The Attorneys

THE ATTORNEYS

 

Garret T. Barnes, Esq.,
is a fourth generation Floridian raised in Bradenton, Florida.  Garret graduated from St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton, received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Wake Forest University at Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in May 1987, and earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida, in May 1991.  He was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1991.  Garret is married to the former Elizabeth Escalante and has a son, Garret, Jr., and two daughters, Lane and Grace.  His community and professional commitments include being a past Director of the Manatee County Chapter of the American Red Cross, a past Director of the United Way of Manatee County, the President of the Board of Trustees of St. Stephens’ Episcopal School, a past member of the Kiwanis Club of Bradenton, and membership in The Florida Bar, its Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, and the Manatee County Bar Association.  Garret practices in the areas of real property law (including residential and commercial transactions), land development and planning, administrative law, and business law.  Garret can be reached at telephone extension #120 or at gbarnes@barneswalker.com. 

 

 

Adron H. Walker, Esq.,
is a fourth generation Floridian, born and raised in Arcadia, Florida.  Adron received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting magna cum laude in May 1977, from Stetson University in Deland, Florida, and earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida, in May 1980.  He was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1980.  Adron served as a Captain in the U.S. Army JAG (legal) Corps for over 4 years prior to moving to Bradenton.  His community and professional commitments include being the 1994-95 Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Manatee County Chapter of the American Red Cross, the 1993-94 Allocations Chairman and “Board Member of the Year” for the United Way of Manatee County, and a member of The Florida Bar, its Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, and the Manatee County Bar Association.  Adron practices in areas of business law and real property law. Adron can be reached at telephone extension #145 or at awalker@barneswalker.com. 

 
Jeffrey S. Goethe, Esq.,
was raised in Bradenton and graduated from Manatee High School in 1982.  Jeff was a member of the 1981 District Championship football team at Manatee and continued to play football for four years at Maryville College in Tennessee, while maintaining a Presidential Scholarship for academics.  After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in History at Maryville College, Jeff attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, graduating in May of 1990.  While in law school, Jeff enlisted in the United States Army Reserves and served for over 6 years.  He returned to Bradenton after law school and was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1990.  Jeff lives in Bradenton with his wife, Jeannie, and their seven children:  Alex, Andy, Hanna, Emily, Jay, Sara, and Michael.  His community involvement has included the Hernando DeSoto History Society, the American Inns of Court, the Board of Directors of the Manatee County Boys and Girls Clubs, coaching Pop Warner football and various sports at the Manatee County Family YMCA, and teaching at the St. Joseph Catholic Church’s Parrish School of Religion.  Jeff has also served as an adjunct faculty member at Manatee Community College, teaching real estate courses in the Paralegal Studies Program.  He has been an author and lecturer for the National Business Institute’s continuing legal education program and an instructor for The Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund’s Real Estate Paralegals’ Certification Program.  He has prepared course materials for The Fund’s real estate seminars.  He is a member of the American Bar Association and its Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section, The Florida Bar, its Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section (Co-Vice Chair, Probate Law and Procedure Committee; Executive Council; and Ad Hoc Committee on Homestead Life Estate Issues), the Manatee County Bar Association, the Estate Planning Council of Manatee County, and the Sarasota-Bradenton Attorneys Real Estate Council.  He also serves as the Vice Chair of The Florida Bar’s statewide Probate Rules Committee.  Jeff practices in the areas of estate planning (including will and trust preparation and estate planning and tax advice), estate administration (including representation of personal representatives, trustees, and guardians in the administration of probate, trust, and guardianship estates), and real property law.  Jeff can be reached at telephone extension #323 or at jgoethe@barneswalker.com. 

 
Robert A. Hoonhout, Esq.,
was born in Montclair, New Jersey.  He attended Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Law in 1975.  Bob next attended the Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey, where he received the American Jurisprudence award in Real Property Law before being awarded his Juris Doctorate degree with Honors in 1978.  Bob was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in December 1978.  Bob’s work experience in New Jersey included a term as Assistant Prosecutor in the busy Essex County Prosecutor’s Office in Newark, where he became a senior trial attorney before leaving to enter private practice.   Bob returned to his hometown of Montclair where he successfully opened his own office and practiced extensively in the areas of real property law, land use and development, and local government law.  Bob simultaneously began work for the Township of Montclair in 1983 as Assistant Township Attorney and was thereafter appointed Township Attorney in 1992.  In this capacity, he managed all legal affairs for a municipality comprised of 36,000 residents and having a staff of over 440 full-time employees.  Bob represented various other governmental agencies over time and appeared on behalf of clients before various local, state, and federal bodies until his relocation to the Sarasota/Manatee County area.  Bob and his wife Kathy chose to move with children Eric, Blake, and Julie to sunny Florida in 2002, the same year Bob was admitted to The Florida Bar.  He is currently a member of the American Bar Association, The Florida Bar and its Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, the New Jersey Bar, and the Manatee County Bar Association.  Bob practices in the areas of real property law, land development and planning (including creation of condominium and homeowners’ associations), local government law, and business law.  Bob can be reached at telephone extension #343 or at bhoonhout@barneswalker.com. 

