Jason Gaskill, 37

Jason Gaskill knows it sounds corny and cheesy, but he loves being a lawyer for the sake of a being a lawyer.

“We provide a valuable service that’s often misunderstood,” says Gaskill, who runs the Sarasota division of Adams and Reese, a New Orleans-based firm. “But our ability to advocate successfully for a client could mean the difference between success and failure for that client.”

Gaskill splits his time between overseeing the office, which has eight attorneys, and his own cases. On the supervision side, he’s a hands-off manager who promotes an open-door policy for other attorneys and associates. On his own cases, where many of his clients are businesses with patent applications or issues, Gaskill has a competitive streak. Says Gaskill: “I like the challenge of representing someone while applying the principles I learned in law school.”

Gaskill was born and raised in Iowa and graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa in 1999. He went to the University of Arizona for law school, and then worked for a few years at a law firm in Albuquerque, N.M. He returned to the Gulf Coast after a few years in the Southwest, and he was hired at Ruden McClosky. Adams and Reese took over Fort Lauderdale-based Ruden McClosky in 2010.

Married with two children, Gaskill says living in New Mexico was a unique experience, but he loves Sarasota. “I loved the food and the weather over there,” says Gaskill. “But I missed (living near) the water. And I missed the grass.”

— Mark Gordon

Q&A

City of residence: Sarasota

Birthplace: Clarion, Iowa

Marital status/children: Wife, Christina. Two children, Isabella and Alexander

Coolest business experience: Getting to see cutting-edge technologies and inventions before they are made known to the public.

The most important business lesson I’ve learned: Right or wrong, perception is often a person’s reality; therefore, it is important to understand the perceptions of both clients and adverse parties.

One website that makes your job easier: The United States Patent and Trademark Office: www.uspto.gov

Two people, dead or alive, you’d like to have dinner with: My paternal grandfather, whom I never met, and Nikola Tesla.

Favorite techno gadget: iPad with Bluetooth keyboard.

Who would play you in a movie about your life: Johnny Depp. Only because I’m pretty sure he can play anyone he wants to play.

If I had a magic wand I’d: Put an invisible bubble around my children that protects them physically and mentally throughout life.