Robert “Rob” Eckard is the founding partner in this litigation firm. He established the firm in 2000 after leaving the State Attorney’s Office, 6th Judicial Circuit, Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida, where he prosecuted both felony and misdemeanor criminal cases. Rob is Board Certified in Business Litigation by the Florida Bar (less than 300 lawyers in the State of Florida are Board Certified in Business Litigation), specializes in white-collar criminal investigations and defense, all areas of commercial/business litigation, professional licensing, and administrative proceedings for physicians, health-care professionals, attorneys, accountants, securities dealer/brokers, insurance agents etc. Rob’s background, training, and experience in both business litigation, government investigations, and criminal defense make him uniquely qualified to handle business crimes.

Drew is a business litigation attorney with his focus on complex business & commercial litigation. He is well-versed in matters involving contract disputes, business torts, partnership agreements, shareholder disputes and derivative actions, securities fraud matters, noncompete agreements, trade secret litigation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices cases. Drew has also handled several high-profile matters in pre-suit and active suit to help clients attack claims against them to receive a favorable result. In addition to his complex business & commercial litigation practice, Drew represents employers in a variety of cases involving employment and labor disputes. Drew’s experience in these matters includes representing employers in cases involving Florida’s Whistleblower Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective action cases, and cases alleging discrimination and retaliation against the employer for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA). Drew has litigated these cases in state and federal court. He also routinely handles Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claims. Drew also has experience representing clients Administrative Cases and Government Investigations brought by agencies including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and in forfeiture proceedings brought by Customers and Border Protection, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Licensing in concealed weapon license revocations. Drew serves as outside general counsel to a leading prepaid card company in the area of clinical research and study related payments. This representation focuses on convenience and inactivity fee issues, federal and state consumer credit regulatory impacts, consumer-facing disclosures, affiliate marketing, third-party contracts, bank regulatory applications, and prepaid card bank program agreements. Drew has experience in all phases of litigation, from inception through trial. Drew’s approach is pragmatic and effective, taking into account economic realities and offering practical solutions to clients. He is experienced representing a variety of businesses and individuals, from small businesses to large regional corporations.

Gerrard is a trusted business and tax advisor to entrepreneurs, closely held family businesses, and startups. He is a Florida Bar Board Certified Tax Attorney and serves clients across various industries including finance, hospitality, technology, real estate, healthcare, manufacturing, and entertainment. His experience as both a business-tax attorney and CPA is the best of both worlds for many clients and the skillsets he mastered in both areas stand out among his peers. Gerrard understands the financial implications of tax matters while navigating the legal aspects of complex tax law and business law matters for his clients and their advisors. His law practice includes representing early-stage startups to mid-size businesses and advising on capital raising, M&A, debt-refinancing, structuring complex transactions, and estate planning and asset protection. Gerrard serves as outside general counsel to for-profit organizations which include a registered investment advisory firm with $300 million in AUM and multiple non-profit organizations. In that capacity, he advises management on issues ranging from minimizing legal exposure and contract drafting and review, to daily operational matters. Having over a decade of experience representing taxpayers against the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service, and state and local taxing authorities, Gerrard devotes a significant part of his practice to helping taxpayers both domestically and internationally navigate all aspects of federal and state tax controversy matters. These matters include but are not limited to IRS liens and levies, employment and payroll tax, IRS appeals, CDP hearings, IRS audits, and examinations, IRS installment agreements, offer in compromise, and when needed, litigation in the U.S. Tax Court. Gerrard serves in various leadership roles within the Florida Bar and in his community. He is the 2023 – 2024 Chair of the Florida Bar Tax Certification Committee and serves on the Executive Council of the Tax Section where he is a Co-Chair of the IRS Collection Activities Subcommittee. He is a member of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section. He is also a proud board member of the UCF Alumni Board and sits on the Advisory Board of the Orlando Sports Foundation, Inc. As an attorney, Gerrard received the esteemed AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating for attorneys who are ranked by their peers for exhibiting the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards. He has been recognized in publications such as Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers, Florida Trend Legal Elite, and Orlando Family Magazine as an Awesome Attorney in Tax Law. In his spare time, Gerrard enjoys spending time with his family and is an avid sports fan of the Toronto Raptors NBA basketball team and enjoys rooting for the UCF Knights and Florida Gators sports teams. He is a supporter of Orlando City SC and Chelsea FC football clubs.

Craig R. Woodward practices law in Woodward, Pires & Lombardo’s Marco Island location. He joined his father, Arthur V. Woodward, Esq., in 1980. With decades of knowledge of the history and development of the local area, Craig brings a wealth of experience and insight to his clients in solving their legal matters. He handles real estate law, zoning issues, estate planning, probate, business law, and local government law. He represents hotels, restaurants, time-share projects, contractors, marinas, land developers, homeowner associations, real estate companies, banks, and private individuals. Craig held Board Certified in Real Estate Law by The Florida Bar from 1993 – 2023, having been the first Collier County attorney to receive this certification. He is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, the rating standard given only to attorneys who rank at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards by their peers. Active in the community, Craig was the keynote speaker for Marco’s 50th Anniversary in 2015 and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce and “Keys to the City” by the City of Marco Island, Marco City Council. He regularly writes historical articles and delivers lectures on Marco Island’s history, including to Leadership Marco classes each year. Craig is also Vice President of First Title & Abstract, Inc. and President of North Marco Utility Co., Inc. He was previously attorney for the Marco Island Independent Fire District (1991-1995).

