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Eminent Domain

Top-Ranked Eminent Domain Lawyers in St. Augustine, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.26 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked eminent domain lawyers in St. Augustine, Florida are Richard K. Thibault (LexRank 78.80), James George Whitehouse (77.33) and Edward L Nowak (75.00).

This ranking lists 6 eminent domain lawyers in St. Augustine, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 4 to 54 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
6
Fully verified
6 of 6

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Richard K. Thibault

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

    Verified
    • 24 years experience
    • Eminent Domain
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 78.80: strongest in Experience (28.8/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 19.6)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.2)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
  2. No change

    James George Whitehouse

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Eminent Domain · Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 77.33: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Reputation (4/20); held back by Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 1.47 points behind #1, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 19.6)
    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.7)

    Held back by

    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 17.2)

    1.47 points behind #1 (Richard K. Thibault): Practice-area relevance −6.7.

  3. No change

    Edward L Nowak

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

    Verified
    • 54 years experience
    • Eminent Domain · Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 75.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20). 2.33 points behind #2, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 19.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)

    2.33 points behind #2 (James George Whitehouse): Reputation −4.

  4. No change

    Christopher C Bucalo

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

    Verified
    • 8 years experience
    • Eminent Domain
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 59.60: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (9.6/30). 15.40 points behind #3, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.2)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Experience 9.6/30 (ranking avg 19.6)

    15.40 points behind #3 (Edward L Nowak): Experience −20.4.

  5. No change

    Shaun C. Saliba

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Eminent Domain · Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 55.65: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (14.4/30). 3.95 points behind #4, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

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

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 19.6)

    3.95 points behind #4 (Christopher C Bucalo): Practice-area relevance −5, Professional credentials −3.8.

  6. No change

    Anthony Marius Timis

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

    Verified
    • 4 years experience
    • Eminent Domain
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 54.80: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (4.8/30). 0.85 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.2)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Experience 4.8/30 (ranking avg 19.6)

    0.85 points behind #5 (Shaun C. Saliba): Experience −9.6.

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 · 6 profile pages62 facts for 6 lawyers

Eminent Domain market in St. Augustine

LexRanked tracks 6 lawyers in eminent domain law in St. Augustine, Florida. 6 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
6
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
6 of 6
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
18 years6 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 St. Augustine

What sets these St. Augustine lawyers apart

Every lawyer in this ranking has a The Florida Bar license verified as eligible to practice, and every fact shown links to its source. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 6 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 4 to 54 (median 18)
Languages besides English Romanian (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a St. Augustine office address and eminent domain as a practice area on record. It compares 6 eminent domain lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in eminent domain, so the practice area is the one each lawyer lists on their Florida Bar profile, which The Florida Bar does not review. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

In Florida, a government that takes private property must pay full compensation, and it also pays the owner's attorney fees and reasonable expert costs.

Rule What it means
Full compensation Private property may be taken only for a public purpose and with full compensation to each owner (Fla. Const. art. X, § 6)
Presuit offer The condemning authority must negotiate in good faith and make a written offer, and the owner gets at least 30 days to respond before suit (Fla. Stat. § 73.015(1))
Who pays the costs The condemning authority pays the owner's attorney fees and reasonable defense costs, including appraisal fees (§ 73.091(1))
Fee formula Fees are based on the benefit achieved over the last written offer: 33% of the first $250,000, 25% from $250,000 to $1 million and 20% above $1 million (§ 73.092(1))
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit St. Johns County is in Florida's Seventh 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.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

Who pays my lawyer if the government takes my property?

The condemning authority does. It pays attorney fees under section 73.092 and reasonable defense costs, including appraisal fees (section 73.091).

How are attorney fees calculated in a Florida eminent domain case?

On the benefit achieved: the difference between the final result and the last written offer before you hired the lawyer. The fee is 33% of the first $250,000, 25% of the part between $250,000 and $1 million and 20% above $1 million (section 73.092).

How long do I have to respond to a written offer?

At least 30 days before the condemning authority may file suit (section 73.015(1)(b)). You may also request a copy of the appraisal the offer is based on.

Which court handles cases in St. Augustine?

State court cases in St. Johns County are heard in Florida's Seventh 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?

6 of the 6 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Richard K. Thibault, James George Whitehouse, Edward L Nowak, Christopher C Bucalo and Shaun C. Saliba and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Richard K. Thibault scores 78.80 and James George Whitehouse 77.33, a gap of 1.47 points, mostly in practice-area relevance. 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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