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Dock A. Blanchard

 Dock A. Blanchard

Mr. Blanchard is the senior attorney of the firm and has extensive trial and appellate experience. He grew up in Orlando and attended Harvard College where he graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Government. Mr. Blanchard then graduated from the University of Florida Holland School of Law in 1973. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1974 and was a founding member of the firm that same year.

Mr. Blanchard focuses on complex commercial litigation, personal injury and wrongful death litigation. He also supervises the firm with medical malpractice actions and complex family law matters. Mr. Blanchard has broad experience in both State and Federal Courts in Florida, the Federal District Court of New York, Federal District Court of Arizona, and the Federal Appellate Courts in Atlanta, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. He has argued before the Supreme Court of Idaho and appeared before the Supreme Court of Florida. Additionally, he is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Blanchard is a member of the Florida Justice Association, where he is a former Chairman of its Amicus Curiae Committee, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Mr. Blanchard is one of only five attorneys in the entire State of Florida to be Board Certified by the Florida Bar as both a Civil Trial Lawyer and as an Appellate Practitioner. Mr. Blanchard concentrates on trial and appellate work with an emphasis on personal injury representation.

Lauren E. Merriam, III

 Lauren E. Merriam, III

In the legal profession, Mr. Merriam has served on the Board of Governors of the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar and as Treasurer, President-Elect and as President of the Marion County Bar Association.

He is a title insurance agent for Old Republic National Title Insurance Company and is a member of the Florida Bar section for Real Property, Probate and Trust Law.

Mr. Merriam was born and grew up in Panama City, Florida. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with honors, from the University of Florida in 1978 and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida in 1980. A member of the Florida Bar since 1981, he is also admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Mr. Merriam’s community involvement includes being a member and multiple term President of the Sons of the American Revolution, a member and elder in the Fort King Presbyterian Church and a supporter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Garry D. Adel

 Garry D. Adel

Mr. Adel was raised in Jacksonville, Florida. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology from Florida State University in 1978 and, after working one year as a probation officer in Jacksonville, returned to Florida State University where he graduated from the law school in 1982. Mr. Adel has been married to Terry Cole since 1980.

Mr. Adel has practiced in Ocala his entire career. He is licensed to practice in every State and Federal Court in Florida, as well as the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Adel has extensive jury trial experience and now specializes in civil and criminal trial work. He is a member of the Florida Justice Association and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Mr. Adel is the past chairman of the Fifth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee, and a current member of the Ocala Division Grievance Committee for the Federal District Court, Middle District of Florida.

Mr. Adel is a past president of the Ocala Lions Club, and a past president of the Board of Directors of the Ocala Civic Theatre.

Edwin A. “Trip” Green, III

 Edwin A. “Trip” Green, III

Trip Green was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. Following his graduation from Leon High School in 1987, he served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1989.

Mr. Green used the GI Bill and Army College Fund to pay his way through school and graduated from the University of Florida in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.

While he was a student at the University of Florida, Mr. Green was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and served as President of the Interfraternity Council in 1993. He was inducted into the prestigious Florida Blue Key Leadership Honorary in 1994.

Mr. Green graduated from law school in May, 2000 and has been working for the firm since December, 2001. He has been a partner with the firm since July, 2006.

Mr. Green is a trial lawyer who practices primarily Personal Injury, Construction and Business/Trust Litigation. He regularly tries cases in Central and North Florida in both Federal and State Court.

Mr. Green has obtained large verdicts and settlements for his clients. Over the past several years, Mr. Green has obtained jury verdicts in amounts of $450,000 and $750,000. He has also successfully negotiated and settled several multimillion dollar Plaintiffs’ lawsuits including an 8 Million dollar lawsuit in Louisiana.

Mr. Green is a member of the Florida Bar, the Florida Justice Association, and is admitted to practice before the Federal District Court in the Middle and Northern Districts of Florida.

Mr. Green currently serves as a Director of the Florida Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation and is a member of the Church Council and Staff Parish Committee for First United Methodist Church in Ocala.

"Over the years as a medical malpractice attorney in Ocala, Florida, I have learned that there are several common but avoidable mistakes made by victims of medical negligence. These mistakes often reduce and can eliminate an individual’s chances of success in medical negligence litigation.

First, victims of medical negligence need to seek legal counsel immediately. Many people wait far too long to see an attorney after malpractice occurs and end up losing their right to sue because of the delay. In Florida, the Statute of Limitations for a medical malpractice claim is only two years from the date that the victim knew or should have known that medical negligence took place, whichever is later.

Although two years seems like a long time to bring a claim, it is not in the medical malpractice context. Often, it takes four or five months for medical malpractice lawyers to compile a client’s medical records and then find medical experts to review them prior to initiating litigation. Consequently, many attorneys will not take good medical negligence cases even when they arise within the two year Statute of Limitations because of the complexity of claims and the length of time it takes to prepare and file a lawsuit. Therefore, the quicker you seek legal counsel, the higher the likelihood that your legal claim will be pursued.

Another common mistake made by potential medical malpractice clients is not asking for and keeping copies of medical records when or soon after medical services are rendered. This simple step can greatly speed up case review by an attorney and will reduce costs significantly.

Furthermore, it is always preferable for a patient to request copies of their medical records from a healthcare provider as opposed to a records request coming from a lawyer’s office. In my experience, healthcare providers that receive a records request from a lawyer’s office are immediately alerted that a lawsuit may be coming. When this happens, healthcare providers often consult with defense attorneys and begin taking steps to defend potential legal claims before they begin. As a result, the patient’s advantage of surprise is often lost. By requesting copies of your records when medical treatment is rendered, you have the records in your possession for quick review and avoid alerting healthcare providers that they may be sued in the future."