Find Lawyers in Tampa, Florida for Commercial Litigation
Commercial Litigation - Tampa, Florida
About this Practice AreaA. Brian Albritton concentrates his practice on “white collar” criminal defense; False Claims Act and Qui Tam litigation; defending regulatory enforcement actions brought by government agencies, including unfair/deception trade practice actions brought by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general; regulatory compliance; and complex commercial litigation, including the prosecution and defense of claims relating to trade secret theft, non-competition agreements and ot...
Carter Andersen has extensive experience handling complex civil litigation matters in both state and federal courts and in alternative dispute resolution settings, including arbitration and mediation. Mr. Andersen handles contract and commercial litigation disputes, construction and real estate disputes, professional malpractice matters, employment law disputes and other litigation matters. Before joining Bush Ross, Mr. Andersen practiced general commercial litigation with Jones Day in Washin...
David Banker is an experienced civil trial lawyer who has tried a broad range of cases in federal and state courts involving products liability, employment discrimination, medical negligence, personal injury, commercial disputes and consumer disputes. Mr. Banker has also litigated mass tort and class action cases involving prescription drugs, medical devices and consumer products.
Brad is an experienced litigator who has handled a wide array of business, intellectual property, and class action disputes. He is consistently recognized by his peers as one of the leading business litigators in Florida. Brad is also a trusted advisor to clients who regularly turn to him to navigate complex business issues.
Nathan M. Berman maintains a broad litigation practice, representing clients in Florida and throughout the country. Nate represents individuals and institutions in civil disputes, white collar crime, government investigations, securities law, health care fraud, environmental violations, maritime law, and professional malpractice. In his civil litigation practice, Nate represents corporations, special committees, current and former officers and directors, and other individuals in a variety of ...
Stacy D. Blank practices primarily in the area of appellate and general commercial litigation. She has litigated appeals in the Florida District Courts of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court, and the United States Circuit Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits. She has handled appeals and trial court litigation in numerous subject areas including trust and estates, antitrust, employment law, state and federal taxation, environmental law, family law, administrative law, intellectu...
Karl Brandes practices in the areas of civil trial and commercial litigation. His practice includes petroleum marketing litigation; franchise and other trade regulation litigation; class action litigation; environmental litigation; construction litigation for engineer, architect, contractor and developer clients; condominium litigation; professional liability litigation for lawyer and engineer clients; computer litigation; personal injury litigation, including insurance and self-insured defen...
Michael L. Chapman is a member of Holland & Knight's senior management team, serving as the firm's general counsel. In this role, Mr. Chapman is legal advisor to management and the firm's Directors Committee and works to ensure that the firm operates in full compliance with all legal requirements, bar ethics standards, its partnership agreement and core principles. For more than 20 years, Mr. Chapman has practiced as a commercial trial lawyer. He has extensive experience handling disputes...
Jack Fernandez defends clients in white collar criminal cases and has particular experience in cases brought under state and federal false claims acts. Before entering private practice in 1998, Jack was a founding member of the first health care fraud task force set up in the Middle District of Florida. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he prosecuted several health care fraud cases and tried the first criminal anti-kickback health care case to a jury verdict in the U.S. District Court for the Mi...
Tim is a Shareholder in the firm’s Construction and Design Group. As a Board Certified Construction lawyer by The Florida Bar, he has experience representing owners, developers, contractors, construction managers, design professionals and subcontractors in all phases of the construction process, with an emphasis on complex construction litigation. Tim also serves on the firm's recruiting committee as the firm's hiring shareholder. Active in both professional and Bar-related activities, ...
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...
Michelle advises high-profile athletes, celebrities, and executives, as well as businesses in the sports, entertainment, and finance industries in complex disputes that involve the intersection of business and family law matters. Known as a “fixer” across several legal disciplines, Michelle handles highly delicate matters protecting her clients from serious financial and reputational harm. For select professional athletes and executives, Michelle helps them handle a variety of fam...
