MEMBERS OF FIRM
James M. Weber (Partner) born Cleveland, Ohio, March 29, 1944; admitted to bar, 1969, Florida; 1971, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; 1976, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; 1981, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Education: University of Florida (B.A., 1966; J.D. with honors, 1969). Phi Kappa Phi; Order of the Coif; Phi Delta Phi. Member, Board of Editors, University of Florida Law Review, 1968-1969. Law Clerk to the Honorable Winston E. Arnow, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida, 1969-1971. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar. Practice Areas: Real Estate; Family Law; Business Law; Commercial Law; Banking Law.Email: James M. Weber
John F. Windham (Partner) born Fayette, Alabama, January 21, 1948; admitted to bar, 1975, Florida; 1976, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; 1983, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; 1984, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Florida Southern College; University of West Florida (B.A., 1970); University of North Carolina (J.D., 1975). Listed in: Who's Who in American Law, 1987; Who's Who in the South and Southwest, 1995-1997; Who's Who in America, 2002. Adjunct Assistant Professor, Troy State University, 1983. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association; The Florida Bar (Member: Worker's Compensation Section, 1990; Worker's Compensation Rules Committee). Practice Areas: Workers Compensation; Litigation.Email: John F. Windham
J. Nixon Daniel, III (Partner) born Pensacola, Florida, February 7, 1952; admitted to bar, 1977, Florida and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; 1981, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Education: Washington & Lee University; Wake Forest University (B.A., 1974); University of Florida (J.D., 1976). Phi Beta Kappa; Omicron Delta Epsilon; Order of the Coif. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa and American (Member, Litigation Section) Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Member, Sections on: Trial Lawyers; Health Law). Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Torts; Products Liability.Email: J. Nixon Daniel, III
Ralph A. Peterson (Partner) born Quincy, Massachusetts, February 13, 1951; admitted to bar, 1980, Florida and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; 1981, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; 1988, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Cornell University (B.S., Computer Science and Engineering, 1973); Florida State University (J.D., with honors, 1980). Phi Delta Phi. Author: "Background Investigations -- The Important First Step," The Florida Labor Letter, Vol. II, No. 1, January 1998; "Employee References -- Do You Need A New Approach?," The Florida Labor Letter, Vol. II, No. 7, July 1998; "Psychiatric Disabilities -- A Guide for Florida Employers," The Florida Labor Letter, Vol. III, No. 3, March 1999; "The Self-Critical Analysis Privilege In Florida," The Florida Labor Letter, Vol. III, No. 11, November 1999. Legal Assistant to the U.S. Magistrate, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida, 1980-1982. Labor & Employment Law Group Leader, Beggs & Lane LLP, 1982. Member, 1985-1986 and 1996 and Chairman, 1994, U.S. Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel. Member, U.S. District Court Advisory Council, Northern District of Florida, 1994. Member, 1989-1993 and Chairman, 1991-1993, Governing Board, Northwest Florida Water Management District. Member, Florida Governor's Water Resource Coordination Commission, 1991-1993. Member, 1984-1996 and President, 1990-1992 and 1996, Board of Trustees, Northwest Florida Legal Services, Inc. Master, American Inns of Court, Pensacola Chapter, 2001. Chairman, Florida First Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee, 2000-2003. Charter Editor, Editorial Review Board, The Florida Labor Letter. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa, Federal, American (Member, Sections on: Labor & Employment Law; Natural Resources; Energy & Environmental Law; General Practice; Individual Rights and Responsibilities) Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Member, Sections on: Labor & Employment Law; Environmental and Land Use Law; Trial Litigation; Administrative and Governmental Law); American Judicature Society; Academy of Florida Management Attorneys (Charter Member); The Management Labor & Employment Roundtable, USA (Charter Member); The Society for Human Resource Management. [Lieutenant, U.S. Navy (Submarine Force), 1973-1977]. (Board Certified Labor and Employment Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education). Practice Areas: Labor Law; Employment Law; Civil Rights; Environmental Law; Administrative Law; Governmental Law; Civil Practice; Appellate Practice.Email: Ralph A. Peterson
