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Appellate

Top-Ranked Appellate Lawyers in St. Petersburg, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.210 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked appellate lawyers in St. Petersburg, Florida are John Andrew Crawford “Andrew” (LexRank 84.40), Robert Erich Biasotti “Bob” (84.00) and Shannon McLin “Shannon” (84.00).

This ranking lists 10 appellate lawyers in St. Petersburg, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 10 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Appellate Practice by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 12 to 39 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
10
Fully verified
10 of 10

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    John Andrew Crawford “Andrew”

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 22 years experience
    • Appellate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 84.40: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Experience (26.4/30).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
    • Experience 26.4/30 (ranking avg 25.8)
  2. No change

    Robert Erich Biasotti “Bob”

    The Florida Appellate Firm, P.A. · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Appellate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20). 0.40 points behind #1, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 25.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    0.40 points behind #1 (John Andrew Crawford “Andrew”): Reputation −4.

  3. No change

    Shannon McLin “Shannon”

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 33 years experience
    • Appellate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 25.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
  4. No change

    Scot Eliot Samis “Scot”

    Traub, Lieberman, Straus & Shrewsberry · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 39 years experience
    • Appellate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 25.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
  5. No change

    Brandon Stuart Vesely

    The Florida Appellate Firm, P.A. · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 32 years experience
    • Appellate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 25.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
  6. No change

    Timothy Wayne Weber

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 30 years experience
    • Appellate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 25.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
  7. No change

    Christine Riley Davis

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 24 years experience
    • Appellate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 82.80: strongest in Experience (28.8/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.20 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 25.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    1.20 points behind #6 (Timothy Wayne Weber): Experience −1.2.

  8. No change

    Christopher Ryan Jones

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Appellate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 78.00: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20). 4.80 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 10)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    4.80 points behind #7 (Christine Riley Davis): Experience −4.8.

  9. No change

    DeeAnn Julia McLemore

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Appellate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 68.40: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (14.4/30). 9.60 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 10)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 25.8)

    9.60 points behind #8 (Christopher Ryan Jones): Experience −9.6.

  10. No change

    Shannon Leigh Troutman

    The Florida Appellate Firm, P.A. · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Appellate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #10?

    Ranks #10 with 68.40: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (14.4/30).

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 10)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 25.8)

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 · 10 profile pages110 facts for 10 lawyers

Appellate market in St. Petersburg

LexRanked tracks 10 lawyers and 2 law firms in appellate law in St. Petersburg, Florida. 10 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
10
Law firms
2
Verified professional data
10 of 10
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
26.5 years10 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. Petersburg

What sets these St. Petersburg lawyers apart

All 10 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Appellate Practice 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 10 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Appellate Practice 10 of 10
Years in practice 12 to 39 (median 26.5)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Stetson University College of Law (6 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a St. Petersburg office address and appellate as a practice area on record. It compares 10 appellate lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

A notice of appeal must be filed within 30 days of the order being appealed, and Florida's six district courts of appeal hear most appeals from the trial courts.

Rule What it means
Notice of appeal Filed with the clerk of the lower tribunal within 30 days of rendition of the order (Fla. R. App. P. 9.110(b))
Initial brief Served within 70 days of filing the notice of appeal (Rule 9.110(f))
Answer and reply briefs Answer brief 30 days after the initial brief; reply brief 30 days after the answer brief (Rule 9.210(g))
Rehearing Motion for rehearing or clarification within 15 days of the court's decision (Rule 9.330(a))
Florida Supreme Court Discretionary review is invoked by a notice filed within 30 days of the district court's decision (Rule 9.120(b))
Appellate courts Six district courts of appeal, each covering contiguous judicial circuits (Fla. Stat. § 35.01)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Pinellas County is in Florida's Sixth 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 appeal a judgment in Florida?

30 days from rendition of the final order. The notice of appeal is filed with the clerk of the court that entered the order, under Rule 9.110(b) of the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure. The deadline is jurisdictional, so a late notice usually ends the appeal.

Can I appeal an order before the case is over?

Only certain nonfinal orders can be appealed right away, such as orders on venue, injunctions and personal jurisdiction, listed in Rule 9.130. Other orders are usually reviewed after the final judgment.

Which court hears my appeal?

Most appeals from the circuit courts go to one of Florida's six district courts of appeal, determined by the circuit where the case was heard. The Florida Supreme Court reviews only certain cases.

Why hire a separate appellate lawyer?

An appeal is decided on the written record and the briefs, not on new evidence. Appellate lawyers focus on legal research, brief writing and oral argument, and The Florida Bar certifies lawyers in Appellate Practice after peer review and an exam.

What does Board Certified in Appellate Practice 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. 10 of the 10 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in St. Petersburg?

State court cases in Pinellas County are heard in Florida's Sixth 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?

10 of the 10 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: John Andrew Crawford “Andrew”, Robert Erich Biasotti “Bob”, Shannon McLin “Shannon”, Scot Eliot Samis “Scot” and Brandon Stuart Vesely and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

John Andrew Crawford “Andrew” scores 84.40 and Robert Erich Biasotti “Bob” 84.00, a gap of 0.40 points, mostly in reputation. 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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