Stephen C Watson Attorney

Add to Favorites

Employment Discrimination Attorneys, Accident & Property Damage Attorneys, Attorneys

Be the first to review!

Add Hours

17 Years

in Business

(863) 284-2200Visit WebsiteMap & Directions1 Lake Morton DrLakeland, FL 33801 Write a Review

More Info

Neighborhood: Downtown Lakeland
AKA: Watson Stephen C Atty
Other Link: http://gray-robinson.com/attorneys/detail/1132/StephenC-Watson
Categories: Employment Discrimination Attorneys, Accident & Property Damage Attorneys, Attorneys, Employee Benefits & Worker Compensation Attorneys, Labor & Employment Law Attorneys

Gallery

Be the first to add a photo!

Reviews

Hi there!
Be the first to review!

Click to Rate

Details

Phone: (863) 284-2200

Address: 1 Lake Morton Dr, Lakeland, FL 33801

Website: http://gray-robinson.com/attorneys/detail/1132/StephenC-Watson

People Also Viewed

View similar Employment Discrimination Attorneys

Suggest an Edit

Stephen C Watson Attorney

Child Support
Negotiating the appropriate amount and duration of child support and drafting Parenting Plans tailored to address the special needs of the child in family law cases
Child Custody and Visitation
GrayRobinson's litigation attorneys have extensive trial experience in complex marital and family law matters, including adoptions and stepparent adoptions, alimony, annulments, appeals, child custody, child support, child visitation, collaborative law, contempt and enforcement, declaratory relief/clarification (family law), dissolution of marriage, domestic violence injunctions, marital estate valuation, marital settlement agreements, modifications of child custody and visitation, modifications of child support and alimony, partition, paternity, pre-and postnuptial agreements, property distribution, qualified domestic relief orders, qualified medical child support orders, separate maintenance actions (legal separations), termination of parental rights, and time share and parenting plans.
Adoption
Paternity
Guardianship
GrayRobinson guardianship attorneys provide knowledgeable and experienced assistance in the area of guardianships. We can effectively and efficiently handle any guardianship situation which may arise. We assist our clients in establishing guardianships, filing required annual reports with the courts, petitions for permission in various situations and documents required to terminate a guardianship when it is no longer necessary.
Spousal Support
Legal Separation
Annulment

Criminal Defense
The GrayRobinson appellate and trial support practice group offers our clients the talents and skills of strong appellate advocacy counsel with experience in virtually every area of civil, administrative, and criminal law. In addition to handling appeals and original proceedings before state and federal appellate courts in and outside Florida, our appellate and trial support team works with trial lawyers from other law firms and at GrayRobinson to strategically manage litigation. We are also available to assist trial lawyers during trial to help preserve the record for appeal. If you have any questions, please reach out to the appellate and trial support team leader, Jack Reiter.
Wrongful Death
GrayRobinson's litigation attorneys are experienced in virtually all marine matters, including personal injury and wrongful death, hull and machinery claims, cargo disputes, charter party disputes, pollution incidents, groundings, collisions, explosions, fires and regulatory matters.
Fraud
Members of our criminal and white collar defense practice are also routinely called upon to handle matters involving securities fraud at the trial and appellate levels. We have represented corporate executives, mid-sized and major multi-million dollar businesses, in federal and state courts across the country. We have successfully represented clients in avoiding indictment and the prosecution of securities fraud offenses, as well as during lengthy jury trials.
White Collar Crimes
Commonly referred to as white collar crime, this area of the law has become a specialty for criminal defense attorneys. Indeed, navigating through the often confusing and complex maze of Federal and State laws and regulations surrounding business activities has become a primary focus for our firm.
Theft
Assault
Jury acquittal on all charges involving an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon requiring a 20-year minimum mandatory sentence if convicted. (10-20-life statues).
Forgery
GrayRobinson represents lending clients in commercial litigation, including banking software litigation, collections, mortgage and securities agreements, foreclosures, lender liability, title insurance claims defense prosecution of fraud, forgery and other matters involving deposit accounts, letters as well as in credit and wire transfers governed by the Uniform Commercial Code. We also assist our lending clients with litigation and defense of defamation suits involving both federal and state fair debt collection and reporting practices. We have defended financial institutions and other businesses from lender liability litigation, including class action litigation, usury claims, and "truth in lending" claims in both state and federal courts.
Money Laundering
Their practice concentrates on the defense of banking, bankruptcy, computer, health care, insurance, internet, mail, mortgage, pharmaceutical, real estate, securities, tax, telemarketing, wire and other types of fraud. Additionally, they defend clients charged with violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"), money laundering and "RICO" statutes, and most (if not all) common and unique criminal violations. They have successfully resolved clients' matters in the IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure program. Moreover, they have extensive experience in the defense of regulatory matters, and with Native American and gaming law. They also represent clients (businesses and individuals) involved in grand jury investigations. Mr. Hirschhorn and Mr. Bieber have successfully represented, by way of dismissals before trial, and acquittals by juries, numerous clients charged with serious criminal activity who were facing lengthy prison sentences if convicted.

