Florida Trend Magazine Selects Icard Merrill Attorneys as Florida Legal Elite

SARASOTA, FL, June 28, 2012

Charles J. Bartlett and William W. Merrill III are included in the 2012 edition of FLORIDA TREND'S Florida Legal Elite. This annual listing recognizes less than 2% of all Florida attorneys, as chosen by their peers in the profession. FLORIDA TREND has been the respected source of insight for leaders, business executives, top government officials and civic trend-setters for more than 50 years. Florida Trend reaches over 250,000 readers every month, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Mr. Bartlett is listed in the commercial litigation area of practice and Mr. Merrill is included in the Environmental and Land Use Law practice area.

The Florida Legal Elite recognizes lawyers who exemplify a high standard of excellence in their profession. The voting process starts in October, prior to publication of the list the following July. All in-state members of the Florida Bar are invited by FLORIDA TREND to submit nominations of lawyers they hold in high regard. Top candidates are further reviewed and then scrutinized by a panel of previous Legal Elite winners. The list of honorees was nominated from more than 90,000 active members of the Florida Bar who practice in the state.

Bartlett is a senior shareholder in the Sarasota-based law firm of Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg, PA. He joined the firm in 1984 and concentrates his practice in commercial litigation, real estate and business law, with an emphasis on representing small to medium-sized businesses. Bartlett served as president of the firm from 1987 to 1998 and has been actively engaged in the Florida Bar and the Sarasota County Bar Association. He has held the prestigious "AV" rating from Martindale Hubbell for more than ten years and was selected by his peers for inclusion in the recent editions of The Best Lawyers in America. Bartlett has been an active member of the Florida Bar, currently serving as a member of the Executive Council of the Trial Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar, as well as numerous civic boards and non-profit groups, including serving as a trustee member for the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. He is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors for Gateway Bank of Southwest Florida.

Bill Merrill is a shareholder in the Sarasota-based law firm of Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg, P.A. He has a nationally recognized practice in land use, planning, transportation and environmental law, representing developers and lenders on complex matters at local, regional and state levels. He is a past president of the Sarasota County Bar Association and is actively involved in numerous civic and charitable organizations. Mr. Merrill has received the highest "AV" rating from Martindale Hubbell and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America each year since 2007.

About Icard Merrill
Icard, Merrill was founded in 1953 in Sarasota. The firm has grown along with Southwest Florida and now also has offices in Lakewood Ranch and Punta Gorda, offering expertise in business, banking, commercial and construction law and related litigation, personal injury, real estate, land use, family law, probate, tax and estate planning. The firm has a strong commitment to the communities it serves, with members involved in numerous civic and not-for-profit organizations in the arts, education, health and human services. In 2010, the firm received the Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice's Law Firm Commendation for significant contributions of legal services to the indigent and to charitable groups on a pro bono basis.

For more information about Icard Merrill, call (941) 366-8100 or visit icardmerrill.com.