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Consumer Protection

Top-Ranked Consumer Protection Lawyers in St. Petersburg, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.213 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked consumer protection lawyers in St. Petersburg, Florida are Catherine Elaine Blackburn (LexRank 78.60), Jon Byron Coats Jr. (77.60) and Jonathan Betten Cohen (74.00).

This ranking lists 13 consumer protection lawyers in St. Petersburg, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 1 to 34 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
13
Fully verified
13 of 13

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Catherine Elaine Blackburn

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 34 years experience
    • Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 14.6)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)

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

  2. No change

    Jon Byron Coats Jr.

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 77.60: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20). 1.00 points behind #1, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 14.6)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)

    1.00 points behind #1 (Catherine Elaine Blackburn): Experience −2.4.

  3. No change

    Jonathan Betten Cohen

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 74.00: strongest in Experience (24/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20). 3.60 points behind #2, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 24/30 (ranking avg 14.6)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)

    3.60 points behind #2 (Jon Byron Coats Jr.): Experience −3.6.

  4. No change

    Jordan Tyler Isringhaus

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 15 years experience
    • Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 68.00: strongest in Experience (18/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20). 6.00 points behind #3, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 18/30 (ranking avg 14.6)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)

    6.00 points behind #3 (Jonathan Betten Cohen): Experience −6.

  5. No change

    Carolyne V Moomaw

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Consumer Protection · Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 67.60: strongest in Experience (24/30) and Professional credentials (15/15). 0.40 points behind #4, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 24/30 (ranking avg 14.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    0.40 points behind #4 (Jordan Tyler Isringhaus): Practice-area relevance −5, Data quality −1.4.

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

  6. No change

    Gordon Tyler Bannon

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 13 years experience
    • Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 65.60: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (15.6/30). 2.00 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Experience 15.6/30 (ranking avg 14.6)

    2.00 points behind #5 (Carolyne V Moomaw): Experience −8.4.

  7. No change

    Christopher Aaron Cotten “Chris”

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 64.40: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (14.4/30). 1.20 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 14.6)

    1.20 points behind #6 (Gordon Tyler Bannon): Experience −1.2.

  8. No change

    Sean Edward McEleney

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 10 years experience
    • Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 62.00: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (12/30). 2.40 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Experience 12/30 (ranking avg 14.6)

    2.40 points behind #7 (Christopher Aaron Cotten “Chris”): Experience −2.4.

  9. No change

    John Taylor Tetterton “John”

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 5 years experience
    • Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 52.25: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (6/30). 9.75 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 6/30 (ranking avg 14.6)

    9.75 points behind #8 (Sean Edward McEleney): Experience −6, Professional credentials −3.8.

  10. No change

    Jessica A. Cowan

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 1 year experience
    • Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #10?

    Ranks #10 with 51.20: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (1.2/30). 1.05 points behind #9, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Experience 1.2/30 (ranking avg 14.6)

    1.05 points behind #9 (John Taylor Tetterton “John”): Experience −4.8.

  11. No change

    Toma Borisov Belichki

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 5 years experience
    • Consumer Protection · Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #11?

    Ranks #11 with 51.00: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (6/30). 0.20 points behind #10, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 6/30 (ranking avg 14.6)

    0.20 points behind #10 (Jessica A. Cowan): Practice-area relevance −5.

  12. No change

    James Watt Beckwith

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 5 years experience
    • Consumer Protection · Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #12?

    Ranks #12 with 51.00: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (6/30).

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 6/30 (ranking avg 14.6)
  13. No change

    Robert Stephen Steinkraus “Bobby”

    Independent practice · St. Petersburg, FL

    Verified
    • 4 years experience
    • Bankruptcy · Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #13?

    Ranks #13 with 43.55: strongest in Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (4.8/30) and Practice-area relevance (12.5/20). 7.45 points behind #12, mostly professional credentials.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 4.8/30 (ranking avg 14.6)
    • Practice-area relevance 12.5/20 (ranking avg 18.3)

    7.45 points behind #12 (James Watt Beckwith): Professional credentials −3.8, Practice-area relevance −2.5, Experience −1.2.

Consumer Protection market in St. Petersburg

LexRanked tracks 13 lawyers in consumer protection law in St. Petersburg, Florida. 13 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 22, 2026.

Lawyers
13
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
13 of 13
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
12 years13 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

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 13 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 1 to 34 (median 12)
Languages besides English Bulgarian (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Stetson University College of Law (5 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a St. Petersburg office address and consumer protection as a practice area on record. It compares 13 consumer protection lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in consumer protection, 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 law lets a consumer harmed by an unfair or deceptive business practice recover actual damages plus attorney fees, and a consumer harassed by a debt collector can recover up to $1,000 in extra statutory damages.

Rule What it means
Unfair and deceptive practices Unfair or deceptive acts in trade or commerce are unlawful under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (Fla. Stat. § 501.204)
Consumer remedies A person who suffered a loss may recover actual damages, plus attorney fees and court costs (§ 501.211(2))
Fees both ways The prevailing party may receive reasonable attorney fees and costs from the losing party (§ 501.2105(1))
Debt collection in Florida A debt collector who violates section 559.72 is liable for actual damages, up to $1,000 in statutory damages and attorney fees; suit within 2 years (§ 559.77)
Federal debt collection Up to $1,000 in additional damages for an individual; suit within 1 year (15 U.S.C. § 1692k)
Lemon law After 3 repair attempts for the same defect, the consumer gives the manufacturer written notice and a final chance to repair (§ 681.104(1))
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.
  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

What can I recover for a deceptive business practice in Florida?

Actual damages plus attorney fees and court costs (section 501.211(2)). Be aware that the prevailing party may receive fees, so a losing consumer can owe the business its fees (section 501.2105).

What can I do about debt collector harassment?

Under Florida law you can recover actual damages, up to $1,000 in statutory damages and attorney fees, within 2 years (section 559.77). The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act allows up to $1,000 more within 1 year (15 U.S.C. § 1692k).

When is my car a lemon in Florida?

If the same defect is not fixed after 3 repair attempts, you must notify the manufacturer in writing and give it a final repair attempt; if it still cannot fix the car, it must repurchase or replace it (section 681.104).

How long do I have to sue a debt collector?

2 years under Florida law (section 559.77(4)) and 1 year under federal law (15 U.S.C. § 1692k(d)).

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?

13 of the 13 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Catherine Elaine Blackburn, Jon Byron Coats Jr., Jonathan Betten Cohen, Jordan Tyler Isringhaus and Carolyne V Moomaw and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Catherine Elaine Blackburn scores 78.60 and Jon Byron Coats Jr. 77.60, a gap of 1.00 points, mostly in experience. 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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