Gary B. Leuchtman (Partner) born Detroit, Michigan, July 27, 1957; admitted to bar, 1982, Florida and U.S. Tax Court. Education: Mercer University (B.S., magna cum laude, 1979); University of Florida (J.D., with honors, 1981; LL.M., Taxation, 1982). Blue Key. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa and American (Member, Taxation Section) Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Member: Probate Rules Committee; Wills, Trusts and Estates Certification Committee; Sections on: Tax Law; Real Property, Probate and Trust Law); Northwest Florida Estate Planning Council (President, 1986). (Board Certified Wills, Trusts and Estates Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education). Practice Areas: Probate; Wills, Trusts & Estates; Tax Law; Business Law; Real Estate.Email: Gary B. Leuchtman
John P. Daniel (Partner) born Pensacola, Florida, March 17, 1953; admitted to bar, 1978, North Carolina and U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina; 1982, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina; 1989, Florida and U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida. Education: Wake Forest University (B.A., summa cum laude, 1975); University of Virginia (J.D., 1978). Phi Beta Kappa. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa and American (Member, Sections on: Business Law; Real Property, Probate and Trust Law) Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Member, Sections on: Local Government; Real Property, Probate and Trust Law); North Carolina State Bar. Practice Areas: Real Estate; Banking Law; Commercial Law; Bankruptcy; Business Law.Email: John P. Daniel
Jeffrey A. Stone (Partner) born Pensacola, Florida, July 16, 1957; admitted to bar, 1981, Florida and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; 1982, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; 1987, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: University of Florida (B.S.B.A., with high honors, 1978; J.D., with honors, 1981). Phi Eta Sigma; Beta Gamma Sigma; Omicron Delta Kappa; Phi Kappa Phi. Assistant Public Defender, Public Defender's Office, Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 1980-1984. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa and American (Member, Administrative Law Section) Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Member, Administrative Law Section). Practice Areas: Public Utility Law.Email: Jeffrey A. Stone
James S. Campbell (Partner) born Washington, D.C., October 7, 1955; admitted to bar, 1983, Colorado; 1986, Florida. Education: Duke University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1978); Yale University (M.A.R, 1980); University of Colorado at Boulder (J.D., 1983). Phi Delta Phi; Order of the Coif. Member, University of Colorado Law Review. Recipient, Storke Scholarship; Wolf Scholarship. Law Clerk to Chief Justice William H. Erickson, Colorado Supreme Court, 1983-1984. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa, Colorado and American (Member, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section) Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Member, Real Property, Probate and Trust Section). (Board Certified Real Estate Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education). Practice Areas: Banking Law; Condominium Development; Real Estate; Real Estate Development.Email: James S. Campbell
David L. McGee (Partner) born Patlaka, Florida, August 15, 1948; admitted to bar, 1976, Florida and Supreme Court of the State of Florida; 1978, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; 1980, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits; 2000, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida; 2006, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Education: Florida State University (B.S., Engineering, 1970; J.D., with honors, 1976). First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Florida, 1991-1996. Lead Attorney, Organized Crime Task Force, 1983-1991. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa, Federal and American Bar Associations. Reported Cases: U.S. v. Ross, 33 F.3d 1507 (11th Cir. 1994); U.S. v. Knowles, 66 F.3d 1146 (11th Cir. 1995); U.S. v. Inco Bank & Trust Corp., 845 F.2d 919 (11th Cir. 1988); U.S. v. Darby, 744 F.2d 1508 (11th Cir. 1984); U.S. v. Russell, 703 F.2d 1243 (11th Cir. 1983). Practice Areas: Securities Litigation; White Collar Crime; Health Care; Commercial Litigation.Email: David L. McGee
Russell F. Van Sickle (Partner) born Pensacola, Florida, May 26, 1967; admitted to bar, 1992, Florida; 1994, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida. Education: Florida State University (B.S., summa cum laude, 1989; J.D., with honors, 1992). Board Certified Labor and Employment Lawyer. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar. Practice Areas: Labor Law; Employment Law; Business Law; Bankruptcy; Civil Practice; Trial Practice; Environmental Law.Email: Russell F. Van Sickle
