Nicole Poot

Rachael comes to Johnson Pope with diverse experience in employment law and trial litigation. While a student at Stetson College of Law, Rachael was a member of Stetson’s nationally recognized trial team and a member of the Stetson Law Review. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2008, Rachael has represented clients in federal, state, and appellate courts on a variety of employment related matters. Rachael is an active member of the St. Petersburg Bar Association where she co-cha...

Before joining Johnson Pope, Mary Jo Carney was a founding partner of a boutique law firm in St. Petersburg, Florida which enjoyed 34 years of providing legal services to many local and out-of-state clients. Mary Jo is a real estate transactional attorney specializing in commercial retail projects. Throughout her 40-year career, Mary Jo has represented clients in the acquisition, financing, leasing, development, re-development and sale of numerous grocery-anchored, build-to-suit and mixed use...

A. Christopher Kasten II is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. A. Christopher, who practices law in St. Petersburg, Florida, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which A. Christopher is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Caitlin M. Powell joined the Trust & Estates team of Johnson, Pope, Bokor, Ruppel & Burns, LLP, as a probate, trust, and guardianship litigator in July 2019. Caitlin represents individuals and entities across Florida in a range of matters related to probate, trust and guardianship administration and disputes. Caitlin has focused her career on probate, trust and guardianship law since law school, when she volunteered at the North Florida Office of Public Guardian, Inc., and worked with...

Joseph W. "Jay" Fleece, III, is a native Floridian having been born and raised in St. Petersburg. Mr. Fleece started practicing law in 1980 with the firm of Belcher & Fleece, P.A., and subsequently joined Holland & Knight, where he was a partner heading up the litigation department of the St. Petersburg office. In 2004, Mr. Fleece joined with Hamden H. Baskin, III, and founded the law firm of BaskinFleece, located in Clearwater, Florida. In 2017 Mr. Fleece moved his practice back to S...

Gary E. Williams is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Gary E., who practices law in Palm Harbor, Florida, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gary E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Wil H. Florin was born in Salzburg, Austria and raised in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He received his B.A. from Ball State University where he was captain of the varsity soccer team and President of the University’s largest social fraternity (Sigma Phi Epsilon). He obtained his Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law in 1980 where he won the school Moot Court competition and was a State Moot Court finalist. The Law School campus (which is perennially recognized by U.S. News and W...

Joan M. Vecchioli joined Johnson Pope in 1986 upon graduating with honors from Stetson University College of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review and competed on the Moot Court Board. She received her bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of William and Mary. Since joining the firm, Joan has gained experience in the areas of commercial litigation, commercial real estate transactions, education, and labor and employment law. Currently, her practice focuses on labor and...

Rachel N. Barlow focuses her practice on estate planning, probate and trust administration, as well as probate and trust controversies and litigation. As a Board Certified attorney by the Florida Bar in the area of Wills, Trusts, and Estates, Rachel brings valuable qualifications to her clients. She acquired her Master of Laws (LL.M. in Taxation) from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2013. Before joining The Diamond Law Firm PA, Rachel practiced at the national law firm of Cu...

Ben Diamond serves as the managing partner at The Diamond Law Firm PA, situated in St. Petersburg, Florida. He focuses his legal practice on estate planning, estate and trust administration, and fiduciary litigation. Clients recognize Ben for his meticulous attention to detail, thorough preparation, and adeptness in addressing complex challenges. Ben is well-versed in all areas of fiduciary litigation and has been involved in numerous cases, defending against will contests and breach of fiduc...