Rivkin Radler, the law firm headquartered in Uniondale, is opening a new office in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Florida office, which opens Monday, April 3, marks the firm’s sixth, and its second largest, with 20 attorneys in residence. The new office brings the firm’s total attorney headcount to 235.

“It was an easy decision to open this office with a group of attorneys whose focus on client service so closely aligns with the rest of the firm,” Managing Partner Evan Krinick said in a news release about the firm’s expansion.

The expansion comes at a time when many of the firm’s clients are looking to purchase both commercial and residential real estate in Florida. And the Jacksonville location is just the beginning, Krinick told LIBN.

“Rivkin Radler’s southeast growth is expected to continue,” Krinick said. “We anticipate expanding into the Fort Lauderdale and Miami areas. Our expansion and growth plans also include adding depth in our Long Island and NYC offices.”

Barry Levy, a partner at Rivkin Radler, spearheaded the expansion.

“Strategically, we try to stay ahead of the curve in terms of where we see the opportunities being and where our clients and industries are looking,” Levy said.

“In terms of capabilities, our new Jacksonville team gives us the ability to strengthen our bench in some key areas and extend our services in others, including class action litigation, insurance coverage, and immigration, and we anticipate further expansion in real estate, trusts and estates and healthcare,” Levy added.

Attorneys joining the firm include John Marino and Lindsey Trowell, who bring national experience in class actions and insurance litigation, and Melissa Dearing, a nationally recognized immigration attorney. Most of the 20 attorneys come to Rivkin Radler from Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP.

“Our expanded capabilities in the areas of insurance, class actions and immigration will be helpful to clients in the northeast and southeast alike,” Krinick said.

“This is an exciting opportunity for all of us,” Marino said in the news release. “We have worked closely with many Rivkin attorneys and staff for several years.  The combination will help us better serve our clients, and Rivkin’s culture of collegiality and collaboration is a great fit for us.”

Since 2017, Rivkin Radler has been in growth mode. That year, the firm merged in the former Iseman, Cunningham, Riester & Hyde, an Albany-based law firm. In 2021, Rivkin Radler added six attorneys prominent in the fields of trusts and estates and taxation and rebranded its trusts and estates practice to become the Personal, Family & Business Planning Practice Group.

In addition to the Uniondale and Jacksonville locations, Rivkin Radler has offices in Albany, NY; Hackensack, NJ; New York City; and Poughkeepsie, NY. The firm was established in 1950 as a national insurance coverage firm.

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