Knott Ebelini Hart

What Knott Ebelini Hart does

Knott Ebelini Hart is a Fort Myers-based law firm providing legal services across five practice areas: construction law, business representation, real estate and land development, dispute resolution, and local government law. Founded in 1982 by James T. Humphrey (originally as Humphrey, Jones, & Myers), the firm serves a diverse regional clientele including local businesses, nonprofit organizations, governmental entities, construction-industry participants (general contractors, subcontractors, owners, design professionals), healthcare providers, banking, and land development concerns throughout Southwest Florida. The firm operates from a single downtown Fort Myers office at 1625 Hendry Street and fields approximately seven attorneys across partner, of-counsel, shareholder, and associate roles, with additional paralegal and support staff.

Service offerings span transactional and litigation matters. Construction Law covers contract drafting, lien and payment disputes, construction defect claims, bid protests, and project counseling. Business Representation handles entity formation, contracts, M&A, employment matters, and intellectual property for small and medium-sized businesses. Real Estate and Land Development addresses acquisitions, closings, title examination, zoning, land use, HOA matters, and eminent domain. Dispute Resolution provides litigation, arbitration, and mediation representation in federal and state courts, including AAA arbitration. Local Government practice assists with Sunshine Law, public records, ethics, procurement, and licensing for constitutional officers, counties, municipalities, and special districts. Noteworthy case results include a $1.5 million AAA arbitration award, a $3 million AAA arbitration defense verdict, a $6 million construction-defect settlement, and an $800,000+ jury verdict.

The firm generates revenue through traditional professional services billing—hourly fees, fixed fees, and flat-rate engagements—priced per matter rather than via standardized rates. Go-to-market relies entirely on direct attorney-client relationships cultivated through referrals, leadership positions in industry associations (Lee County Building Industry Association and American Subcontractors Association of Southwest Florida), educational seminars (including the firm's annual Construction Law Symposium), thought-leadership blog content, and earned media from peer-reviewed legal rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, Florida Trend Legal Elite). The firm has no technology platform, proprietary software, or AI-driven product line; its competitive position rests on attorney expertise—anchored by multiple Florida Bar Board Certifications—and multi-decade institutional client relationships.

Name

Knott Ebelini Hart

Legal name

Knott, Ebelini, Hart, P.A.

Website

https://knott-law.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knott Ebelini Hart is a Fort Myers, Florida law firm serving Southwest Florida clients across construction law, business representation, real estate and land development, dispute resolution, and local government law. Founded in 1982, the firm fields approximately seven attorneys advising governmental entities, construction-industry participants, and small and medium-sized businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Title Abstract and Settlement Offices (541191)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate & Construction Law (BPAHAAAE)

Keywords

• Construction law services
• Business litigation
• Real estate law
• Local government law
• Dispute resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Myers

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Traditional law firm revenue from legal service fees including hourly billing, fixed fees for specific matters, and flat-rate arrangements for defined services. Clients include businesses, government entities, and individuals requiring legal representation in construction, business, real estate, and related matters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Knott Ebelini Hart is a Southwest Florida law firm that delivers personalized legal representation across five practice areas: Construction Law, Business Representation, Real Estate and Land Development, Dispute Resolution, and Local Government Law. The firm serves general contractors, subcontractors, developers, business owners, and governmental entities with contract drafting, litigation, arbitration, mediation, transactional counseling, and regulatory compliance services. It does not sell software or technology products, offering exclusively attorney-led professional legal services.

Product overview

Knott Ebelini Hart is a law firm offering personalized legal services through five distinct practice areas: Construction Law, Business Representation, Real Estate and Land Development, Dispute Resolution, and Local Government. The firm does not operate as a technology platform but provides traditional legal services. Construction Law handles contract drafting, lien disputes, defect claims, and bid protests. Business Representation covers entity formation, contracts, M&A, and employment matters. Real Estate and Land Development addresses acquisitions, closings, zoning, and land use. Dispute Resolution provides litigation, arbitration, and mediation services. Local Government assists with governmental regulations and compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction Law Legal representation for general contractors, owners, subcontractors, and design professionals in state and federal courts and before governmental agencies, covering contract document drafting, construction lien disputes, contract reviews, project counseling, construction defect claims, and bid protests.
• Business Representation Comprehensive legal services for small and medium-sized businesses including entity selection, contracts, employee relations, buy-sell agreements, mergers and acquisitions, internet advertising, purchase and sale agreements, organizational documents, financing, director/officer liability, and intellectual property matters.
• Real Estate and Land Development Legal counsel for real estate acquisition, investments, development, finance, and disposition, including residential and commercial closings, leasing, financing, title examination, condominium development, homeowner association documents, and zoning and land use matters.
• Dispute Resolution Representation in litigation, arbitration, and mediation proceedings for business, real property, and construction disputes before federal and state courts, including both trial and appellate forums.
• Local Government Legal representation for local government and private interests, including assistance with public records laws, Sunshine Law, ethics issues, procurement disputes, governmental contracting, and licensing requirements for constitutional officers, county governments, municipalities, and special districts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multi-million-dollar recovery for hospital system in complex construction defect claims involving multi-story acute care hospital
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lee County Building Industry AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership spanning over 40 years. George W. Gift III serves as General Counsel to the Lee BIA. Firm has been recognized as a 'Big Cheese' Sponsor and received Hype Awards - Attorney Trade Partner of the Year. Firm attorneys regularly present at BIA events and provide educational content to members.
• American Subcontractors Association of Southwest FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partnership with George W. Gift III serving on the Board and as Vice President for 4+ years. Firm hosts Construction Contract Symposium in connection with ASA. Attorneys present at ASA events including 'Ask the Attorney' sessions and breakfast briefings on construction contracts and addendums.
• Lee County Supervisor of ElectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsher Knipe serves as General Counsel for the Lee County Supervisor of Elections. Thomas Hart served as General Counsel for 25 years. Long-standing governmental representation relationship.
• Lee Memorial Health SystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer counsel to Lee Memorial Health System Board of Directors, a public body. George Knott previously served as counsel to the board. Represented the hospital system in complex construction defect claims.
• American Arbitration AssociationminorOthersFirm regularly handles arbitration matters before the American Arbitration Association. George Gift secured $1.5 million AAA arbitration award and defended $3 million AAA arbitration claim. Routine use of AAA services for construction and commercial disputes.
• Attorneys' Title Fund ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirm attorneys George Gift and Asher Knipe are approved title insurance agents with Attorneys' Title Fund Services. William Ferris is a member of Attorneys' Title Fund Services and active title agent with Old Republic National Title Insurance Company.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick: Multi-office law firm with Florida presence in construction, real estate, business, and government law. Comparable in practice mix and Florida commercial focus, but operates as a much larger full-service firm.
• Lowndes Drosdick Doster: Orlando-based full-service Florida law firm with strong real estate, land use, construction, and government practices. Comparable in practice verticals and Florida-only focus, but materially larger in scale.
• Hahn Loeser + Parks: Multi-state law firm with Florida offices serving construction, real estate, business, and government clients. Comparable as a broader full-service firm with construction and real estate practices that overlap with Knott Ebelini Hart's core verticals.
• Roetzel & Andress: Multi-office Florida law firm with Fort Myers presence handling business, construction, real estate, and government matters. Comparable because it competes for the same SW Florida clients but operates as a larger, broader full-service firm rather than a regional specialist.

Direct peers

• Pavese Law Firm: Fort Myers-based law firm with strong real estate, land use, business, and government practices. Directly comparable given shared SW Florida geography, similar practice mix, and similar reliance on long-standing regional client relationships.
• Farr Law Firm: Punta Gorda / Southwest Florida general practice firm handling real estate, estate planning, business, and litigation matters. Comparable as a regional Florida law firm of similar size with overlapping real estate and business practice areas serving the same SW Florida geography.
• Coleman, Yovanovich & Koester: Naples / SW Florida business and commercial litigation firm. Directly comparable because of overlapping geographic footprint, similar mid-market client focus, and emphasis on commercial litigation and business disputes.
• Williams Parker: Sarasota-based full-service law firm serving SW Florida with strong real estate, business, and construction practices. Directly comparable in practice mix, regional focus, and mid-market positioning.
• Wicker Smith: Florida-based litigation firm with offices throughout the state, including SW Florida, handling construction, real estate, and commercial disputes. Comparable because of overlapping practice areas and shared regional client base, especially in construction litigation.
• Henderson Franklin Starnberger: Fort Myers-based full-service law firm with established construction, real estate, business, and local government practices. Directly comparable because of overlapping geography (Southwest Florida), similar mid-market positioning, and shared client base of regional builders, developers, and government entities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knott-ebelini-hart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Knott Ebelini Hart