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Top-Ranked Health Care Lawyers in Tallahassee, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.27 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of October 31, 2026, the top-ranked health care lawyers in Tallahassee, Florida are William Paul Dillon (LexRank 84.00), Martin Robert Dix (84.00) and Shannon Britton Hartsfield (84.00).

This ranking lists 7 health care lawyers in Tallahassee, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 7 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Health Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 11 to 42 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
7
Fully verified
7 of 7

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    William Paul Dillon

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Health Care
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 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 27.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

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

    Martin Robert Dix

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 40 years experience
    • Health Care
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 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 27.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

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

    Shannon Britton Hartsfield

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Health Care
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 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 27.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

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

    Philip M Sprinkle II

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 38 years experience
    • Health Care
    • 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).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

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

    Terry Meek

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 42 years experience
    • Health Care
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.40 points behind #4, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    1.40 points behind #4 (Philip M Sprinkle II): Data quality −1.4.

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

  6. No change

    Frank Paul Rainer

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 41 years experience
    • Health Care
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

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

  7. No change

    Kelly Kibbey Smith

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 11 years experience
    • Health Care
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 67.20: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (13.2/30). 15.40 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
    • Experience 13.2/30 (ranking avg 27.6)

    15.40 points behind #6 (Frank Paul Rainer): Experience −16.8.

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 · 7 profile pages75 facts for 7 lawyers

Health Care market in Tallahassee

LexRanked tracks 7 lawyers in health care law in Tallahassee, Florida. 7 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 10, 2026.

Lawyers
7
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
7 of 7
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
38 years7 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 Tallahassee

What sets these Tallahassee lawyers apart

All 7 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Health Law 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 7 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Health Law 7 of 7
Years in practice 11 to 42 (median 38)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Florida State University College of Law (5 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Tallahassee office address and health care as a practice area on record. It compares 7 health care lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Florida health law regulates how providers are licensed, paid and referred patients: kickbacks and patient brokering are prohibited, and every clinic location needs its own state license.

Rule What it means
Kickbacks Health care providers may not offer, pay, solicit or receive kickbacks for referring patients (Fla. Stat. § 456.054)
Patient brokering Paying or receiving anything to induce patient referrals is a third-degree felony with a $50,000 fine (§ 817.505)
Clinic licensing Each clinic location must be licensed separately by the Agency for Health Care Administration (§ 400.991)
Patient records Practitioners must furnish copies of a patient's reports and records on request, in a timely manner (§ 456.057)
Hospital records Licensed facilities furnish copies of patient records on written request after discharge (§ 395.3025)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Leon County is in Florida's Second 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

Is it legal to pay for patient referrals in Florida?

No. Section 456.054 bars kickbacks for referrals, and under section 817.505 paying or receiving anything to induce a referral is patient brokering, a third-degree felony with a $50,000 fine, subject to the exceptions listed in the statute.

Does a medical clinic need a license in Florida?

Yes, unless it falls under an exemption: each clinic location needs its own license from the Agency for Health Care Administration.

How do I get copies of my medical records in Florida?

Ask the practitioner, who must furnish copies in a timely manner under section 456.057; a hospital furnishes copies on written request after discharge under section 395.3025.

Who certifies health lawyers in Florida?

The Florida Bar certifies lawyers in Health Law after at least five years of practice, peer review and a written exam.

What does Board Certified in Health Law 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. 7 of the 7 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in Tallahassee?

State court cases in Leon County are heard in Florida's Second 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?

7 of the 7 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: William Paul Dillon, Martin Robert Dix, Shannon Britton Hartsfield, Philip M Sprinkle II and Terry Meek and others.

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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