ALLY LAW - Key Persons
Alisa is a Trusts & Estates Attorney
Alisa has been practicing as a Trusts and Estates attorney in Sarasota since 2016. Her practice focuses on estate planning and estate and trust administration. Alisa works with individuals and families to create and execute personal estate plans to protect assets and plan for the future. She has experience assisting both the fiduciary and the beneficiary of an estate or trust, preparing nonjudicial settlement agreements, and implementing judicial and nonjudicial trust modifications. Alisa understands that the estate and trust administration process can be difficult, especially after the passing of a loved one, and will help clients navigate through the challenges of administration.
Alisa is a native Floridian, born and raised in St. Petersburg. After obtaining her LL.M. in Taxation and undergraduate degree in Anthropology and Criminology from the University of Florida and her J.D. from Stetson University College of Law, Alisa moved to Sarasota to begin her career as a Trusts and Estates attorney. She is actively involved in the local Sarasota County Bar Association as well as the state-wide Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar.
Amy has been practicing real estate law since 2009. Her expertise is in residential and commercial real property transactions, including but not limited to real estate closings and litigation, real estate contracts, document, and lease preparation and negotiation. She examines title issues and title insurance in connection with purchase and sale transactions and has handled thousands of residential foreclosure cases from initial title review to post-title curative action. Her experience with both the customer and the lender has given her the ability to understand and appreciate the unique needs of each client.
With over a half a century at the bar, Barry Spivey was in the initial class of board certified attorneys in wills, trusts, and estates in 1986 by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization.
His practice has evolved over 40 years, from having an exclusive focus on estate planning and administration to today's predominate focus on estate and trust litigation. He is a fellow of the American College of Estate and Trust Counsel (ACTEC) and serves on its Fiduciary Litigation Committee. His litigation practice includes representation of personal representatives, trustees, and beneficiaries in will and trust contests, fiduciary surcharge and removal proceedings, guardianship litigation, the modification and termination of irrevocable trusts, and appellate proceedings, among others.
Barry is a former director of the Sarasota County Bar Association and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, has served on and chaired numerous Florida Bar committees, and has received many honors, including the William S. Belcher Lifetime Professionalism Award.
Job Titles:
- on ESTATE and TRUST LITIGATION
With over a half a century at the bar, Barry Spivey was in the initial class of board certified attorneys in wills, trusts, and estates in 1986 by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization.
His practice has evolved over 40 years, from having an exclusive focus on estate planning and administration to today's predominate focus on estate and trust litigation. He is a fellow of the American College of Estate and Trust Counsel (ACTEC) and serves on its Fiduciary Litigation Committee. His litigation practice includes representation of personal representatives, trustees, and beneficiaries in will and trust contests, fiduciary surcharge and removal proceedings, guardianship litigation, the modification and termination of irrevocable trusts, and appellate proceedings, among others.
Barry is a former director of the Sarasota County Bar Association and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, has served on and chaired numerous Florida Bar committees, and has received many honors, including the William S. Belcher Lifetime Professionalism Award.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Named Partner at Williams Parker
As a litigation attorney, Bonnie assists clients involved in probate and trust disputes, representing trustees, personal representatives, beneficiaries, and interested third parties in trust proceedings, will contests, and other fiduciary litigation. Bonnie also represents clients involved in corporate and real estate disputes.
Charlie is a land use attorney.
He counsels developers and significant landowners on a variety of land use matters. These include developments of regional impact, critical area plans, comprehensive plan amendments, rezonings, special exceptions, conditional use approvals, site plan approvals, variances, development agreements addressing the provision of public infrastructure and concurrency issues, and coastal permitting.
Prior to joining the firm, Charlie worked as an Assistant County Attorney representing Sarasota's Board of County Commissioners with respect to zoning, land use, eminent domain, and administrative law matters.
