Sophia L. Bernard

Irene Bassel Frick serves as the managing partner of Akerman’s Tampa office. A trial lawyer with experience in state and federal court, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings, Irene has a multifaceted litigation practice encompassing contractual disputes, class action defense, fiduciary duty claims, business torts, non-compete litigation, construction disputes, and commercial foreclosure litigation. Her clients include employers, insurers, employee benefit plans, and third party p...

David P. Steffen has represented clients in both state and federal courts, before the Florida Commission on Human Relations, the EEOC, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, and the NLRB. He has also advised clients on ways to manage their Workers’ Compensation claims and how to properly enforce employment policies. David regularly assists clients on preemptive strategies to limit their future exposure. Before joining C...

Krysta Torok is a partner with the firm’s Tampa office. Her practice areas include premises liability, defense of claims against condominium, homeowner and community associations and their officers and directors, SIU insurance fraud, fraud litigation, actions for breach of vendor contracts, as well as personal injury and general civil litigation. Ms. Torok attended Gannon University, in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science....

Vit Gulbis brings an emphasis in tax and business planning to his representation of closely-held businesses and professional practices. His practice integrates the personal and estate tax planning concerns of business owners with business planning. He has represented closely-held businesses throughout their life cycle. He is experienced in the corporate governance and financial concerns of small businesses, and regularly represents clients in their merger and acquisition and financing transac...

Keith Ligori is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. Keith, who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Keith is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Reed Russell practices in the area of labor and employment focusing on representing employers in wage and hour and employment discrimination law, with an emphasis on collective and class action litigation, other complex litigation and strategic advice. He also represents employers in claims raising equal employment opportunity issues, including claims of single-plaintiff, multi-plaintiff, or class discrimination, and provides advice on employment practices, including through statistical analy...

Barbara A. Hart is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy. Barbara A., who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Barbara A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mike Hancock has excelled in personal injury law for over 35 years. After several years defending the insurance industry including companies such as Allstate, State Farm, Geico, & Fortune 500 companies, Mike gained insider secrets and learned the inner workings of how insurance companies defend and evaluate personal injury claims. With a clear understanding of the insurance industry and how to obtain the ultimate results for his clients, Mike founded Hancock Injury Attorneys in 1996. Mike...

Tony Cuva has been practicing admiralty and maritime law for over thirty years and has been board certified for over twenty years. He handles a large array of admiralty and maritime matters as well as civil litigation. Tony Cuva has handled Jones Act cases, Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation act cases, maritime personal injury cases, collisions, allisions, Cargo claims, environmental issues relative to clean water discharge, Coast Guard and OSHA investigations, and recreational ...

Kevin J. Darken is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Kevin J., who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2009. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kevin J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.