Russell A. Badders (Partner) born Hartford City, Indiana, October 23, 1967; admitted to bar, 1994, Florida. Education: University of Southern Mississippi (B.S., with highest honors, 1990); Florida State University (J.D., with high honors, 1994). Phi Kappa Phi. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar. Practice Areas: Public Utility Law; Administrative Law.Email: Russell A. Badders
Mary Jane Bass (Partner) born Mobile, Alabama, November 25, 1955; admitted to bar, 1988, Georgia; 1989, District of Columbia; 1995, Florida and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida. Education: Agnes Scott College (B.A., with honors, 1978); George Washington University (M.A., Science, Technology and Public Policy, 1982); Georgetown University (J.D., cum laude, 1988). Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa and American Bar Associations; State Bar of Georgia (Member, Environmental Law Section); The District of Columbia Bar; The Florida Bar. Practice Areas: Environmental Law; Administrative Law; Litigation.Email: Mary Jane Bass
Charles T. Wiggins (Partner) born Great Lakes, Illinois, June 6, 1969; admitted to bar, 1995, Florida; 1998, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida. Education: Florida State University (B.S., magna cum laude, Communications, 1991); University of Florida (J.D., with honors, 1994). Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa and American Bar Association; The Florida Bar. (Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education). Practice Areas: Personal Injury; Automobile Accidents and Injuries; Premises Liability; Products Liability; Personal Injury Defense; Health Care Contracts; Hospital Law; Nursing Home Litigation; Insurance Defense; Utility Law; Telecommunications Law; Public Utility Law; Contract Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Business Law; Corporate Law; Banking Law; Criminal Law; Felonies; Misdemeanors.Email: Charles T. Wiggins
Thomas F. Gonzalez (Partner) born Honolulu, Hawaii, October 22, 1966; admitted to bar, 1999, Florida; 2000, Alabama, District of Columbia, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida and U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit. Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.A., 1988); Catholic University of America (J.D., magna cum laude, 1999). Commercial Pilot, USA, 1989. [Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, 1988-1996]. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Administrative Law; Appellate Practice.Email: Thomas F. Gonzalez
David E. Hightower (Partner) born Winter Park, Florida, April 8, 1970; admitted to bar, 1998, Florida; 2000, Alabama. Education: Florida State University (B.A., cum laude, 1994; J.D., magna cum laude, 1998); University of Florida (LL.M., Taxation, 1999). Graduate Editor, Florida Tax Review. Reported Cases: Saunders v. Saunders, 796 So.2d 1253 (Fla 1st DCA 2001), rev. denied 819 So.2d 139 (Fla. 2002). Practice Areas: Trusts and Estates; Business Organization; Taxation.Email: David E. Hightower
William H. Mitchem (Partner) born Pensacola, Florida, March 28, 1974; admitted to bar, 1999, Florida. Education: Davidson College (B.A., Political Science, 1996); University of Florida College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1999). Member, Order of the Coif. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association; The Florida Bar (Member, Real Property, Probate & Trust Section). Practice Areas: Real Estate; Health Law.Email: William H. Mitchem
Terrie Springer Didier (Partner) born Evansville, Indiana, March 7, 1954; admitted to bar, 1993, Florida; 1995, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida; 2003, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida. Education: Miami University (A.A., 1974); University of West Florida (B.A., Magna Cum Laude, 1990); Florida State University (J.D., with honors, 1993). Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association; The Florida Bar (Member, Appellate Practice Section).Email: Terrie Springer Didier
Charles Joseph Scarborough (Partner) born Atlanta, Georgia; admitted to bar, 1991, Florida; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Education: University of Alabama (B.A., 1985); University of Florida (J.D., Constitutional Law, 1990). Member: House Judiciary Committee; Armed Services Committee and Education Committee, 104th-107th U.S. Congress, 1995-2001. Publisher, "The Florida Sun." Host, National News Show, Scarborough Country," MSNBC. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar. Practice Areas: Environmental Law.
