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Top-Ranked Health Care Lawyers in Tampa, Florida

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

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked health care lawyers in Tampa, Florida are Ronald Anthony Christaldi (LexRank 84.00), James J Kennedy III (84.00) and Anthony D. Barak “Anthony” (82.80).

This ranking lists 13 health care lawyers in Tampa, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 13 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 43 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

    Ronald Anthony Christaldi

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 30 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 24.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

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

    James J Kennedy III

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 41 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 24.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

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

    Anthony D. Barak “Anthony”

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

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

    Ranks #3 with 82.80: strongest in Experience (28.8/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.20 points behind #2, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 24.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    1.20 points behind #2 (James J Kennedy III): Experience −1.2.

  4. No change

    Jon Taylor Gatto

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 24 years experience
    • Health Care
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 82.80: strongest in Experience (28.8/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 24.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

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

    Kirk Stuart Davis

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 43 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). 0.20 points behind #4, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 24.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    0.20 points behind #4 (Jon Taylor Gatto): Data quality −1.4.

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

  6. No change

    Robert Anthony Pelaia

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 27 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 24.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

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

  7. No change

    Erin Alberta Smith Aebel

    Trenam Law · Tampa, FL

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

    Ranks #7 with 80.25: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20). 2.35 points behind #6, mostly professional credentials.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 24.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    2.35 points behind #6 (Robert Anthony Pelaia): Professional credentials −3.8.

  8. No change

    Radha Vinod Bachman

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

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

    Ranks #8 with 78.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20). 2.25 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    2.25 points behind #7 (Erin Alberta Smith Aebel): Experience −6.

  9. No change

    Brian Keith Wright “Brian”

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 18 years experience
    • Health Care
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 75.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (21.6/30). 2.40 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
    • Experience 21.6/30 (ranking avg 24.6)

    2.40 points behind #8 (Radha Vinod Bachman): Experience −2.4.

  10. No change

    Thomas Blaze Ferrante Jr.

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 15 years experience
    • Health Care
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #10?

    Ranks #10 with 72.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (18/30). 3.60 points behind #9, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
    • Experience 18/30 (ranking avg 24.6)

    3.60 points behind #9 (Brian Keith Wright “Brian”): Experience −3.6.

  11. No change

    Ryan William Wierenga “Ryan”

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

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

    Ranks #11 with 71.80: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (19.2/30). 0.20 points behind #10, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
    • Experience 19.2/30 (ranking avg 24.6)

    0.20 points behind #10 (Thomas Blaze Ferrante Jr.): Data quality −1.4.

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

  12. No change

    Elizabeth Ann Scarola

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 11 years experience
    • Health Care
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #12?

    Ranks #12 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). 4.60 points behind #11, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
    • Experience 13.2/30 (ranking avg 24.6)

    4.60 points behind #11 (Ryan William Wierenga “Ryan”): Experience −6.

  13. No change

    Maja Lacevic

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 14 years experience
    • Health Care
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #13?

    Ranks #13 with 65.65: strongest in Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (16.8/30). 1.55 points behind #12, mostly professional credentials.

    Strongest

    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
    • Experience 16.8/30 (ranking avg 24.6)

    1.55 points behind #12 (Elizabeth Ann Scarola): Professional credentials −3.8, Data quality −1.4.

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

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 · 13 profile pages138 facts for 13 lawyers

Health Care market in Tampa

LexRanked tracks 13 lawyers and 1 law firm in health care law in Tampa, Florida. 13 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 10, 2026.

Lawyers
13
Law firms
1
Verified professional data
13 of 13
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
24 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 Tampa

What sets these Tampa lawyers apart

All 13 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 13 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Health Law 13 of 13
Years in practice 11 to 43 (median 24)
Languages besides English Bosnian (1), Croatian (1), Serbian (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law (3 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Tampa office address and health care as a practice area on record. It compares 13 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 Hillsborough County is in Florida's Thirteenth 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

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. 13 of the 13 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in Tampa?

State court cases in Hillsborough County are heard in Florida's Thirteenth 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: Ronald Anthony Christaldi, James J Kennedy III, Anthony D. Barak “Anthony”, Jon Taylor Gatto and Kirk Stuart Davis 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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