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Jim Martin is a Florida business, real estate, and estate planning lawyer with over four decades of law practice experience.

He has achieved the highest lawyer ratings on Martindale, Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and Avvo.

Jim has written eight volumes of law books on business, real estate, and other areas of law, as well as articles published in national and Florida bar journals on Florida estate planning, real estate, and business entities law, and he has been a speaker at bar seminars and conventions.

And Jim is an adjunct professor of law at Stetson University College of Law, where he has taught contract drafting for more than a decade. Stetson Law inducted Jim into its Hall of Fame in 2013.

He served on the probate rules committee of The Florida Bar and as chair of the business law, real property law, and probate law sections of the St. Petersburg Bar Association.

Jim is also board certified in real estate law by The Florida Bar.

Experience

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Business

  • Advised clients in formation and maintenance of corporations, limited liability companies LLC, partnerships and other business entities, and litigation of their rights
  • Authored the first corporate practice legal forms book published by West in digital format
  • Taught law practice management at Stetson University College of Law as an Adjunct Professor of Law
  • Co-authored two additional business legal forms books for West


Real Estate

  • Represented sellers and buyers in negotiating, drafting, closing, and litigating Florida real estate matters
  • Drafted, analyzed and litigated easement agreements
  • Represented landlords and tenants in drafting, analyzing, negotiating, and litigating leases of office, commercial, and industrial real estate in Florida
  • Authored two real estate legal forms books for West
  • Board certified in real estate law by The Florida Bar

Contracts

  • Reviewed, drafted, negotiated or litigated hundreds of contracts in Florida
  • Authored two volumes of specialized legal forms and contracts for West
  • Taught contract drafting at Stetson University College of Law as an Adjunct Professor of Law

Estate Planning

  • Prepared hundreds of estate plans with wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, and living wills for Florida residents
  • Represented beneficiaries, trustees, creditors, and personal representatives in Florida probate estate and trust court proceedings
  • Advised Florida trusts and probate fiduciaries and beneficiaries regarding routine and complex real property law aspects of probate and trust administration

Nonprofits

  • Advised nonprofit organizations in formation and maintenance of museums, religious, cultural and other nonprofit functions
  • Authored West’s Nonprofit Organizations legal forms book for over twenty years

Profile

Jim Martin attended Georgia Tech and Stetson University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Stetson University and a Juris Doctor degree in Law from Stetson University College of Law.

In addition to over four decades of Law Practice Experience , Jim Martin’s work has included:

  • Teaching contract drafting and law practice management as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Stetson University College of Law for over 10 years
  • Being inducted into the Stetson University College of Law Hall of Fame
  • Writing eight volumes of legal forms books published by West on contracts, real estate, corporations, LLCs, partnerships, nonprofits, and specialized areas of law for 20 years, and editing Florida Jurisprudence Forms Legal and Business
  • Writing numerous articles on business, real estate, estate planning, and contracts law for national, state, and local bar publications
  • Speaking at numerous seminars for bar associations
  • Serving on the editorial board of The Practical Lawyer published by the American Law Institute – Continuing Legal Education
  • Serving on the probate rules committee of The Florida Bar
  • Serving as chair of the St. Petersburg Bar Association business law section, real property law section, and probate law section
  • Serving the Salvador Dali Museum for over 40 years as a founding trustee, secretary, and executive committee member
  • Serving as a St. Petersburg City Councilman, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Councilman, St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce board attorney, Florida Trust for Historic Preservation board member, and Leadership St. Pete and Leadership Tampa Bay board member
  • Becoming one of eight St. Petersburg lawyers who are board certified in real estate law by The Florida Bar

Jim Martin is admitted to practice by the Florida Supreme Court in all Florida courts. He is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, and the U.S Supreme Court.

Books

Articles

Legal Technology Articles Written by St. Petersburg, Florida Attorney James W. Martin