Carlson, Meissner, Hart & Hayslett

What Carlson, Meissner, Hart & Hayslett does

Carlson, Meissner, Hart & Hayslett (legal entity Carlson, Meissner, Hayslett P.A.) is a privately held Florida professional association law firm founded in 1971 by Edward D. Carlson and Paul A. Meissner, Jr., headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The firm serves individual consumers and families in the Tampa Bay region across six service lines: personal injury (covering transportation accidents, medical malpractice, product liability, wrongful death, and spinal cord injuries), criminal defense (including DUI, drug crimes, domestic violence, weapons offenses, federal criminal defense, and appeals), premises liability, Social Security Disability, and workers' compensation. Customer-facing materials highlight a 50-year operating history, 125+ years of combined attorney experience, 2,315 Google reviews at a 4.9-star average, and $115M+ in cumulative client recoveries, supported by AV Preeminent (Martindale-Hubbell), Florida Bar Board Certification, AVVO 10.0, Super Lawyers, and Florida Trial Lawyers recognition.

The firm operates a contingency-fee revenue model for personal injury and workers' compensation matters, with clients paying no upfront fees and the firm receiving a percentage of settlements or verdicts; Social Security Disability fees are capped at 25% of retroactive benefits with a $6,000 statutory ceiling. Pricing is not publicly disclosed beyond these statutory limits. Distribution is built around six physical offices across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, and Manatee counties, free 24/7 consultations, online contact forms, and a YouTube educational content library segmented by practice area. Lead generation emphasizes client reviews, community involvement, website content, and local SEO rather than paid acquisition.

Operations are privately held with no disclosed parent company, external investment, subsidiaries, funding rounds, or M&A activity. The firm has not disclosed revenue or headcount beyond a 11–50 employee range, but management includes 7 named partners and at least 10 additional attorneys spanning partners, associates, and specialized roles (e.g., appellate practice). Strategic positioning centers on integrated multi-practice representation under a single Tampa Bay brand anchored in long-tenured community presence and free-consultation intake.

Name

Carlson, Meissner, Hart & Hayslett

Legal name

Carlson, Meissner, Hayslett P.A.

Website

https://carlsonmeissner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Carlson, Meissner, Hayslett P.A. is a Tampa, Florida-based personal injury, criminal defense, DUI, Social Security Disability, and workers' compensation law firm serving individual clients across the Tampa Bay region through six office locations on a contingency-fee model.

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)

Keywords

• Personal injury law
• Criminal defense
• DUI defense
• Workers compensation
• Social security disability

Headquarters

HQ city

Clearwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Contingency Fee: The firm operates on contingency fee arrangements for personal injury cases, meaning clients pay no upfront fees and the firm receives a percentage of the settlement or verdict. For social security disability cases, fees are limited to 25% of retroactive benefits awarded, capped at $6,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carlson, Meissner, Hart & Hayslett is a Tampa Bay-based law firm providing legal representation to individuals and families in personal injury, criminal defense, DUI, premises liability, workers' compensation, and Social Security Disability matters. The firm operates across six office locations on the West Coast of Florida, offering 24/7 availability, free consultations, and contingency fee arrangements for personal injury and workers' compensation cases.

Product overview

Carlson, Meissner, Hart & Hayslett is a unified law firm offering multiple legal practice areas as a single integrated service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The firm's core offerings include Personal Injury Law Services (covering transportation accidents, medical malpractice, and other injuries), Criminal Defense Services, DUI Defense Services, Premises Liability Services, Social Security Disability Services, and Workers' Compensation Services. Each practice area operates as a distinct service line within the firm, with attorneys specializing in specific areas such as transportation accidents (car, motorcycle, truck, boat, bike, pedestrian), criminal charges (domestic violence, drug crimes, violent crimes), and disability/workers' compensation claims.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Injury Law Services Comprehensive legal representation for individuals injured due to accidents or negligence, covering transportation accidents (car, motorcycle, truck, boat, ridesharing, bus, train, pedestrian, hit-and-run, cruise ship, aviation), medical malpractice (dental, birth injuries, hospital, surgical, nursing home, defective devices), and other injury types including product liability, wrongful death, burn, brain, and spinal cord injuries.
• Criminal Defense Services Legal defense representation for criminal charges including domestic violence, drug crimes, violent crimes, weapons and firearms offenses, sexual crimes, theft and burglary, firearm possession, federal criminal defense, criminal appeals, expungements, restraining orders, unlicensed contracting, and criminal traffic cases.
• DUI Defense Services

Quantifiable outcome

• $115 million+ recovered for injured victims

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Morgan & Morgan: Largest plaintiff-side personal injury and consumer law firm in the U.S., founded in Orlando, Florida. Directly comparable because it offers the same plaintiff-side mix (PI, criminal defense, SSD, workers' comp) targeting the same individual-client segment across Florida, including Tampa Bay.
• Percy Martinez Law Firm: Florida-based personal injury firm with a contingency-fee model serving accident victims statewide. Comparable because it competes for the same PI claimants across Florida using similar mass-marketing tactics.
• Abrahamson & Uiterwyk: Tampa-based personal injury law firm with a long operating history and similar contingency-fee model. Directly comparable due to overlapping Tampa Bay geographic footprint, plaintiff-side PI focus, and similar consumer-facing brand marketing.
• Dolman Law Group: Florida-based plaintiff-side firm handling personal injury, criminal defense, and related matters. Comparable because it competes for the same individual client base across central Florida with overlapping practice area mix.
• Trial Pro, P.A. Florida personal injury firm with multiple offices and a contingency-fee plaintiff-side model. Comparable due to similar plaintiff-side case mix (auto accidents, slip and fall, workers' comp) targeting the same consumer segment.
• Burnetti Law: Florida personal injury firm with offices across the Tampa Bay / Lakeland region. Directly comparable as a contingency-fee PI practice serving similar accident-injury clients with comparable community-rooted brand positioning.
• Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid, P.A. Tampa Bay / St. Petersburg plaintiff-side firm with multi-decade history in personal injury, criminal defense, and family law. Comparable due to shared West Coast Florida footprint, similar firm size, and multi-practice individual-client focus.

Regional players

• GJEL Accident Attorneys: California-based personal injury firm with strong consumer brand and contingency model. Comparable as a peer in plaintiff-side PI services and consumer brand-building, though geographically non-overlapping.
• The Law Offices of Roger K. Gutmacher: Tampa-based criminal defense and DUI practice. Comparable as a regional Tampa-area competitor for the firm's criminal defense and DUI caseload, though narrower in practice scope.
• Larry Moskowitz, PA: Tampa-area plaintiff-side personal injury practitioner. Comparable as a local Tampa Bay competitor chasing similar accident-injury claimants on a contingency-fee basis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWj9eELMmXoNz8FtPqj5Z8Q
• Xx.com/cmlawfirm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Carlson, Meissner, Hart & Hayslett