Patrick Hale is the managing partner of Hale Law, P.A. Patrick is a 5th generation Floridian who cares about the people of this great state. His experiences have positioned him to be an advocate for you in your time of need. Patrick attended the University of Central Florida for his undergraduate studies, receiving a degree in Political Science with a focus in Legal Studies. He graduated with the distinction, Summa Cum Laude, as one of the top students in his class. While at the University of Central Florida, he also served on the cabinet of multiple student organizations and was a UCF Student Government Association Senator representing the College of Sciences, the University’s largest college. Patrick went on to attend and graduate with a Juris Doctorate degree from the Stetson University College of Law, Florida’s oldest law school and the most-awarded #1 Trial Advocacy program in the nation. While at Stetson Law, he was elected as a Calvin Kuenzel Student Bar Association Representative by his peers. During this time, Patrick also clerked for the Florida Attorney General’s Office and the Sixth Judicial Circuit Of Florida Civil Appellate Panel, where he had the opportunity to write Orders that were published by the panel of Judges. Additionally, Patrick worked for a prominent Florida insurance defense law firm and learned the strategies insurance companies employ to pay you as little as possible when making claims. After graduating law school, Patrick proceeded to work as an Assistant State Attorney where he prosecuted both misdemeanor and felony cases, learning to feel at home in the courtroom in the process. In his prosecutorial career, he completed over thirty trials to verdict on behalf of the people of the State of Florida. In the spirit of representing the people of Florida, Patrick founded Hale Law, P.A., a firm that would represent people who have been wrongfully injured by the negligence of others, as well as uphold people’s constitutional rights. He has already fulfilled this dream through the handling of hundreds of cases, but he is still constantly working every day to ensure that every one of his clients receives the best possible outcome. Let him put his experience to work for you.

Gary R. Jodat is the founding and managing attorney of Jodat Law Group, P.A. He received his Juris Doctorate Degree from Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida. He received his undergraduate degree from Roger Williams University. He got his feet wet while fresh out of law school by taking a job with the Public Defender’s Office trying criminal, Juvenile and Dependency cases prior to transferring into civil litigation. He now handles primarily personal injury cases. He has been a member of The American Bar Association, The Manatee County Bar Association, The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, The Manatee County Chamber of Commerce, American Inns of Court and Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Practicing law in the state of Florida for over 20 years, attorney Kevin Gallagher has earned an outstanding reputation in the field of personal injury law. Working with victims of automobile accidents, wrongful death, nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, and other serious injuries, Kevin works tirelessly to ensure that every client receives the best possible verdict and/or settlement for their injuries. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Kevin attended Bowling Green State University where he earned a B.S., B.A. He then went to the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan where he received his Juris Doctor, Cum Laude. In addition, Mr. Gallagher was a member of the Law Review at Cooley Law School. While in law school, Kevin also interned for a Federal District Court Judge. An extremely caring individual, Kevin’s experience, knowledge, work ethic, determination, and will to win are applied to every case. In addition to caring for his clients, Kevin is also a strong community supporter and believes in giving back. He supports numerous charities, both in the community and in his home state. Kevin is a member of the Million Dollar Advocate Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Forum which are two of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million-dollar verdicts and settlements. Fewer than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members. Also a member of The Verdict Club and Superior Lawyers of America, Kevin is recognized as an elite litigator for his achievements and abilities in obtaining superior verdicts and settlements.

Mr. Cruz Carino achieved his Doctor of Jurisprudence, from Stetson University College of Law. Before that, he received his Bachelor of Arts, finishing in the top ten percent of his class, from The University of Florida. He served as a Certified State Intern in the State’s Attorney’s Office, where he tried more than ten cases, and was also privileged to serve as a Federal Judicial Intern to the Honorable District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich, of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Upon graduation, Mr. Cruz worked as a Judicial Staff Attorney for four years in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court. From there, he served as a Senior Assistant Attorney General from 2001-2012, handling criminal appeals and collateral petitions on behalf of the State of Florida. Mr. Cruz has argued before the Second District Court of Appeal, the Fifth District Court of Appeal and the Florida Supreme Court. He is admitted to practice in all Florida State Courts, and is also admitted to practice in the Middle District of Florida. He is fluent in Spanish, and has taught as an adjunct professor at Saint Petersburg College. He currently heads the Appellate Section of The Pendas Law Firm and is the (interim) Managing Attorney for the Tampa office. He oversees all appellate matters and provides litigation support to attorneys throughout the firm. Additionally, he handles his own litigation case load. His practice focuses on general civil litigation, appeals and trial support. Mr. Cruz guides all appeals from the filing of a notice of appeal through the filing of a motion to recall mandate.

