Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A.

What Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. does

Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. is a privately-held, full-service regional law firm founded in 1924 in Fort Myers, Florida, and operating today as a professional association (P.A.). The firm is the oldest in Fort Myers and one of the largest full-service firms between Tampa and Miami, with more than 55 attorneys and 101–250 total employees organized across approximately 20 practice areas, including Appellate, Banking & Finance, Business Litigation, Construction, Corporate Counsel, Employment, Estate and Trust Planning and Litigation, Family Law, Health Care, Land Use and Environmental, M&A, Mediation and Arbitration, Real Estate, Title Insurance, Tort and Insurance Litigation, and Workers' Compensation. Service delivery is anchored by three offices in Southwest Florida—Fort Myers (headquarters across from the Lee County Justice Center, expanded in 2009 to a 55,000-square-foot space with an 11-room conference center), Bonita Springs (opened 2003), and Naples (opened 2018)—and nearly one-third of attorneys hold Florida Bar Board Certification, the state's highest specialty credential.

The firm's client base spans individuals and small businesses, regional Southwest Florida enterprises, Fortune 500 companies, and a panel of more than 100 national and international liability insurance carriers and self-insured funds. Core functional offerings include insurance defense, business litigation, healthcare regulatory and malpractice defense, real estate development and title work, mergers and acquisitions, and family law. Revenue is generated through professional services billing—hourly rates, contingency arrangements where applicable, and flat fees—with flexible fee structures tied to client budgets; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

The firm invests in marketing through industry-specific content (e.g., the Southwest Florida Business and IP Blog, the Legal Scoop on Southwest Florida Real Estate), monthly client newsletters, in-house CLE-style training seminars, and active social channels on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram. It maintains authorized agency relationships with multiple national title insurance underwriters (Attorney's Title Fund Services, Chicago Title, Fidelity National Title, Old Republic) to support real estate closings. Henderson Franklin is privately held by its attorney stockholders, has no parent company or external institutional investors, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024 with a $100,000 pledge to the United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties.

Name

Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A.

Legal name

Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A.

Website

https://henlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. is a full-service Southwest Florida law firm founded in 1924, with 55+ attorneys across 20 practice areas serving individuals, small businesses, Fortune 500 companies, and 100+ insurance carriers from offices in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, and Naples.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK), Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) (FSAJADAB), Litigation Support & Expert Witness (Valuation-Related) (BPAHANAG)

Keywords

• Full-service law firm
• Corporate legal services
• Business litigation
• Estate planning
• Real estate law

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Myers

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Professional legal services billed through hourly rates, contingency fees where applicable, and flat fee arrangements for certain services. The firm offers flexible fee arrangements to ensure cost-effective solutions aligned with clients' capabilities and budgets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. is a full-service regional law firm providing legal services across 20 practice areas, including Appellate, Banking & Finance, Business & Tax Planning, Business Litigation, Construction Law, Corporate Counsel, Divorce/Marital/Family Law, Employment Law, Estate and Trust Planning and Litigation, Health Care Law, Land Use & Environmental Law, Mediation & Arbitration, Mergers & Acquisitions, Real Estate, Real Estate Litigation, Title Insurance, Tort & Insurance Litigation, and Workers' Compensation. The firm delivers representation to corporate and individual clients throughout Southwest Florida from offices in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, and Naples.

Product overview

Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. is a full-service regional law firm offering legal services through 20 distinct practice areas spanning Appellate Law, Banking & Finance, Business & Tax Planning, Business Litigation, Condominium and Homeowners' Associations, Construction Law, Corporate Counsel, Divorce/Marital/Family Law, Employment Law, Estate and Trust Planning, Estate and Trust Litigation, Health Care Law, Land Use & Environmental Law, Mediation and Arbitration, Mergers & Acquisitions, Real Estate, Real Estate Litigation, Title Insurance, Tort & Insurance Litigation, and Workers' Compensation. The firm operates as a unified legal practice with attorneys collaborating across practice areas to provide full-service representation to individual and corporate clients throughout Southwest Florida.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Appellate Law Specialized appellate legal services including representation in state and federal courts, Florida Supreme Court, and U.S. Supreme Court, with attorneys skilled in identifying issues for appellate consideration.
• Banking & Finance Legal services for financial institutions covering commercial real estate loans, asset-based loans, loan syndications, SBA financing, regulatory matters, and litigation representation.
• Business & Tax Planning Comprehensive business and tax legal services including business planning, employee benefits, tax-exempt organizations, and tax planning and controversy representation.
• Business Litigation Business litigation representation in Florida state and federal courts covering alternative finance litigation, banking issues, bankruptcy, breach of contract, fiduciary duty, eminent domain, and trade secret claims.
• Condominium and Homeowners' Associations Legal representation for condominium and homeowners' associations, commercial property owners' associations, and developers covering formation, covenant enforcement, assessments, and construction defect litigation.
• Construction Law Construction law services including contract negotiation, drafting, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution for owners, developers, lenders, contractors, and subcontractors.
• Corporate Counsel Outside general counsel services for businesses from startups to large corporations, covering corporate governance, contracts, employment, healthcare compliance, privacy, and succession planning.
• Divorce, Marital and Family Law Family law representation including divorce, equitable distribution, business valuation, alimony, child support, custody, adoption, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, and paternity matters.
• Employment Law Employment law services for employers covering discrimination claims, harassment, wage and hour compliance, FMLA, EEOC investigations, ADA compliance, and employee handbook preparation.
• Estate and Trust Planning

