Sam J. Smith

Brandon D. Bellew, a partner at Johnson Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns, LLP, provides outstanding representation in the areas of trust, estate and guardianship litigation and has done so during his entire career. He represents clients throughout Florida in all types and phases of contested issues relating to trusts, estates and guardianships.He frequently writes articles and lectures on trust, estate and guardianship litigation topics. He is very active in the Florida Bar’s Real Property...

Joel has over 40 years of experience in tax, business, asset protection, and estate and gift tax planning for high net worth individuals and entrepreneurs. He consults on business entities, including limited liability companies (LLCs), S corporations and limited liability partnerships (LLPs). He structures and prepares shareholder agreements, operating agreements and other business agreements. He also routinely handles sophisticated estate planning including the preparation of wills, revocabl...

EXPERIENCE Charles joined the firm after graduating law school in 1989. He is a board certified civil trial attorney and handles a wide variety of civil litigation cases. His experience includes cases involving businesses disputes, trust and estate litigation, construction defect litigation, and litigation involving non-competition agreements and other restrictive covenants. DISTINCTIONS & MEMBERSHIPS Admitted to The Florida Bar – 1989 Florida Bar Board Certified in Civil Trial Law ...

Thomas W. Carey is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Thomas W., who practices law in Clearwater, Florida, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Thomas W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Chuck has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1981 and has a diverse commercial and business litigation practice. Those areas include real estate litigation, special asset work, employment disputes, probate litigation, construction litigation, personal injury, and a wide range of civil and business related litigation matters. He was previously employed at Harper, Kynes, Geller and Buford, P.A. and joined Johnson Pope in 2007. He is board certified by the Florida Bar in business litigation....

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...

Bob served as a Law Clerk to Honorable William Terrell Hodges, United States District Judge, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida from 1982 – 1984. From 1988 to 1998 he handled catastrophic child and infant injury cases throughout the United States and Canada. While clerking he learned of Johnson Pope’s well-known reputation for quality legal work and ended up joining the firm in April 1999. He is the author of “The Primary Carrier Caught in the Middle with Bad Fa...

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...

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...

A firm member since 1977, Bruce has extensive experience in planning for the sale and purchases of businesses. He also developed a special expertise in complex estate planning, purchases and sales of businesses and tax controversy matters. His clientele includes successful businesspersons, professionals, closely–held businesses, charitable organizations and individuals with special tax planning or estate planning needs. Bruce is a former chairman of The Florida Bar Tax Section and a for...