William Kent

Richard W. Hawthorne is a partner at DMHD, where he focuses on real estate and banking law. He represents buyers and sellers in commercial and residential real estate transactions, landlords and tenants in commercial leasing and developers of multifamily housing and retail buildings. He also has significant experience representing buyers and sellers of debt obligations.Mr. Hawthorne previously worked for Arthur Anderson & Co. (Jacksonville, Florida) as a tax accountant, Foley & Lardne...

Jeanne is a member of the firm’s Health Care Practice Team. She has experience representing health care industry professionals and entities before regulatory bodies and in structuring commercial relationships that meet complex regulatory requirements. Over the course of her career, she has represented a wide range of health care providers in a variety of matters. Jeanne focuses on transactional, compliance and regulatory health law matters, including private equity investment-owned enti...

Katie DeSantis McCranie is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Katie DeSantis, who practices law in Jacksonville, Florida, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Katie DeSantis is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Kathryn M. Oughton is a shareholder and Practice Group Leader of the firm’s Property Damage Claims practice area. Kathryn’s practice focuses on civil litigation with an emphasis on the defense of cases involving first party property claims. Other practice areas include automobile liability, premises liability, wrongful death, and bad faith and coverage issues. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Oughton worked for a state-wide defense firm where she served as head of the civil litigati...

Jill F. Bechtold practices in the area of civil litigation, where she focuses on medical and professional liability defense, employment disputes, product liability defense, business litigation, trucking litigation, and insurance defense. Jill’s clients include drug and medical device companies, business owners, physicians, hospitals, trucking carriers, and insurers. She represents clients in state and federal court actions as well as arbitrates matters under the Florida Arbitration Code...

Edward B. Cole is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Real Estate. Edward B., who practices law in Jacksonville, Florida, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Edward B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Sarah Baggett is on speed dial for clients facing complex legal issues in bad faith, cybersecurity, liability, and regulatory and compliance. She has litigated and tried cases across Florida, beginning her career in liability defense, including her first trials. Sarah now focuses on developing and overseeing strategies for both litigation and compliance, with a specialty in platform-based businesses. Many of her clients—individuals and businesses—are long-term relationships built ...

Missy Turra has practiced in the area of commercial real estate law for more than 15 years. Ms. Turra represents clients in all phases of real estate development, including due diligence, land acquisition and disposition, procuring entitlements, financing, construction, project operations, leasing and restructuring. Ms. Turra's broad experience includes resort and other mixed-use, master-planned communities and condominium developments, office and industrial properties, residential subdivisio...

E.K. Cottrell practices in the area of complex commercial litigation. Some of his representative areas of practice include defense of class actions on behalf of insurers, business entities, and management for alleged improper market conduct or business practices, and fiduciary obligations; representation of insurers and reinsurers in coverage and regulatory compliance matters; and other general business litigation. E.K. has litigated class actions and other complex commercial litigation matte...

Terrance E. Schmidt is a Florida-based mediator, arbitrator, and retired civil litigator with over 50 years of legal experience. A Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator and longtime member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, he has mediated more than 6,000 cases and served as an arbitrator in dozens more. Mr. Schmidt’s career as a commercial litigator spanned a wide range of complex disputes—including business torts, securities, employment discrimin...