 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 Tracy T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

JUAN C. DIAZ AVIL A has devoted his legal career to the litigation of personal injury, premises liability, wrongful death, negligent security and products liability claims, representing his clients in both state and federal courts from inception of the case through trial. As a native Spanish speaker, he is especially well equipped to understand and serve the needs of the Latino community. Before joining Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart, & Shipley, P.A. Mr. Diaz Avila worked with the larg...

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. ...

Rebecca G. Doane founded the law firm of Doane & Doane, P.A., in 2003 after being a senior equity shareholder in a prestigious local law firm for many years. UnderMrs. Doane’s guidance and experience, Doane and Doane, P.A., has achieved the high estrating (“AV”) from the premier attorney rating service, Martindale Hubbell. Mrs. Doane is recognized as a specialist practicing in the areas of estate planning, trusts, wills, estate and gift taxation, probate, estate and trus...