Merritt A. Gardner

David Pettinato is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law. David, 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 David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Adept at navigating complex labor and employment matters, Scott Silverman is noted by Chambers USA for being “expeditious” and “excellent at providing all points of view.” His range of experience includes representation of employers in administrative proceedings, federal and state court litigation, and arbitrations. Although he has worked on a variety of labor and employment issues throughout his career, Scott’s practice has emphasized labor management relations,...

Jim Porter is board certified by the Florida Bar as an expert in City, County, and Local Government Law. He concentrates his practice on land use and zoning, as well as government relations, and also has experience with the wireless communications industry, including cellular tower zoning issues. Jim is also the current School Board Attorney for the Hillsborough County School Board, the 8th largest school district in the nation. Jim formerly served as the Chief Assistant County Attorney for t...

Ken Turkel is a third generation Tampa native, and a 1982 graduate of Jesuit High School. His practice is focused on the prosecution and defense of complex business and civil litigation matters, including intellectual property cases, as well as the representation of clients in the sports and entertainment industries. During the course of his career Ken has tried numerous cases in state and federal court, representing clients in numerous industries on both the plaintiff and defense sides in bu...

Jason Pill helps businesses handle the entire spectrum of workplace issues. He advises on risk assessment, policy development, education and contract creation, and he represents clients in state and federal court when litigation becomes unavoidable. Jason’s long-term client relationships give him valuable insight into how business needs affect employment decisions. Working as an extension of clients’ HR department, he acts quickly to defect or minimize potential liabilities. Jason...

Tracey Jaensch is the Regional Managing Partner of FordHarrison's seven Florida offices and serves on the firm's Health Care Practice Group Committee. Tracey has tried more than 30 jury trials representing employers. A recognized industry leader, Tracey has over 25 years’ experience advising hospitals and physician practices on a broad range of topics unique to healthcare employers. In addition to healthcare, Tracey has deep bench experience in all aspects of employment issues in the re...

Mr. Petersen represents and counsels employers regarding a broad range of U.S. and international labor and employment law issues, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption law issues, and data privacy and data protection law issues. He represents clients in a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, service, healthcare, financial, retail, and food processing, as well as multinational companies and trade associations.

Elena Paras Ketchum is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. Elena Paras, who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Elena Paras is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Marjorie S. Hensel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants. Marjorie S., who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Marjorie S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jack A. Levine has been with Holland & Knight since 1981. His areas of practice include business and tax planning, and structuring of corporate acquisitions and reorganizations, partnerships, limited liability companies, syndications and joint ventures. Mr. Levine also practices in the tax controversy area, the utilities taxation area, and in several other tax and tax-related areas. Mr. Levine is Board Certified in Tax Law by The Florida Bar. From 1977 to 1981, Mr. Levine worked in the Na...