Independent lawyer rankingsEvery fact traceable to a sourcePayment never changes a ranking
LexRanked
Menu

Environmental

Top-Ranked Environmental 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 environmental lawyers in St. Augustine, Florida are Ellen Avery-Smith (LexRank 80.00), Richard Alan Barfield “Richard” (78.60) and James George Whitehouse (77.33).

This ranking lists 6 environmental 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 8 to 36 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

    Ellen Avery-Smith

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.9)

    Held back by

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

    Richard Alan Barfield “Richard”

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

    Verified
    • 36 years experience
    • Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.40 points behind #1, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.9)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)

    1.40 points behind #1 (Ellen Avery-Smith): Data quality −1.4.

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

  3. No change

    James George Whitehouse

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

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

    Ranks #3 with 77.33: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Reputation (4/20); held back by Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 1.27 points behind #2, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23)
    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.7)

    Held back by

    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 16.9)

    1.27 points behind #2 (Richard Alan Barfield “Richard”): Practice-area relevance −6.7.

  4. No change

    Paras J Desai “Paris”

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Bankruptcy · Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 63.58: strongest in Experience (24/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 13.75 points behind #3, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 24/30 (ranking avg 23)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 16.9)

    13.75 points behind #3 (James George Whitehouse): Experience −6, Reputation −4, Professional credentials −3.8.

  5. No change

    Anish Kanti Patel “Anish”

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

    Verified
    • 8 years experience
    • Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 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). 3.98 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.9)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 13.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Experience 9.6/30 (ranking avg 23)

    3.98 points behind #4 (Paras J Desai “Paris”): Experience −14.4.

  6. No change

    Shaun C. Saliba

    Independent practice · St. Augustine, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Eminent Domain · Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 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 #5, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 23)

    3.95 points behind #5 (Anish Kanti Patel “Anish”): Practice-area relevance −5, Professional credentials −3.8.

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 pages60 facts for 6 lawyers

Environmental market in St. Augustine

LexRanked tracks 6 lawyers in environmental 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
24.5 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 8 to 36 (median 24.5)
Languages besides English Gujarati (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 environmental as a practice area on record. It compares 6 environmental lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in environmental, 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

Florida gives citizens the right to sue to stop violations of environmental laws, after first filing a verified complaint and giving the agency 30 days to act.

Rule What it means
Citizen suits A citizen may sue for an injunction against anyone violating laws that protect Florida air, water and natural resources (Fla. Stat. § 403.412(2)(a))
Complaint first The citizen must first file a verified complaint with the responsible agency, which has 30 days to act (§ 403.412(2)(c))
Development order challenges A challenge that a development order is inconsistent with the comprehensive plan must be filed within 30 days after the order (§ 163.3215(3))
Property rights claims An owner whose property is inordinately burdened by a government action may seek compensation under the Bert J. Harris, Jr. Act (§ 70.001(2))
Bert Harris deadlines The claim must be presented within 1 year after the law is first applied, at least 90 days before suit, with an appraisal (§ 70.001(4)(a) and (11))
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

Can a citizen sue a polluter in Florida?

Yes. Under the Environmental Protection Act a citizen may seek an injunction against anyone violating laws that protect air, water and natural resources (section 403.412), after filing a verified complaint with the agency and giving it 30 days to act.

How long do I have to challenge a development approval?

30 days after the development order, or after local appeals are exhausted, for a challenge that it is inconsistent with the comprehensive plan (section 163.3215(3)).

What is a Bert Harris claim?

A claim for compensation when a specific government action inordinately burdens an existing use of real property (section 70.001). It must be presented within 1 year after the law is first applied and at least 90 days before suit, with an appraisal.

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: Ellen Avery-Smith, Richard Alan Barfield “Richard”, James George Whitehouse, Paras J Desai “Paris” and Anish Kanti Patel “Anish” and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Ellen Avery-Smith scores 80.00 and Richard Alan Barfield “Richard” 78.60, 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.

Explore