Jesse is a partner at the Podor Law Firm and practices in the Bradenton, Florida office. Jesse was born in Cleveland, OH, and lived there until 2001. In 2001, Jesse moved to Bradenton and attended Bradenton Christian School. Jesse earned his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2016. Prior to completing his J.D., Jesse completed his B.S. in Sport Management from the University of Florida. During law school, Jesse interned at Smith, Thompson, Shaw, Minacci & Colon, P.A. in Tallahassee, Florida, and at “Game On Nation” in Bradenton, Florida.

Shannan C. Neri is the founding Attorney of Neri Law Group. Shannan C. Neri attended State University of New York at Binghamton and graduated in 1997. Ms. Neri then relocated to Columbus, Ohio to attend law school and received her Juris Doctorate Degree from The Capital University Law School in May of 2000. While attending Capital University Law School, Ms. Neri was a member of several organizations and was President of the Delta Theta Phi legal fraternity. In nearly 17 years of practice, Ms. Neri has handled personal injury and accident cases against large companies including Progressive, Geico, State Farm, Allstate, Nationwide and many others. Ms. Neri handles a wide range of cases to include cases with varying values up to the 7 figure range. Ms. Neri is a member of the American Bar Association and Manasota Trial Lawyers Association. Ms. Neri is a member of the Bar Association in Florida, the District of Columbia and New York State.

For over three decades, medical malpractice lawyer Richard M. Shapiro has been working to defend the rights of injured individuals, children and families due to medical malpractice. Throughout his career, Richard has become a formidable adversary in the field of medical negligence. He takes pride in focusing a large portion of his legal practice to representing children injured by negligent healthcare. These children make up more than 90 percent of his client base.

R. Evan Bassett has joined Neri Law Group as Of Counsel to the firm and has been licensed to practice law in Florida for over 20 years. R. Evan Bassett is a fifth generation Floridian, who graduated from Berkeley Preparatory School and obtained his undergraduate degree from Furman University, where he majored in Spanish and speaks Spanish fluently. Mr. Bassett ultimately moved on to obtain his Juris Doctorate Degree from Cumberland School of Law. Mr. Bassett began his career as an Assistant State Attorney, where he spent three years before transitioning to a career in Plaintiff’s work. Evan is also on the executive committee for the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He is a board certified Civil Trail Lawyer and concentrates his practice solely on advocating for people injured in accidents. His practice areas include cases involving automobile and motorcycle crashes, slip and falls, and nursing home negligence. Mr. Bassett’s recent jury verdicts include a Pinellas County motor vehicle accident verdict of $950,000, a Hillsborough County motor vehicle accident verdict involving a DUI driver for $475,000 compensatory and $100,000 in punitive damages, and a Sarasota County motor vehicle accident verdict for $400,000. R. Evan Bassett is a welcome addition to the Neri Law Group team.

Richard Ruhl (Rick) grew up in Charlotte County and was admitted to practice in Florida in 2002, and has been in private practice in southwest Florida since 2003. He attended elementary, junior high, and high school in Englewood and college in Fort Myers, graduating from International College, with a Bachelor's degree, summa cum laude. After this, he finished his Juris Doctorate at St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami in 2001. After admission to the bar, Rick accepted a job with the Public Defender's Office, and from there, accepted a job offer from the Law Office of Robert Distefano in Fort Lauderdale. After spending a year with Robert Distefano, he moved back to Charlotte County to open his own practice. In 2011, Rick joined the firm of Ruhl Law. Contact Rick at Rick@ruhllaw.com or by phone at (855) RUHL-LAW.

I am a veteran of the United States Air Force and served as an Assistant State Attorney for over three years in both Lee and Charlotte County. During these years, I handled thousands of criminal cases ranging from DUIs and other misdemeanors to complex felony economic crimes and sex crimes. This afforded me invaluable trial experience as well as allowing me the ability to learn the inner workings of the Judicial System. I have since decided to refocus my efforts on serving the community by protecting the rights of those accused of criminal offenses. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems from City University of Seattle and an M.B.A. from the University of Colorado. After years of work as a software engineer, I chose to pursue a degree in law and graduated with Honors from Ave Maria School of Law in 2017. While in law school, I gained experience in Criminal Law through an internship with the US Attorney’s Office in Fort Myers and worked with a firm in Naples, focusing on litigation involving real-estate and investment disputes. I look forward to using my knowledge, experience, and determination to help you get past whatever legal hurdle happens to be in your way.