Charlie is a seventh generation Floridian, past chair of the board of directors of The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, a past board member of the United Way Suncoast, and past chairman of the United Way's annual campaign.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- General Counsel to the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport
As one of the region's most experienced land use and local government attorneys, Dan understands the community and how things work at the local level. He has decades of experience with the handling of site plans, variances, administrative appeals, special exceptions and conditional uses, rezonings, zoning text amendments, street vacations, comprehensive plan amendments, development agreements, and developments of regional impact.
Dan serves as general counsel to the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport and Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority, and previously served as counsel for Sarasota Memorial Hospital and the Sarasota County Clerk of Court. He served as co-chair of the 2018 campaign that secured voter approval of a $65 million bond issue to fund the extension of the Legacy Trail. Among his many civic activities, he is currently one of our board members for The Patterson Foundation-one of the state's largest and most progressive foundations; he also serves on the Community Advocacy Team of the Library Foundation for Sarasota County. His prior civic activities include service either as president or as chairman of the Sarasota Chapter of the American Red Cross, the United Way of Sarasota County, the Sarasota Tiger Bay Club, the Sarasota County Bar Association, the William G. & Marie Selby Foundation, and SCOPE (Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence).
Dan is a sixth-generation Floridian.
Christa is board certified as an expert in real estate.
Christa works on all aspects of real estate development and transactional matters, with particular emphasis on commercial and residential real estate development and related transactions. Christa represents real estate developers and investors and has created governing documents for numerous residential developments. Christa also handles closings for the purchase and sale of commercial and residential properties.
Christa's representative matters include:
Representation of commercial and residential developers in the acquisition, development, and sale of large commercial and residential projects;
Preparation of documents and ongoing counsel for the development of residential subdivisions and condominiums;
Representation of buyers and sellers in the purchase, sale, and construction of multi-million-dollar residences.
Christa joined the firm in 2004 immediately upon graduation from law school.
Christa focuses her practice on corporate law
Christa has an accomplished legal background with an unwavering commitment to protecting clients. Her experience with sale of businesses, corporate formation, real estate law, commercial lending, drafting contracts and agreements, commercial litigation, and arbitration brings unparalleled service to her clients.
Christa counsels corporate clients in complex legal matters in the areas of banking, real estate, and contract disputes. She represents clients in the purchase and sale of businesses, including medical and other professional organizations, and handles all legal aspects of corporate formation and general transactional matters.
Claudia practices in the areas of labor & employment, corporate, and litigation. She earned her J.D. from the Florida State University College of Law, graduating magna cum laude. While in law school Claudia was not only a research assistant for Professor Nat S. Stern but was also a staff editor for FSU Law Review and articles and notes editor for the Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law.
In her undergrad years, she attended the University of Central Florida as a Bright Future Scholar, receiving a Bachelor of Arts, Major in Journalism, and Minor in Creative Writing.
Job Titles:
- Counsel
- Williams Parker Attorney
Betsy is board certified as a specialist in wills, trusts, and estates
Betsy's clients are those individuals who seek experienced counsel in estate planning and its related areas of estate and gift taxation. Personal representatives and trustees responsible for settling estates and trusts also engage Betsy to guide them through the complexities of modern-day estate and trust administration.
Betsy works with clients in preparing tax and transfer-efficient estate plans after discussion with the client regarding his or her particular needs. These plans utilize a number of traditional and advanced strategies, including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, generation-skipping transfer tax planning, current and deferred charitable gift planning, planning with life insurance, the formation and operation of private foundations, transfers to grantor-retained annuity trusts, wealth transfer through family partnerships, transactions involving intentionally defective grantor trusts, and similar planning techniques. Multiple generations of a single family can be found within her clientele and are a result of Betsy's over 30 years of practice with the firm.
Representing personal representatives and trustees in estate and trust administration incorporates her significant experience in this area of law. Analyzing and implementing post-mortem tax and estate planning techniques is a regular part of this client service. The judicial and non-judicial modification of trusts can, when appropriate, be of value to her clients who are trustees or beneficiaries of these arrangements.
