Attorneys

James L. Essenson, a native of New York City, is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of New York University, Washington Square College of Arts and Sciences, a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Law, receiving his Juris Doctor degree in 1977. He is a member of the Florida Bar, the Sarasota County Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the Erie County Bar Association. Mr. Essenson is also admitted to practice in New York, the Federal District Courts for the Western District of New York and the Middle District of Florida, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Barbara J. Welch, a native of Sarasota, graduated Cum Laude from the University of Central Florida before receiving her Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law in 1998. Ms. Welch, who has been with the firm since 2003, is a member of the Florida Bar and the Sarasota County Bar Association, and is also admitted to practice in Massachusetts and in the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Holly C. Keith grew up on Anna Maria Island. She is proud of her local roots, having graduated from Manatee High School and New College of Florida. Holly majored in Foreign Languages in her undergraduate studies: French, Spanish, and Ancient Greek; and she enjoys communicating directly to French and Spanish speaking clients. She was recognized as a Miami Scholar at University of Miami School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor. Holly has been a practicing member of the Florida Bar since 2014.

Matthew J. Kelly, a native of New York, has lived in Sarasota for 17 years. After graduating from the University of South Florida, he received his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law in 2014, where he competed as a member of Stetson’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Team, and received the Victor O. Wehle Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy. Mr. Kelly, who has been with the firm since 2013, is a member of the Florida Bar and the Sarasota County Bar Association, and is also admitted to practice in the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida.