William H. Robbinson

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...

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...

Kyla O'Brien Baker is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Kyla O'Brien, who practices law in Orlando, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kyla O'Brien is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Carolyn Haslam represents owners and developers in all facets of real estate developments, including entitlements and concurrency. Her primary focus is in land use, including office, retail, industrial, mixed-use, and residential, as well as large planned community projects. This includes counseling clients on all aspects of the land planning, zoning, and development process, from performing a due diligence analysis prior to purchase, to obtaining necessary zoning and permitting approval from...

Kimberly A. Mello is a member of the firm's National Appellate Practice. She has briefed and argued dozens of appeals in state and federal court, including the Florida Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and Florida's District Courts of Appeal. In addition to focusing on appellate matters, Ms. Mello has extensive experience briefing complex legal issues at the trial court level during both the pre-trial and post-trial phases. She regularly consults with trial la...

Benton Wood is a partner in the firm's Orlando office. He represents private and public sector employers in all aspects of employment and labor law. Benton specializes in employment law litigation and has litigated a multitude of employment-related claims on behalf of management, including: sex discrimination, race discrimination, age discrimination, national origin discrimination, disability discrimination, unlawful retaliation, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) violations, Fair Labor Stan...

Evan J. Small is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Evan J., who practices law in Orlando, Florida, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Evan J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David Carter was born in Vero Beach, Florida, and has been a partner at Gould Cooksey Fennell since 1996. Mr. Carter founded and chairs the firm’s Personal Injury & Medical Negligence Group and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. Mr. Carter graduated with honors from the University of Florida College of Law where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and Senior Symposium Editor for Law Review. Upon graduation, Mr. Carter accepted a position with the Tampa law firm of ...

Jennifer Lowndes is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Jennifer, 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 Jennifer 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...