The law firm of Cobb Cole maintains a diverse general practice, providing its clients with a full range of legal services as we have done since 1925. As the largest general practice firm in East Central Florida, Cobb Cole also provides a broad range of legal services to clients across Central Florida, throughout the state, the country, and internationally.

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW

Cobb Cole offers significant experience in matters of administrative law. The firm's practice in this area includes general administrative practice under state and federal administrative procedure acts before federal, state, regional, and local governmental agencies, including land use and environmental permitting and compliance, business regulations and compliance, and the representation of governmental bodies in compliance with administrative, public records, and open government laws. In addition to the significant private sector experience of the firm's attorneys in these areas, many Cobb Cole attorneys have extensive backgrounds in regulatory issues based on state agency experience. The firm's attorneys have represented clients before local government bodies, and before nearly every agency in Florida state government regarding such principal administrative law areas as environmental permitting and enforcement, certificate of need and Medicaid reimbursement, professional licensing, state land purchase and sales, insurance registration and compliance, utility matters, and many other areas.

BUSINESS AND CORPORATE PRACTICE

The business and corporate attorneys of Cobb Cole concentrate on federal, state, and local legal issues affecting businesses. These attorneys are involved in the general representation of business entities and owners including: providing advice regarding compliance with local, state, and federal regulation of business; advising as to choice of business entity; drafting and negotiating contracts for the acquisition of capital equipment or the installation or construction of capital improvements; providing advice concerning mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions of corporations and other business entities; offering tax planning advice and handling tax controversies; providing advice on corporate finance and banking relations; assisting with governmental relations; advising corporate officers and directors; and providing review and advice regarding contracts and leases. Over the years, the firm has formed a wide array of corporations and other business entities. The firm also has extensive experience in the fields of securities law, qualified retirement plans, non-qualified deferred compensation, succession and estate planning on behalf of closely-held business owners, and other complex transactions.

CIVIL LITIGATION

Cobb Cole employs a number of attorneys who practice civil litigation. The attorneys who practice in this firm represent private business entities, lending institutions, and governmental entities including cities, counties, school districts, and private universities, in civil trial and appellate proceedings in state and federal courts including: labor and employment law, business transactions, probate matters, tort and insurance defense, professional liability, intellectual property suits, lender liability suits, bid protest suits, litigation of complex tort and commercial matters, medical malpractice defense, prosecution of surety bond and mechanics lien cases, and product liability claims, among others. With several attorneys whose time is devoted exclusively to civil litigation, and many others who devote a substantial amount of time to matters of administrative litigation, the firm is equipped to respond to a wide range of claims on behalf of its clients. In addition to the staff of attorneys, the firm employs a number of litigation paralegals, who allow the firm to deliver legal services cost-effectively.

COMMERCIAL FINANCE

The firm represents a number of clients in matters of commercial finance. The commercial finance area involves the general representation of banks and other lending institutions, including negotiations and preparation of documents and the closings of real estate and commercial lending transactions; advice regarding compliance with local, state, and federal regulations; and mortgage lending and insuring priority of liens.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET LAW

As computers and the Internet have become pervasive in daily life, related legal issues have become commonplace. Cobb Cole assists its clients in navigating the often uncharted territory of legal issues related to domain names, websites, software, and information technology.

EDUCATION LAW

The practice of education law is an area in which Cobb Cole has obtained much experience representing public and private educational institutions over the years. Education law includes the ability to provide advice to governing boards and institutions of higher education; advice concerning public and private educational law; representation on matters of public employment law; and advice on privacy and constitutional rights, public and private financing techniques, and tax-exempt organization law. Cobb Cole has represented a number of clients requiring assistance with education law, in such areas as modernizing charters and bylaws, monitoring tax status, monitoring accreditation, handling matters concerning student rights and activities, handling matters involving faculty rights and relationships, examining and providing advice on governmental regulation with respect to educational institutions, and monitoring various federal regulations.

EMPLOYMENT AND LABOR LAW

This rapidly growing area of law requires extensive experience and the ability to provide advice on issues that have been receiving increased attention nationally. Those areas include the counseling of employers regarding state and federal laws and administrative requirements and providing advice concerning compliance with federal, state, and local labor and employment laws and regulations. Cobb Cole is experienced in all areas of employment law. The members of this practice group are advocates in state and federal courts, and in administrative proceedings before the EEOC, the Florida Commission on Human Rights, and other similar agencies. Cobb Cole has expertise in gender, age, racial, religious and disability discrimination, and drafting and implementing effective employment policies and procedures.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

The area of environmental law includes providing general advice and representation concerning environmental laws and regulations, including representation of parties before environmental regulators; advice concerning environmental issues in financing and business transactions; and handling environmental permitting for land developers, industries, and commercial users. Several attorneys in our firm who handle administrative, land use, and governmental matters also have many years of experience with matters of environmental law. The members of our firm have been recognized for establishing significant legal precedents affecting local government impact fees, user fees, and environmental regulation, as well as the litigation of major environmental and agricultural cases, and matters of environmental permitting and comprehensive planning. The firm enjoys an extensive background in environmental law through experience working with the State of Florida, handling matters involving the regulation of coastal construction, oil and gas drilling and the regulation of Florida's park system, as well as a strong local environmental practice in Central Florida. In addition, our attorneys have experience with permitting, the evaluation and purchase of environmentally sensitive lands, air and water pollution regulation, soil and groundwater contamination issues, site remediation, and Superfund issues.

