Shutts & Bowen pushes deeper into Gulf Coast

SARASOTA — Shutts & Bowen, a Miami-based law firm with 250 attorneys across six statewide offices, is expanding to the Sarasota-Bradenton market.

The firm has combined with Sarasota-based Livingston, Patterson, Strickland & Siegel PA, co-founded by prominent local attorney and commercial litigator John Patterson, according to a release. Patterson is a former president of the Sarasota Bar Association and current president of the Florida Bar Foundation. His practice focuses on business, real estate and banking law. He's married to Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson.

In addition to Patterson, Shutts & Bowen's new Sarasota office includes Livingston Patterson partner Michael Siegel and associate John Ervin. Siegel's practice includes business, real estate, health care and employment law, the release states, while Ervin focuses on tax law, business law, estate planning and charitable organizations. Livingston Patterson partner John Strickland will continue his current matrimonial law practice in a separate law firm, John M. Strickland, PA, according to the release.