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades CountiescoreOthersMajor community partner; firm made $100,000 pledge for 100th anniversary celebration in 2024. Firm has longstanding partnership with United Way dating back to founding in 1924. United Way works in health, education, and financial stability across Southwest Florida.
• Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry CountiesminorOthersOne of the largest Habitat affiliates in the country. Since 1982, 1,550 families have partnered with Habitat Lee and Hendry to build or improve homes. Firm supports through volunteer participation and donations.
• Community CooperativeminorOthersStrives to be the leader in alleviating hunger and homelessness in the community by addressing key root causes. Firm supports through charitable contributions and volunteer engagement.
• Babcock Ranch FoundationminorOthersFlorida non-profit corporation supporting projects that positively impact worthy causes in Southwest Florida. Passionate about issues affecting at-risk children. Founded by Syd Kitson, Chairman & CEO of Kitson & Partners.
• Hope HealthcareminorOthersNot-for-profit health care organization dedicated to providing care and comfort to every individual and their loved ones as they fulfill life's journey. Firm provides legal support and community engagement.
• Uncommon Friends FoundationminorOthersFounded in 1993, supports scholarships, an endowment at Florida Gulf Coast University for Business Ethics, and historic preservation of Burroughs' Home and Gardens. Based on principles of friendships with historical figures.
• Valerie's HouseminorOthersThe only organization in Southwest Florida solely dedicated to providing children who have lost a parent or sibling a safe place to share and experience loving support. Firm supports through charitable giving and volunteer participation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Akerman LLP: One of the largest Florida-headquartered law firms with state-wide offices and a national footprint. Overlaps with Henderson Franklin across multiple practice areas but operates at significantly larger scale.
• GrayRobinson: Florida-based full-service firm with pan-Florida offices and a wider geographic and specialty reach. Competes for the same Florida-based corporate, real estate, and litigation clients.
• Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough: Large Southeast regional firm with full-service practices including Florida offices. Competes for the same corporate, litigation, and insurance defense clients at significantly larger scale.
• Gunster: Florida-based business law firm with offices throughout the state. Overlaps with Henderson Franklin on business litigation, real estate, insurance, and estate planning matters at greater scale.
• Shutts & Bowen: Long-established Florida-based full-service firm with offices across the state. Offers comparable corporate, real estate, litigation, and insurance practices with a broader geographic and larger-firm footprint.
• Stearns Weaver Miller: Miami-based full-service Florida firm with multiple offices. Overlaps with Henderson Franklin across business, real estate, family, and litigation practices with greater geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Trenam Law: Tampa-based full-service regional firm with a similar size and practice breadth, including business litigation, real estate, banking, and insurance defense work. Comparable as a Florida-based mid-size general practice firm.
• Hill Ward Henderson: Tampa-based full-service regional law firm of comparable size (~75 attorneys) serving Florida businesses across corporate, litigation, real estate, and insurance defense practices. Highly comparable in scale, practice mix, and Florida regional mid-market positioning.
• Smith Hulsey & Busey: Jacksonville-based full-service regional firm with a similar attorney headcount and broad commercial/civil practice. Comparable as a long-standing Florida regional full-service firm with deep local relationships.
• Roetzel & Andress: Multi-state regional firm headquartered in Ohio with established Naples/Fort Myers offices serving Southwest Florida. Comparable as a full-service firm offering overlapping corporate, litigation, real estate, and estate planning practices in the same Florida geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/henlawswfl
• Facebookfacebook.com/hendersonfranklinstarnesandholt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/henderson-franklin-starnes-&-holt-p.a.
• Instagraminstagram.com/hendersonfranklinlaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A.