Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP Expands Boca Raton Office Through Merger with Pheterson & Bleau.

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP today announced its merger with the Law Offices of Pheterson & Bleau, which specializes in labor and employment law, business, executive contract work and negotiation, complex litigation, and administrative law. The merger strengthens Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs' presence in the South Florida legal market and positions the firm for future growth. The firm will continue to be known as Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs.

"The Boca Raton office of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs is one of the firm's fastest growing locations due to the growth of the region," said Nicholas T. George, president of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs. "The combination of our attorneys and staff with those of Pheterson & Bleau provides additional depth to the services we offer our clients - particularly in the areas of labor and employment law and complex litigation."

According to Jeffrey Pheterson, senior partner of Pheterson & Bleau, Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs offered the right combination of experience and capabilities to take the firm's labor and employment and complex litigation practice to the next level.

"The legal market has become increasingly competitive in South Florida," Pheterson said. "We knew that a merger was the appropriate strategy for us to enhance the level of services we provide to our clientele and further develop our areas of specialization. Our decision to merge with Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs was based upon the firm's growth and the extremely high quality of legal professionals in the Boca Raton office."

The following Pheterson & Bleau attorneys will join the Boca Raton office of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs as a result of the merger:

Jeffrey Pheterson, who joins Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs as shareholder, has practiced law for over 29 years in Florida. His primary area of focus is labor and employment law, but he also engages in legal counseling and, if required, litigation concerning a variety of matters including executive contract concerns, local governmental issues, business negotiations, healthcare law, and complex civil litigation. Pheterson has served as special counsel on many labor and employment matters. He is a member of the Board of Trustees and currently serves as Board Secretary to Bethesda Memorial Hospital, Inc. Through the law firm, he will remain an active member of the Executive Committee of the Corporate Partners Program of the Raymond F. Kravis Center for Performing Arts. He formerly was the Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Florida Bar, and is a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association, having served as its CLE Employment Law Committee Chair in 2002, and a member of the South Palm Beach County Bar Association.

Denise J. Bleau, who joins the firm as partner, has practiced law for over 19 years in Florida. Her primary area of focus is labor & employment law. Bleau also has an active practice in the areas of administrative and local government law, contract issues, real estate litigation, and complex civil litigation. She has served as special counsel on many labor and employment matters. Bleau, the former Mayor of Lantana, is a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association.

"We sought to merge with a law firm that would fill an important niche for the South Florida office but was also committed to our standards of excellence in client service and experience," said Michael Mopsick, managing partner of the Boca Raton office of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs. "We found that in Pheterson & Bleau and look forward to working with them to strengthen our South Florida office's employment and labor law practice."

About Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP

Since 1913, Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP has served individuals and businesses in virtually every industry and trade. We provide a full range of legal services to clients, from sole proprietors to multinational corporations, governmental bodies, foundations and public organizations. We understand what it takes to form and sustain supportive relationships with a focus on client goals.

Offices are located in Akron, Canton, Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio, and Boca Raton, Florida.

Areas of Focus: Alternate Dispute Resolution; Appellate; Bankruptcy; Business Law; Closely Held Companies; Commercial Law and Complex Litigation; Computer Law; Construction Law; Copyrights; Corporate Law; Creditors Rights; Criminal Law & Government Investigation; Employee Benefits; Environmental; Family Law; Finance Law; Franchise; Health Care; Health Personnel Immigration; Home Care Agencies; Hospice Care Programs; Hospitals & Health Systems; Immigration Law; Insurance Coverage; Insurance Defense; Insurance Providers; Intellectual Property; Labor and Employment Law; Land Use and Zoning; Litigation; Long-Term Care Providers; Medical Malpractice Defense; Mergers and Acquisitions; Non-Profit Organizations Law; Patents; Physicians and Physician Groups; Private Foundations; Probate; Public Law; Publicly Held Companies; Real Estate; School Law; Securities; Sports & Entertainment Law; Succession Planning; Taxation; Toxic Tort; Trademarks/Service Marks; Trade Secrets; Trial; Trust & Estate Planning; White Collar Defense; Workers' Compensation.