Best Lawyers Near You in Fort Myers, Florida

Mr. Truxton attended the University of Florida where he received his Bachelors degree in Business Administration in 1977 and his Juris Doctor degree in 1980. Mr. Truxton is a member of The Florida Bar and the American Bar Association. He practices in the areas of commercial real estate and general corporate and business transactions. Mr. Truxton has been named to Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite® representing the top 2% of Florida Bar members. He has also been recognized by Flori...

Douglas B. Szabo is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Douglas B., who practices law in Fort Myers, Florida, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Douglas B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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

Kenneth A. Jones has more than 40 years of experience practicing eminent domain, condemnation and property rights law. Ken has handled hundreds of eminent domain cases on behalf of individual and business property owners throughout Florida. He has defended his clients’ rights against government entities including the State of Florida Department of Transportation, South Florida Water Management district, Florida Gas, and various counties, municipalities and utility companies. His represe...

Theodore L. Tripp Jr. has more than four decades of experience handling a wide range of complex civil lawsuits in both state and federal courts. This includes acting as lead trial counsel in significant business disputes, probate, trust and other litigation matters. He has represented businesses, business owners, personal representatives, trustees, municipal and county governments, and landowners in multimillion-dollar litigation at both the trial and appellate level in state and federal cour...

Philip V. Howard is a partner in the Fort Myers office. He focuses his practice in the areas of Trust and Estate Litigation, Guardianship Litigation, Fiduciary Litigation, and Estate Planning. Philip has significant trial experience in the areas of inheritance disputes, fiduciary disputes, contested wills and trusts, guardianship disputes, elder exploitation injunctions and elder exploitation lawsuits and other contested probate matters. Although Philip focuses his practices on the 20th Judic...

John D. Gast has decades of experience working with families as they plan their estates. John has lived in Southwest Florida for over 30 years and concentrates his practice on estate planning, charitable gift planning, life insurance, domicile planning, probate litigation, trust and estate settlement and taxation. John knows each family is different and works with them to craft a custom plan that fits their individual needs.

Before joining the firm in 2013, Joel H. Brown was elected by his colleagues to serve as Chief Judge for the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida in 2009. Joel was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1971 and had been practicing personal injury law as a civil trial lawyer prior to his appointment by former Governor Bob Martinez to the County Court in 1990. Following his appointment, Joel served as Associate Administrative Judge of the County Court, Criminal Traffic Division, and then served as Adminis...

Robert A. Cooper, a member of the firm’s Board of Directors, focuses his practice in all areas of real estate law, construction law, condominium and homeowners association law, lien and foreclosure law, loan and financing transactions, commercial leasing, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate and business law. Well-known and well-respected for his community association law practice, Robert has extensive experience providing legal counseling to boards of directors, officers and...

Frank J. Aloia, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation - Construction, Litigation - Real Estate and Real Estate Law. Frank J., who practices law in Fort Myers, Florida, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Frank J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Philip Freidin has been practicing law for 50 years and has devoted his life to representing clients who have been seriously injured by the wrongful acts of others. Phil has represented plaintiffs in some of the most significant personal injury and medical malpractice cases in Florida’s history and has earned his status as a pillar in the South Florida legal community. As one federal judge recently wrote, “he is unquestionably among the upper echelons of lawyers in our district.&r...

Michael J. Corso is chair for the Tort and Insurance Litigation practice area. His current civil trial practice area is heavily involved in the defense of non-medical professionals, including lawyers, accountants, architects, engineers and surveyors, copyright/trademark infringement, product liability and also more general tort defense matters in litigation. Mike frequently writes and speaks on issues regarding the defense of non-medical professionals and law office risk management issues to ...

Scott Atwood is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Scott, who practices law in Fort Myers, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Scott is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Carlos A. Kelly is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Carlos A., who practices law in Fort Myers, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Carlos A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David J. Ledermann is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. David J., who practices law in Fort Myers, Florida, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Danielle M. Balczon is a partner in the firm’s Ft. Myers office. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology. She subsequently obtained her Juris Doctor Degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama. While in law school, Balczon studied abroad at Cambridge University and served as an intern in Alabama State University’s Athletic Department. Prior to joining Cole, ...