On June 23, Gunster welcomed former Florida Supreme Court Justice Kenneth B. Bell to the firm.
As its newest shareholder, Bell will work out of Gunster’s Tallahassee office and will focus his civil litigation practice on trials and appeals, including mediation, arbitration and trial support.
“Justice Bell brings a tremendous amount of experience to Gunster’s litigation group, particularly in the appellate arena. Justice Bell further solidifies our firm’s reputation as Florida’s law firm for business and expands our capabilities to handle appeals in any state or federal court,” said Bill Perry, managing shareholder of Gunster. “Ken will also help us grow in north Florida, which continues to be a long-term strategic goal of the firm.”
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Bell joins Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest and largest full-service business law firms, from Clark, Partington, Hart, Larry, Bond & Stackhouse, where he led the law firm’s appellate/trial support group and maintained an active ADR and litigation practice.
Bell served on Florida’s Supreme Court from 2002 to 2008, where he authored significant opinions on a wide variety of issues. He was appointed by then-governor Jeb Bush, and his service on Florida’s highest court was best summarized by Charlie Crist, who was governor when Bell resigned his post in 2008:
“Your contributions to Florida law and the judicial system will stand for many years to come. You never wavered in following the text of our Constitution and statutes, and by doing so you set an example of judicial restraint for jurists everywhere. As a man of humility and deep faith in God, you have served as a role model of personal and professional integrity on the bench.”
Before that, Bell was a circuit court judge in the Pensacola area from 1991 to 2002. He was the youngest circuit judge in the history of the 1st Judicial Circuit. In his 12 years on the circuit court bench, he handled more than 27,500 cases as a general jurisdiction judge and was actively involved in improving the judicial system.
Preceding his elevation to the judiciary in 1991, Bell was Pensacola’s first board-certified real estate attorney.
Bell is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized by Florida Super Lawyers for his appellate work from 2012-2013 and by Florida Trend as a Florida Legal Elite for his appellate law and arbitration & mediation work from 2009-2014. He sits on the Board of Advisors for Florida Tax Watch and serves as a board member of the Waterfront Rescue Mission.
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At Gunster, Bell will co-chair Gunster’s appellate practice with former 3rd DCA Judge Angel Cortiñas.
Gunster’s appellate team also includes Jack Aiello, Amy Brigham Boulris, John W. Little, III, Ed Marod, and other appellate practitioners who have substantial experience in both state and federal court systems. Gunster attorneys are able to litigate at all levels, from early stage litigation strategy to appeals of last resort, when necessary to achieve or preserve a victory or overturn an adverse result.
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This publication is for general information only. It is not legal advice, and legal counsel should be contacted before any action is taken that might be influenced by this publication. Gunster, Florida’s law firm for business, provides full-service legal counsel to leading organizations and individuals from its 11 offices statewide. Established in 1925, the firm has expanded, diversified and evolved, but always with a singular focus: Florida and its clients’ stake in it. A magnet for business-savvy attorneys who embrace collaboration for the greatest advantage of clients, Gunster’s growth has not been at the expense of personalized service but because of it. The firm serves clients from its offices in Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, Stuart, Tallahassee, Tampa, The Florida Keys, Vero Beach and its headquarters in West Palm Beach. With more than 160 attorneys and 200 committed support staff, Gunster is ranked among the National Law Journal’s list of the 350 largest law firms. More information about its practice areas, offices and insider’s view newsletters is available at www.gunster.com. |