Mr. Smith, a founding member of Smith, Hood, Perkins, Loucks, Stout, Bigman, Lane & Brock, P.A., has been practicing law for more than thirty-five years.  He focuses his practice in the areas of family law and criminal litigation.  Mr. Smith was Board Certified as a specialist in criminal trial law from 1987 to 1997 and is currently Board Certified as a specialist in Marital and Family law.

Philésha is a founding partner of the firm, where she is dedicated to helping individuals and families navigate life’s most important legal matters with confidence and compassion. Her practice focuses on Family Law, Estate Planning, and Employment Law, where she provides thoughtful, strategic counsel tailored to each client’s unique needs. A native of Daytona Beach, Florida, Philésha returned to her hometown to serve the community that shaped her. She is committed to guiding families through divorce, child custody, support matters, and other family law issues while helping clients protect their futures through comprehensive estate planning, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and probate administration. Before founding her firm, Philésha gained extensive experience advocating for individuals and underserved communities in matters involving probate, property rights, foreclosure prevention, and employment law. She is also a credentialed mediator who has successfully mediated cases for the Harris County Justice Courts and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, bringing a practical, solutions-oriented approach to resolving disputes. Philésha earned her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, with a minor in Psychology, from the University of Central Florida and received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, where she was actively involved in the Board of Advocates and the Journal on Gender, Race, and Justice. Whether guiding clients through family transitions, planning for the future, or protecting their legal rights, Philésha is dedicated to providing trusted counsel, personalized attention, and strong advocacy every step of the way.

Arthur Huggins has litigated numerous civil cases against corporations, governments, and individuals alike. He started his career as a solo practitioner and founded the Huggins Law Firm. Later he would become the assistant City Attorney for the City of Daytona Beach. He defended the City of Daytona Beach against personal injury and civil rights claims. Arthur also prosecuted violations of the city’s ordinance and presented cases at code enforcement hearings. In 2017, Arthur returned to the Huggins Law Firm and quickly built a reputation for winning tough civil rights cases. He has successfully litigated police misconduct and other constitutional violations for his clients. Attorney Huggins has won multiple cases in the 11th Circuit Court of appeals where he has presented winning arguments in front of appellate judges. Arthur has secured a 7 figure verdict in a personal injury trial for a slip in fall at a mall. He was recognized for a top 100 verdict in personal injury cases in the state of Florida for 2024. Attorney Huggins possesses an artful acumen to tell his client’s story that makes sense to the jury. His trial experience in personal injury cases helps his clients attain just and proper settlement value for their cases. He has settled numerous cases involving car accidents, premises liability, and negligent supervision against businesses where assaults have occurred. Also, Attorney Huggins has litigated First Amendment and Fourth Amendment claims against governmental entities.

China Ikpeama received his Bachelor of Arts degree from The Columbia College-Chicago. During the course of his studies Mr. Ikpeama realized Columbia College was an excellent school, but not too far from campus in downtown Chicago was a homeless shelter with many people with many needs. Mr. Ikpeama made brown bag lunch packs and distributed them freely. Mr. Ikpeama then worked for the Circuit Court Clerk of the City of St. Louis Missouri and soon after, attended Florida A&M University College of Law where he earned his J.D.. While at Florida A&M University College of Law, he participated in the Housing Clinic by providing legal advice to citizens in the community who could not afford legal representation. After earning his law degree, attorney Ikpeama served his community by working as a prosecutor for the Office of the State Attorney in downtown Orlando. Today, attorney Ikpeama continues to serve his community by volunteering at The Coalition for the Homeless in downtown Orlando. The reoccurring theme in Mr. Ikpeama's life has been to attend to the needs of those around him by serving his community and the public interest. Attorney Ikpeama believes that there is a binding relationship between law and society, and that the work of the legal profession is inherently related to the public. Inspired by Justice Louis Brandeis, and his desire to help improve the everyday life of men and women, Mr. Ikpeama founded The United Law Firm. We are dedicated to defending you and defending your interests...it's about you, it's about us, United...You and Us.

Whittel & Melton, LLC is a full service central Florida law practice with an emphasis on representing clients from The Villages in all Personal Injury cases, Wrongful Death tragedies, and serious State and Federal Criminal matters. The firm was formed when Gainesville and Ocala Attorney Robert G. Whittel and Hernando and Sumter County Lawyer Jason M. Melton joined their respective practices to better accommodate their clients in The Villages. The two founding members of the firm are former State Prosecutors and nominees for State and Federal office. Our lawyers and staff are committed to meeting and exceeding our clients' needs. The Villages is a unique and growing area of Florida. No place in Florida is quite like it. We work very hard to accommodate all of our Villages clients. Whittel & Melton's success and reputation has always been based on high quality legal work, performed by well-prepared lawyers who are devoted to their clients. The firm's growth is due in large part to the wide range of services and varied interests of our clients. Our attorneys are proud to deliver a personalized and focused counsel to our many clients in Florida. Whittel & Melton remains dedicated to developing and maintaining long-term relationships in the different communities where we practice. Our firm routinely represents clients from The Villages in the courthouses of Ocala, Bushnell, Tavares, Gainesville, Inverness, Brooksville, New Port Richey, Dade City, Tampa, Orlando and throughout the State of Florida.