Leonard H. Gilbert is a partner in Holland & Knight's Tampa office. He practices in the areas of banking, commercial finance, asset based lending, creditors' rights, insolvency, arbitration and commercial litigation, as well as maintaining an active transactional practice. He is a member of the firm’s Financial Services Practice Group. Mr. Gilbert’s emphasis has been in the representation of financial institutions and other institutional lenders. In his bankruptcy practice, Mr...
Frederick J. Grady is a commercial litigator who has significant experience in several areas of complex commercial litigation and construction law. He handles construction litigation, including delay claims, mechanic's lien work, architect/engineer liability, and differing site conditions claims. Mr. Grady also has experience in contract drafting, review and administration. His experience includes various types of projects, including commercial and residential construction, including office b...
Marcos E. Hasbun focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense and complex commercial litigation. In his white collar defense practice, Marcos represents individuals and companies in investigations into allegations of fraud, public corruption, and criminal environmental matters. Marcos also represents individuals and entities when government investigations escalate into criminal charges, or results in a civil suit filed by, or on behalf of, the government. In the criminal arena, Marco...
Harold Holder focuses his practice on civil litigation in state and federal courts, in matters involving business and contract disputes, construction and real estate disputes, professional liability, employment litigation, and other general commercial litigation. Mr. Holder also assists clients with business transactions, commercial finance, secured lending, and corporate matters.
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...
Lawrence Ingram concentrates his practice in professional liability, qui tam and health care fraud, trade secrets and restrictive covenants, and insurance coverage. In the area of professional liability, his practice focuses on the litigation and trial defense of professional malpractice claims against insurance agents and attorneys. Mr. Ingram has defended in excess of 350 professional liability suits during his career. He is recognized as the preferred defense counsel by a number of insurer...
A seasoned business and commercial litigator, Les Joughin has substantial experience handling complex, high-stakes disputes. Clients turn to Les for help with their most difficult legal issues, including litigating and resolving disputes involving business torts; franchisor/franchisee relationships; stock and asset purchase agreements; shareholder and partnership relationships; and non-competition, confidentiality agreements, and trade secrets. His litigation experience also includes disputes...
With more than 30 years of trial experience, Gregory W. Kehoe has a national and international practice focusing on representation of individuals, corporations and financial institutions. This includes representation before federal and state courts as well as international tribunals. Mr. Kehoe recently represented General Ante Gotovina in his complete acquittal before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Mr. Kehoe also represented General Mohammed Hussein Ali before ...
Board certified by the Florida Bar in (a) Civil Trial, (b) Business Litigation, and (c) Antitrust and Trade Regulation; Fellow of (a) The American College of Trial Lawyers, and (b) The American Bar Foundation; Listed in (a) Best Lawyers in America in Business Litigation, (b) Super Lawyers in Business Litigation, (c) Florida Trend Legal Elite in Business Litigation, and (d) The American Lawyer a a top Commercial Litigator; also a member of The American Board of Trial Advocates.
Mr. Lauro has an extensive national practice as a trial lawyer with over 30 years of experience. He is a native New Yorker, and his firm has offices in New York and Florida. Mr. Lauro graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was an editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. He began his practice with the international law firm of Morgan, Lewis. Mr. Lauro was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, where he prosecuted international narcotics and white co...
Sara Alpert Lawson represents businesses and individuals in high-stakes government investigations, commercial disputes, and criminal litigation. Sara focuses on client goals and how to achieve them efficiently, approaching issues with creativity and attention to detail. Her clients include a major health system, health care organizations and providers, Chief Executive Officers and other senior leaders from a diverse range of businesses, large corporations, and entrepreneurs. Before entering p...
Jim Matulis is currently one of less than 1% of all Florida attorneys to be certified by The Florida Bar as an Expert in Intellectual Property Law. Although Jim has received a number of accolades from his peers for his practice relating to Intellectual Property, he is most honored by his five -time selection as Lawyer of the Year for Tampa by Best Lawyers in America®-– i n 2013 & 2017 for Trademark Law, and in 2016 & 2019 for Intellectual Property Litigation and in 2021 for ...
