South Florida Business Litigation Law Firm

The Barnes Walker Business Trial Group

We will provide you with expert advice on your legal issue...

Andre Raymond Perron, Esq.

Andre Raymond Perron, Esq. is a managing partner with Barnes Walker and chairman of the Barnes Walker Business Trial Group. He is recognized by the State of Florida Bar Association as a specialist in business litigation having met the standards of certification. This is a distinctive accomplishment in that certification is limited to only those trial lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional skill, experience, and knowledge in business litigation; less than five percent (5%) of the 50,000 members of the Florida Bar have achieved this certification.

With over 30 years of practice in State and Federal courts in Florida, as well as in arbitration and mediation, Mr. Perron is a member in good standing of the Florida Bar, the Federal Court for the Northern, Southern, and Middle Districts of Florida, and with the Fifth and Eleventh Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Perron is also a member of the New Hampshire Bar, the Massachusetts Bar, and the Federal Court for the District of New Hampshire.

Mr. Perron's extensive court experience includes violation of civil rights, broker disputes, contract disputes, creditor actions, and trust and probate disputes. Many of his cases have involved highly complex business torts such as multi-million dollar trust beneficiary disputes, claims against broker dealers for churning and mismanagement, disputes involving family limited partnerships, collections claims, and other complex business torts and contract claims.

Mr. Perron has the experience and judgment to evaluate your situation, retain exceptional experts based on their past performance, advise you as to the local judge and jury makeup, and give you the information you need to make the best decisions in prosecuting your claim or defense. In addition, Mr. Perron has tried and settled matters before both the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the American Arbitration Association arbitration panels. He has obtained multimillion dollar settlements and awards for his clients.

Mr. Perron has been a Florida resident since 1989, having relocated here with his wife Nancy. Mr. Perron received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Quinnipiac Law in 1985 and also holds a Master of Laws Degree in American Banking Law Studies (LLM) from the Boston University School of Law. He has served as Co-Chairman of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee that regulates the practice of law in Manatee County. He currently serves as Chairman of the Unlicensed Practice of Law committee. Mr. Perron has lectured on a variety of Topics ranging from Banking to Ethics and Professionalism.

Mr. Perron can be reached at 941-827-2228 or through thefinanciallawyer.com.

John J. Shea, Esq.

John J. Shea has had the good fortune to be raised (since 1958) and to practice law in both Sarasota and Manatee Counties. After graduating from Manatee High School, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature in 1973 from the University of Florida and was inducted into Florida Blue Key, the University of Florida’s honorary society for public service and leadership. John received his Juris Doctorate degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1978, while working as a real estate agent in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was admitted to The Florida Bar that year and immediately began his practice of law.

John is currently the partner in charge of the Firm's Sarasota office on Ringling Boulevard. He has practiced in the areas of real property, estate planning, and business law since the beginning of his career, with an emphasis on real estate and business transactions. John's professional skills and experience in representing many clients in their million-dollar plus residential real estate closings has allowed him to be of continuing service to them on their estate planning, business law, and real estate matters. He and his staff's commitment to client service is in concert with the principles that we follow.

John and his wife Amy have maintained a strong continuing commitment to community service. He has served on numerous Boards of Directors including the Manatee County Bar Association, Manatee Players, Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Volunteer Center, Florida Winefest and Auction, Girls Incorporated of Sarasota County, New Gate School, and as Chair of the Girls Incorporated Foundation. John currently serves on the Board and as Chair of the Team Tony Cancer Foundation. John and Amy have three children, Rachael, Brendan, and Kiera.

John can be reached at 941-556-5999 or by email at jshea@barneswalker.com.

Jeffery S. Goethe, Esq.

Jeff Goethe 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 from 1987 to 1990. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1986 and served while attending law school. After returning to Florida, he transferred to the Florida National Guard and served until 1992. Jeff lives in Bradenton with his wife, Jeannie. Together, they have raised seven children. Jeff's community involvement has included:

The Hernando DeSoto Historical Society;
The Board of Directors of the Manatee County Boys and Girls Clubs;
Volunteer Pop Warner football coach;
Volunteer Manatee County Family YMCA Coach; and
Catechist, St. Joseph Catholic Church's Parrish School of Religion.

Jeff strongly believes in the value of active participation in professional organizations. His memberships, including committees and leadership positions within those organizations, include:

The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (2014 to present);
- Elder Law Committee
- Asset Protection Committee
The American Bar Association;
- Real Property, Trusts and Estates Section
- Fellow, The American Bar Foundation (2020-present)
The Florida Bar (1990 to present)
- Member, The Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
  - Executive Council (2010 to present)
  - Florida Bar Journal Committee (2013-2021; Co-Editor 2015-2021)
  - Wills, Trusts and Estates Certification Review Course Committee (2012-2021; Chair 2015-2021)
  - Probate Law and Procedure Committee (2009 to present; Co-Vice Chair 2010-2011 and 2019-2020)
  - Homestead Issues Study Committee (2007 to present; Co-Chair 2016-2020; Chair 2020-present)
  - 016 John Arthur Jones Annual Service Award
- Member, Elder Law Section
- Author, Chapter 14 - Final Distribution and Discharge, Practice Under the Florida Probate Code, 10th edition (The Florida Bar 2020)
- Co-Author, Chapter 11 - Compensation Disputes, Litigation Under the Florida Probate Code, 12th Edition (The Florida Bar 2020)
- Author, 2020 - A Challenging Year for Keeping Up With Changes to Probate and Guardianship Rules and Statues (The Florida Bar Journal, March 2021)
- Co-Author, Homestead Planning Under Florida's New "Safe Harbor" Statute (The Florida Bar Journal, May 2019)
- Author, Trust Protectors Under Current Florida Law (The Florida Bar Journal, June 2017)
The Florida Probate Rules Committee
- Member (2006-2012 and 2014-2020)
- Chair (2010-2011 and 2019-2020)
The Florida Rules of Judicial Administration Committee (2020-present)
The Manatee County Bar Association
- Member (1991-present)
- President (2014-2015)
The Manatee Inns of Court, Emeritus Member
The Manatee Estate Planning Council
Lecturer and author for various professional groups in the areas of probate and estate planning.
Author, Florida Wills, Trusts and Estates Blog.

Jeff has attained several professional ratings based upon his experience and reviews from his peers:

Board-Certified by The Florida Bar as a specialist in Wills, Trusts and Estates (2010-present)
"Superior" rating from the AVVO attorney rating service
"AV-Preeminent" peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell
"Super Lawyer" recognition by Thomson Reuters through its peer review process. (2017-present)

Jeff can be reached at telephone extension #1323 or by email at jgoethe@barneswalker.com. To schedule an initial appointment, please call 941-741-8224 and ask to speak with Carroll for estate planning matters or Rhonda for probate and trust administration matters.