Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg, P.A.

United States 2025

Metro Rankings

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General Information

Practice Areas

Individuals recognized in Best Lawyers

Client Comments

Year founded: 1953

This is the year the firm (or its earliest predecessor entity) was founded.

Overview

Content is provided by the firm.

Icard Merrill is a full-service law firm based in Sarasota, Florida, delivering innovative and effective legal solutions through dedicated and caring professionals. Since 1953, Icard Merrill has offered clients comprehensive legal experience in multiple practice areas, including business and corporate, community association law, construction, bankruptcy, employment, estate planning, family law, government and administrative, immigration, intellectual property, land use and zoning, litigation, mobile home and manufactured housing, real estate, tax, and mediation services.

Icard Merrill’s attorneys are leaders in their respective fields, providing experienced and knowledgeable advice to businesses and individuals throughout the Suncoast. Our attorneys combine a commitment to exemplary client service with the latest innovations in the practice of law to provide quality advice in a wide range of legal disciplines. Our dedicated practice groups work both independently and cooperatively to ensure a high level of comprehensive representation.

The cornerstone of Icard Merrill is an enduring commitment to excellence, integrity, teamwork, and the community. More information is available at icardmerrill.com.

Firm News

September 9, 2021

Icard Merrill Attorneys Honored as 2021 Elite Top Attorneys

August 19, 2021

Eleven Icard Merrill Attorneys Named to 2022 Best Lawyers in America

August 6, 2021

Attorney Todd Kaplan Named New Icard Merrill Shareholder

July 11, 2021

William Merrill III Named to Florida Trend’s 2021 Legal Elite

July 9, 2021

Icard Merrill Attorneys Named to 2021 Florida Super Lawyers

May 24, 2021

Nokomis Financial Advisors Awarded $1.5 Million for Negligent Compliance Advice

January 21, 2021

Icard Merrill Renews Commitment to Pro Bono Service

October 21, 2019

Bradley Ellis Reelected as Board Chair of American Hiking Society

October 8, 2019

Patrick Seidensticker Joins Icard Merrill

October 1, 2019

Stephen D. Rees Selected as Mentor for Booker High Law Academy

September 19, 2019

Drew Clayton Inducted as President of Sarasota County Bar Association

September 13, 2019

Stephen Rees Appointed to Manatee County Historic Preservation Board

September 3, 2019

Drew Clayton Featured on Cover of SCBA’s The Docket

August 20, 2019

Icard Merrill Attorneys Selected for Leadership Sarasota County

August 15, 2019

Six Icard Merrill Attorneys Named to 2020 Best Lawyers in America

July 1, 2019

Anthony Manganiello Named to Florida Trend’s Legal Elite

Rankings

Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg, P.A. is metro ranked in 7 practice areas. Best Law Firms rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process.

Read how Best Law Firms ranks firms

Metro Rankings

Sarasota

Tier 1 for Construction Law

Tier 1 for Family Law

Tier 1 for Land Use and Zoning Law

Tier 1 for Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

Tier 1 for Real Estate Law

Firm Leadership

Telese Zuberer

President

Highlighted Client Comments

All client comments represent the opinions of the people who provided them. All potential clients are urged to remember that no two cases are ever completely alike and that the result in one case does not guarantee a similar result in another case.

Land Use and Zoning Law

I was extremely pleased with my experience with Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg and Mike Furen. They were knowledgeable and professional in guiding me through a challenging case. All the people we worked with in the firm did a great job. I would recommend for sure!

Joe McNamara

Administrative / Regulatory Law

They seem to be the most respected and knowledgeable commercial real estate and zoning firm in the area.

Paxton Kinol – Belpointe Multifamily Partners, LLC

Land Use and Zoning Law

One of the best law firms in the country, it is highly responsive to clients' needs.

Cyrus Ansary, International Lawyer & Financier – ISICO LLC

Real Estate Law

With regard to Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg, they have assisted us with numerous real estate matters in Florida. Jeff Pflugner has been magnificent not simply in resolving certain extremely unusual title matters but also in providing advice on how to structure numerous types of transactions, including property purchases and sales, long term leases, and property financing's. Mr. Pflugner has made himself available on short notice and has even worked extensively when away from his office in order to meet a time line not of his own creation. His explanations of title issues have been easy for laymen to understand and appreciate particular problems and have thus greatly reduced the time required to close extremely complicated real estate transactions.

