Jason has spent the majority of his 20-year legal career handling complex business and commercial litigation. Jason has been recognized by Best Lawyers of America 2010 and 2011 in three categories: Commercial Litigation, Construction Law and Bet-the-Company Litigation. Jason's style of litigation also earned him recognition in 2007 by Gulfshore Life Magazine in the area of complex litigation and as one of a highly select group of “Go-To Lawyers’’ and “A-List Advocates” in the five counties of Southwest Florida. He has served as counsel to many of Southwest Florida’s largest companies and wealthiest individuals in a host of business and complex litigation as well as arbitration and mediation.
Jason not only serves clients as a legal advisor, but also as a business counselor and has worked extensively with C-level executives, boards of directors and corporate general counsel in the design and execution of strategic and proactive business and litigation strategies that mitigate and manage risk. Jason consistently looks for creative solutions to solve complex problems. He focuses his practice in the areas of complex business and commercial litigation, including business and contractual disputes, construction and real estate disputes, employment-related disputes, probate and trust litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. He has represented clients in a wide variety of transactional disputes, with an emphasis on representing sophisticated businesses and high net worth individuals.
Jason began his distinguished legal career as a litigator in New York City representing large companies and healthcare providers in high-exposure tort claims and product liability claims. Prior to joining Cohen & Grigsby in 2003, Jason was a Partner at Cummings & Lockwood in Naples, Florida.
Jason is a Director of the firm and head of the firm’s Florida offices, and a member of the Litigation and Construction Practice Groups.
In 2009, the Collier County Education Foundation honored Jason with its annual "Men of Distinction" award, "recognizing men who have distinguished themselves through extensive charitable community service in Collier County, men whose fervent passion for helping others made, and continues to make, the community a better place."
Jason serves in numerous leadership roles in various civic, charitable and business organizations. One of his major strengths is the ability to lead, organize and implement the goals of the organization in which he is involved. His roles have included the following:
Through his involvement in community-based organizations, Jason has demonstrated initiative, leadership and integrity.
His past professional service to the local bar includes serving in leadership roles of numerous bar association related entities, including President of the American Inns of Court, Thomas S. Biggs Section (2004), President of the Trial Lawyers Section of the Collier County Bar Association (2003), and President of the Young Lawyers Section of the Collier County Bar Association (1997). Jason’s service to the legal community has been concentrated in the areas of ethics and professionalism. Indeed, one of his significant contributions to the Circuit bar involved the establishment of a code of professionalism and a peer review program for lawyers practicing in the Twentieth Judicial Circuit.
In 1996, the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court directed each Circuit to establish a Professionalism Committee and to coordinate professionalism activities within each respective Circuit. Thereafter, Jason was selected to become intimately involved in that initiative.
In 1998, Chief Judge Hugh Starnes appointed Jason to the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Committee on Professionalism. He thereafter served as Chair of the Subcommittee on Standards of Professionalism and was a principal drafter of the Standards of Professional Courtesy and Conduct for Lawyers Practicing in the Twentieth Judicial Circuit as well as The Peer Review Program of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit. Both were adopted in 2000 by Administrative Order of the Circuit. The Standards govern the conduct of all attorneys who practice in the Twentieth Judicial Circuit.
In 2000, Chief Judge William Blackwell appointed Jason to serve as Chair of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit’s Peer Review Committee. The Committee was established to improve the level of professional performance of lawyers in the Circuit. In doing so, it reviewed attorney conduct and determined whether such conduct was in compliance with the Standards. After completing his service as Chair, Jason remained a member of the Peer Review Committee until 2004.
In 2001, Jason was appointed by Chief Judge William Blackwell to serve a two-year term as the Twentieth Judicial Circuit’s Official Reporter and Liaison to the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.
In 2003, Chief Judge Hugh Hayes re-appointed Jason to that role for the Circuit. Also during 2003, Jason was appointed by The Florida Bar to begin serving a three-year term on the Bar’s Grievance Committee for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit, Collier County Section. He remained on the Committee until 2006.
Continuing with his dedication to the legal profession, from 2008 to 2009, Jason served as Chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit. In 2006, Florida Governor Jeb Bush appointed Jason to a four-year term on the Commission after he was nominated by The Florida Bar. The Commission’s role includes interviewing and screening judicial applicants when vacancies occur in the Florida courts and certifying qualified candidates to the Governor for appointment.
In addition to his involvement on a local level in the area of professionalism and ethics, Jason has also served on a state-wide level in that arena. In 1999, Jason was appointed by The Florida Bar to serve a three- year term on the Professional Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee is a standing committee of the Bar in charge of reviewing and publishing formal Florida Bar ethics opinions to guide bar members.
In 2002, Jason was re-appointed to serve a second three-year term. Due to term limits, his involvement concluded in 2005. However, in 2008 The Florida Bar once again appointed Jason to serve another three-year term on the Professional Ethics Committee.
Jason has served in leadership roles in a variety of other civic, charitable and bar-related organizations. His past community service includes serving as Chairman of the United Way of Culler County, being a member of the Celebration of Reading Host Committee of the Florida Family Literacy Initiative Volunteer USA Foundation, the Leadership Class of 2005 for the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Excellence in Industry Awards Committee of the Economic Development Council of Collier County.
Jason is a sought after speaker and presenter and has been featured at engagements throughout Southwest Florida. His most recent speaking engagements include: