bentley goodrich kison

What bentley goodrich kison does

Bentley Goodrich Kison is a private Sarasota, Florida-based litigation boutique founded in 1990, operating as a partnership serving clients across Southwest Florida. The firm employs 11 attorneys organized around five integrated practice areas: Real Estate Litigation, Business Litigation, Trust and Estate Litigation, Appeals, and Family Law Support, with several attorneys holding Florida Bar Board Certifications in Business Litigation and Appellate Practice — designations held by fewer than 7% of Florida lawyers. The firm covers matters in the Florida Second District Court of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court, and the Federal 11th Circuit Court of Appeal, handling both trial-level advocacy and appellate proceedings across a 14-county Southwest Florida footprint.

The firm's revenue model is professional services-based, billing hourly fees determined by case complexity, attorney time, and matter scope. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with bespoke legal services, and initial consultations and case evaluations are offered. Marketing is conducted through bar association involvement (Sarasota County Bar Association, Florida Bar sections, American Inn of Court), community engagement, pro bono work, and referral relationships with family law practitioners rather than paid acquisition channels. The firm has secured notable case outcomes including a $16.3M insurance fraud judgment, a $3.6M promissory note judgment affirmed on appeal, and a $2.5M fraudulent inducement verdict.

Customer concentration is spread across four primary segments — Business Professionals, Real Estate Clients, Trust and Estate Clients, and Family Law Support Clients — with no single segment dominating and no large enterprise logos disclosed. The matter-based engagement model produces episodic rather than recurring revenue, with no disclosed use of AI, automation, or proprietary technology platforms; the firm's competitive positioning rests on specialist credentials, peer recognition (AV Preeminent, Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Florida Trend Legal Elite), and a 30-plus-year track record in high-stakes Southwest Florida commercial litigation.

Name

bentley goodrich kison

Legal name

Bentley Goodrich Kison

Website

https://bgk.law

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bentley Goodrich Kison is an 11-attorney Sarasota-based litigation boutique founded in 1990, serving Southwest Florida clients across business, real estate, trust and estate, appellate, and family law support matters through hourly fee-based engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services - Business and Commercial Litigation

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Real Estate Valuation Review & Litigation/Dispute Support Advisory (BPAJANAK)

Keywords

• Business litigation services
• Commercial litigation law
• Real estate litigation
• Trust estate litigation
• Appellate practice

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarasota

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Professional legal services billed on an hourly fee basis for litigation and dispute resolution services. Client engagement is project-based with fees determined by case complexity, attorney time, and matter scope.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Bentley Goodrich Kison is a litigation law firm serving Southwest Florida that provides professional legal representation in business and commercial disputes, real estate litigation, trust and estate litigation, appellate proceedings, and family law support matters. The firm offers both trial-level and appellate legal services, staffed by 11 attorneys including board-certified specialists in Business Litigation and Appellate Practice.

Product overview

Bentley Goodrich Kison is a business and commercial litigation law firm serving Southwest Florida. The firm operates as a single, unified legal services practice offering five integrated service areas: Real Estate Litigation, Business Litigation, Trust & Estate Litigation, Appeals, and Family Law Support. These practice areas are interconnected, with attorneys frequently handling matters that span multiple domains—for example, business disputes involving real estate assets or trust litigation with business implications. The firm's attorneys provide both trial-level litigation and appellate services, with several attorneys board-certified in specialized practice areas such as Business Litigation and Appellate Practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Real Estate Litigation Legal representation in real estate disputes throughout Southwest Florida, covering landlord-tenant issues, land use litigation, HOA litigation, leases, shopping center lease and eviction, zoning issues, construction liens, development rights, impact fees, title insurance, coastal setback issues, escrow deposit disputes, performance of contract issues, and specific performance and commission disputes.
• Business Litigation Comprehensive legal counsel for business owners and professionals in Florida, handling noncompete and nonsolicitation agreement disputes, contract disputes, partnership and LLC disputes, physician practice dissolution, restaurant partnership dissolution, corporation representation in high-asset divorce cases, vendor-supplier issues, asset protection, insurance issues, employee-employer issues, copyright and trademark issues, and business formation.
• Trust & Estate Litigation Legal representation in trust and probate disputes including will contests, trust contests, claims for breach of fiduciary duty, beneficiary disputes, judicial construction of wills and trusts, modification of wills and trusts, claims for lack of capacity, claims for undue influence, and accounting actions.
• Appeals Appellate practice services including appeals from final orders, interlocutory appeals (appeals of non-final orders as permitted by rule), and extraordinary writs including petitions for writ of certiorari, mandamus, and prohibition in State and Federal appellate courts, led by a Board Certified Appellate Practice specialist with over 30 years of experience.
• Family Law Support Legal counsel in a support role to family law attorneys when issues regarding business and real estate matters arise, navigating complexities when family law issues intersect with business and real estate issues including contractual interpretation, real estate title, and corporate entities in divorce cases.

Quantifiable outcome

• $3.6M judgment obtained in breach of promissory note case, affirmed on appeal plus attorneys' fees
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Family Law AttorneysOthersThe firm works hand in hand with experienced family law attorneys to navigate complexities when family law issues intersect with business and real estate issues. Bentley Goodrich Kison provides legal counsel in a support role to family law attorneys when issues regarding business and real estate matters arise.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Shutts & Bowen: Established Florida-headquartered law firm with a full-service commercial litigation, real estate, and trusts & estates practice; overlaps with BGK's core practice areas at a broader scale.
• Foley & Lardner: National law firm with a heavy Florida presence and significant commercial litigation and real estate practices; competes for the larger Florida business and commercial disputes.
• Akerman: Major Florida-based law firm with national reach and a commercial litigation practice that competes for the same high-stakes business and real estate disputes as BGK.
• Carlton Fields: Florida-founded national law firm with a strong commercial litigation and appellate practice; relevant peer for high-stakes business and appellate work.
• Trenam Law: Tampa-based Florida law firm with commercial litigation, real estate, and trusts & estates practices; a comparable regional peer in the same Florida corridor.
• Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney: National law firm with Florida offices and a commercial litigation and real estate practice; a broader incumbent competitor for the same types of business disputes BGK handles.
• Hill Ward Henderson: Tampa-based Florida law firm with a substantial commercial litigation and real estate practice; directly competitive in the Tampa Bay / Southwest Florida corridor.
• GrayRobinson: Full-service Florida law firm with litigation, real estate, and private client practices including trust and estate disputes; a broad incumbent competing with BGK in regional Florida litigation.

Direct peers

• Williams Parker Harrison Dietz & Geten: Sarasota-based full-service Florida law firm with a commercial litigation practice; directly comparable as a Southwest Florida peer (and notably the former employer of BGK's managing partner, Morgan R. Bentley).
• Lowndes Law: Florida-based law firm with a strong commercial litigation and real estate practice serving clients across the state; directly comparable on business litigation and real estate litigation scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bentley-law

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 →

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