Jillian M. Askren

Eric Newell Appleton is a founding partner and member of Appleton Reiss, PLLC. Mr. Appleton has practiced community association and real estate law in Florida, including litigation and transactional matters, since 1999. He has substantial experience representing real estate owners, developers, office parks, commercial associations and residential condominium and homeowners’ associations throughout Florida. Mr. Appleton’s law practice focuses on assisting association officers, dire...

Christine Howard is a partner in the Tampa and Atlanta offices. She also serves as a Co-Chair of the firm's Women's Initiative and Leadership Council. Christine focuses her practice on the defense of employment discrimination and harassment complaints and wage and hour and benefits litigation. She has successfully handled many dispositive motions, hearings and trials on behalf of employers. Over the last decade, she has defended numerous collective action cases filed on behalf of classes of e...

Catriana Messina practices in the area of insurance. She has exclusively represented insurers and their agents since she joined Phelps Dunbar in 2014. Her practice is focused on complex first-party insurance coverage matters arising under homeowners, commercial property, builders risk, catastrophe and other property insurance policies, including but not limited to hurricane claims, sinkhole claims, and claims involving suspected arson, fire, fraud, vandalism, theft, collapse, business interru...

LaKisha M. Kinsey-Sallis is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Education Law and Employment Law - Management. LaKisha M., who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which LaKisha M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Justin W. Pimenta is a Partner of the law firm of Abrahamson & Uiterwyk. He is a highly accomplished trial attorney who cares deeply for his clients and the practice of personal injury law. Justin is twice board certified as an expert in civil trial law by the Florida Bar and The National Board of Trial Advocacy. He was appointed by the President of the Florida Bar to serve as a member of the Florida Bar Civil Trial Law Board Certification Committee for two terms from 2019-2025. The Commi...

Dennis McClelland is a board certified labor and employment Lawyer who has practiced exclusively in the area of labor and employment for over 23 years. Dennis represents employers in civil court litigation, arbitrations and administrative proceedings regarding claims involving wage and hour, employment discrimination, family and medical leave, union-management relations, employee benefits, and various employment-related torts. In particular, he has extensive experience representing companies ...

Irene Bassel Frick serves as the managing partner of Akerman’s Tampa office. A trial lawyer with experience in state and federal court, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings, Irene has a multifaceted litigation practice encompassing contractual disputes, class action defense, fiduciary duty claims, business torts, non-compete litigation, construction disputes, and commercial foreclosure litigation. Her clients include employers, insurers, employee benefit plans, and third party p...

Luke Markham practices in the area of complex commercial real estate. With more than 20 years of experience, Luke began his career as a commercial appraiser and then was a management associate for a real estate finance group for a major lender where he analyzed, reviewed and underwrote commercial real estate transactions. He left banking to work with a prominent Central Florida home building company serving in several capacities including marketing, land acquisition, development, commercial f...

John Giordano is regularly involved in complex business-related transactions. Mr. Giordano’s practice encompasses a broad range of areas, including federal and state securities law, corporate finance, mergers, acquisitions and tax law. Mr. Giordano has substantial experience in counseling clients, including start-up enterprises, in obtaining capital and advising clients about obstacles to successfully growing a business.

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