Meredith M. Stephens

Tristan Sanders is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Tristan, who practices law in Winter Park, Florida, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Tristan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jim McNeil serves as chair of Akerman’s Residential Development Practice, a highly experienced team representing national builders and developers of master planned and mixed-use residential communities throughout the real estate development process. Known for his ability to provide pragmatic, strategic, and forward-thinking planning advice, Jim represents developers, homebuilders, and private equity funds in all phases of the acquisition, entitlement, development, and sale of property. ...

Allison R. Imber is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trademark Law. Allison R., who practices law in Orlando, Florida, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Allison R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

James M. McCrae is a Florida Bar Board Certified Construction Lawyer who represents contractors and subcontractors in the area of construction litigation. Most recently, Mr. McCrae represented a floating dock contractor in appeals regarding the bond principal's defense of the surety's claim for indemnification before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the Florida Supreme Court. Prior to practicing law, Mr. McCrae worked as a project manager for a local general commercial c...

Jeremy Springhart is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Jeremy, who practices law in Orlando, Florida, has been recognized since 2017. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeremy is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mayanne Downs is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation and Family Law. Mayanne, who practices law in Orlando, Florida, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mayanne is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Peter J. "Tres" Gulden III is a partner at Faiella & Gulden, P.A. He’s a third-generation lawyer who joined his mother Elizabeth Hawthorne Faiella’s practice in 2004, becoming a partner in 2008. Before receiving his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt University Law School, Mr. Gulden earned a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from the Divinity School at Duke University. This unique background, combined with the fact that his father was a doctor of internal medi...

Kimberly A. Mello is a member of the firm's National Appellate Practice. She has briefed and argued dozens of appeals in state and federal court, including the Florida Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and Florida's District Courts of Appeal. In addition to focusing on appellate matters, Ms. Mello has extensive experience briefing complex legal issues at the trial court level during both the pre-trial and post-trial phases. She regularly consults with trial la...

David Paul is one of the only plaintiff’s lawyers in Central Florida to be certified by the Florida Bar, the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys (medical malpractice) and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a Past President of the American Board of Trial Advocates (Central Florida Chapter) and a Past President of the Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association. Dave has successfully fought the largest companies in the country and has litigated cases throughout the s...

Christine A. Wasula is a partner in the firm’s Orlando office. She is an accomplished civil litigation attorney with over twenty-five years of experience. Her background includes tenures at several national law firms, and she also worked as an Assistant Attorney General in the Economic Crimes Division of the Florida Attorney General’s Office. Prior to attending law school, she worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Bob Graham in Washington, D.C., where she advised the S...