Allan L. Ziffra is a founding partner and president of Rue & Ziffra. For over two decades, Mr. Ziffra has litigated cases primarily involving catastrophic injury and death in the State of Florida. He has extensive experience in handling auto accidents, big truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents. Mr. Ziffra has successfully represented over 2, 800 individuals and recovered over 100 million dollars for his clients. Born in Chicago, IL, on February 23, 1964, Mr. Ziffra graduated from Elmwood Park High School in three years and attended DePaul University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Commerce (Accounting) in 1985. He then attended Stetson University College of Law, where he graduated in December of 1987 at the age of 23. After law school, Mr. Ziffra attended the University of Miami, where he received a Master of Laws Degree in Taxation. After returning to the Daytona Beach area, he met John D. Rue, and together they started Rue & Ziffra, P.A. Over thirty years later, Rue & Ziffra has grown to ten attorneys and over sixty staff members. The lawyers at Rue & Ziffra have dedicated their professional careers to representing the citizens and visitors of the State of Florida. We have represented individuals visiting Florida from many different nations, including Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Great Britain, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.

Darren Coleman has been practicing workers’ compensation and personal injury law in Central Florida for over two decades. Mr. Coleman has personal experience with the devastation that an on-the-job accident can cause a family. Mr. Coleman’s grandfather had to drop out of school at a very young age and go to work in factories to support his mother and younger sisters following a crippling work-related accident to his father while working for a railroad company. Mr. Coleman has empathy for all Florida’s injured workers. Originally from Virginia Beach, he received his Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. After his undergraduate studies, Mr. Coleman worked as an insurance adjuster in Columbus, Ohio, representing many large insurance companies in automobile and slip and fall accident claims. Before attending law school, he also worked as a teacher in several developing countries. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Mr. Coleman traveled to the Republic of Latvia (his mother’s homeland), where he helped start the nation’s first charitable organization for the aid of orphaned or abandoned children. Mr. Coleman took his law school entrance exam while teaching in Seoul, Korea, and thereafter obtained his law degree from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He began his legal career defending insurance companies and employers in workers’ compensation claims. Seeking greater job fulfillment, Mr. Coleman joined Rue & Ziffra in 2004 and was named a partner in 2014. He now uses his first-hand knowledge of the insurance industry to fight for the rights of Florida’s injured workers. Mr. Coleman is also accredited through the Veterans’ Administration to represent veterans with their disability claims. For more than a decade, Mr. Coleman has supported a disadvantaged African child through the Children’s Fund and a chimpanzee rescued from a research lab through Help Save the Chimps. For enjoyment, Mr. Coleman played rugby for many years and now engages in the much safer sport of running. He likes to run in Central Florida 5K’s, several of which have been for charitable organizations sponsored by Rue & Ziffra. He is also the very proud owner of a very handsome but rambunctious Irish Setter named Riley. If you ever pass by someone in Port Orange running with a big red dog, it will be Mr. Coleman and Riley.

Mrs. Bouck has lived in Florida with her family for over 40 years. She graduated cum laude in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of West Florida and received her Juris Doctorate in 1984 from Loyola University School of Law. Admitted to the Florida Bar in 1985, Mrs. Bouck has practiced law in the Daytona Beach area for nearly two decades, joining the Law Firm of Rue & Ziffra in 2005. Mrs. Bouck has represented and defended healthcare providers and the insurance industry for allegations of breach of contract, failure to obtain informed consent, as well as failing to perform, and breaching the acceptable standard of care. The majority of time has been spent representing victims of medical malpractice. During her career in law, Mrs. Bouck has been fortunate to work with many fine, bright, and talented professionals. Law has proven to be an amazing career, and disputed resolutions are at the heart of her practice. Medical malpractice litigation requires great scrutiny of detailed documents. Mrs. Bouck prefers and often conducts this analytical review herself. Mediation and arbitration are common methods of resolving litigation cases, and she has been very successful in this endeavor. Mrs. Bouck is a certified risk manager and a member of the Board of Arbitrators, Dispute Resolution, Inc., the National Association of Securities Dealers, Volusia County Bar Association, the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, and other professional organizations. Mrs. Bouck is also one of the Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyers.

James Michael Sawyer hails from South Florida but has been a resident of Gainesville off and on since the 1970’s when he moved here to attend the University of Florida for his Bachelor’s Degree. Mike began a martial arts career as a teenager in Miami, which continued while he attended UF and went on to become one of the world’s foremost promoters and authorities on sport martial arts. He is the co-founder of many prestigious martial art associations including the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) and the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA), as well as an on-air expert analyst for ESPN and other sports channels.