ESTATE PLANNING

The firm's attorneys have been involved in providing estate planning advice for clients for many years. Their experience ranges from complex document preparation, such as generation skipping planning, to the drafting of reciprocal wills and trusts for married couples. Cobb Cole has extensive experience in the following areas of estate planning: the preparation of wills, living trusts,charitable trusts, testamentary trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, and other dispositive instruments; advice concerning federal estate, gift, generation skipping, and income tax aspects of estate planning and preparation of plans in respect of estates and taxes on dispositions; advice concerning use and avoidance of the probate process; and planning for continuity of family business ownership, family limited partnerships, buy-sell arrangements, gifts, and other dispositions.

ESTATES, TRUSTS AND GUARDIANSHIPS

In addition to experience in estate planning, the firm's attorneys are skilled in the general representation of personal representatives, trustees, guardians, beneficiaries, and wards in the administration and settlement of estates of decedents, trustors, and others, including all court proceedings; tax planning and compliance; transfer and disposition of property according to law; and advice concerning estates, trusts, and guardianships.

MARITAL AND FAMILY LAW

The firm practices in all areas of marital and family law, including contested and uncontested divorce, custody and visitation issues, alimony and child support, equitable distribution, including business valuation and complex issues, and any other issues related to the break up of a marriage, or modification of final judgments after divorce. In addition, the firm handles paternity and adoption cases, and pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.

FRANCHISE LAW

This area of law involves the general representation of franchisors, area sub- franchisors, distributorships and business opportunities; and registration, disclosure, relationship and termination issues and litigation.

GOVERNMENTAL LAW

Several attorneys of Cobb Cole offer general representation of the interests of business and individuals before all federal, state, regional, and local governmental bodies and representation of governmental agencies, including legislative relations and lobbying; regional and local government relations; governmental contracting; and advice and representation of state, regional, and local governments in public law and constitutional matters. On both state and local levels, Cobb Cole has experienced attorneys who draw on years of governmental practice to achieve results for clients. Cobb Cole has demonstrated success in representing both private and public clients before all branches of state government, as well as in governmental matters of local concern.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW

Intellectual property is a rapidly expanding field both locally and around the world. Cobb Cole assists clients with securing registration for trademarks and copyrights and with litigation in all areas of intellectual property. We also provide advice regarding maximum utilization of intellectual property assets through licensing and product branding.

LAND DEVELOPMENT LAW

The land development matters the firm has handled include the general representation of developers of real property, including planning and designing joint ventures and financing; representation of developers in land use and environmental permitting and planning and zoning matters; planning and drafting subdivision covenants, PUD agreements, condominium documents, homeowner association documents, and other real property development instruments; handling and closing real estate transactions; and examination of title, title opinions, and title insurance.

MEDIA LAW

The firm has served as general counsel to a daily newspaper for more than thirty years. On behalf of this client and other publishers and broadcasters in the region, the firm has extensive experience in First Amendment, freedom of information, defamation, privacy, and other matters related to news access and publication.

REAL ESTATE LAW

The real estate attorneys of the firm bring more than sixty-five years of practical experience to real estate and financing matters, including the general representation of owners, buyers, and sellers of developed and undeveloped real property, including handling and closing commercial real estate transactions; leases; financing transactions; title insurance; and title opinions. The members of the firm also regularly represent buyers, developers, and sellers of commercial properties and large residential tracts. Working for individual and corporate clients and as members of professional teams with engineers, architects, planners and economists, department members have had extensive experience in negotiating, preparing, administering and interpreting construction management contracts and general contractor and subcontractor agreements. The Real Estate Department is also experienced in ground leasing, lease-backs and other techniques for minimizing capital requirements.

TAX PRACTICE

The tax lawyers of the firm handle a general federal, state, and local tax practice, including advice regarding tax planning and compliance with tax laws; representation of taxpayers in tax audits, cases, and controversies; establishing and maintaining qualified deferred compensation plans and deferred compensation; establishing and advising exempt organizations; and handling corporate reorganizations and tax planning for business transactions. Our attorneys have handled a wide range of tax issues for clients and have many years of experience and graduate education in the field of tax law.

TRIAL PRACTICE

The general civil trial practice of the firm constitutes a large component of the firm's practice. The litigators conduct civil trial and appellate practice in all state and federal courts, including labor and employment law, business transactions, probate matters, tort and insurance defense, professional liability, intellectual property suits, lender liability suits, bid protest suits, litigation of complex tort and commercial matters, medical malpractice defense, prosecution of surety bond and mechanics lien cases, and product liability claims, among others. With several attorneys whose time is devoted exclusively to civil litigation, and many others who devote a substantial amount of time to matters of administrative litigation, the firm is equipped to respond to a wide range of claims on behalf of its clients. In addition to the staff of attorneys, the firm employs a number of litigation paralegals, who allow the firm to deliver legal services cost-effectively.