Tampa, Fla., Nov. 9, 2015 - Burr & Forman LLP announces the arrival of three attorneys to the firm's Tampa office; Ronald B. Cohn, Edmund S. Whitson and W. Patrick Ayers. All three attorneys bolster the firm's Creditors' Rights & Bankruptcy practice. With these additions, Burr & Forman now has a total of 22 attorneys in Tampa and over 80 attorneys firm-wide licensed to practice in the state of Florida.

"As financial institutions in Florida continue to generate a need for bankruptcy and regulatory legal services, the knowledge of this new group will play an integral role in helping us achieve our clients' business objectives," said Bill Schifino, Jr., managing partner of Burr & Forman's Tampa office. "Ron, Ed and Patrick have roots in the Tampa business community that will only strengthen Burr's presence statewide."

The new Burr & Forman attorneys were previously with the Tampa office of Arnstein & Lehr LLP, where Cohn served as office managing partner, as well as a member of the firm's national executive committee and co-chair of the firm's banking group.

"We are excited for the opportunity to join a firm with an established footprint of banking clients in Southeast," said Cohn. "We look forward to not only growing our respective practices, but also being able to add to the firm's capabilities within the financial sector."

Cohn brings more than 30 years of experience representing national and regional commercial lending institutions, local community banks and secondary market investors. His practice focuses on handling commercial foreclosure actions, commercial landlord-tenant issues, bankruptcy on the side of creditors, and replevin and business asset recovery matters. He is a founding member of the Tampa Bay Inn of Court and the Tampa Ferguson-White Inn of Court. Cohn earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland and his law degree from Georgetown University.

Whitson counsels financial institutions, insurance providers and private equity groups in complex litigation matters in both district and bankruptcy courts. He also handles sophisticated collection, garnishment and judgment recovery litigation, and works with clients in various contract negotiation matters. Whitson earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and his law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Ayer's practice concentrates on creditors' rights with primary emphasis on foreclosures, collection law (garnishments and judicial lien enforcement), asset recovery for creditors in bankruptcy proceedings, replevins, property management, leasing and landlord-tenant law, and commercial litigation. He has more than 29 years of experience as a litigator and appellate attorney representing lenders and landlords. Ayers earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Georgetown University.

 

About Burr & Forman LLP
For over a century, Burr & Forman LLP's experienced legal team has served clients with local, national, and international interests in numerous industry and practice areas, ranging from commercial litigation and class actions to corporate transactions, including bankruptcy and restructurings. A Southeast regional firm with nearly 300 attorneys and nine offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee, Burr & Forman attorneys draw from a diverse range of resources to help clients achieve their goals and address their complex legal needs. For more information, visit the firm's website at www.burr.com.