Bentley Goodrich Kison

03/03/2022

Really great panel today on whether or not to incorporate Siesta Key into its own city. With Steve Cavanaugh, Tim Hensey, Mark Spiegel and Lynn Tipton. Love my Tiger Bay crowds.

11/04/2021

Another terrific Tiger Bay panel – this one on Charter Review Boards for the city, the county and the City of North Port. Featuring Eileen Normile for the city, Joe Justice for the county, Andrew Sias for the City of North Port, and commentator Dan Lobeck. Especially good to be back in person.

11/01/2021

👏👏👏

As part of this past week's National Celebration of Pro Bono, the Legal Aid of Manasota team dropped off gift bags to our pro bono attorneys who donated more than 20 hours of pro bono service the past year. Pictured here is Morgan Bentley of Bentley Goodrich Kison. Morgan is a past-president of the Legal Aid of Manasota board and the recipient of the 2008 Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award. He and his firm have been very active in handling pro bono cases for LAM—pro bono is part of the firm's culture and has been since its inception. Thank you to Morgan and all of our amazing pro bono attorneys!

10/19/2021

What to Know Before You Buy a Condo in Sarasota

BGK Managing Shareholder Morgan Bentley was recently interviewed by Sarasota Magazine about what to know before buying a condo. Check out the article below!

https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/home-and-real-estate/2021/10/what-to-know-before-buying-that-condo

Two real estate lawyers share some questions to ask before making the move to a condominium.

10/15/2021

Civil case against North Port city commissioner allowed to proceed by county judge

BGK client dismissed from North Port conspiracy case: https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2021/10/15/civil-case-against-north-port-commissioner-debbie-mcdowell-allowed-proceed-eavesdropping/8448227002/

A county county court judge allowed a suit against North Port commissioner Debbie McDowell to proceed, dismissed a related suit without prejudice.

09/22/2021

We are pleased to announce that Bentley Law has rebranded as Bentley Goodrich Kison, P.A. and has named Brian Goodrich and Amanda Kison as shareholders according to firm Managing Partner, Morgan Bentley. “Both Brian and Amanda are exceptional lawyers who have worked tirelessly for our firm and for our clients. They deserve being recognized as shareholders,” said Bentley. “I am proud to have them as colleagues and to share the firm name with them.”

Along with Morgan Bentley, Brian Goodrich and Amanda Kison, the firm’s attorneys include Caroleen Brej, Cori Coser, Jennifer Grosso and David Wallace. In addition to business and real estate litigation, the firm handles trust and estate litigation, land use litigation, public records and Sunshine Act litigation, and appeals. For more information call 941-556-9030 or visit www.bgk.law.

09/22/2021

Bentley Goodrich Kison updated their information in their About section.

Bentley Goodrich Kison updated their information in their About section.

09/07/2021

Congratulations to Jennifer Grosso on completing a successful year as President of the Sarasota County Bar Association!

09/03/2021

FEMA grant reimburses Sarasota Memorial hospital board for Hurricane Irma expenses

Excellent work by Attorney David Wallace in representing Sarasota Memorial Hospital in an Arbitration victory. SMH was awarded nearly $1.2M in FEMA relief funds for emergency services provided during Hurricane Irma after SMH was previously twice denied entitlement to any funds!

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2021/09/02/fema-grant-reimburses-sarasota-memorial-hurricane-irma-expenses/5696944001/

Sarasota Memorial receives more than $1.1 million from FEMA for Hurricane Irma response costs.

09/02/2021

Really terrific panel today – the administrators of Venice (Ed LaVallee), Sarasota (Marlon Brown), Longboat Key (Tom Harmer), and Sarasota County (Jonathan Lewis) all together on one Tiger Bay panel!

08/31/2021

Congratulations David Wallace! We are pleased to announce that David, a Board Certified Specialist in Appellate Practice, is now also a Certified Circuit Civil Mediator. He will be available to serve as an independent, impartial, third party to facilitate negotiations and settlements.

08/30/2021

Tonight at 8 p.m. EDT - Morgan Bentley appears on The Floridaville Express. Tune in on YouTube or Facebook () or LinkedIn (). https://www.thefloridaville.com/the-floridaville-express

08/19/2021

Bentley Law is pleased to announce that multiple attorneys have been listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2022.

Managing Partner Morgan Bentley was selected by his peers for his work in commercial litigation and real estate litigation. Attorneys Caroleen Brej and Brian Goodrich were selected by their peers as “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” for their work in commercial litigation.

Recognition by Best Lawyers® is based entirely on exhaustive peer review surveys. Best Lawyers® methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.

07/27/2021

Meet Cori Coser, the newest member of the Bentley Law team. Cori is a George Washington Law School graduate who concentrates her practice in the area of commercial litigation involving business and real estate disputes. Welcome to Bentley Law and to the Sunshine State!

07/18/2021

Congratulations to Amanda Kison! She was just named Chairman of the Board of the American Red Cross of Southwest Florida. We know her enthusiasm and dedication will serve the organization well. Great work, Amanda!

07/15/2021

Bentley Law is pleased to announce that attorneys Morgan Bentley, Amanda Kison, and Jennifer Grosso have been recognized in Florida Trend's 2021 Legal Elite list. The attorneys chosen by their peers for this recognition are considered among the top 2% of lawyers practicing in Florida. The nomination process for Florida Trend’s Legal Elite is open to all Florida Bar members, who are asked to “name attorneys whom they hold in the highest regard or would recommend to others.”

06/25/2021

Bentley Law is pleased to announce that 6 attorneys were recognized as 2021 Florida Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars. Only 5% of lawyers in the entire State are named to Florida Super Lawyers® and less than 2.5% are named to the Rising Stars list.

