| Biography | Experience: Gene began his legal career representing individuals and businesses in a variety of personal injury and construction litigation matters as an insurance defense attorney. Within two years, he was devoted entirely to representing business clients in commercial litigation matters. His litigation experience since 1997 includes shareholder and business entity disputes, employment contract disputes (non-compete, trade secret, and unpaid wage litigation), real property litigation, landlord-tenant litigation, construction lien and defect litigation, and general contract negotiations and litigation. Gene currently represents and acts as general corporate counsel for a number of local and national businesses, developers, contractors, hotel management companies, medical groups, real estate brokers and insurance brokers. Due to the wide range of legal issues he has handled, as well as the diverse business conducted by his clients, Gene is equipped to provide a broad range of practical and legal counsel to his clients and to negotiate all types of commercial transactions. Background: A Florida native, Gene has lived, studied and worked throughout the State all of his life. He was born in Melbourne, spent his childhood in Tallahassee, returned to Central Florida as a youth and graduated from St. Cloud High School in 1987. After earning a degree in finance from the University of Florida, Gene worked for a finance company and Walt Disney World for several years before attending Florida State University College of Law, where he graduated with honors in 1997. During his final year of law school, Gene had the honor of serving as a judicial extern for Florida Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead. He has worked his entire legal career in Orlando, initially for several other large downtown firms until leaving to become a partner with the Altamonte Springs based commercial firm, Nardella Chong, P.A. Gene joined GrayRobinson in 2008. Since the beginning of his practice, Gene has been actively involved with the Orange County Bar Association, a voluntary professional association comprised of over 3,000 attorneys, judges and legal professionals in Central Florida organized for the purpose of promoting professionalism and facilitating lawyer contribution of free ("pro bono") legal services to those in greatest need, but whom cannot afford legal services. Initially serving on the Board of Directors for the Young Lawyers Section of the OCBA, he quickly was elected to serve on OCBA's Executive Council, as an office in every capacity, and most recently completed his term as its 2007-2008 President. Gene also actively participates in the Florida Bar's Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Service and the First Central Florida American Inn of Court. He personally provides pro bono services for children removed from their parents due to no fault of their own though the OCBA Legal Aid Society's Guardian Ad Litem program. He and his wife, Lori, have two children. Professional: · The Florida Bar
- Joint Florida Bar and Florida Supreme Court Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services, 2007-Present
- Board of Governors, Young Lawyers Division, 2005-2006
- Business Law and Trial Lawyers Sections · U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida · Orange County Bar Association
- President, 2007-2008
- Vice President, 2006-2007
- Treasurer, 2005-2006
- Secretary, 2004-2005
- Executive Council, 2001-2008
- Orange County Bar Young Lawyers Section, Board of Directors, 1999-2001
- Business Law and Professionalism Committee Member · Christian Legal Society · First Central Florida American Inn of Court Civic: · Leadership Orlando, Class 57 · Sunday School Teacher and Member, First Baptist Church of Orlando |