Michael S. "Mike" Provenzale

Phillip Joseph co-chairs Ball Janik LLP’s construction litigation practice, which is growing in national reach and prominence. He is a commercial litigator whose primary focus is construction and real estate litigation, including design and construction disputes, construction defect, general counsel for community associations, purchase/sale disputes, real estate disputes, commercial landlord/tenant, and collections. Mr. Joseph has received the AV® Preeminent™ Rating from Marti...

Gary Whitlock represents major financial institutions in a broad range of transactions. He routinely represents lenders making commercial and real estate loans, and has assisted his clients with loan restructurings and workouts. Gary also has significant experience working on loans to companies in the automotive sector, as well as representing clients with the acquisition of quarries. The typical transaction size is between $5 million and $25 million.

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. ...

Katelyn Mae Ferry is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law. Katelyn Mae, who practices law in Longwood, Florida, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Katelyn Mae is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Joseph J. JeBailey focuses his practice on complex, multi-state real estate finance and secured lending transactions, representing domestic and foreign institutional lenders, private equity funds, investors, and borrowers. His practice includes both balance sheet and conduit financings involving permanent, revolving, mezzanine and construction loans, loan workouts, modifications and restructurings. In addition, Joe has wide-ranging experience in the finance, leasing, acquisition and dispositi...

Described in Chambers USA as “an outstanding bankruptcy lawyer,” Jules Cohen represents banks and other lenders as secured creditors in bankruptcy proceedings in all types of businesses. He has represented clients in notable bankruptcy proceedings, including, the billion dollar Chapter 11 case of Braniff Airlines, serving as the court appointed examiner of the Sheraton Twin Towers case, and representing a lender group with a $114 million secured claim in the Gencor Industries case...

Robert Alfert, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law and Litigation - Construction. Robert, 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 Robert is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Managing Shareholder Brian Gilchrist is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in the area of Intellectual Property Law. Certification is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar for competency, experience professionalism and ethics in an area of law. He has substantial experience in all phases of intellectual property litigation, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, deceptive trade practices and restrictive covenants. Mr. Gilchrist has been attorney of record in ov...

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

Michael J. Sullivan is Co-Chair of the firm’s Hospitality Group. Mike has wide-ranging experience in the acquisition, development, finance and disposition of hotels, resorts, branded residences and condo-hotels, and health care-related properties; management, franchise and operating agreements for hotels; publicly financed hotel management agreements; seniors housing management and third-party lease agreements; construction and permanent financings (balance sheet and CMBS); and the purc...