Melanie Leitman

Virginia Buchanan is a shareholder at Levin, Papantonio, Proctor, Buchanan, O’Brian, Barr & Mougey, P.A., having joined the firm in 1989. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida in 1985, and received her Juris Doctorate Degree, with honors, from the University of Florida in 1989. She has served as lead/co-lead counsel in more than 50 jury trials, with results exceeding $500 million. She has a national practice and works extensively in her local Pensacola and sur...

Mike Papantonio is a senior partner with the law firm of Levin Papantonio. He has received numerous multi-million dollar verdicts on behalf of victims of corporate malfeasance. His award-winning work handling thousands of mass tort cases throughout the nation has helped make Levin Papantonio one of the largest plaintiff law firms in the country. Mr. Papantonio is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer by the Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a fellow in the Internation...

Thomas A. Range is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Administrative / Regulatory Law and Health Care Law. Thomas A. practices law in Tallahassee, Florida Best Lawyers has recognized Thomas A. Range since 2021. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Thomas A. Range is held by other lawyers.

Bruce Wiener serves as managing partner of Akerman’s Tallahassee office. Board Certified by The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education in Real Estate Law, he focuses his practice on transactional real estate law, commercial lending, and land use. He represents buyers and sellers in the purchase and sale of commercial, office, multifamily, student housing, acreage, and timberland property. His lender representation includes: preparing loan documents for commercial mortga...

David C. Ashburn represents a diverse array of clients in their dealings with numerous state and federal regulatory agencies. David’s understanding of governmental regulatory processes has also enabled him to provide counsel to buyers and sellers of health care related businesses, and to lenders and private equity groups that finance those transactions. The many types of health care, managed care and insurance related clients David has represented include the following: Ambulatory surge...

JAMES W. GUSTAFSON JR . is a Shareholder with Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A., a member of the firm’s executive committee, and the managing partner of the firm’s Tallahassee office. He is a sixth generation Florida native who served with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and studied at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, before becoming a trial lawyer. Mr. Gustafson is a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a worldwide organization limited to ju...

Jonathan P. Steverson is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Natural Resources Law. Jonathan P. practices law in Tallahassee, Florida Best Lawyers has recognized Jonathan P. Steverson since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Jonathan P. Steverson is held by other lawyers.

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law, Martin Dix focuses his practice primarily on pharmacy and drug distribution law. His clients encompass nearly all aspects of the legal drug delivery system, including pharmacies, pharmacists, and pharmacy benefit managers; drug wholesalers; drug and dietary supplement manufacturers; retail medical oxygen dealers; and compressed medical gases wholesalers. He has also represented a variety of other health care providers and entities, such as phy...

Christopher E. Varner is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Workers' Compensation Law - Claimants. Christopher E. practices law in Pensacola, Florida Best Lawyers has recognized Christopher E. Varner since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard...

David L. McGee is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. David L. practices law in Pensacola, Florida Best Lawyers has recognized David L. McGee since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which David L. McGee is held by other lawyers.