William R. Gower III

Mark D. Tinker is Board Certified in Appellate Practice with The Florida Bar—a status earned by less than two-tenths of one percent of all Florida lawyers—and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Bar’s Appellate Practice Certification Committee. Mr. Tinker maintains an AV Preeminent® distinction, the highest available mark for professional excellence issued by Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Ratings, and he is annually rated by his peers as one of The Best La...

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.

J.D. is a business litigation attorney and trial lawyer who represents companies and individuals in a wide variety of high-stakes commercial disputes across state and federal courts in Florida. His litigation practice focuses on breach of contract claims, business torts, non-compete and restrictive covenant enforcement, trade secret misappropriation and intellectual property matters, partnership and shareholder disputes, class actions, and administrative or regulatory issues. With experience ...

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...

Eric Almon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Eric, who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Eric is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Kelly Holbrook is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Employment Law - Individuals, Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Kelly, who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kelly is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

With over 30 years of litigation experience, Mike Grimley represents insurers, corporations, and individuals in a wide range of civil matters. He takes a proactive, early-assessment approach to achieve favorable outcomes through discovery, motion practice, dispute resolution, or trial. Mike has tried numerous jury and bench trials across Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Alabama, and his trial experience informs how he builds each case from the outset. His practice includes first- and third-part...

Matthew K. Fenton has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1994. Mr. Fenton received his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Florida in 1989, with honors, and his law degree from the University of Florida, with honors, in 1993, where he served on the Editorial Board of the University of Florida Law Review. Mr. Fenton served as the first law clerk to United States Magistrate Judge Mark A. Pizzo from 1995 to 1997, where he was exposed to a variety of employment law cases and d...

Ed Carlstedt serves as the office managing partner for FordHarrison's Tampa office. His practice focuses on trade secret, non-compete and restrictive covenant disputes as well as representing management in employment law matters, including defending employers against harassment, discrimination and retaliation claims. Ed has extensive experience in matters involving trade secret, non-compete and restrictive covenant related issues, and has handled dozens of evidentiary hearings in federal and ...

Mike Hooker concentrates his practice in the area of commercial litigation. During his more than 30-year career, Mr. Hooker has litigated a variety of complex commercial actions, including contract disputes, business torts, products liability claims, shareholder disputes and derivative actions, antitrust and trade regulation issues, disputes between franchisors and franchisees, Section 1983 constitutional claims, real estate disputes, land use issues, unfair trade practice claims, telecommuni...