 

Matthew B. Taylor, Esq.,
is a fifth generation Manatee County native who handles the firm’s litigation matters.  In 1994, Matt received his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of South Florida College of Business Administration, where he was the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence.  After spending several years working with his father’s construction company, Matt entered Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida, where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree cum laude in 2000.  In 1995, Matt married his high school sweetheart, Sherry Ann.  Matt is a member of the Manatee County Home Builders Association and the Hernando Desoto Historical Society and is deeply involved with the Manatee-Sarasota Fish and Game Society as past board member and president.  In his time off, Matt is an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing, and competing in Strongman/Scottish Highland competitions.  Matt practices in the areas of construction litigation; business litigation; representation of clients before state, county, and local boards; real property disputes; appeals; and all other types of commercial and business litigation matters.  Matt can be reached at telephone extension #320 or at mtaylor@barneswalker.com. 

 
Jennifer M. LaRocco, Esq.,
was born in Manhasset, New York, and was raised in New Hyde Park, on New York’s Long Island.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature, conferred with High Honors, from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2001.  While at Eckerd, she received the Letters Collegium Award for Excellence in Literature and was selected to participate in the Ford Foundation’s Apprentice Scholars Program.  In 2002, she received her Master of Arts degree in English from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.  After returning to Florida, she received her Juris Doctorate degree summa cum laude from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida, in 2007, graduating second in her class.  She was admitted to The Florida Bar later that year.  While at Stetson, Jennifer served as an editor of the Stetson Law Review and was nominated for the National Dean’s List and the All-American Scholars.  She is a member of The Florida Bar, its Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, the Manatee County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, its Intellectual Property Section, and the legal fraternity, Phi Delta Phi.  Jennifer practices in the areas of  civil litigation, real estate law, and business law.  Jennifer can be reached at telephone extension #103 or at jlarocco@barneswalker.com. 

 
Paul F. Grondahl, Esq.,
Grondahl is a Massachusetts native who has made Florida home for twenty years. He earned a business degree from Bryant University in 1991 and his law degree from the University of Miami in 1996. Paul is Vice-Chairman of the Manatee County Family Law Section; a member of the Florida Bar's Family Law and Trial Lawyer’s Sections; and is licensed to practice in the United States District Courts for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.  Paul began his practice in 1996 as a personal injury trial lawyer in West Palm Beach, where he spent many  years trying cases on behalf of prominent insurance companies.  He now utilizes that trial experience to represent victims of automobile and other accidents, as well as individuals and businesses facing the financial exposure of personal injury and other lawsuits.  In 2003, Paul moved to Bradenton to marry his beloved wife, Jennifer Grondahl.  Since that time, Paul has developed a comprehensive family law practice.  He protects individuals faced with the legal and financial ramifications of divorce, paternity, adoption, dependency/termination of parental rights, domestic violence, child custody, property division, alimony, and child support issues.  Paul takes great pride in protecting his family law clients through litigation, while moving their cases through the judicial process as quickly as reasonably possible to preserve the financial and emotional well-being of clients and their children.  Inspired by the philanthropic efforts of his wife Jennifer, Paul is proud to have been recognized over the past several years - most recently in 2010 - by the 12th Judicial Circuit and the Supreme Court of Florida for exceptional pro bono service to our community.  After being named an All-American during his collegiate career, Paul remains one of the top competitive amateur golfers in Southwest Florida.  He plays ice hockey and runs local marathons.  He enjoys serving as a volunteer for numerous charities and, above all, spending time with his family and two Scottish Terriers.

Paul can be reached at telephone extension #1009 or at Pgrondahl@barneswalker.com. 

 

Gil H. Zitzelsberger, Esq., of Counsel,
has practiced law as a lawyer and a judge since 1965 in Michigan and then in Florida and is now “Of Counsel” to the firm.

BARNES WALKER & GOETHE, Chartered, is a member of the Manatee County Chamber of Commerce, its Economic Development Council, the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, an affiliate member of the Manatee County Board of Realtors, and the Home Builders Association of Manatee County, Inc.