Joanne M. O'Connor

THEODORE (TED) BABBITT is a former managing partner at Babbitt & Johnson, P.A. who for the past five decades has represented individuals in personal injury, wrongful death, and commercial cases. In 1970, he obtained the first verdict in Palm Beach County for a plaintiff in a medical malpractice case; in 1975, he obtained the first jury verdict in Palm Beach County in excess of one million dollars. When Mr. Babbitt was 17 years old he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and still managed to be sw...

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...

MARIANO GARCIA is a Florida Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer who has been practicing in West Palm Beach since 1994, representing people in personal injury and commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts. He has achieved an AV rating for the highest level of professional ability and ethics from Martindale Hubbell. He is a member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the American Board of Trial Advocates and has been selected to Florida Super Lawyers...

JACK P. HILL played football at Yale University, earned all-Ivy and all-American academic honors, and served as a felony prosecutor in the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s office before joining Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. A native of Palm Beach County who attended the Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Mr. Hill handled dozens of jury trials as an Assistant State Attorney, prosecuting crimes ranging from DUI to first degree felonies punishable by life in prison...

Alan H. Baseman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law, Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Alan H., who practices law in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Alan H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Dennis W. Hillier, founding partner of the law firm Hillier & Associates, P.A., concentrates his practice on corporate and real estate law, with emphasis on the design of club membership programs. Dennis is recognized as the pioneer in the industry of equity club conversions and membership programs. During the past 30 years, he has designed more than 1,800 membership programs throughout the United States, Caribbean, Europe and the Pacific Rim. Dennis has designed these programs for a wide...

John A. Chiocca is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. John A., 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 John A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David Gobeo is the Office Managing Partner for FordHarrison's West Palm Beach office. He focuses his practice on the representation of management in a broad range of employment matters including against claims of discrimination, harassment and wage and hour violations. David routinely handles lawsuits involving the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and th...

Jonathan Vine is a partner with the firm’s West Palm Beach Office and practices in the areas of Legal and Accounting Malpractice, Commercial Litigation, Labor and Employment Law, Insurance Agent/Broker Errors & Omissions, Directors and Officers Liability, Banking and Financial Litigation, FINRA Arbitration, Trademark and Copyright Litigation, Intellectual Property, Real Estate Malpractice and Litigation, Miscellaneous Professional Liability, Community Association Law, Commercial and...

Frank Adams is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America, in the areas of trusts and estates, and trust and estates litigation. He is an AV-rated attorney, and is Board Certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates. Frank practices primarily in sophisticated estate planning and administration, including wills; revocable and irrevocable trusts; asset protection planning; special needs trusts, probate; estate, gift ...