by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Jason Gabriel was born in California and lived in Turkey and Kuwait as a child. Still, he likes to call Jacksonville his “home town.”
“Absolutely, I love everything about Jacksonville and downtown, the water, the climate, everything” said Gabriel, an attorney with Edwards Cohen. “Economically and geographically, we’re in a great position.
“We’re up-and-coming and getting more defined but we’re still at a size where you don’t get lost in the shuffle. I like that a lot.”
Gabriel is a Bishop Kenny High School graduate who later earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida.
He specializes in commercial real estate transactions, corporate and government law and land use and z oning.
“It’s a perfect fit for me,” he said. “I really love what I do and look forward to honing my craft and just getting better.
“It’s hard to explain, but once you find the right career for yourself, it’s a great feeling.”
And though an associate for two and a half years, Gabriel began working at Edwards Cohen nearly seven years ago.
He was a clerk and, for a time, even served as an administrative assistant to the City’s Cindy Laquidera.
“This was actually her firm for a while,” he said. “She was really great to work for because she was like a mentor who wanted to help you learn and improve.”
So would he ever go to work for the City?
“That’s hard to say right now,” said Gabriel. “I’m really enjoying what I’m doing now, but in the future it might be something I’ll look into.”
And don’t hold your breath waiting for Gabriel to move downtown.
“Not any time soon,” he said. “I just bought a house at the beach.”