For those who haven't been following our practice closely, the title of this post might come as a bit of a surprise. Maybe you have a few questions. So, let me explain. 

A couple of years back, a client expressed some displeasure with their Florida counsel and lamented that I was not licensed to practice there. What began as a light-hearted conversation later grew into a plan to get licensed in Florida to potentially take over some of these cases ... and develop a Florida practice. I then learned that this would require me to take the Florida Bar Exam, take (again) the Multi-state Ethics Exam ... all that. In other words, my three-plus decades of practice as a Texas lawyer notwithstanding, it was like coming right of out law school and starting over. Kind of exciting, actually.

So, I studied for the Florida Bar while I practiced law in Texas. And then I took the bar exam in Tampa in February. As I looked around me at a huge auditorium with about 1,000 examinees in it, I figured I was the oldest applicant. But, in spite of nearly accidentally erasing my essay answers -- twice! -- during the exam, I passed. And so, here I am. 

So, questions ... 

Am I moving to Florida? No. I do have a small place in Panama City Beach, though, and I love spending as much time in the Sunshine State as I can.

Do we have an office in Florida? Not yet. However, we will open our Florida office in Bay County in 2025.

Will I be spending more time in Florida? I will almost certainly spend more time in Florida as part of this transition and growth, but I will still be a Texan.  

What can we do in Florida? The same things we do here -- that is, provide excellent service to our clients in efficiently and effectlvely navigating them through trials and arbitrations. 

Am I excited about this new chapter? You bet.