W. Andrew "Andy" Rariden

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...

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 ...

MELVIN BOWEN WRIGHT was born in Albany, Georgia on August 1, 1959 and was raised on a family farm still in operation in Warwick located in Worth County, Georgia. He moved to Central Florida in 1985, is married and has two children. He received his Juris Doctor degree in 1985 and was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1985 and the Florida Bar in 1986. Mr. Wright is also licensed to practice law in Tennessee. Mr. Wright is also a member of the Supreme Court Bar, the District Courts for the...

Christina Bredahl Gierke is a partner in the firm’s Orlando office. Mrs. Gierke focuses her practice in the areas of complex commercial and civil litigation, with an emphasis in construction litigation, community association law, and professional malpractice law, including representing attorneys, insurance agents/broker, design professionals, and real estate brokers. Additionally, Mrs. Gierke is a member of the firm’s Architects and Engineers, Construction, Real Estate and Title I...

C. David Brown II is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Government Relations Practice, Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. C. David, who practices law in Orlando, Florida, has been recognized since 2006. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which C. David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Chris Hayes represents developers, homebuilders, and investors in the acquisition, development, and sale of real property in Florida and California. He has overseen numerous complex acquisitions and dispositions. As part of his transactional practice, Chris also represents clients in retail and office space leasing. Additionally, Chris works with investors and owners in acquiring and selling small and mid-market sized businesses, having worked on over 65 auto and motorcycle dealership transac...

Kristin J. Coffey is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law and Family Law. Kristin J., who practices law in Orlando, Florida, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kristin J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Kathryn W. Oberto is a partner in the Orlando office of Holland & Knight. Ms. Oberto has extensive experience representing landlords and tenants in the commercial leasing of shopping centers and outparcels, restaurants, high-rise office buildings, mixed-use projects, raw land and industrial/warehouse facilities. She also represents buyers, developers and sellers in the acquisition, development (including infrastructure development) and disposition of commercial properties; lenders and bor...

Alan C. Sheppard, Jr. has wide-ranging experience in commercial real estate finance and development, with a particular emphasis on mortgage and construction financing, lease financing, mezzanine lending as well as asset-based finance and working capital loan transactions. His structured finance experience includes sale/leasebacks, synthetic leases, conduit lending, syndicated loans, Rule 144(a) exempt offerings and securitizations. Alan's practice has included both lender and borrower represe...

Warren S. Bloom is Co-Chair of the Public Finance Practice and began his legal career with Kaye Scholer in New York City in the mid-1980s concentrating on the representation of lending institutions in leveraged buyouts and "going private" transactions. Upon his relocation to Florida in late 1988, Warren began to focus his practice on public finance and the representation of creditor entities in such transactions (e.g., indenture trustees, bondholders, bond purchasers and credit enhancers). Si...