Two Icard Merrill Attorneys Named to "Best Lawyers" -- Twice! Mike Furen and Tom Icard

SARASOTA, FL, September 25, 2010 (Press-News.org) Six Icard Merrill lawyers have been selected by their peers in the legal profession as among The Best Lawyers in America for 2010. For over a quarter of a century, Best Lawyers has been regarded - by both the profession and the public - as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United Stares. For the fourth year in a row, two of those lawyers at one of Sarasota's oldest law firms are listed in two different practices areas.

Icard Merrill is proud to congratulate Michael J. Furen (listed in Land Use & Zoning Law and Real Estate Law) and Thomas F. Icard, Jr. (listed in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Construction Law) for their dual listing again this year.

In addition to Furen and Icard, Icard Merrill lawyers Charles J. Bartlett (Commercial Litigation), Robert K. Lincoln (Land Use & Zoning Law), Robert G. Lyons (Personal Injury Law) and, William W. Merrill, III (Land Use & Zoning Law) are also included in this year's list bringing the total to six. Only 2.4% of the lawyers in the United States and Canada make the list each year.
Established in 1981, Best Lawyers is widely considered to be the most reliable and unbiased source of legal referrals, with publications in 48 countries around the world. This year's judging process was based on more than 3.1 million detailed evaluations of lawyers submitted by other lawyers. The 2010 annual U.S. guide includes 39,766 attorneys in 80 practice areas and is published nationally as a resource for the general public, corporations and those in the legal profession.

Mike Furen is a shareholder at Icard Merrill. He joined the firm in 1966 after graduating from the University of Florida College of Law and currently serves as its Chairman of the Board. His practice is specialized in the areas of land use, development, real property, administrative and government law. He has extensive experience with developments of regional impact and has represented private development interests throughout Florida and beyond.

Tom Icard began his practice in Tampa in 1973 after graduating from the Florida State University College of Law and joined Icard Merrill as a shareholder in 1995. He focuses his nationally recognized practice on construction related matters, from preparation and review of contract documents to claims negotiation and multiparty litigation. He is also regularly engaged as a mediator or arbitrator in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings. He is a Diplomate of the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators and a by-invitation member of the Florida Circuit-Civil Mediator Society and the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Established in 1953, the 30 lawyers and 60 employees of Icard Merrill maintain offices in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch and Punta Gorda. Icard Merrill is a full-service law firm with a strong commitment to supporting its communities through its patronage of the arts, civic involvement and significant pro bono contributions.

For more information, call (941) 366-8100 or visit http://www.icardmerrill.com.