After 19 years practicing at some of Jacksonville’s most recognized law firms, Michael Cavendish has transitioned to sole practitioner and founded Cavendish Partners PA.
“After 10 years at Gunster, I wanted to start a law firm from the ground up. It was time,” he said.
After graduating from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 1998, Cavendish joined the MaguireWoods firm. Six years later, he moved to Boyd & Jenerette.
Cavendish helped establish Gunster’s Jacksonville office in 2007.
He said when he informed the firm he was leaving after 10 years to set up his own firm, the reaction was “most amicable.”
“We’ve got a great relationship. I’ll still be working with some of the same clients,” he said.
Going solo was a decision that Cavendish contemplated for years, he said. He kept a notebook in which he recorded ideas about what he’d want to do if he decided to open a law firm.
“The notebook got full, so I decided it was time to take on the project,” he said.
Cavendish will continue to focus his trial practice on commercial and environmental litigation, as well as intellectual property and trademarks, privacy and data security, property rights and real estate claims.
The firm’s main office is Downtown on the 13th floor at BB&T Tower. Cavendish has additional office space at 201 N. Hogan St., a short walk to the Duval County Courthouse.
He’ll depend on the advances in legal technology to allow him to provide full service to clients without having support staff.
With e-filing, online research and other tools, “In the 21st century, one lawyer can work like a litigation team,” Cavendish said.
Currently, there’s only Cavendish in the office. The “partners” are on only the sign on the door and the stationery, but that could change.
“I’ll build the firm based on the market,” he said. “I’ll grow as much as my clients want me to grow.”