Kenneth (“Ken”) V. Mundy is a partner with the law firm of Woodward, Pires & Lombardo, P.A. For undergraduate school, Ken graduated cum laude from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2013. Thereafter, Ken graduated summa cum laude from Ave Maria School of Law in 2016, where he obtained his Juris Doctor. Originally from New Jersey, Ken moved to Naples, Florida, with his parents and sister in 1997. Ken continues to happily reside in Naples with his wife, Taylor, his son, Dallas and daughter, Sophie. Ken is a Certified Financial Litigator (CFL™) focusing on family and marital law, including but not limited to complex divorces, child custody disputes, child support and alimony issues, relocation, paternity actions, and domestic violence proceedings. Ken is committed to protecting, educating, and guiding each client through the difficult and challenging processes associated with family law matters. In every case, Ken ensures his clients are placed in a position to make decisions in the best interest of themselves and their families while also maintaining their dignity and self-respect. Ken is also very involved in the community as he is on the Board of Directors for Meals of Hope and the Naples Junior Chamber, both of which are not-for-profit entities.

Mark J. Woodward is the Managing Partner of Woodward, Pires & Lombardo, P.A. in Naples and Marco Island, Florida. He is one of Collier County’s only dual Board Certified attorneys in Real Estate Law, as well as in Condominium and Planned Development Law by The Florida Bar. Mark has over 40 years of experience practicing law in the State of Florida. He received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Florida and his Juris Doctorate from Stetson College of Law. Mark assists clients with his extensive experience in all aspects of Florida Condominium Development Law and has worked on hundreds of HOA’s and condominium projects (residential, commercial, and mixed) throughout Collier and Lee Counties and in the panhandle of Florida. Mark’s Florida real estate practice includes complex commercial and agricultural transactions as well as business law, including corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies (LLCs).

Amber is an attorney at Nishad Khan P.L. who focuses on civil litigation and probate administration. Amber attended the University of Central Florida where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Economics. She then attended law school at Stetson University College of Law receiving a Juris Doctor, Cum Laude. She also received an M.B.A. from Stetson University in 2011. Since becoming an attorney, Amber has worked in the Orlando area focusing on estate planning, probate and trust administration and litigation, civil litigation, and family law. Since 2016, she has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyer for her practice in Estate and Trust Litigation. Amber is licensed to practice law in Florida, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the District of Columbia. In addition to her law practice, Amber has been providing pro bono services to the community through the Orange County Bar Association, while serving as a Committee Member and Chair of numerous Orange County Bar Association committees since 2014. In her role as Committee Chair of the Community Service Committee, she was a founding member of the Wills for Heroes Estate Planning Clinic in Orlando. In 2019, that program received the Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Voluntary Bar Association Pro Bono Service Award. She was selected to receive the award on behalf of the OCBA Young Lawyers Section. When Amber is not working, you will find her spending time with her family and her two little boys. On Saturdays in the Fall, she will be sporting her black and gold while tailgating and attending UCF Football Games in Orlando. Go Knights!

When people ask what type of law I practice, I tell them that I sue insurance companies. And much of my practice does involve suing insurance companies on behalf of individuals and businesses who have had their insurance claims denied, delayed, or underpaid. Another part of my job is helping clients understand their insurance policies, setting out their options for fighting the claim decision, and explaining what they can expect to happen during and at the end of the fight with the insurance company. This involves applying the insurance law to the unique facts and policy language for each policyholder. I also draw on the experiences I’ve had with similar cases I’ve encountered over my career as an insurance attorney. Since becoming a lawyer, I have always practiced in the area of insurance law. Throughout that time, I’ve provided clients with legal advice about insurance policy interpretation, decisions about insurance claims, and I’ve helped clients determine whether insurance claim decisions were right or wrong. Many of my cases are referred to me by other attorneys that have litigated against me or come to me with their own insurance questions. I represent clients during the claim process and during any litigation that arises from the insurance claim.

Mr. Young received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Rollins College in 1982; a Master of Business Administration degree from the Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business in 1992; and a Juris Doctorate from Barry University School of Law in 2004. Before attending law school, Mr. Young spent over eight years working in the securities industry. During that period, he was a Vice President at a global securities and money management firm located in Winter Park, Florida, holding licenses as a General Securities Registered Representative (Series 7), a Registered Investment Advisor Representative (Series 65), a Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination (Series 63) and Florida Insurance and Variable Annuity. Mr. Young joined the firm of Colling Gilbert Wright in September 2006 after spending several years practicing plaintiff-side securities litigation with Hooper & Weiss, LLC. He continues to focus his practice on assisting clients with recouping investment losses due to brokerage firm negligence and fraud. Mr. Young also serves as a County Court Mediator in the Orange County Florida Court System. The Supreme Court of Florida, the Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar, and the Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association recognized Mr. Young for exceptional pro bono service from 2006 through 2024. Over the past 20 years, Mr. Young has personally litigated and resolved over 700 hundred FINRA (formerly NASD) arbitration Claims recovering tens of millions of dollars in investor losses. Additionally, Mr. Young serves as Co-Chair of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Securities and Financial Fraud Litigation Group, was the 2020 recipient of the Public Investors Advocate Bar Association (PIABA) Outstanding Service Award, and currently services on the PIABA Board of Directors.

James Claus is a practicing lawyer in the state of Florida. Attorney Claus received his J.D. from Stanford University Law School.