A. James Rolfes, managing partner of Sarasota law firm Dickinson & Gibbons, P.A., has been re-appointed to the Twelfth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission by Governor Ron DeSantis. This is Mr. Rolfes’ third term on the Commission where he was selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Florida Bar. He has previously served as chair of the Commission and his new term will run through July 1, 2023. The Judicial Nominating Commission selects nominees to fill judicial vacancies within the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, consisting of Sarasota, Manatee and Desoto counties.

Mr. Rolfes is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer and a Supreme Court Certified Mediator. His diverse practice includes legal malpractice, transportation, product liability, commercial litigation and mediation. He has been awarded the AV Preeminent™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell; a peer-reviewed rating signifying the highest level of professional excellence.

Dickinson & Gibbons, P.A. represents a broad range of individual and corporate clients in complex litigation matters. Founded in 1937, the Sarasota-based firm holds the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell® AV rating, and is a member of ALFA International, a global network of 150 law firms.

Dickinson & Gibbons, P.A. is pleased to once again announce that partners in the firm have been selected as Super Lawyers. Deborah J. Blue, Gary H. Larsen and Jeffrey D. Peairs have been named Florida Super Lawyers for 2019 and Jesse R. Butler has been designated a Rising Star. Super Lawyers, a service of Thomson Reuters, identifies attorneys who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Each year, approximately five percent of the lawyers in Florida are named Super Lawyers and 2.5% of lawyers 40 years old or younger, or in practice 10 years or less, are named Rising Stars.

Deborah Blue specializes in complex marital and family law cases involving equitable distribution, business valuation, alimony, child support, parental responsibility, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, paternity, and other related matters. Ms. Blue is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law.

Gary Larsen, a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer and Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator, mediates in all areas of civil litigation, including medical malpractice, wrongful death, personal injury, probate, construction, business, professional malpractice, employment, real estate, product liability, and insurance coverage disputes.

Jeffrey Peairs is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer who specializes in complex litigation matters, including personal injury, motor vehicle negligence, wrongful death, trucking and transportation, product liability, insurance coverage, and construction.

Jesse Butler is a litigation and trial attorney focused on product liability and complex tort cases, including cases involving allegations of product defects, fraud, consumer protection statute violations, personal injuries, defamation, and contract and insurance coverage disputes. He is also a specialist in civil appeals and trial support, with a Board Certification in Appellate Practice.

Dickinson & Gibbons, P.A. represents a broad range of individual and corporate clients in complex litigation matters. Founded in 1937, the Sarasota-based firm holds the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell® AV rating, and is a member of ALFA International, a global network of 150 law firms.

Family Court Professional Collaborative Presents: Family Law Boot Camp – Part II – Beyond the Basics

Presenters: Honorable Judges’ Donna P. Berlin and Peter R. Ramsberger, Hearing Officer/Magistrate Laura Hale, Court Operations Manager, Monica Ausborn, Court Administrator Walter Smith, and Attorneys: Elizabeth Loeffler, Deborah J. Blue, Carmen R. Gillett, Phillip J. Schipani, and R. Lynette Mancuso.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2019 – 9:00AM to 5:00PM

GOLD COAST EAGLE DISTRIBUTORS – LAKEWOOD RANCH

Cost is $20 for FCPC Members & Their Support Staff, $50 for Non-Members

DOWNLOAD THE FULL SCHEDULE [PDF]

This conference will focus on Honing the Skills of the Family Law Practitioner. The morning presentations will include the Sarasota County Judiciary with special guest, Judge Peter R. Ramsberger from the 6th Circuit on the issues of parentage, addressing the complex issues related to establishment & disestablishment of paternity. Then, Magistrate Laura Hale will present on issues of Child Support and Department Of Revenue, followed by a presentation by the Court Operations Manager Monica Ausborn and Court Administrator Walter Smith on the new Self-Help Center. Lunch will include resources concerning Special Needs children. The afternoon program will consist of presentations by Elizabeth Loeffler, Esquire and Deborah J. Blue, Esquire on Cross-Examining Expert Witnesses, Carmen R. Gillett, Esquire on Domestication of Foreign Judgements, and Phillip Schipani, Esquire on Handling Cases Involving Special Needs Children. The day will conclude with Lynette Mancuso, Esquire presenting on Creating a Top Notch Practice Without Spending a Dime. The FCPC is applying for CLEs and CMEs for this event.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Dickinson & Gibbons, P.A. appellate and civil trial attorney Jesse R. Butler was honored by Legal Aid of Manasota for his efforts in 2017 in providing pro bono legal services to clients in financial need. A ceremony took place on April 20, 2018 at the Sarasota County Courthouse, which honored the many Sarasota County Bar Association members who provided free legal services to clients that qualified for pro bono legal assistance based on their need and financial hardship. Mr. Butler primarily provided pro bono assistance through the Guardian Ad Litem’s Defending Best Interests project, through which he advocated on behalf of abused and neglected children in termination of parental rights and dependency appeals.

Mr. Butler’s practice focuses on appeals, as well as civil litigation including consumer protection laws, insurance coverage, product liability, and other civil and commercial disputes.