Beau was born and raised in Crestview, Florida. In 2006 he graduated from Northwest Florida State College with an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. In 2008, he graduated from the University of West Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. He attended Mississippi College School of Law and received his Juris Doctorate degree in 2011. He began his legal career with the State Attorney's Office, First Judicial Circuit, in Milton, Florida in 2011, where he practiced until founding Beau Powell, P.A., Attorney at Law in 2014. His areas of practice include: criminal defense, trial litigation, family law, and personal injury. Beau is a member of the Florida Bar, Florida Justice Association, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Young Lawyers Division.

In 2017 Kelly Simon became associated with Aaron B. Wentz, P.A. Kelly was born and raised in Fort Walton Beach. After graduating from Fort Walton Beach High School in 1997, she received her Associate Degree from Okaloosa Walton Community College and then her Bachelor Degree from University of West Florida. She graduated from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2004 and immediately took a position with the State Attorney’s Office in Pensacola. After working as an Assistant State Attorney for three years, she went on to represent children on behalf of the State of Florida at the Department of Children and Families. After almost 10 years practicing dependency litigation, she has joined the firm of Aaron B. Wentz, P.A. Kelly’s practice at Aaron B. Wentz, P.A. includes personal injury, family law, criminal defense, estate planning, probate, and general civil litigation. When Kelly is not practicing law, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Michael V. McGrail is a partner in the law firm of Wesley, McGrail and Wesley. He began his legal career in 1993 and is admitted to practice law in the State of Florida and the U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida. Mr. McGrail’s practice is limited solely to litigation matters. He represents clients who have been seriously injured through the fault of someone else. His practice is limited to personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death and insurance coverage disputes, as well as those who have been denied Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income. The law firm of Wesley, McGrail and Wesley is dedicated to representing clients throughout Northwest Florida who have been severely injured through no fault of their own. Whether it be representing a claimant at a Social Security administrative law hearing or trying a wrongful death claim in front a jury, Wesley, McGrail and Wesley will do everything to maximize your recovery and ensure that your case is handled with professionalism, integrity and dignity. When Mr. McGrail gets time away from the office, he enjoys boating, working out, spending time with his family and attending Florida State Football games during the fall. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has three grown daughters. Mr. McGrail has been very involved in the local sports community, having spent many years as a soccer coach, team manager and is a member of the Fort Walton Beach Allsports Association and a Wuerffel Trophy Regional Representative. He is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Fort Walton Beach where he enjoys singing in the choir and working with the youth department.

Drew was born and raised in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where he attended Choctawhatchee High School. He is the son of Vince Bruner, of Fort Walton, and Laurie Bruner, of Crestview. Upon graduating, he enrolled at Auburn University where he completed his degree in political science in preparation for law school at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he enrolled as a scholarship student in 2009. During law school, Drew worked as a licensed legal intern at the Cleveland County District Attorney’s Office where he gained valuable courtroom experience in criminal proceedings. Drew became a member of the Florida Bar in November of 2012, the Alabama Bar in April of 2014, and the Georgia State Bar in 2018. Drew is also licensed to practice in all Federal Courts in the State of Florida, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Drew is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the benchmark in ethical standing for attorneys. Drew enjoys long marathon running, cycling, reading, and hunting in his free time. Drew is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Fort Walton Beach.

Athena Pearl Riley is a former felony prosecutor, licensed Realtor, and real estate investor. Athena’s extensive trial experience, meticulous attention to case details, and real estate background has made her the go-to attorney for individuals, investors and businesses alike seeking the zealous representation they deserve. Selected to serve as the Chief Justice of her alma mater at the University of New Mexico (UNM), Athena went on to graduate from UNM School of Law, where she was a member of her law school’s nationally ranked mock trial team, winning Regionals and advancing to Nationals. Athena received a number of distinguished honors during law school, including the American Association for Justice Partnership in Advocacy award, the American Board of Trial Advocates mock trial student of the year award, first place honors in the Mediation Competition, advancing to Regionals in the Negotiation Competition, competing in the invitation only National Institute for Trial Advocacy Tournament of Champions, and serving as the President of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Student Association. Athena was subsequently selected to be the National Trial Competition Coach for Golden Gate School of Law in San Francisco, California, where she taught for two years prior to relocating to Northwest Florida. Athena received the 2019 Florida Association for Women Lawyers "Leader in the Law" award and has dedicated her practice to protecting her clients financial and property interests. Community Involvement: Athena is very active in her community, having served on a number of local boards including United Way, Boys & Girls Club and the Healthy Start Coalition. Athena is the founding member of the Okaloosa Florida Association for Women Lawyers (OFAWL), and of Franklin’s Tree House Foundation, where her and her husband have created the “Confident Kids!” program which partners with Children in Crisis, Inc, a non-profit organization serving foster children from Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa and Escambia counties. In her free time, Athena enjoys running, reading, cooking and exploring the white sand beaches and nature trails of the place she now calls home. Practice areas: Athena's practice covers a wide range of civil issues including simple to complex contract disputes, business entity incorporations, negligent and fraudulent misrepresentations, land disputes, condominium defects & HOA representation, mold litigation, unlawful detainers, evictions, and defending against federal and state civil asset forfeitures, among handling a number of other civil issues.

