Tampa Attorneys

Chris A. Barker : Ryan Christopher Rodems : William J. Cook

Chris A. Barker, was born in Sheffield, Alabama, on July 24, 1965. He has been a member of the Bar of the State of Alabama since 1990, and the State of Florida since 1991. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida; and, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama and the Florida Circuit-Civil Mediator Society.

Mr. Barker has tried over 100 cases and final hearings in federal, state and workers' compensation courts and has handled numerous state and federal appeals. He has handled over 20 class actions involving various areas of law such as securities fraud, consumer protection, deceptive and unfair trade practices and products liability. He has also been honored with the highest possible rating of "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent, national directory of attorneys.

Mr. Barker was graduated from Birmingham-Southern College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1987) and the University of Alabama (J.D., 1990), where he was a member of Phi Alpha Delta. Mr. Barker has been listed in Who's Who in American Law; and in Who's Who in Finance and Industry. He was Editor-In-Chief of The Column-Legal Newspaper, 1989-1990 and Associate Editor, The Law and Psychology Review, 1988-1990. He was a Co-Author of Florida Practice Handbook, Damages, Volumes 1 and 2; Florida Practice Handbook, Settlement and Release, Contribution Indemnity with Forms; Florida Practice Handbook, Workers' Compensation With Forms, Volumes 1 and 2; and, Survey of State Class Action Law, American Bar Association, Litigation Section, 1999, and continuing current supplement. This last publication is now included within in the leading treatise on class action law, Newberg on Class Actions.

Mr. Barker has lectured on numerous topics including employment rights, law enforcement, personal injury settlements and ethical claims adjusting. He has also been certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Circuit Civil Mediator.

Mr. Barker is a sustaining member of the American Association for Justice (formerly ATLA), a member of the Florida Justice Association (formerly the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers), and a member of the American Bar Association. He is approved and recommended as counsel by the Center for Auto Safety in Washington, D.C. and is also a member of the National Crime Victim Bar Association.

In April of 2008, Mr. Barker was appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to serve on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, which assists the Governor in selecting qualified judges.

Ryan Christopher Rodems, was born in Buffalo, NewYork, on December 4, 1966 and moved to Lakeland, Florida in 1972. Mr. Rodems has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1992, and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida and before the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.

Since 1992, Mr. Rodems has represented clients in several class actions arising under ERISA and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. He has tried sixteen civil jury trials in federal and state courts, more than 25 non-jury trials and administrative hearings, and has handled numerous appeals in federal and state courts. Mr. Rodems has extensive experience in civil rights and has represented clients in lawsuits arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and other federal and state anti-discrimination laws. He has been awarded the highest possible rating of "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent, national directory of attorneys.

In 1989, Mr. Rodems was graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Business Administration. In 1992, he graduated from the Florida State University College of Law, where he was a member of the Florida State University Law Review from 1990-1992. In 1992, Mr. Rodems interned with then-Chief Justice Leander Shaw, of the Florida Supreme Court.

Mr. Rodems is a coauthor of two books, Florida Practice Handbook, Workers' Compensation with Forms, Volumes 1 and 2; and, Florida Practice Handbook, Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law. Mr. Rodems has lectured for the Florida Association of School Board Officers, November 5, 1993; the Hillsborough County Bar Association Public Law School, April 26, 1994; the National Safety Council, March 13, 1997; and the American Liver Foundation, Gulf Coast Chapter, "Why Hepatitis is of Concern to You and Your Business," January 1999. He has also lectured for Lorman Business Services, Inc., "Florida Legal Ethics," January 2000 and 2001.

Mr. Rodems has also served as an adjunct professor of Business Law at Hillsborough Community College. Mr. Rodems is a member of the Hillsborough County, the American Bar Association and the Florida Bar. He was a Barrister in the Justice William Glenn Terrell American Inn of Court, and previously served on the Board of Directors of the American Liver Foundation, Gulf Coast Chapter, and the Florida Liver Association. In 2007, Mr. Rodems was certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in Civil Trial Law.

William J. Cook, was born in Fairfax, Virginia on June 13, 1968. Mr. Cook has been admitted to the Florida Bar since 1993 and is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.

Since 1993, Mr. Cook has represented clients in cases involving commercial and employment disputes, securities litigation, insurance, personal injury, and consumer law. He has been awarded the highest possible rating of "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent national directory of attorneys. Mr. Cook is also listed in Who's Who in American Law.

Mr. Cook graduated from Virginia Tech (B.A., 1990) and Stetson University College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1993), where he was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Book Award in Business Associations, and a Finalist, Scribes National Note and Comment Competition, 1992-1993. He was also an editor with the Stetson Law Review, and interned for U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich, Middle District of Florida, 1993.

Mr. Cook has written several articles, including "From Insider Trading to Unfair Trading: Chestman II and Rule 14e-3," 22 Stetson L. Rev. 171, 1992 and "Getting Slam-Dunked on Appeal," The Hillsborough County Bar Association Lawyer, April 1998. He is a co-author of Florida Practice Handbook, Damages, 1995, and current supplement and Florida Practice Handbook, Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law, 1998.

Mr. Cook has lectured for the National Business Institute, "Insurance Law: Third Party Coverage in Florida", November, 1998, "Basic Tort Law for the Florida Paralegal," June, 1999, "Litigating the Class Action Lawsuit in Florida", October, 1999, and "Protecting the Legal Rights of Florida Citizens in Consumer Transactions," March, 2003. He has also lectured for Lorman Business Services, Inc., "Florida Legal Ethics," January, 2001.

Mr. Cook is a member of the Hillsborough County and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Member, Appellate Practice and Advocacy Section; Business Law Section). He is a Barrister with the Tampa Bay Inn of Court.

Mr. Cook is past president of the Rotary Club of Tampa Bay.