Icard Merrill

Robert E. Messick

Shareholder   ||   At Icard Merrill Since 1980

Robert E. Messick is a shareholder of the firm who primarily practices in the areas of Real Estate, Commercial Land Development, Banking and Commercial Transactional Law. Mr. Messick’s practices focuses on representing developers and commercial lenders.

REAL ESTATE

Mr. Messick has focused his practice to the representation of clients in real estate transactions, including drafting of contracts, completing due diligence, closing land acquisition, commercial and residential properties, as well as purchase and sales transactions involving properties for development purposes. Mr. Messick also practice in commercial landlord/tenant transactions including the negotiation and preparation of leases for his clients focusing in developer/landlord transactions. Mr. Messick continues a specialized litigation practice in Creditor Bankruptcy Rights as they relate to real estate interests and commercial transactions. His representative developer and corporate clients include Buchanan Automotive Holdings Group, Inc., Gibraltar Homes, Sarasota 500, Inc., d/b/a Sarasota Ford, and WG Mills, Inc.

In connection with his real estate practice, Mr. Messick is an approved Title Agent for Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, TICOR Title Insurance Company, Chicago Title Insurance Company, Attorneys' Title Insurance Fund, Inc., First American Title Insurance Company, Lawyers Title Insurance Company, and Stewart Title Guaranty Company.

BANKING AND LENDING

Mr. Messick has devoted a substantial portion of his practice to representing clients in real property, commercial, and asset-based lending matters. He represents lenders in both commercial and real estate-based loan transactions. Representative banking clients include Wachovia Bank, N.A., Colonial Bank, N.A., Orion Bank, M&I Bank, Sabal Palm Bank, Synovus Bank of Tampa Bay, Fifth Third Bank, AmSouth Bank, Regions Bank, The Bank of Commerce, Whitney Bank and Community Bank of Manatee.

HISTORY

Mr. Messick previously practiced with the law firm of Loud, Watts & Murnan in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, for the period from September 1979 through September 1980. After leaving St. Thomas Mr. Messick joined Icard Merrill in fall 1980 as an associate attorney and was made a shareholder in 1988.

DISTINCTIONS AND AWARDS

Mr. Messick is a member of the Bar of the District Court of the United States Virgin Islands, Division of St. Thomas and St. John, since March 1980, and a member of the Florida Bar since January 1981. He is admitted to practice in all of the Courts in the State of Florida, to the United States District Court of the Virgin Islands, Division of St. Thomas and St. John, and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He is also admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits. He is a member of the Sarasota County Bar Association, as well as the American Bar Association and the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Mr. Messick serves on the Board of Trustees for Mote Marine Laboratory and is the current chairman of its Advisory Council. He also is active in the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and has been a Trustee of the Chamber for the past five years. He currently serves as the Division Chair for Membership Services and Benefits and as a member of the Finance Committee. In 2004, 2005 and 2006 he was awarded the presidential award from Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company for exceptional service and dedication to his clientele.

EDUCATION

Mr. Messick earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida, College of Law, with honors in August 1979 and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Florida, with honors in March 1975. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society at the University of Florida

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