Professional Endorsements

Board Certified in Appellate Practice by the Florida Bar Florida Bar Board Certification recognizes an attorney’s special knowledge, skill and proficiency in various areas of law and his or her professionalism and ethics in practice. Certification is the Florida Bar’s highest level of evaluation of the competency and experience of attorneys. Board certification helps consumers identify specialists in various areas of law. Board Certified attorneys are the only Florida attorneys allowed to identify themselves as “Board Certified,” “Specialist,” “Expert” or to use the letters “B.C.S.” for Board Certified Specialist. To be certified in Appellate Practice by The Florida Bar, the attorney must demonstrate at least five years of appellate experience, must offer a satisfactory showing of substantial involvement in Appellate law, must meet a continuing legal education requirement, and must pass a rigorous certification exam. The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education then conducts a peer review assessment of the attorney’s character, ethics, and professionalism. Only 176 attorneys out of 101,000 Florida Bar members (less than 1% of all Florida attorneys) are Board Certified in appellate practice by The Florida Bar as of October 1, 2015. Attorney Brandon S. Vesely has earned this prestigious recognition.
AV® Preeminent 5.0 RatedTM by Martindale-Hubbell® The Martindale-Hubbell rating system was established to measure a lawyer’s peer recognition, legal ability, and ethical standards. An AV Preeminent 5.0 is the highest rating offered and is a clear indication that the attorney demonstrates the highest professional and ethical standards and preeminent legal ability. It is a reflection of the attorney’s experience, integrity and overall professional excellence. Shirin M. Vesely and Brandon S. Vesely have been AV Preeminent Rated since 2004
Barney Masterson Inn of Court “The Barney” award Since 1995, “The Barney” award has been presented annually by the Barney Masterson Inn of Court to the lawyer in the Tampa Bay area who demonstrates the highest degree of professionalism, ethics, civility, and legal excellence in the practice of law.” A nominating committee comprised of all past recipients of “The Barney” award and the other two prestigious Inn awards provide a list of three nominees to the President of the Inn. The Masters of the Inn then vote by secret ballot to determine the winner from the three nominees. The ballots are counted by the Executive Director and the President of the Inn and the person with the greatest number of votes is the winner. Shirin M. Vesely was honored to be the first female recipient of “The Barney” award in 2015.
Florida Trend’s Legal Elite Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite 2015 recognizes the top tier of attorneys practicing in Florida as chosen by their peers. These attorneys exemplify a standard of excellence in their profession and by doing so have garnered the respect and esteem of their colleagues. The resulting list of 1,131 attorneys represents approximately 1.1% of the over 101,000 Florida Bar members who practice in this state. Brandon S. Vesely has been selected among the ranks of the Legal Elite.
Super Lawyers Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a rigorous, multiphase rating process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with third-party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis. The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel. Charles W. Gerdes and Brandon S. Vesely have been recognized as Florida Super Lawyers rising stars.