Five Carlton Fields Lawyers Earn Board Certification From The Florida Bar
August 02, 2019
Carlton Fields is pleased to announce that five of its attorneys — Aaron C. Dunlap, Jon T. Gatto, Laura Jo Lieffers, Kevin P. McCoy, and Eleanor M. Yost — are newly board-certified by The Florida Bar in their respective areas of legal practice. Board certification recognizes attorneys’ special knowledge, skills, and proficiency in their areas of the law and their professionalism and ethics in practice.
Including the newly certified attorneys, Carlton Fields has 38 board certifications among 36 attorneys in 13 areas of law. According to The Florida Bar, only 7% of eligible Florida Bar members have earned board certification in one or more of the bar’s 27 specialty areas. Board-certified lawyers must have a minimum of five years in law practice, pass an examination specific to their area of practice, undergo a peer review assessment of their competence and character, and satisfy continuing legal education requirements.
Dunlap is board-certified in City, County, & Local Government Law. Dunlap, who practices in the firm’s West Palm Beach office, brings a multifaceted perspective to his work on behalf of land use clients, including private developers and governmental bodies. Prior to joining Carlton Fields, Dunlap worked for a Florida municipality, the Florida state land planning agency, and in private practice focused on land use and zoning issues. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law, and his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Miami.
Gatto is board-certified in Health Law. Gatto, who practices in the firm’s Tampa office, focuses his practice on complex health care regulatory issues. His areas of emphasis include public-private relationships in the health care space; Medicare Advantage and other risk-based managed care payment models; Stark Law, anti-kickback, and health care fraud and abuse; electronic health records; and noncompetitive agreements in the health care space. Gatto earned his J.D., with high honors, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Richmond.
Lieffers is board-certified in Construction Law. Lieffers, who practices in the firm’s Tampa office, represents architects, engineers, contractors, developers, and owners in various types of construction matters. She earned a professional degree in architecture and has experience in both traditional architectural practice and remedial design and construction. Lieffers earned her J.D. from Stetson University College of Law and her B.Arch. from Roger Williams University.
McCoy is board-certified in Business Litigation. McCoy, who practices in the firm’s Tampa office, is a tested trial lawyer and business counselor. Businesses across industries turn to him for his counsel and judgment on a variety of legal issues impacting their industries from routine matters to complex litigation. He has served as both outside legal counsel and outside general counsel to businesses. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, and his B.A., with honors, from the University of Florida.
Yost is board-certified in Intellectual Property Law. Yost, who practices in the firm’s Tampa office, litigates high-stakes intellectual property disputes in state and federal courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She also manages national and international patent, trademark, and domain name portfolios for some of the most recognizable brands in the world. Yost earned her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and her B.A. from State University of New York at Stony Brook.
