The Daytona Beach-based Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group celebrated the opening of its North Florida mediation office and addition of lawyer Robert Cole to its mediation panel.
Firm partners John Upchurch, Larry Watson, Terry White and Mike Orfinger, along with shareholders Richard Lord and Kim Sands, joined Cole and more than 65 guests for a March 29 open house reception for the office.
Cole joined the mediation group Jan. 17 and opened the firm’s newest mediation location at 245 Riverside Ave. in Jacksonville.
Upchurch Watson White & Max operates five offices in Florida and Alabama.
Cole took the position after a 35-year career as a trial lawyer. He is a former president of the Florida chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and is a former partner at Boyd & Jenerette.
At Boyd & Jenerette, Cole specialized in significant injury and wrongful death, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, design professional liability cases and insurance coverage issues.
Before joining Boyd & Jenerette, Cole founded Cole, Stone, Stoudemire & Morgan with his partner William Stone in 1986. The firm merged with Boyd & Jenerette in 2009.