Professional Affiliations
American Bar Association
American Inn of Court
Leading American Attorney
Sarasota County Bar Association

Richard R. Garland, who has resided in Sarasota County since 1960, completed his undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida summa cum laude in 1979 and received his Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Florida in 1982. While in law school, Mr. Garland was an instructor and supervisor of the appellate advocacy program, and after passing the Florida Bar exam with a high score, was a reader for the Florida Board of Bar Examiners for several years. He joined the firm in 1982.

Mr. Garland is a Board Certified Appellate Lawyer; he maintains an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He is admitted to practice in all Florida courts, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh and Federal Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member of the Florida Bar, American Bar Association, Leading American Attorneys, and listed in several Who's Who directories, including Who's Who in American Law. He is a past president of the Sarasota County Bar Association, still active in its appellate practice section, diversity committee and bylaws committee. He is a master and past president of the Judge John M. Scheb American Inn of Court, where he serves on the Inn's executive committee as Historian.

Mr. Garland has received both the Sarasota County Bar Association's C.L. McKaig Award for distinguished service to the association and the Judge John M. Scheb Professionalism Award for his dedication to the highest standards of the legal profession and the rule of law. He is author of various legal articles, including "Fault Based Allocation of Tort Damages" in the Florida Bar's Civil Practice Damages Manual, and "Motion Practice" in the Florida Bar's Appellate Practice Manual. He has also written humorous articles for local publications like the SCBA Docket and Sarasota Magazine. He is a frequent lecturer on legal topics to local organizations such as the Sarasota County Medical Society and has led seminars on appellate practice and ethics at Stetson University College of Law. He has served on the Sarasota County Library Advisory Board, as an officer and director of the Sarasota County Gator Club, on the parish council of his church, and as a coach for youth soccer.

Mr. Garland's areas of practice are federal and Florida civil appeals, health care, and civil litigation. Mr. Garland has over 15 years of experience in prosecuting and defending all types of civil appeals, from complex commercial antitrust litigation, insurance and professional malpractice, to probate and family law cases. He has also assisted trial counsel in several federal court cases.