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Top-Ranked Business Lawyers in Orlando, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.211 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked business lawyers in Orlando, Florida are David Hollingsworth Simmons (LexRank 88.00), Howard Scott Marks (86.60) and Andrew Patrick Lannon (85.60).

This ranking lists 11 business lawyers in Orlando, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 11 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Business Litigation by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 12 to 48 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
11
Fully verified
11 of 11

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    David Hollingsworth Simmons

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 48 years experience
    • Business
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 88.00: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Experience (30/30).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 5.1)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.4)
  2. No change

    Howard Scott Marks

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 38 years experience
    • Business
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 86.60: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Experience (30/30). 1.40 points behind #1, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 5.1)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.4)

    1.40 points behind #1 (David Hollingsworth Simmons): Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  3. No change

    Andrew Patrick Lannon

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Business
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 85.60: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Data quality (10/10). 1.00 points behind #2, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 5.1)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    1.00 points behind #2 (Howard Scott Marks): Experience −2.4.

  4. No change

    Gary S. Salzman

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 38 years experience
    • Business
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.60 points behind #3, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 5.1)

    1.60 points behind #3 (Andrew Patrick Lannon): Reputation −4.

  5. No change

    Michael Joseph Furbush

    Dean Mead · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 30 years experience
    • Business
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 5.1)
  6. No change

    Douglas Keith Gartenlaub

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 32 years experience
    • Business
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 5.1)
  7. No change

    Thomas Todd Pittenger

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 38 years experience
    • Business
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 5.1)
  8. No change

    David Eric Cannella

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 33 years experience
    • Business
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.40 points behind #7, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.4)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 5.1)

    1.40 points behind #7 (Thomas Todd Pittenger): Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  9. No change

    Scott Randall Rost

    Brennan, Manna & Diamond, PL · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 37 years experience
    • Business
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.4)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 5.1)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  10. No change

    Timothy William Sobczak

    Dean Mead · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 16 years experience
    • Business
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #10?

    Ranks #10 with 73.20: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (19.2/30). 9.40 points behind #9, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 5.1)
    • Experience 19.2/30 (ranking avg 27.4)

    9.40 points behind #9 (Scott Randall Rost): Experience −10.8.

  11. No change

    Jeffrey Michael Partlow

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Business
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #11?

    Ranks #11 with 67.00: strongest in Local relevance (5/5) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (14.4/30). 6.20 points behind #10, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 20)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 5.1)
    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 27.4)

    6.20 points behind #10 (Timothy William Sobczak): Experience −4.8, Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 11 profile pages129 facts for 11 lawyers

Business market in Orlando

LexRanked tracks 11 lawyers and 2 law firms in business law in Orlando, Florida. 11 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
11
Law firms
2
Verified professional data
11 of 11
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
33 years11 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Orlando

What sets these Orlando lawyers apart

All 11 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Business Litigation by The Florida Bar, which only about one in twenty Florida lawyers achieves in any field. Florida Bar board certification requires at least five years of practice, substantial involvement in the field, peer review by other lawyers and judges, continuing legal education and a written exam, and it must be renewed every five years. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 11 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Business Litigation 11 of 11
Years in practice 12 to 48 (median 33)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law (4 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Orlando office address and business as a practice area on record. It compares 11 business lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Florida gives five years to sue on a written contract and four on an oral one.

Rule What it means
Written contract 5 years to sue (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(2)(b))
Oral contract 4 years to sue (§ 95.11(3))
Deceptive trade practices The Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (ch. 501, part II)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Orange County is in Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to sue for breach of contract in Florida?

5 years for a written contract and 4 years for an oral one.

What does a business litigation lawyer do?

Represents companies and owners in disputes such as contract breaches, partnership and shareholder conflicts and unfair competition, in court or arbitration.

What does Board Certified in Business Litigation mean?

It is a credential from The Florida Bar for lawyers with substantial experience in the field who have passed peer review and a written exam. 11 of the 11 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in Orlando?

State court cases in Orange County are heard in Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

11 of the 11 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: David Hollingsworth Simmons, Howard Scott Marks, Andrew Patrick Lannon, Gary S. Salzman and Michael Joseph Furbush and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

David Hollingsworth Simmons scores 88.00 and Howard Scott Marks 86.60, a gap of 1.40 points, mostly in data quality. Compare them side by side

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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