J. Hays Mathis is the Managing Partner of the firm’s Destin office. He focuses his practice on car accident cases and catastrophic injury litigation. Mr. Mathis has litigated cases from inception through trial verdict, providing dedicated and results-driven representation for his clients. Hays is admitted to all Florida State Courts, the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the Federal Northern District of Florida, and the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Tyler Gross is an associate with Gross & Schuster, P.A., licensed to practice in Florida. He is a trial attorney who practices personal injury law. Tyler is a Pensacola native. He is a graduate of Florida State University and the Florida State University College of Law. While in law school, Tyler was a member of the Florida State University Student Supreme Court, where he represented students who were accused of violating the Student Conduct Code, or a Student Government Rule or Regulation. Tyler received book awards for obtaining the highest grade in Legal Writing I and Legal Writing II. Additionally, as a result of his academic success, he was inducted into Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor Society. At an early age, Tyler realized two things: he wanted to be a trial attorney, and he wanted to return to Pensacola to raise a family. After graduation, Tyler was eager to return to Pensacola with his wife, Katie, to pursue his passion. He accepted a job in Pensacola as a criminal defense lawyer. Tyler has since represented over 2,000 individuals. He has developed a reputation for zealous advocacy and fighting for justice. Tyler has also dedicated significant time to community service endeavors through organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida. At Gross & Schuster, P.A., Tyler handles civil cases involving personal injury, automobile accidents, boat accidents, wrongful death, dog bites, nursing home neglect, disaster recovery and premises liability.

Garrett P. LaBorde is the Founder and Managing Attorney of LABORDE LEGAL GROUP, a multi-state hybrid law firm with attorneys/staff serving Corporate, Business, Contracts, Trademark, Intellectual PermIP, Trusts & Estate Planning Clients across Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Colorado, California, New York, New Jersey & D.C. Mr. LaBorde is admitted to practice in the State of Florida, the State of Louisiana and before various Federal Courts and Agencies. Originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, Mr. LaBorde manages Laborde Legal from the firm’s offices in Pensacola, Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana. For his undergraduate studies, Mr. LaBorde attended the University of Louisiana where he studied Electrical & Computer Engineering, English & in Political Science and obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in 1998. Mr. LaBorde then attended the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson, Mississippi, where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree. His post-graduate honors include serving as distinguished intern to U.S. District Judge John M. Shaw, then Chief Judge of the Western District of Louisiana, and as legal intern to the Mississippi Attorney General, where he was granted Admission to the Mississippi Bar. Upon his admission in Louisiana, Mr. LaBorde established and maintained a robust statewide litigation practice, based in Shreveport & later in Lafayette. In 2007, Mr. LaBorde transferred to Florida with the firm of Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith and in 2010 joined the consulting firm, “Idea Launch Partners, LLC” as General Counsel and Principal. In 2014, Mr. LaBorde returned to private practice by founding the regional firm, LaBorde Legal Group, LLC, where he and other tech-centric practitioners collaboratively focus on the areas of Business, Technology, Intellectual Property & Entertainment Law. Additionally, Mr. LaBorde has served as a Law Practice Management & Technology advisor to solo and small firms around the country and has been a frequent lecturer on Law Practice Management & Technology for State/Local Bars, Law Schools and National Organizations. Throughout his career, Mr. LaBorde has served as a proud member and officer of the American Bar Association, its House of Delegates, the Law Practice Division and the Young Lawyers Division. Currently, he serves the Law Practice Division as a member of the “E-Lawyering Task Force”, the Education Board and the Member Development Committee. Within the Louisiana State Bar Association, Mr. LaBorde has served as in LSBA House of Delegates, Bar Journal Editorial Staff and the on the Practice Assistance Committee. Mr. LaBorde has presented various seminars and CLE’s for the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board and the Escambia-Santa Rosa (Florida) Bar Association. His community and professional affiliations have also included participation in: The Gulf Coast Intellectual Property Association (Advisory Board); Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida (Board of Directors); the Information Technology Association of the Gulf Coast (Board Member & Officer) and Leadership Pensacola, Class of 2012. Mr. LaBorde is married to a Doctor of Audiology, Jennifer R. LaBorde. They, their two sons and one daughter are active in St. Paul Catholic Church and School.