Administrative / Regulatory Law

Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg has represented me for over 20 years and is truly the top professional legal firm in Sarasota.

James Gabbert – Gabbert Investments, LLC

Land Use and Zoning Law

I have worked with Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg on land use issues since 1980. They are creative, knowledgeable, well connected, and have always produced the best possible results.

Administrative / Regulatory Law

Bill Merrill of Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg is one of the best land use lawyers I've ever worked with. Amazing attention to detail and insight, highly recommended.

Administrative / Regulatory Law

Bill Merrill's judgement on the real estate matters we engaged him to handle is impeccable. Trustability is key ingredient (to me) in any successful professional relationship. Bill has proven, time and time again, to a very trustworthy lawyer. Being one who, over my professional career, has dealt mostly with legal professionals from larger, national law firms, finding a very competent, likeable real estate lawyer in a smaller community like Sarasota has made a fairly complicated real estate transaction, manageable. I highly recommend Bill Merrill and the Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg law firm. More importantly, I trust his judgement.

Jim Cater – The Glenridge

Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law

My company has used Icard, Merrill for 10 years now and my company has never had a legal issue that the firm could not handle. They successfully won the only trial we have been directly involved in (in this case as the plaintiff).

Land Use and Zoning Law

Bill Merrill with Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg is as respected and knowledgeable as they come in land use and zoning matters in my experience in both Sarasota and Manatee counties. My association with him goes back over 20 years. He is honorable and effective.

Corporate Law

I have been dealing with Icard Merrill for nearly 10 years and find them to be one of the best, all-encompassing law firms that I have had the pleasure to deal with over my 25-year career banking. The firm does an excellent job hiring and retaining knowledgeable lawyers to ensure that my legal needs in both business or personal matters are well taken care of. I refer personal and company business to them on a regular basis.

Real Estate Law

This firm not only understands the law today but completely understands the value in helping to shape it for their clients in the future. Hands down, there is no better.

JD Porter – Wiregrass Ranch, Inc.

Litigation - Land Use and Zoning

We have used this firm on our family's legacy project for several years now. Wiregrass Ranch is broadly believed to be the most complex and successful development in the state, and Icard Merrill has done an amazing job to help us take our project not only to the next level, but to the forefront of cutting edge thinking.

JD Porter – Wiregrass Ranch, Inc.

Rankings

Regional Rankings

Sarasota

Tier 1 for Construction Law

Tier 1 for Family Law

Tier 1 for Land Use and Zoning Law

Tier 1 for Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

Tier 1 for Real Estate Law

Tier 2 for Litigation - Land Use and Zoning

Tier 3 for Litigation - Real Estate

Practice Areas

The below are areas of legal specialty volunteered by the firm and do not designate a specialty in which a Best Law Firms ranking is held.

Administrative
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Arbitration
Banking and Finance Law
Business Disputes
Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Commercial
Commercial Development
Commercial Litigation
Community Association Law
Complex Disputes
Condominiums
Construction
Construction Disputes
Construction Law
Contract Review and Negotiation
Corporate Governance and Compliance Law
Elder Law
Employment Law - Individuals
Employment Law - Management
Environmental
Environmental Law
Family Law
Family Law Arbitration
Family Law Mediation
Financial Services Regulation Law
Information Technology Law
Land Use
Land Use and Zoning Law
Litigation
Litigation - Banking and Finance
Litigation - Bankruptcy
Litigation - Construction
Litigation - Labor and Employment
Litigation - Land Use and Zoning
Litigation - Securities
Mediation
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Municipal Law
Mutual Funds Law
Personal Injury
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Planning
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants
Professional Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
Real Estate
Real Estate Law
Securities
Securities / Capital Markets Law
Securities Regulation
Tax Law
Trademark Law
Transactions
Trusts and Estates
Utilities Law
Water Law
Workers' Compensation Law - Claimants
Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
Wrongful Death
Zoning

Individuals Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America^®

Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg, P.A. has 11 lawyers recognized for individual performance in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America^®. By receiving this Best Lawyers recognition from their peers for their professional excellence, these lawyers made Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg, P.A. eligible for evaluation for Best Law Firms rankings. For almost two decades, Best Lawyers has awarded these singular accolades, making them the foundation of our Best Law Firms awards. Read more about our Best Lawyers process here.

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