Elizabeth Callahan (Partner) born West Palm Beach, Florida, April 15, 1974; admitted to bar, 2000, Florida; 2004, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.A., 1996); University of Florida (J.D., with honors, 2000). Phi Beta Kappa. Practice Areas: Health Law.Email: Elizabeth Callahan
Gregory R. Miller (Partner) born Lakewood, New Jersey, December 8, 1953; admitted to bar, 1979, Florida; 1982, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; 1984, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; 1985, U.S. Supreme Court; 1998, U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida. Education: Drew University (B.A., 1976); Ohio Northern University (J.D., 1979). United States Attorney, Northern District of Florida (NDFL), 1993, 2002-2008; First Assistant U.S. Attorney (NDFL), 2002; Associate, Fowler, White, Gillen, Boggs, Villareal & Banker, Tallahassee, FL, 1998-2000; Criminal Chief, U.S. Attorney's Office, NDFL, 1991-1995; Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney, NDFL, 1995-1998, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Organized Crime Task Force, NDFL, 1989-1991; Assistant U.S. Attorney, Organized Crime Task Force, Middle District of Florida, 1987-1989; Assistant State Attorney, Florida's 6th Judicial Circuit, 1983-1987; Judge Advocate, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 1980-1983; Federal Bar Association, Tallahassee Chapter, National Delegate (9/95-10/96); President (9/94-9/95); President- Elect (10/93-9/94); Martindale-Hubbell AV rating (2000-present). Member: The Florida Bar. [Major, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 1978-1990.]. (Also at Tallahassee Office). Practice Areas: Criminal Law; Appellate Practice; Litigation; White Collar Criminal Defense; Securities Litigation; Corporate Investigations; Qui Tam Litigation; Military Law.Email: Gregory R. Miller
ASSOCIATES
Jack Walter Lurton III (Associate) born New Orleans, Louisiana, March 8, 1976; admitted to bar, 2002, Florida; 2003, Alabama and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama; 2004, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida. Education: Baylor University (B.A., 1999); University of Florida (J.D., 2002). Member: The Florida Bar; Alabama State Bar; The Escambia/Santa Rosa Bar Association; American Inns of Court. Practice Areas: Civil Practice; Securities Litigation.Email: Jack Walter Lurton III
Matthew D. Vinson (Associate) born Nashville, Tennessee, May 7, 1969; admitted to bar, 2003, Florida. Education: University of West Florida (B.S.B.A., 1993); Florida State University (J.D., cum laude, 2002). Phi Delta Phi. Practice Areas: Real Estate.Email: Matthew D. Vinson
Steven R. Griffin (Associate) born Pensacola, Florida, October 6, 1977; admitted to bar, 2003, Florida; 2004, Mississippi; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Mississippi; U.S. District Court, Southern District of Mississippi; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Education: University of Florida (B.A., with honors, 1999); University of Florida (J.D., with high honors, 2002). Order of the Coif. Member, Journal of Law and Public Policy, 2000-2003; American Inns of Court (Pensacola chapter). Member: Escambia/Santa Rosa and American Bar Associations (Executive Committee, Young Lawyers Division). Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Securities Litigation; Public Utility Law.Email: Steven R. Griffin
David B. Taylor, III (Associate) born Greenville, Mississippi, June 28, 1980; admitted to bar, 2006, Florida. Education: University of Mississippi (B.A., 2002; J.D., 2006). Practice Areas: Real Estate Development; Real Estate Finance.Email: David B. Taylor, III
John R. Zoesch III (Associate) born Rochester, New York, January 02, 1980; admitted to bar, 2007, Florida. Education: Wake Forest University (B.A., History, 2002); The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, (J.D., magna cum laude, 2007). Note and Comment Editor, Catholic University Law Review. Author: Comment, "'Discontented Blues': Jazz Arrangements and The Case for Improvements in Copyright Law," 55 Cath. U. L. Rev. 867 (2006). Practice Areas: Health Care; Civil Litigation; Torts; Products Liability; Intellectual Property.Email: John R. Zoesch III
Bret M. Kanis (Associate) admitted to bar, 1996, Missouri and California; 1997, District of Columbia; 2007, Florida. Education: Washington University (B.S.B.A., 1992); Pepperdine University (J.D., magna cum laude, 1995); New York University (LL.M., Taxation, 1996). Certified Public Accountant, Maryland, 1994 (inactive). Author: "Buy/Sell Agreements: Planning for the Future," KC Small Business Monthly, March 2001. Practice Areas: Business Law; Corporate Law; Tax Law; Securities; Sports Law.
Jodi Cooke (Associate) born Pensacola, Florida; admitted to bar, 2008, Florida and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida. Education: University of West Florida (B.A., magna cum laude, 2005); University of Florida (J.D., 2007). Judicial Extern to the Honorable Lewis M. Killian, Jr. Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association; The Florida Bar (Member: Young Lawyer's Division, 2008; Business Section, 2008); John Marshall Bar Association (Representative, 2005-2006; Secretary, 2006-2007); Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Bar; American Bankruptcy Institute. Practice Areas: Bankruptcy; Debtor and Creditor; Real Estate; Business Law.
OF COUNSEL
W. Spencer Mitchem (Of Counsel) born Milton, Florida, December 11, 1937; admitted to bar, 1962, Florida, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida and U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; 1974, U.S. Supreme Court; 1981, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Education: Davidson College (A.B., 1959); Harvard University (LL.B., 1962). Member: Escambia-Santa Rosa and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Member, Health Law Section); Maritime Law Association of the United States; Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel. (Board Certified Health Law Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education). Practice Areas: Banking Law; Corporate Law; Health Care; Probate; Real Estate.Email: W. Spencer Mitchem