Richard Rivera

Melissa A. Dearing is a Partner in the firm’s Immigration Practice Group, where she assists employers in seeking non-immigrant and immigrant status. Melissa has extensive experience with H-1Bs and the PERM-based green card process, particularly with respect to information technology professionals, engineers and pharmacists, among other professionals. She also represents foreign nationals regarding family immigration matters and assists employers with I-9 and other immigration compliance...

Charles L. Gibbs II is a partner at DMHD. Mr. Gibbs focuses on real estate law, with particular emphasis on retail leasing and commercial real estate transactions. He counsels both landlords and tenants in all aspects of retail leasing and various other commercial real estate transactions. Mr. Gibbs previously clerked for the Honorable David H. Adams, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He previously worked for McGuireWoods LLP (Jacksonville, Florida) and Papp...

Graham Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property. Graham, who practices law in Jacksonville, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Graham is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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

Tom Ingram works with landowners, developers, and governments to allow for the development and sale of real estate in Jacksonville, St. Johns County (St. Augustine), Clay County, and surrounding areas in northeast Florida. Such efforts have included the development and redevelopment of sites into retail power centers, single family and multifamily developments, Developments of Regional Impact, and industrial centers. Tom’s efforts routinely involve negotiation of project-specific agreem...

Emily F. Magee is a member of Butler Snow’s Public Finance, Tax Incentives and Credit Markets group. Emily focuses her practice on public finance, health care finance and structured lending matters. Emily’s experience in public and healthcare finance includes serving as bond counsel, underwriter’s or purchaser’s counsel, disclosure counsel and borrower’s counsel and trustee’s counsel. Emily often represents national and regional financial institutions and n...

E.K. Cottrell practices in the area of complex commercial litigation. Some of his representative areas of practice include defense of class actions on behalf of insurers, business entities, and management for alleged improper market conduct or business practices, and fiduciary obligations; representation of insurers and reinsurers in coverage and regulatory compliance matters; and other general business litigation. E.K. has litigated class actions and other complex commercial litigation matte...

Charmaine is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and is chair of the firm’s integrated Healthcare Practice Team. She is one of only 129 attorneys certified by The Florida Bar in healthcare law, and has maintained this certification since 2012. Charmaine represents health systems and hospitals, academic medical centers, clinically integrated networks, physician group practices, and other healthcare providers in complex transactions and regulatory matters. Charmaine assists ph...

Sanjo S. Shatley is a partner in the Jacksonville office. He practices in all phases of medical malpractice, civil defense litigation, including premises liability, nursing home, professional malpractice, and products liability. His practice also includes construction litigation and risk management counseling, including the representation of design professionals in professional liability claims, developers, contractors, and subcontractors in construction defect, contract, and lien enforcement...

Gary Wheeler has represented employers exclusively in both the private and public sectors since graduating from law school in 1997. His experience includes successfully defending employers in all aspects of labor and employment law. Mr. Wheeler is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, as well as the Florida state bar. Mr. Wheeler is a frequent lecturer at seminars for employers. He provides in-house training on workplace issues to su...