Over the past four and one-half decades, Johnson Pope has been committed to helping our business clients seize opportunities and solve problems in a high quality, timely and cost-effective manner. Many of our attorneys are business owners themselves and that experience sets us apart and allows us to assist our business clients with a greater understanding of the path they are walking.
Johnson Pope’s first office was opened in Clearwater 45 years ago, started by young entrepreneurial attorneys who saw the business opportunity of an underserviced legal market in Pinellas County. Johnson Pope Tampa opened its office 36 years ago, and over 20 of our 70 lawyers are based in Tampa. Our other offices in Clearwater and St. Petersburg are of similar size and strength. Regardless of the office or legal practice area, our lawyers work together as a team to produce superior results for our clients.
Throughout our 45-year history, the firm has consistently focused on having the best attorneys in the areas of practice most critical to business clients – tax, corporate law, securities and capital formation, intellectual property, as well as, real estate and land use, health care, and business litigation. The firm’s depth of talent and experience allows us to provide new or existing clients the team they need at all critical points in the business-life-cycle.
The growth of Tampa, particularly the downtown renaissance, is an exciting time. Johnson Pope will continue to guide new and existing clients through their growth and prosperity throughout the Tampa Bay area and beyond.
The firm’s depth of talent and experience allows us to provide new or existing clients the team they need at all critical points in the business-life-cycle.
ONE CLIENT’S INNOVATION STORY
Patrick Traber, a partner with Johnson, Pope, Bokor, Ruppel & Burns, LLP, helps focus the firm’s efforts and involvement in the innovation and technology community in Tampa. Patrick and the firm are constant champions and connectors for their clients. Each has a unique story to tell, like Kaercher Family Farms, an urban farming company located in Largo, Florida.
The vision for Kaercher Family Farms came unexpectedly. Matthew Kaercher, the owner of the urban hydroponics farm, was with his family at Epcot. As Disney season pass holders, this was a regular family outing until one day, the adventure took them down a boat guided tour through greenhouses and according to Kaercher, something just clicked when he realized he could build something very similar. He recalls, “I would build hydroponic systems and then tear them down after I ran it through the season and then build a new system until I knew I was onto something sustainable.”
And a little over one year later, that vision has become a reality. Kaercher Family Farms is up, running and thriving. The farm started growing microgreens and then added many varieties of lettuce according to the needs and wants of local chefs.
With the sudden growth pattern, Kaercher inquired to friends about legal guidance and was put in touch with Patrick Traber, which was a natural fit from the beginning. Patrick’s experience with startups and capital raising enabled him to assist his new client with some basics when starting a new business. Patrick functions as an outside general counsel and strategic advisor.
The future looks bright for Kaercher Family Farms as they are developing the property and bringing in European automation and robotics to alleviate the burden of tiresome labor. By the end of this year, the implementation of this cutting-edge technology will be the first of its kind in Florida – and allow the Kaercher Family Farms to efficiently increase its productivity.