Business and Corporate Law

Corporate Law
Representation on compliance matters also entails working with clients to structure programs to ensure compliance with shifting federal and state requirements, and advising boards on corporate governance and other compliance requirements.
Mergers and Acquisitions
GrayRobinson's mergers and acquisitions lawyers have developed a solid reputation for brokering multimillion-dollar deals, including the largest merger ever in Central Florida. We have counseled our clients through complex reorganizations, including mergers, spin-offs, consolidations, liquidations, and corporate or financial restructurings. Significant transactions have ranged in size from $1 million to $1.2 billion. The GrayRobinson team understands the various cycles of a growing business, from establishing an entity through the culmination of the venture. Our skilled mergers and acquisitions lawyers possess a broad range of experience across industries that few Florida law firms can offer.
Business Disputes
Business Transactions
We advise and defend clients facing complex ERISA litigation involving medical and disability benefits, fiduciary responsibility, prohibited transactions, retiree medical obligations, commercial transactions, and ERISA's preemption of state law. Working to maximize subrogation and reimbursement rights, we help clients navigate the unique standards of review that govern ERISA claim disputes and also manage disputes stemming from agreements between benefit plans and third party administrators, as well as nonparticipating provider claims.
Limited Liability Companies
The GrayRobinson corporate law attorneys have many years of combined legal experience in representing growing businesses and corporations. These attorneys assist our clients in the formation of the operating entities (whether corporations, limited liability companies, joint ventures, limited partnerships or foreign entities): the establishment of financing, licensing, franchising, merchandise supply and management arrangements, the negotiation and drafting of related documents. Our corporate lawyers are experienced general counsel to numerous publicly and privately held corporations and other business entities.
Construction Contracts
GrayRobinson's aviation attorneys have worked with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and local aviation authorities on a variety of matters. We have assisted clients in interpreting FAA regulations and obtaining building height variances and "no hazard" determinations, including negotiating flight approach procedures with the FAA and modifying county and municipal codes to clear zones for buildings along flight paths. We have extensive experience negotiating construction contracts for airport improvements (including a $2 billion expansion project).
Trade Secrets
Intellectual Property
GrayRobinson’s intellectual property lawyers includes attorneys registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and Florida Board Certified attorneys in Intellectual Property Law.
Unfair Competition
Most businesses have trade secrets and/or confidential proprietary business information which needs to be protected through the utilization of restrictive covenants, nondisclosure agreements and/or confidentiality agreements. GrayRobinson attorneys are well equipped to assist in protecting this vital information, which can be essential to a business’s success. Our professionals are well versed in unfair competition laws, non-competition and/or non-solicitation disputes as well as litigation under the Florida Trade Secrets Act and the Federal Defend Trade Secrets Act. We draft employment and independent contractor agreements containing all manner of restrictive covenants and confidentiality agreements narrowly tailored to each client’s specific needs. This area of practice often requires immediate and decisive action to protect a client’s interests. Because these matters often involve significant consequences, we are prepared to counsel and assist clients at a moment’s notice, including prosecuting or defending restrictive covenant and trade secret litigation throughout Florida.
Antitrust
State and federal antitrust and trade regulation laws are designed to protect competition, consumers and the economy by prohibiting unfair and anticompetitive practices. Antitrust and trade regulation laws have a profound impact on virtually all industries and every level of business, including manufacturing, transportation, distribution, advertising and marketing.

