Sarasota law firm Nelson Hesse to shut down

SARASOTA — Nelson Hesse, one of the oldest law firms in Sarasota, is shutting down and its three attorneys have taken senior partner positions at Kirk-Pinkerton, another prominent firm.

The attorneys, Steven Herb, Gary Peal and Robert Robinson, started work at Kirk-Pinkerton Oct. 1, says Kirk-Pinkerton CEO Bill Robertson. Nelson Hesse, founded in 1955, is winding down all its cases, and will shut down for good later this year. Kirk-Pinkerton, founded in 1926, now has 15 attorneys.

“Since it was founded in 1955, Nelson Hesse has always been one of the preeminent law firms in Southwest Florida, and we're thrilled to bring Gary, Rob and Steve on board,” Robertson says in a statement. “Each of them is a leader in their fields, and their decision to join Kirk-Pinkerton gives our firm an in-house expertise no one in the area can match.”

The three new attorneys work in multiple specialties, including real estate law; corporate law; tax law; estate planning; land-use decisions; personal injury law; commercial litigation; criminal law; and government relations. Herb has been with Nelson Hesse since 1979 and Peal joined the firm in 1988. Robinson joins Kirk-Pinkerton after a 13-year tenure as city attorney for the City of North Port and nine years with Nelson Hesse, according to the statement.

“As senior partner at Nelson Hesse, I would only consider combining our talent with an equally well respected law firm, and Kirk-Pinkerton certainly fits that requirement,” Herb says in the release.