Best Lawyers Near You in Fort Myers, Florida

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...

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...

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.

Joel W. Hyatt focuses his practice on commercial, construction, real estate, labor and employment, and community association litigation. Joel works with local and national companies, community associations, and individuals to navigate through complex business and legal issues, including all manner of contract disputes, collections, construction liens, foreclosure, replevin, enforcement of non-competition agreements, interpretation and enforcement of governing documents, and title disputes.

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, ...

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...

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.

Kayla Richmond is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Kayla, 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 Kayla is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Stephen W. Dommerich is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Stephen W., 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 Stephen W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Stephen Kagan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs. Stephen, 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 Stephen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Andrew H. Barnett is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Andrew H., 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 Andrew H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Francesca Anon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Francesca, 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 Francesca is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

As an associate in Hahn Loeser’s Litigation Practice Area, Gabriel Arbois represents clients in complex commercial litigation. Gabriel is involved in cases through all stages of litigation, including legal research and drafting pleadings, motions and discovery. Gabriel graduated cum laude from Florida International University College of Law. Prior to joining Hahn Loeser, he worked for a one of Florida’s largest civil defense firms and clerked for the Honorable Judge Migna Sanchez-...

Kyle T. Mordew is a partner in Hahn Loeser’s Naples office and serves as the firm’s Ohio and Florida liaison for the Trust and Estates Practice Group. Kyle focuses his practice in estate planning and estate and trust administration. Kyle drafts and implements tax-efficient estate plans for his clients, including basic estate planning documents like wills and revocable trusts to more nuanced estate planning documents like SLATs, GRATs, ILITs, and IDGTs. Kyle’s practice additi...

Barbara Ballard Woodcock is a partner in the firm’s Bonita Springs Office. Her practice focuses on Condominium and Homeowners’ Association law, First Party Property, Personal Injury, Vehicle Negligence, Premises Liability, Professional Negligence, Construction Defect, and Employment Law. Ms. Woodcock is admitted to practice in all Florida state courts and in federal court in the Middle District of Florida. Ms. Woodcock received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mi...

Brooke Beebe is a partner in the Bonita Springs and Orlando offices. Ms. Beebe focuses her practice in the areas of general commercial and civil litigation, with an emphasis in construction litigation, landlord-tenant law, first-party property, sex trafficking/human trafficking defense, medical malpractice and employment law. Ms. Beebe has experience handling Errors and Omissions claims, including those brought against insurance brokers and agents. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from th...