Gunster, one of Florida ' s oldest and largest full-service business law firms, today announced that the attorneys and professionals of Icard Merrill will join Gunster effective October 1, 2026, marking the firm ' s entry into Sarasota and Manatee Counties with two new offices in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch and the addition of 28 attorneys. Icard Merrill was founded nearly 75 years ago and has built respected practices across real estate and property law, land use, condominium and community association law, construction, litigation, family law, and estate planning and probate. With this addition, Gunster strengthens its bench in real estate, corporate, private wealth services, and business litigation across 15 statewide offices, bridging the gap between its existing Naples and Tampa locations and providing seamless coverage to all of Southwest Florida. The attorneys and professionals joining Gunster will continue to work out of their current Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch offices.
J ones Foster announces that attorney
Natalie C. Nash( formerly Rickards) has joined as an associate in the firm’ s Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice group. Ms. Nash joins the firm following a judicial clerkship with the Honorable William Matthewman( Ret.), former Chief U. S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Florida. She represents individuals and businesses in commercial litigation matters, applying her understanding of federal court procedures and judicial decision-making to help clients navigate complex disputes. Ms. Nash earned her Juris Doctor magna cum laude from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she served as a judicial intern to U. S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart of the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Obituary
In Memoriam
Judge Fred Hazouri 1943-2026
The Best Lawyers in America 2027 edition named 36 Jones Foster honorees across its six practice groups. This represents more than 75 % of the firm’ s practicing attorneys, with several attorneys receiving first-time honors on the publication’ s The Best Lawyers in America and Ones to Watch lists. Chairman Scott G. Hawkins received the highest overall peer feedback in Litigation – Environmental in the West Palm Beach metro area and was named the 2027“ Lawyer of the Year” in this practice area for the third nonconsecutive year( 2019, 2025). Mr. Hawkins is a Florida Bar Board Certified Business Litigation attorney. His practice includes commercial litigation with an emphasis on intellectual property, trade secret disputes, trademark infringement, covenants not to compete, securities, real estate litigation, and claims arising under ERISA Plans. Mr. Hawkins handles regulatory disputes with environmental agencies at all levels as well as land use disputes, including ERM permitting.
Steven J. Rothman, a shareholder at
Jones Foster in West Palm Beach and a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial attorney for more than 25 years, has been appointed chair of the firm’ s Complex Trial Team, a dedicated group of skilled trial attorneys within the firm’ s Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice. The team serves as an additional resource within the practice group to assist in the most complex matters, whether jury, non-jury, or arbitration. Mr. Rothman’ s leadership in state and federal courtrooms has earned him membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates( ABOTA), considered one of the most prestigious affiliations for trial attorneys. He is a past president and a current board member of the Palm Beach Chapter.
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 26
Miscellaneous
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