Representing local private foundations and public charities is a natural complement to the estate planning and estate administration practice. Betsy represents multimillion-dollar foundations and charities in the implementation of their charitable purposes, providing counsel to boards and executives working with these on a day-to-day basis.
Betsy is a native Floridian, born and raised in Tallahassee. She joined the firm following her graduation with honors from the University of Florida College of Law in 1984 and became a partner of the firm in 1990. Her services to the firm include chairing the firm's trusts and estates practice for nearly 10 years, leading the firm's legal recruitment team, and serving on its profit plan board of trustees.
Fletcher is a board-certified specialist in wills, trusts, and estates
Fletcher represents clients and families in the design of wealth transfer plans, including lifetime and testamentary transfers, as well as the use of revocable and irrevocable trusts for the benefit of family members, friends, and charitable organizations. Personal representatives and trustees acting in a fiduciary capacity seek Fletcher's counsel to help navigate the various complexities involved in the transfer of wealth. He also represents clients in preparing and filing federal estate and gift tax returns, providing recommendations to reduce transfer taxes, and post-mortem planning solutions.
Job Titles:
- Counsel
- Williams Parker Attorney
Gail has over 25 years of experience in the area of labor and employment law
Gail advises private and public sector management clients regarding preventive measures in employment and labor law matters such as discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, wage and hour issues, restrictive covenants, whistleblower laws, family and medical leave, labor relations, safety, layoffs and plant closings, and pandemic guidance. Gail balances business and local government needs with legal risks and defends single-plaintiff cases and collective actions in administrative, state, and federal court proceedings. She designs and revises employee handbooks and policies; reviews employment, restrictive covenant, confidentiality, severance, and settlement agreements; assists clients with employee hiring, promotion, accommodation, counseling, discipline, layoff, and termination issues; conducts workplace investigations; and develops corporate compliance programs. Gail also represents management in alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation and arbitration.
Additionally, Gail is a frequent lecturer and educator on labor and employment issues, presenting seminars and management training programs.
George A. Dietz didn't just witness Sarasota's growth. He helped make it happen. Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, George attended the University of Florida College of Law School and served in the Korean War as a JAG officer in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining Williams Parker in Sarasota in 1955, becoming a name partner of the firm in 1959.
George specialized in real estate law and was instrumental in developing much of Sarasota County and Longboat Key, including the Meadows, Bay Isles, and the Longboat Key Club.
Throughout his career, George was active in community affairs and in the broader legal community. He served as the president of the Greater Sarasota County Chamber of Commerce and of the Sarasota County Bar Association, was a founder of the United Way Foundation, and served on the boards of Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota Foundation and Hospice of Southwest Florida Foundation. In the 1980s, he served four years as a member of the board of governors of the Florida Bar. For more than 35 years, he served as a member of the trustees of the Sarasota County Law Library. In 2013, he was recognized as a Legal Legend by the Sarasota County Bar Association.
More about George's life and accomplishments can be read in his obituary.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- CIVIL TRIAL ATTORNEY WITH a FOCUS on PROBATE and TRUST LITIGATION and BUSINESS LITIGATION
George has extensive civil litigation experience at both the trial and appellate level. Before joining Williams Parker, George handled a variety of general liability defense claims, including labor law claims, property damage and property disputes, and premises liability defense in New York City.
Williams Parker is pleased to announce that George Parpas has joined the firm as an associate in the Litigation practice. Mr. Parpas is a civil trial attorney with a focus on probate and trust litigation and business litigation. He has extensive civil litigation experience at both the trial and appellate...
Job Titles:
- Alumni Club, Dartmouth Representative
Williams Parker takes pride in being the first call clients make when opportunities and challenges arise. After all, helping business do business has been our hallmark since 1925. Back then, our founder J. J. Williams Jr. gave advice instrumental to the creation of banks and corporations that continue to thrive a century later. At Williams Parker, our history speaks for itself.