Workers Compensation
Our attorneys have negotiated and drafted nearly every type of reinsurance agreement, including diverse types of property and casualty quota share, excess of loss, and facultative agreements, managing general agency and managing general underwriter agreements, reinsurance intermediary agreements, retrocessional agreements, property surplus share agreements, loss portfolio transfer reinsurance agreements, workers' compensation and occupational accident reinsurance contracts, and life reinsurance agreements.
Wrongful Termination
GrayRobinson attorneys have extensive experience in all aspects of securities and financial services industry litigation, arbitration, and regulatory proceedings. We regularly represent both public and private companies, banks, issuers, underwriters, broker-dealers, investment advisors and their respective officers, directors, and registered representatives in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration proceedings administered by a wide variety of arbitration organizations including the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE), National Futures Association (NFA), American Stock Exchange (AMEX), American Arbitration Association (AAA), Pacific Stock Exchange (PSE) and the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS). Over the years, we have tried and arbitrated cases involving a multitude of different investment products and services that extend far beyond disputes over conventional investments such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Lawyers in our group have litigated and arbitrated cases involving limited partnerships, private equity, collateralized debt/loan obligations, promissory notes, leveraged exchange-traded funds, hedge funds and funds of hedge funds, auction rate securities, commodities and futures trading, options trading, restricted securities, concentrated stock positions and numerous other alternative investment products and strategies. We have also litigated and arbitrated selling away cases and defended clients against charges of churning, unauthorized trading, inadequate due diligence, undisclosed conflicts of interest, unauthorized margin liquidations, order execution failures, unregistered securities sales, unsuitable recommendations/advice, overconcentration, market manipulation, exploitation, failure to hedge, raiding, wrongful termination, discrimination, defamation and alleged whistleblower law violations. We apply this experience not just in litigation and arbitration proceedings, but also in investigations and administrative actions initiated by the SEC, FINRA, bank regulators and state regulatory agencies.
Employment Discrimination
GrayRobinson has extensive experience in management labor and employment law, including discrimination claims under Title VII (race, sex, color, creed, national origin); the Age Discrimination in Employment Act: the Americans with Disabilities Act, related state law and local ordinances; equal pay; age, and hour matters under the Fair Labor Standards Act and other related government contractor matters and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.
Employment Contract
Has considerable experience in both drafting and counseling clients about policies, handbooks, employment contracts, confidentiality and trade secret agreements, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements.
Employment Litigation
Our Exempt Organizations team of attorneys at GrayRobinson have considerable experience advising not-for-profit and tax-exempt organizations. In addition to addressing taxation and general corporate issues, intellectual property and labor and employment issues, our attorneys provide the necessary guidance to support the development of each organization's vision.
Sexual Harassment
The ever-evolving federal regulation of Title IX sexual harassment has caused confusion in the higher education community and requires a significant amount of legal work to establish compliant policies. We can assist colleges and universities with...

Real Estate Litigation
In negotiating and documenting agreements for real property sales or acquisition, development and infrastructure, GrayRobinson's real estate attorneys provide the sophisticated business person, landowner or developer a team that enables the client to steer a clear course to "make the project happen." Our real estate attorneys also handle a vast array of title insurance and real estate litigation issues that can arise in this complex area.
Construction Litigation
Our construction attorneys bring together more than a century of collective experience. The GrayRobinson construction law team is one of the largest construction law firm departments in Florida and has litigated hundreds of millions of dollars in construction disputes ranging from simple construction lien disputes to major public and private works and facilities projects throughout the state.
Real Estate Transactions
Our real estate attorneys handle all types of commercial and residential real estate transactions. We represent developers and landowners in the acquisition, development, sale and leasing of major industrial and commercial projects, industrial parks, office complexes, condominiums, apartments, subdivisions, office and other developments.
Eminent Domain
GrayRobinson's eminent domain and condemnation attorneys have handled thousands of eminent domain law cases on behalf of our public and private clients. Our Florida eminent domain attorneys have represented owners from the Panhandle to the Florida Keys. While we primarily represent property owners, our experience "on the other side of the fence" (representing condemning authorities) gives our eminent domain law team insight into the issues and concerns that are considered by a taking authority in compensating our clients. As a result, in many instances we are able to present the property owner’s case in a manner that the taking authority better understands, appreciates, and can justify. This is particularly true in providing the justification necessary for substantial settlements for property owners. Our attorneys are prepared to handle every stage of your case.
Easement
Land Use and Zoning
GrayRobinson’s hospitality lawyers are recognized internationally for advising developers, owners and operators of hotel, resort and club properties, as well as governments and financial institutions on their involvement within the hospitality industry. The firm's hospitality lawyers have a long-standing history of providing legal services to its hospitality industry clients on cutting-edge legal, development, finance, permitting, management and operational issues. The foregoing requires a broad array of experience from a number of legal disciplines such as residential, resort and club, corporate, real estate, zoning and land use, construction, environmental, banking and finance, alcohol beverage, restaurant, labor and employment, and government relations and lobbying to name a few. In this context, the firm’s attorneys work together as a multidisciplinary team to anticipate legal issues and provide strategic advice in advance of and during development structuring, agreement drafting, negotiation and implementation.
Landlord-Tenant Disputes
Bankruptcy is not only an area of specialization within the practice of law: it is also a forum uniquely suited to resolve many complex business disputes in a fast, efficient and fair manner. Disputes pertaining to corporate governance, misappropriation of business assets, landlord-tenant disputes, insurance coverage and other forms of sophisticated litigation can often be resolved most rapidly in bankruptcy court. While our litigators are experienced in all courts in the State of Florida, we have litigated complex disputes in every Florida division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court as well as many bankruptcy courts throughout the country.
Property Damage
The firm has experience handling legal issues and litigation involving yachts, smaller commercial and pleasure boats, and personal watercrafort From defending and enforcing maritime lien claims to handling property damage and personal injury litigation, our maritime lawyers have the experience needed to deal with the maritime legal issues confronting yacht and smallboat owners.
Condominium Law
Represented a national bank and several other secured creditors in three major condominium development failures, which subsequently filed for Chapter 11 and in each occasion, the secured creditor received a full recovery on its secured claim.