Morgan Bentley, David Wallace and Jennifer Grosso were selected as Super Lawyers. Amanda Kison, Brian Goodrich and Caroleen Brej were selected as Rising Stars.

In addition to being named a Super Lawyer, Morgan Bentley received the distinction of being named one of the “Top 100” lawyers in Florida!

Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with independent research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis. The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel.

06/24/2021

Yesterday, Brian Goodrich was appointed Chair of the Audit Committee for the Safe Children Coalition, a non-profit community-based care provider of prevention, diversion, and child welfare services. Brian has served on the Board of Directors since November 2020. You can read more about the organization here: https://sccfl.org.

06/11/2021

Great work, Jennifer!

Dan Malasky, Chief Legal Officer of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was the guest speaker at today’s 2021 SCBA Annual Meeting. President Jennifer Grosso celebrated her first and only in-person membership meeting by posing with Dan, the Lombardi Trophy, members from the Bucs team, and Executive Director Holly Lipps. Guests also had an opportunity to get their photo taken with the Trophy. It was a touchdown win for all who attended!

05/21/2021

Congratulations to Brian Goodrich on receiving the AV Preeminent® Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®. It's the highest peer rating standard by Martindale-Hubbell that is given exclusively to attorneys who are ranked and reviewed for their ethical standards, communication skills, and legal expertise. Well done, Brian!

04/21/2021

Sarasota County residents can tap into $13 million in rent relief starting in May

Update on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program: Applications will be available beginning in early May. "Renters in the county earning at or below 80% of the area median income who are facing homelessness or housing instability because of impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and can document that impact may receive assistance."

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2021/04/21/sarasota-county-residents-can-apply-rental-relief-starting-may/7310173002/?fbclid=IwAR18m1fQuAf2o2PHbIYunAy8NcA233Etxa4YhoPRFUWGOetTlNJJh2GEF10

Qualified applications may have access to up to 12 months of back rent and utility bills, plus an additional three months of assistance.

04/19/2021

Florida House passes bills to expunge eviction records, which can have long-term effects

Interesting bill making its way through the Florida legislature.

"House Bill 1195 says a tenant who is a defendant in an eviction lawsuit could have their name removed from the records and that the records would be confidential and exempt from public records laws. The bill describes these exemptions as a 'public necessity' to allow tenants to find affordable housing across the state."

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/state/2021/04/16/florida-house-passes-bills-expunge-eviction-records-some/7187163002/

Two new bills that passed the Florida House seek to walk a line between public records and financial privacy.

04/13/2021

ABC7 News at 7 Roundtable Discussions - April 12, 2021: Part 2

Check out Amanda Kison's roundtable discussion about evictions which aired last night on ABC7 News:

https://www.mysuncoast.com/video/2021/04/13/abc-news-roundtable-discussions-april-part-2/

Live to VOD recordings of WWSB's newscast

04/12/2021

Tune in tonight to ABC -7 at 7 p.m. to hear Amanda Kison discuss the latest in evictions now that the moratorium has been extended and offer advice to both tenants and landlords to help make the situation better for both.

04/01/2021

FDLE investigation into termination of Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea is closed

Glad to assist our client in bringing this matter to an end.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/manatee/2021/04/01/florida-department-law-enforcement-closes-county-commission-investigation/4837957001/

State agency reports there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that any law was broken.

03/25/2021

Selby Gardens to Retain Property Tax Exemption

The firm is really happy to have been a part of the team that helped make this happen. The art groups, cultural institutions, and vibrant nonprofit community in Sarasota are a cornerstone of what makes this place special. https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/news-and-profiles/2021/03/selby-gardens-retains-property-tax-exemption

Selby Gardens president and CEO Jennifer Rominiecki called the decision an "overwhelming victory."

12/28/2020

ABC7 News at 7 Roundtable Discussions - December 23, 2020: Part 1

Amanda Kison appeared on ABC7's Roundtable Discussion on December 23 to talk about the pandemic evictions moratorium. Watch it here: https://www.mysuncoast.com/video/2020/12/23/abc-news-roundtable-discussions-december-part/

Live to VOD recordings of WWSB's newscast

11/30/2020

We are pleased to announce that Brian Goodrich has joined the board of directors of the Safe Children Coalition, which is a community coalition blending available resources to support, advocate, grow and educate the children and families they serve. Read about the organization here: https://sccfl.org

11/23/2020

Bentley Law

11/05/2020

We are pleased to announce that our firm has received rankings in the 2021 edition of U.S. News - Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” for the practice areas of Litigation – Real Estate, and Commercial Litigation. To be included in this list again is another great achievement for our lawyers. It isn’t just for one or two individuals, but the team as whole. Kevin and I are proud of our group, and we all strive to keep this going for years to come by taking on the difficult cases that need special attention.

10/23/2020

Thank you, Legal Aid of Manasota, Inc., for this spotlight on our firm's pro bono work.

Today we're excited to highlight another local legal firm that is deeply committed to pro bono work. Bentley & Bruning P.A. is a Sarasota-based business and commercial litigation law firm that also has pro bono participation from 100 percent of its attorneys. Legal Aid of Manasota and our clients are so lucky to work with this talented group, and we're happy we can share a little more about the firm and its values.

Read more: https://legalaidofmanasota.org/pro-bono-spotlight-bentley-bruning/

09/25/2020

Sarasota Attorney Amanda Kison Joins Board of the American Red Cross of Southwest Florida

https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/news-and-profiles/2020/09/sarasota-attorney-amanda-kison-joins-board-of-the-american-red-cross-of-southwest-florida

Kison's main responsibilities will be to serve as an ambassador for the organization.