Ms. Detzel is Chair of the firm’s Estate and Succession Planning Department and specializes in techniques to reduce or avoid paying estate tax such as family limited partnerships, grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), sales to intentionally defective trusts, charitable trusts, lifetime gifts and generation skipping trusts. Particular emphasis includes planning for the succession of closely held or family business. She also handles many contested tax matters in the transfer tax area, ranging from audits of returns and administrative appeals within the IRS to Tax Court and Federal District Court litigation. Ms. Detzel handles the entire gamut of administration of estates and trusts, including contested matters of will and trust interpretation and reformation.

Lee Dobbins Is the Managing Shareholder of Dean Mead’s Fort Pierce office. He practices in the areas of zoning, land use and commercial real estate transactions in the Fort Pierce, Stuart and Port St. Lucie communities. He represents property owners in the acquisition and development of land, including negotiating complex purchase contracts, due diligence, financing, title issues, closings and obtaining zoning and land use and site plan approvals from the local municipalities. Mr. Dobbins has assisted clients in taking residential, commercial and mixed-use developments from the purchase of raw land through obtaining final development approvals. He also has experience in obtaining economic development incentive grants and tax abatements, resolving utility issues, concurrency, debt restructuring transactions and drafting and negotiating complex commercial leases throughout the Treasure Coast.

Marty Friedman is lead counsel for utility clients of all sizes before the Florida Public Service Commission and has been doing so for over 38 years, making him the most experienced attorney in Florida in representing water and wastewater utilities before the Florida Public Service Commission. He also represents utilities before other state and federal agencies and in their dealings with developers and city and county governments. He appears statewide before trial and appellate courts, as well as administrative agencies.

Mr. Friedman is a former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida where he handled local government, consumer and environmental issues, ultimately being promoted to chief of the General Litigation Section. Mr. Friedman has been lead counsel or lead real estate counsel on more than 130 utility sales transactions totaling more than $3 billion. He also has handled over 75 appeals before the Florida Supreme Court and District Courts of Appeal in Florida.

Trial skills count. With nearly 25 years of courtroom experience, Mike has handled many complex matters, including cases involving property rights, real estate contracts, construction defects, trade secrets and non-compete agreements, unfair trade practices, employment discrimination, and intellectual property. He does not shy away from the hard case and takes great pride in his ability to present his client’s case in its most favorable light at trial. His most recent victory at trial involved the defense of a $6 million negligent security claim filed by a woman who had been kidnapped and shot during a home invasion robbery in an upscale neighborhood, in which it took the jury less than 30 minutes of deliberations to return a verdict for Mike’s client.

Mike has represented clients in many different industries, including homebuilders, building contractors, retailers, manufacturers, entertainers, and physicians. Many of his clients are household names and iconic brands. In recent years, Mike has been honored to represent some of the largest homebuilders in the country.

Mike is one of only 12 attorneys in Orlando who are Board Certified in Business Litigation Law by The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Board certification is The Florida Bar’s highest measure of an attorney’s competency, experience, and professionalism. To earn this distinction, a lawyer must have demonstrated his or her courtroom experience in business cases, received the written recommendations of judges and opposing counsel, and successfully completed a rigorous and comprehensive examination. Mike has been Board Certified since 2013.

Mike is recognized as a top-ranked business litigation attorney on the prestigious list of Florida’s Legal Elite published by Florida Trend Magazine and has been featured in the last two editions of The Best Lawyers in America for his high caliber of work in commercial litigation. With these distinctions, Mike ranks among the top two percent of all attorneys practicing in Florida.

Mr. Guerrero is an attorney in Dean Mead’s Orlando Litigation Department. He focuses his practice in the areas of commercial and real estate litigation. As a litigator, Mr. Guerrero has experience in a variety of commercial matters, including contract and business disputes, commercial landlord/tenant disputes, commercial foreclosures, and enforcement of creditors’ rights under defaulted loan transactions and court judgments. Mr. Guerrero is fluent in Spanish. His professional activities include involvement in the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida. Mr. Guerrero is a past president of the organization and now serves on the Board of Directors of its Foundation. Additionally, he is co-chair of the Real Property Committee of the Orange County Bar Association. Mr. Guerrero also is a graduate of Leadership Orlando Class 75 and the Florida Bar Leadership Academy.

Having nearly 20 years of experience in professional services, Sole serves as the Office Manager for Dean Mead’s Orlando and Viera/Melbourne offices.

Mr. Hathaway is the Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department and he also leads the Trust and Estate Litigation Practice Group. He represents corporations and business people to resolve difficult disputes of almost any kind in both state and federal courts. Mr. Hathaway also represents trustees, personal representatives and family members in controversies regarding wills, trusts and estates. Finally, Mr. Hathaway counsels a number of clients in intellectual property matters, frequently helping them apply for federal trademark registrations.

Kathleen Hugo practices in the firm’s Real Estate department. She focuses on real estate transactions, leasing and land development, and has experience representing a variety of commercial and residential clients with real estate matters including leasing, acquisition and sale, as well as condominium development.

Ms. Hugo attended the University of Florida where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government, with a minor in Business Administration.

She earned her law degree from the University of Richmond where she was the Executive Editor of Volume XIV of the Richmond Journal of Law and Technology and a member of the Women’s Law Student Association.