John Phillips practices in the area of labor and employment. He represents employer clients in labor and employment matters throughout the United States. Past and present clients include manufacturers, retailers, rental car companies, financial institutions, medical services, hospitals, hotels, physicians’ professional associations, employee leasing companies, government contractors, insurance companies, shipyards, mining companies, and restaurants. He regularly appears in both state an...
Gary Sasso represents business clients in securities fraud and consumer fraud class actions and other complex litigation at the trial and appellate level, in the financial services industry, energy sector, products manufacturing industry, and services sector. Mr. Sasso has tried cases in the areas of securities fraud, business contracts, products liability, professional malpractice, employment discrimination and termination, eminent domain, bankruptcy, construction, administrative law, and la...
Mr. Savitz regularly represents corporate and individual clients at both the trial and appellate level in matters involving construction litigation, franchise litigation, intellectual property litigation, and professional liability litigation including attorney, accountant, and design professional malpractice defense. He is also a certified mediator in federal court. Mr. Savitz is an approved panel attorney for most professional liability insurance carriers.
Bill serves on the firm’s board of directors. He is a board certified specialist in the area of business litigation. His practice focuses on business litigation and trial practice, including securities litigation and arbitration, professional malpractice litigation, director and officer litigation, employment litigation, restrictive covenant litigation and intellectual property litigation. Bill served as President of the Florida Bar for the 2016-2017 term. He is also a member of the boa...
Seth Schimmel practices in the areas of construction and commercial litigation. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in design and construction disputes and complex commercial litigation throughout the state of Florida. In his construction practice, Mr. Schimmel represents engineers, architects, commercial and residential developers, owners, and general contractors in a wide range of litigation matters which include construction defect and delay claims, professional liability and erro...
Joe Shaheen represents a wide variety of businesses in complex litigation matters and regulatory investigations. He has served clients in the financial institution, medical device, publishing, telecommunications, distribution, manufacturing, media, entertainment, equipment rental, real estate, and construction sectors. Litigating disputes across subject matters, Joe’s experience includes real estate disputes, class actions, construction, and litigation involving banks and lending instit...
Ken Turkel is a third generation Tampa native, and a 1982 graduate of Jesuit High School. His practice is focused on the prosecution and defense of complex business and civil litigation matters, including intellectual property cases, as well as the representation of clients in the sports and entertainment industries. During the course of his career Ken has tried numerous cases in state and federal court, representing clients in numerous industries on both the plaintiff and defense sides in bu...
Joseph H. Varner III is a partner in Holland & Knight's Tampa office and serves on the firm's Directors Committee. Mr. Varner is experienced in complex commercial litigation, business torts, securities litigation, professional negligence, and personal injury and wrongful death litigation. Mr. Varner has litigated complex liability and medical issues ranging from corporate shareholder disputes to wrongful death arising from medical malpractice. He has obtained significant jury verdicts and...
Commercial Litigation Definition
Litigation increasingly occurs in various venues, from state and federal courts to private arbitrations and administrative hearings. Proceedings can involve business-to-business disputes or any number of government agencies. Understanding the motivations and outlook of each of the litigation participants is important for determining weak points to exploit and strong points that will persuade the audience in question. During the past decade, commercial litigators have seen a dramatic uptick in multidistrict and inter-disciplinary litigation, making the stakes higher, the cases more complex, the parties more numerous and the discovery more complicated and unwieldy. Firms that are able to develop and implement a creative legal approach to each individual problem, efficiently focus on the key legal and factual issues, and master and manage the various aspects of these complex matters will be the busiest in the years to come.
In the current challenging economic climate, commercial litigators are under increasing client pressure to keep costs in check, which has both sides testing the efficacy of alternative fee arrangements and the scope of reasonable discovery. Whether the “death of the billable hour” is ultimately realized, the keys to a commercial litigator’s success will continue to be strong client relationships, thought leadership, practical management skills, deep experience, and personal commitment.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
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