Immigration Law

Citizenship and Naturalization

Personal Injury
GrayRobinson maritime attorneys provide experienced representation in defending marine insurers and their insureds. Whether the case involves defending the insured in maritime personal injury litigation, rendering a coverage opinion or defending the insurer in coverage litigation, we have the knowledge and resources to meet the needs of the marine insurance industry.
Medical Malpractice
GrayRobinson's medical malpractice defense litigation attorneys have significant experience defending health care providers in a wide range of cases. From presuit screening through trial on the merits, we provide health care practitioners with advice that draws upon our years of experience.
Medicaid Planning
Dedicated to serving our community and improving the quality of life for our fellow Floridians, GrayRobinson’s elder law attorneys and Medicaid planning attorneys matches their well-known experience and talent with the commitment to meet the needs and expectations of our clients.

Trusts and Estates

Estate Planning
The firm's comprehensive, personal approach to planning provides clients with the peace of mind that their goals for their assets will be accomplished. Our wealth transfer attorneys ensure that family members' needs are met and that assets are protected, maximized and managed professionally. Through sophisticated estate planning, we work to reduce potential tax burdens and ensure smooth transition of wealth in even the most complex situations.
Wills
GrayRobinson’s probate and trust litigation group assists fiduciaries (including trustees, executors and personal representatives), beneficiaries and other parties in avoiding and resolving complex estate and trust controversies, including disputes involving sophisticated legal and tax issues. We dedicate our diverse talents to helping our clients prevent and analyze problems, evaluate options and achieve efficient dispute resolution at trial, mediation and settlement. We offer frank advice and get clear results. To that end, we are proficient in the substantive law, skilled at the rules, and effective in trial. We are trusted and recognized in councils and courtrooms throughout the State. Our experience includes issues arising from will contests, breach of trust, elective share disputes, guardianships, fiduciary conflicts of interest, formation, modification and termination of trusts, prudent investor rules, accounting controversies, fee disputes, agency under powers of attorney, and disputed claims. Our clients include banks, individuals and families.
Trusts
GrayRobinson trust attorneys have extensive experience in estate planning and probate. Attorneys on the team are certified by The Florida Bar in Tax, as well as Wills, Trusts and Estates and several other lawyers are certified public accountants.
Power of Attorney
Probate

Bankruptcy
Foreclosure
On the commercial side of the ledger, our maritime lawyers are experienced in representing both lenders and purchasers financing, documenting secured interests, and foreclosing on vessel mortgages. This experience ranges from small pleasure boats to oceangoing ships. Our transactional assistance is provided with an eye toward protecting the rights of the lender or owner through thorough evaluation of liens, marine insurance issues, and appropriate surveys and valuation assessment. Our foreclosure cases have involved numerous seizures by the U.S. Marshals Service, litigation of the merits of the mortgage or other lien claim and ultimate sale of the vessels by the U.S. Marshals Service after entry of judgment.
Tax Law
The GrayRobinson tax attorneys have extensive experience in virtually all aspects of tax law, with a focus on the taxation of corporations, partnerships and tax exempt organizations. We advise clients on the most tax-efficient means (while addressing necessary business considerations) of forming operating entities and structuring reorganizations, financing arrangements, acquisitions and dispositions and incentive arrangements.
Debt Collection

View All Services

Provided by