Job Titles:
- Benefits and Payroll Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Partner
- Treasurer of the Management Committee
Job Titles:
- Inn of Court, Barrister Member
- Inn of Court, Master Member, past President
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Partner
- President of the Management Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Partner
- Member - at - Large
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Adds Trusts and Estates Attorney
- Administrative Professionals
- Attorney Presents on Business Succession
Williams Parker is proud to enjoy global reach as Florida's exclusive Ally Law member, an elite legal alliance that includes nearly 3,000 attorneys spanning more than 100 leading business centers in 45 countries, to help our clients address their global legal needs. The network provides connections to global markets through local attorneys who understand their communities' business climates and cultures. Each firm in the network goes through a rigorous vetting process and abides by the International Bar Association's International Code of Ethics. Clients can access local legal counsel in foreign jurisdictions at local market rates, capitalize on a shared commitment to top-notch legal advice and service, and benefit from a full range of the most highly qualified attorneys in the world. From the complexities of expansion into foreign markets, interpreting international tax treaties, international litigation and arbitration, mergers and acquisitions involving non-U.S. entities, and joint manufacturing or distribution arrangements with non-U.S. entities, to labor and employment matters outside of the United States, we work regularly with Ally Law attorneys to address clients' needs outside of our region.
Williams Parker Attorneys at Law was founded in 1925 by J. J. Williams Jr., who stressed the importance of commitment to clients, service to community, and devotion to excellence in the practice of law-guiding principles that have defined our firm for nearly 100 years. He understood that the attorney-client relationship is both personal and professional. Adhering to his philosophy, we are dedicated to representing and advising our clients on legal matters with careful consideration for their personal concerns.
Williams Parker has international reach as a member of Ally Law, an international alliance of law firms with a membership of 70 firms that include more than 2,800 lawyers in 100 business centers throughout 45 countries.
Sarasota's largest law firm, Williams Parker, is pleased to announce the relocation of its headquarters to Plaza Five Points at 50 Central Avenue in downtown Sarasota. By moving from its 200 South Orange Avenue location to Plaza Five Points, Williams Parker is continuing the next step in its ongoing story... Read More
Williams Parker is proud to announce Stella Kim as the winner of the 2023 Holiday Card Design Contest in partnership with Ringling College of Art and Design. This marks the sixth year of collaboration between the law firm and the college in seeking creative designs from students for their annual...
Williams Parker is pleased to announce the firm has been named a 2024 "Best Law Firm" by Best Lawyers in America®. The firm was regionally ranked in six categories: Corporate Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Real Estate Law, Trusts and Estates Law, and Tax...
Williams Parker has a team of administrative professionals that support the firm in the areas of accounting, human resources, information technology, and marketing.
Williams Parker is pleased to announce partner Elizabeth P. Diaz and associate Steven D. Brownlee, MD, have obtained board certification by The Florida Bar in their areas of specialty, Wills, Trusts & Estates and Health Law, respectively. Board certification is The Florida Bar's highest level of evaluation of competency and...
Williams Parker is pleased to announce that 32 of its attorneys have been named 2020 SRQ Elite Top Attorneys. SRQ Magazine partnered with a national research firm to produce the SRQ Elite Top Attorneys program. Licensed legal professionals in the Sarasota region were invited to nominate their peers-those individuals they hold...
Williams Parker is pleased to announce several of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 26th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. The attorneys named to the 2020 list include Charles D. Bailey, Jr. (Land Use and Zoning), John T. Berteau (Trusts and Estates), Ric Gregoria (Trusts...
Williams Parker is pleased to announce that Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters lawyer-rating service, has named 13 of its attorneys as 2019 Super Lawyers and four as 2019 Rising Stars. Super Lawyers is a rating service of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree...