Philip A. Bates

Steven Richardson is a partner in the Tallahassee office of Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A. He has been with the firm since 2013 and has worked in both the Tampa and Tallahassee offices. Mr. Richardson has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America® since 2024 for Insurance Law. Mr. Richardson's practice focuses in the areas of catastrophic and personal injury, general civil litigation, premises liability, trucking defense, security negligence, vehicle negligence, wrongful death, defectiv...

Chris Barkas is a shareholder in Carr Allison’s Tallahassee, Florida office where his practice focuses primarily on the defense of commercial vehicle claims, employment-related claims, professional liability claims and retail/premises liability claims. An AV-rated attorney through Martindale-Hubbell, Chris has practiced law in the North Florida area for more than 20 years and has conducted jury trials in many of the counties in the area. In the early part of his career, Chris was an Ass...

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

Ginger Barry Boyd is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment and Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants. Ginger Barry, who practices law in Tallahassee, Florida, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ginger Barry is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal pra...

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...

Drew Bruner is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Drew, who practices law in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Drew is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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

Shannon Hartsfield Salimone is the regulatory and litigation leader of the firm's Healthcare & Life Sciences Team and co-chair of the Data Privacy and Security Team. She practices in the area of health law, advising clients on state and federal healthcare regulatory matters, including corporate and regulatory compliance, data privacy, licensure, prescription drug distribution and pharmaceutical pedigree requirements and telemedicine. Ms. Salimone's clients include assisted living faciliti...

Russell F. Van Sickle is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management, Energy Regulatory Law, Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Russell F., who practices law in Pensacola, Florida, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Russell F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...