Las Olas Magazine’s January 2025 feature celebrated Gunster’s 100-year legacy, highlighting the firm’s deep roots in Florida and its pivotal role in shaping Fort Lauderdale’s growth. The article traced Gunster’s journey from its 1925 founding in West Palm Beach through decades of resilience, innovation, and community engagement, noting landmark projects like the Las Olas River House that helped redefine the city’s skyline. The magazine emphasized Gunster’s people-first philosophy and commitment to mentoring the next generation of attorneys, with leadership underscoring the firm’s enduring values.
As Chairman George LeMieux reflected, “Since 1925, Gunster lawyers have been working to make Florida a better place to live, work, and raise a family. We’ve grown up alongside this state, and we’re proud to play a role in shaping its future.” The feature concluded by affirming that Gunster’s centennial is not just a milestone, but a testament to its ongoing partnership with Fort Lauderdale and its vision for the next century.
For more than twenty-five years, George S. LeMieux has been lead trial counsel in federal and state courts, in civil and regulatory matters, before juries, judges and arbitrators. His clients include financial institutions (Wells Fargo, TD Bank), telecommunications companies (AT&T), healthcare providers (Cleveland Clinic, Broward Health, Memorial Healthcare, Elevance Health), real estate developers (Ram Realty Services, Falcone Group), and during his career prominent individuals including President-elect George W. Bush, Governor Jeb Bush, and Raymond Perelman. He has argued cases before the United States Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Florida, and Florida’s intermediate appellate courts. His practice includes defending clients in enforcement matters brought by state attorneys general, defending clients in defamation cases, advocating for clients in administrative law proceedings, and counseling governmental bodies on public records and public meeting requirements.
Jonathan K. Osborne is a business litigation shareholder and co-chair of the firm’s White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations practice group. He began his practice at Gunster and later returned to the firm after serving in the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida. Jonathan currently serves as the Managing Shareholder of the firm’s Fort Lauderdale Office.
Jonathan is a first-chair trial lawyer and counselor to organizations and individuals in complex civil and white collar matters and internal investigations. On the civil side, Jonathan has handled a variety of matters in federal and state courts and arbitration.
Heidi Davis Knapik is a shareholder who joined the firm in 1997. Heidi brings deep and broad experience from over 20 years of solving complex land use, zoning and development issues that arise under local, regional and state laws. She assists and counsels landowners and developers with entitlements and development of land, including residential, commercial, office and industrial.
Heidi has acted as land use counsel on some of the most significant projects throughout Broward County, and manages the entire public hearing and development permitting process, including government and community relations, platting and subdivision of land, comprehensive plan amendments and rezonings.
