By Kent Jennings Brockwell
Staff Writer
Looking for a good lawyer? Don’t look too far because there are plenty right here in Jacksonville according to a special report released by Florida Trend magazine.
In its July issue, Florida Trend published its annual Florida Legal Elite list of the state’s top 958 attorneys and 48 on the list are from Jacksonville.
Though there are many “top lawyer” lists released around the country each year, Florida Trend publisher Lynda Keever said their list is as accurate as they come because only licensed Florida lawyers are allowed to nominate attorneys for the list.
Each participating lawyer was allowed to submit only one ballot with votes for up to 10 attorneys. Attorneys were allowed to vote for members of their own firm, but had to vote for an equal or greater number of attorneys from other firms. No one was allowed to vote for themselves, either.
Keever also said the list was accurate because every lawyer in Florida was given the chance to participate. She said the magazine implemented an aggressive advertising plan for the nomination process which notified the Florida Bar as well as all of the local bar associations. The voting process for the list started in October and ballots were received through December. Results from the ballots were tallied by a third party opinion polling company and winners were notified by the magazine in January.
“We are the only one doing it like we are,” said Keever, ”and I can understand that a lot of publications wouldn’t want to go through this much detail.”
At first glance it seems that there might be a connection between an attorney making the list and the many law firm advertisements in the magazine. Keever said that is absolutely not the case.
“They are notified in January that they are a winner and then we ask for their personal data so we can put them in the right practice area on the list,” she said. “Later they are asked if they would like to buy an ad or not.”
While this is only the second year Florida Trend has compiled and published the Florida Legal Elite list, Keever said she is pleased that the special report has seen a tremendous popularity surge since last year.
“The increase in votes from 7,524 last year to 12,043 this year indicates that lawyers were eager to participate in our second edition,” said Keever. “We feel like the Florida Legal Elite definitely established a brand identity for itself.”
The list is broken down into 27 areas of practice as well as sections for top managing partners and top up-and-coming attorneys. Though 47 cities are represented in the list, Jacksonville ranks seventh for having the most Elite lawyers.
A number of other interesting facts were included in the list:
• There were 100 different law schools represented in the list. The top six were University of Florida, University of Miami, FSU, Stetson, Harvard and the University of Virginia.
• 13.4 percent of attorneys included on the list were female.
• 25 percent come from firms with 10 or fewer attorneys.
• 40 percent come from firms with 20 or fewer attorneys.
• 53 percent are repeat winners.
• The average age for listed attorneys is 51.
• Commercial litigation and civil trial were the top two practice areas.
Jacksonville attorneys included on Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite list
Graham Allen Rogers Towers
Oliver Barksdale Bedell Dittmar DeVault Pillans & Coxe
Robert Bernstein Foley & Lardner
Andrew Brigham Brigham Moore
Stephen Busey Smith Hulsey & Busey
Joseph Camerlengo Camerlengo & Brockwell
Linden Cannon Holland & Knight
Tracy Carlin Florida Appellate Alliance PLC/ Mills & Carlin
Howard Coker Coker Myers Schickel Sorenson & Green
David Cook Foley & Lardner
William Cooper Cooper Ridge & Lantinberg
Henry “Hank” Coxe Bedell Dittmar DeVault Pillans & Coxe
R. Raye Curry Akerman Senterfitt
Gregory Dawson Edwards & Cohen
William Deas William J. Deas P.A.
John DeVault Bedell Dittmar DeVault Pillans & Coxe
Michael Dewberry Hedrick Dewberry Regan & Durant
Ray Driver Jr. Driver McAfee & Griggs
David Edwards Edwards Cohen
Michael Freed Brennan Manna & Diamond
William Gentry Law Office of W.C. Gentry
Gwen Griggs Driver McAfee & Griggs
Courtney Grimm Bedell Dittmar DeVault Pillans & Coxe
Lawrence Hamilton II Holland & Knight
Wayne Hogan Terrell Hogan
Chanley Howell Foley & Lardner
Kevin Hyde Foley & Lardner
John “B.J.” Ibach Rogers Towers
Linda Kelso Foley & Lardner
Kenneth Kirschner Kirschner & Legler
Joseph Kissane Hinshaw & Culbertson
Peter Larsen Akerman Senterfitt
Mitchell Legler Kirschner & Legler
Rutledge Liles Liles Gavin Costantino & George
Brett Lucas Saalfield Shad Jay Lucas & Stokes
Scott Makar City of Jacksonville Office of General Counsel
John Metcalf Pappas Metcalf Jenks & Miller
Christine Milton McGuireWoods
M. Lynn Pappas Pappas Metcalf Jenks & Miller
Charles Pillans Bedell Dittmar DeVault Pillans & Coxe
Robert Pritchard Rogers Towers
Karl Sanders Edwards Cohen
George “Buddy” Schulz Holland & Knight
William Sheppard Sheppard White & Thomas
Robert Spohrer Spohrer Wilner Maxwell & Matthews
Michael Tanner Holland & Knight
John Tucker Foley & Lardner
David Wells McGuireWoods