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Nominees for Lawyer of the Year
Twenty business people in the Sarasota-Manatee region were nominated for Gulf Coast Business Review's "Lawyer of the Year" award by their colleagues, peers and others. Two top lawyers, including one under the age of 40, will be singled out for "raising the bar" in GCBR's April 22 edition.
Nominees
• Charles D. 'Dan' Bailey Jr., 58, a shareholder at Williams Parker, Harrison, Dietz & Getzen. A graduate of Mercer University, Bailey was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1971. He specializes in land use, zoning and real estate law. He has been a director of the Sarasota Tiger Bay Club since 1991. He's also involved with the Gulf Coast Chapter of Kiwanis International, the Selby Foundation, United Way, Sarasota Jaycees and numerous other nonprofit organizations.
• David Band is a shareholder at Abel, Band, Russell, Collier, Pitchford & Gordon Chartered. Admitted to the Florida Bar in 1965, he specializes in property, probate and trust law tax. He's a graduate of the University of Maryland and George Washington University. He's a trustee at the University of Florida School of Law and the YMCA Foundation of Sarasota Inc, and he's on the board of the United Cerebral Palsy of Sarasota-Manatee Inc., the Florida Wine Fest and Auction Inc. and the Ear Research Foundation.
• Robert G. Blalock, 66, is president of Blalock, Walters, Held & Johnson PA. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Florida Law School, he practices planning and real estate transaction law. He's a director of 1st National Bank and Trust in Manatee, a member of the board of trustees for the John and Mable Ringling Museum, former president of the Manatee County Bar Association and a board member of the E.E. and Lillian H. Bishop Animal Shelter. In addition, he's the former chairman of the Florida West Coast Symphony. He's also associated with numerous other nonprofit organizations.
• J. Michael Hartenstine, 52, is a shareholder at Williams, Parker, Harrison, Dietz & Getzen. He's a graduate of Harvard University and Duke University. Admitted to the Florida Bar in 1977, he's a certified real estate attorney. He's president of Asolo Theatre, former general counsel to the Sarasota County Republican Party, a Leadership Sarasota graduate and former president of the Harvard Club of Sarasota, to name a few. In addition, he was one of only two Sarasota real estate lawyers recognized in the Best Lawyers of America 2005.
• F. Thomas Hopkins, 58, is a shareholder at Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg PA. A graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Florida, he specializes in real estate, probate and trust law as a Florida Bar Board Certified Real Estate Attorney. He's past president of the Sarasota County Bar Association, the Sarasota County Civic League and the Ivy League Club. He's a member of the Committee of 100, Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, and he belongs to numerous other nonprofit organizations.
• Melton Harry Little, 43, is a shareholder at Kallins, Little, Delgado & Opstal PA. A graduate of Sanford University and the Cumberland School of Law, he specializes in civil trial, marital and family law. He's one of only nine Florida lawyers with board certification by the state bar in both civil trial law and marital and family law. He's a director of the Boys and Girls Club, former chair of the Manatee County Democratic Party and a member of numerous nonprofit groups.
• Arthur Lamar Matthews Jr. is a shareholder at Matthews, Eastmoore, Hardy, Crauwels & Garcia PA. Admitted to the Florida Bar in 1964, he's a graduate of Stetson University and the University of Florida. He's past president of the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division and a member of the state bar board of governors and Florida Board of Bar Examiners. He was general counsel to the Sarasota County School District for 18 years, and he served as general counsel to then Florida Gov. Bob Graham.
• William W. Merrill III, 48, is a senior partner at Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsberg PA. A graduate of the University of Florida, he specializes in land use, environmental and real estate law. He's general counsel to the Housing Authority of the City of Sarasota and the Pinellas County Planning Council. He's past president of the Sarasota County Bar Association and he belongs to numerous other nonprofit groups, including the United Way of Sarasota County, the Sarasota Family YMCA, First Call for Help and the Manasota Homeless Coalition.
• Stanley William Moore, 60, is a partner with Brigham Moore LLP. A graduate of Florida State University, he's known for his extensive work on behalf of property owners who face condemnation proceedings by government. He represented Atlantic Utilities in a taking by Sarasota County, which resulted in the largest jury verdict to date in a condemnation trial on the West Coast of Florida, Sarasota County v. Atlantic Utilities of Sarasota Inc., et al.
• Richard Alan Shapiro is a past president of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers. Admitted to the Florida Bar in 1973, he's a graduate of Southwestern University College of Law. He's also past secretary of the Amyloidosis Support Network Inc. He won an $11 million verdict on behalf of Jessica Roud's family, one of the largest in the Tampa Bay area.
• Adam Tebrugge, 43, is an assistant public defender for the 12th Judicial Circuit. He has been recently in the news for his defense of Joseph P. Smith, who accused of kidnapping Carlie Brucia from a carwash and then raping and killing the child. A graduate of Sarasota's New College and Florida State University, Tebrugge has won an acquittal for several clients accused of murder or manslaughter. He's vice president of the Sarasota County Civic League, an instructor at the Public Defender College and a contributor to the Sarasota County Bar's "Docket."
• Clifford L. Walters, 56, is president of Blalock, Walters, Held & Johnson PA. A graduate of Washington & Lee University, he was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1976. He's on the board of Beall's Inc. and Goodwill Industries of Manasota Inc., a trustee at the University of South Florida, South/Manatee Regional Campus Board, and a past president of United Way of Manatee County, to name a few. He provides free legal counsel for Habitat for Humanity–Manatee County, Goodwill Manasota, Inc., Kiwanis Club of Bradenton and Downtown Bradenton Progress Inc.
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