Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest and largest business law firms, announces an expansion into the Tampa Bay area with the addition of nine attorneys. The firm will open an office in downtown Tampa in the coming weeks with James B. Soble, Bruce D. Lamb, Debra L. Boje, Mark J. Ragusa, L. David Shear, Jeffrey Shear, Mitchell C. Robiner, Brian K. Wright, and Paula Bentley. This addition further strengthens Gunster’s statewide presence and is the firm’s ninth office in Florida.
“Gunster is excited about this opportunity to expand to the Tampa Bay area,” said H. William Perry, Gunster’s managing shareholder. “The addition of these high-quality attorneys is Gunster’s first step in developing a full-service presence in Tampa Bay and marks the beginning of a larger growth plan for the west coast.”
The seven shareholders and two associates are joining Gunster from Ruden McClosky’s Tampa office. Practice areas of focus for the new office will include Healthcare, Private Wealth Services, Real Estate, Business Litigation and Corporate law.
James B. Soble is a shareholder who concentrates his practice in commercial real estate development, leasing and financing and asset based lending. He has extensive experience in land acquisition and construction law matters. He has been involved in many of the Tampa Bay area landmark and real estate developments and is widely recognized as a leader in the field of real estate law.
Bruce D. Lamb joins Gunster as a shareholder and concentrates his practice in the representation of professionals and healthcare entities before regulatory bodies, and in liability defense. He is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in State and Federal Government and Administrative Practice. He has extensive experience in healthcare litigation for physicians and other health care providers who are involved in disputes with various government agencies, facilities and others. Prior to entering the private practice of law, Lamb served ten years with the Florida Department of Professional Regulation in such capacities as general counsel, director of the division of regulation, chief medical attorney, and chief trial attorney.
Debra L. Boje is a shareholder who is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in the area of Wills, Trusts and Estates and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). She focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, probate, taxation, and family business succession planning. Boje develops estate plans for her clients as well as administers taxable and non-taxable estates andtrusts. She uses both her tax and administrative background to assist in a wide range of litigation matters including for beneficiaries, creditors and individual and corporate fiduciaries.
Mark J. Ragusa is a shareholder with extensive experience in healthcare law and other areas including banking, construction, commercial, professional liability, product liability, business and corporate litigation matters. In healthcare law, he handles matters for medical providers, including managed care litigation and reimbursement disputes with private and government payers, as well as handling hospital, physician and other provider patient account, reimbursement and collection issues. Ragusa has represented providers in claims against many of the major health and automobile insurers in the State of Florida.
L. David Shear is a shareholder who concentrates his practice on corporate issues and represents clients in real estate, corporate, banking, commercial and investment interests. He has extensive experience in the purchase and sale of businesses, real estate, lending, leasing, mergers, joint ventures, acquisitions, corporate and partnership formation and project financing. Shear is a past president of The Florida Bar, was a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association and is a member of The American Law Institute. He is also the chairman of the Development Council of Bay Area Legal Services.
Jeffrey Shear is a shareholder whose practice primarily involves commercial and residential real estate development, commercial leasing, mortgage lending and purchase and sale transactions. He also has experience in various aspects of healthcare law, representing hospitals and hospital systems in regard to real estate transactions, real estate development, leasing and Stark and anti-kickback regulatory issues. He is a former assistant city attorney for the City of Tampa.
Mitchell C. Robiner is a shareholder in the litigation practice. He concentrates his work on complex commercial litigation, including commercial mortgage foreclosure, Lanham Act false claims, non-compete, construction defect, class action and general litigation.
Brian K. Wright and Paula Bentley are both associates joining the firm in the healthcare practice. Wright holds a masters degree in Public Health. Bentley is a licensed registered nurse.
About Gunster
Established in 1925, Gunster is a full service Florida law firm with nine offices around the state providing counsel to leading businesses and individuals. Our statewide presence and culture reflect the firm’s status as Florida’s law firm for business. Gunster services clients from its offices in Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Palm Beach, Stuart, Tallahassee, Vero Beach and its headquarters in West Palm Beach with over 170 attorneys and 200 committed support staff. For more information on Gunster, please visit: www.gunster.com.
