by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Attorneys Jim Cobb, Gene Peek, Tom Edwards and Eric Ragatz have been working together for a long time. Over the past six months or so, it became apparent that in order to better serve their clients and allow each attorney to focus on their individual specialties, change was in order.
Recently, that change was made official when the law firm of Edwards & Ragatz was formed.
“We have separated the firm into two parts,” said Edwards, who is also president of the Florida Justice Association, a statewide organization of trial attorneys.
Edwards & Ragatz will focus on personal injury and commercial trials. The split doesn’t mean Peek and Cobb are on their own. Quite the contrary; they are just down the hall and even share some of the same office staff with Edwards and Ragatz. Peek and Cobb — who formed Peek & Cobb and will concentrate on commercial, transaction, business and real estate — are also available for consultation. Peek has been a partner with the firm for over 20 years and Cobb will also serve as of counsel.
Edwards said the firm will focus on trial work and specialize in complex civil litigation that includes personal injury and wrongful death cases, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect and abuse, car and truck accidents and construction site accidents.
While Edwards — a former Jacksonville Bar Association president — will spend plenty of time at the firm, his duties as president of the FJA will also require plenty of his attention, in particular time in Tallahassee during the upcoming legislative session. That leaves Ragatz to mind the store.
“I will help develop the personal injury practice and manage the cases,” said Ragatz. “Tom is extremely busy as president of the Florida Justice Association. I have practiced with Tom for 10 years, so there is some natural progression.”
The firm has a staff of about 20 including Edwards and Ragatz and there are no immediate plans to grow.
“We will cross that bridge when we come to it,” said Edwards. “We want to focus on quality results in our trial practice. Doing great work opens lots of opportunities. We can add additional lawyers or stay small and selective.”
Ragatz said the firm has two in-house nurses and a part-time doctor on staff to help his efforts as a trial attorney.
“We have a heavy team of support,” he said. “We need the background of clinical expertise.”
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