Thomas Fighter

Travis Halstead is a partner in the firm’s Orlando office. He concentrates his practice in the areas of general and complex civil litigation with a focus in construction and financial services litigation. Travis typically represents architects, engineers, developers, contractors, and subcontractors in construction defect and contract claims. Travis also defends banking institutions in consumer debt litigation. Travis graduated the University of Florida and earned his Juris Doctor degree...

Patrick Brackins received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Florida and, in 2006, his Juris Doctor degree from St. Thomas University School of Law. Patrick moved to Orlando in 2006, where he began his career as a staff attorney for Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit Court. Prior to joining Shepard, Smith, Hand & Brackins, P.A., from 2008 to 2016, Patrick served as the career law clerk for a United States Magistrate Judge in the Orlando Division of th...

Having successfully represented prominent developers and home builders, Robert Poppell maintains a vibrant real estate development and transactional practice. He represents developers of large scale, mixed-use planned developments, as well as residential home builders, in connection with acquisitions, sales, planning, operations, and governance structures for phased and jointly developed communities; developers of neighborhood to regional shopping centers; and end-user, out parcel, and retail...

Clifford B. Shepard holds the AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers®. Cliff is a trial lawyer who practices and mediates extensively in the areas of government law, employment, defense, real estate, construction law, complex commercial litigation, and community association law. He is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in City, County and Local Government Law. He is the City Attorney for Maitland and Apopka and Town Attorney for the Towns...

Patrick T. Christiansen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law. Patrick T., who practices law in Orlando, Florida, has been recognized since 1997. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Construction Law, Trey focuses his practice on both contract preparation and negotiation and complex construction litigation. His work with complex construction litigation has a special emphasis on delay claims, construction defect claims, payment disputes, lien and bond claims, and bid protests for his construction clients. He handles construction contract negotiation and preparation on projects of all scale and type, from single family luxury homes and ...

Chris Roper is a land use lawyer focused on real estate development, entitlements, and concurrency. He has experience throughout central Florida representing clients in due diligence, re-zonings, comprehensive plan amendments, vested rights, Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs), binding letters, and special taxing districts, including community development districts (CDD). Chris also has experience in real estate tax appeals.

Christine A. Wasula is a partner in the firm’s Orlando office. She is an accomplished civil litigation attorney with over twenty-five years of experience. Her background includes tenures at several national law firms, and she also worked as an Assistant Attorney General in the Economic Crimes Division of the Florida Attorney General’s Office. Prior to attending law school, she worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Bob Graham in Washington, D.C., where she advised the S...

Paula Howell focuses her practice on litigation matters. Paula regularly counsels clients involved in complex commercial and construction litigation. Paula also has experience with matters involving torts, trademark infringement, and employment-related disputes. She has conducted numerous administrative hearings and trials, including several jury trials, resulting in favorable outcomes for her clients. Paula regularly engages in pro bono litigation, taking on matters including cross-national ...

Brian A. McDowell practices in the areas of bankruptcy, insolvency litigation and receiverships. In bankruptcy, Mr. McDowell has primarily focused on representing debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, tenants, landlords, asset purchasers, defendants in adversary proceedings and trustees. These matters have arisen in both voluntary and involuntary Chapter 11 cases. Mr. McDowell has conducted two jury trials in the United States Bankruptcy Court. In addition to Mr. McDowell's debtor and cre...