Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, the firm is active in both consulting and litigation matters for individuals, businesses and major U.S. and international corporations. Providing diversified and comprehensive legal services to its commercial, insurance and individual clients, the firm takes pride in its professional members who are versed in matters involving bankruptcy, business and construction litigation, product and lender liability, insurance coverage and contract disputes. Our attorneys practice in all Florida State and Federal Courts. William Cooper and George Ridge are both AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating available, and are included in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. William Cooper is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is featured in the Super Lawyers magazine in Business Litigation and has received a Legal Elite designation in the Florida Trend magazine
ABOUT THE FIRM
The firm provides extensive civil mediation services through a subsidiary, First Coast Mediation and Arbitration, LLC. Both William Cooper and George Ridge are Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediators and William Cooper is a Panel Mediator for the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida. The mediation practice has been active for 10 years, with over 800 cases mediated. Presently, mediations may be scheduled at the Jax Mediation Center located conveniently at 2700 University Boulevard West, Suite A-1, Jacksonville, Florida 32217. The Mediation Center has on site parking, and spacious conference rooms with internet and visual equipment for the participants. Our mediation practice focuses mainly on commercial bisuness disputes, including contracts, banking, debtor/creditor, construction, real property matters including landlord/tennant, purchase and sale related areas, employment matters, including descrimination, restrictive covenants and executive compesation, corporate matters, including corporations, limited liability companies, stockholder and member disputes and dissolutions. We also mediate consumer matters, including breach of warranty, consumer protection matters and defective product disputes. In the area of insurance, we have mediated re-insurance disputes, commercial general liability matters including property damage coverages arising out of accidents and conduct of construction. We have also served as single and panel arbitrators under the AAA rules and regulations and the laws of Florida in most all commercial areas of our mediation practice. Our normal hourly rates are favorably set, and we have a mediation coordinator. We prepare the necessary notices, reports to the Court and other papers to facilitate efficient and timely scheduling. Let us bring our lifetime of commercial practice and litigation experience to the mediation table.
WILLIAM G. COOPER
Partner
William G. Cooper Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, September 8, 1945; admitted to The Florida Bar in 1973; U.S. District Court, Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Education: East Tennessee State University (B.A., 1967); Florida State University (J.D., 1973). Phi Delta Phi; Sigma Alpha Epsilon. CLE Lecturer, Trial Advocacy, Florida Bar Trial Section, 1988-1990. Member: Jacksonville Bar Association; American Board of Trial Advocates; The Florida Bar. [Capt., USMC, 1968-1971].
E-mail: wcooper@attorneyjax.com
GEORGE E. RIDGE
Partner
George E. RidgeBorn St. Augustine, Florida, June 10, 1950; admitted to The Florida Bar in 1977; U.S. District Court, Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida; Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits; Florida and U.S. Supreme Courts. Education: Stetson University (B.S., 1971); University of Texas at Austin (M. Ed., Analytical Chemistry, 1973); Florida State University (J.D., 1976). Member: The Jacksonville Bar Association; The Jacksonville Bankruptcy Bar Association; The Florida Bar; The American Bar Association; The International Bar Association.
E-mail: gridge@attorneyjax.com
AREAS OF PRACTICE- Banking Litigation
- Bankruptcy
- Business Torts
- Complex Commercial Litigation
- Construction Litigation
- Contracts
- Corporate Disputes
- Insurance
- Lender and Product Liability
Our Firm For over 40 years we have served our legal and business communities with expertise in complex commercial and financial disputes. We are available for referral, co-counsel arrangements, case evaluations, and consultation.