by Kent Jennings Brockwell
Staff Writer
After eight years at the Bedell Firm, criminal defense attorney Donald Mairs has decided to step out on his own.
“I heard that everyone should work for themselves at least once in their life,” Mairs said, “so I just felt it was the right time to see what that is like.”
On February 8, Mairs and attorneys Travis Reinhold and Melissa Coll will be moving into their new criminal defense law firm’s office at 400 E. Moore Street.
Mairs has been with the Bedell Firm for eight years and has worked with its most prominent partner, Hank Coxe, for about 11 years. He said he will miss working for the Bedell Firm but is excited about his new career choice.
“(The Bedell Firm) is a smaller firm with a really great working environment,” Mairs said. “I have some mixed feelings about leaving but I feel that this is a good decision at this time.
“But my new office is only a few blocks away so I am sure we will stay in touch.”
Mairs has been a criminal defense attorney for 16 years and was in the public defender’s office earlier in his career. This will be the first time he has worked for himself.
Reinhold, however, has been running his own private criminal law practice on Bay Street for about three years. He was a state prosecutor in Duval County before branching out on his own.
Coll will be working part time for the new firm, Mairs said. Coll, who also used to be a prosecutor in the past, currently works in Reinhold’s firm.