Florida Local Counsel · Statewide · State & Federal
Your case is in Florida. Your firm isn't. Zachary Gaynor becomes your Florida counsel of record — sponsoring pro hac vice admission, reviewing filings for Florida procedure, and covering hearings from first appearance through trial.
What I do
I associate as your designated Florida counsel of record and prepare the verified motion admitting your out-of-state attorneys to appear.
Florida's rules carry traps that reject filings and cost deadlines. I review your work for state-specific compliance before it goes out.
In-state presence when you need a body in the room — from routine motion calendars to second-chairing at trial.
Plain answer
Local counsel is a Florida Bar member who is associated as attorney of record alongside an out-of-state legal team. Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.510 requires out-of-state attorneys appearing pro hac vice in Florida state courts to associate a member of The Florida Bar in good standing — and the federal districts impose their own local-counsel and admission requirements. The right local counsel files through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal and CM/ECF, keeps filings compliant with Florida procedure, and appears in court so your team doesn't fly in for every hearing.
General information, not legal advice · Read the full pro hac vice guideWhy local counsel
Beyond satisfying Rule 2.510, the right local counsel means filings that clear the clerk, deadlines that hold, and a familiar face in the courtroom — while your attorneys stay front and center on the merits.
Meet Zachary Gaynor →A physical, Florida-admitted presence wherever your case is venued.
Daily command of the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal and PACER / CM-ECF.
I work to your strategy and keep your attorneys front and center.
Conflicts cleared and engagement letters out quickly, so deadlines hold.
Where I appear
All 20 judicial circuits and 67 counties, including:
Federal coverage in the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida:
Each district sets its own admission and local-counsel rules — I handle the district-side requirements so your team can appear.
How it works
Tell me the court, the parties, and what you need.
I run a conflict check and send an engagement letter.
I prepare and file the motion to admit your attorneys.
Filings, hearings, depositions, and trial support as needed.
Common questions
Yes, in state court. Under Rule 2.510 of the Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration, an out-of-state attorney may appear pro hac vice only upon association of a member of The Florida Bar in good standing, who signs the verified motion and serves as Florida counsel of record. Florida's federal districts impose their own admission and local-counsel requirements.
For Florida state courts, the verified motion is accompanied by a $250 fee to The Florida Bar plus a $100 statutory filing fee to the clerk of the court — separate from local counsel's own fee — quoted up front as flat, hourly, or a hybrid, depending on what the case needs. Full breakdown in the guide.
Most engagements begin within one business day of intake: conflicts cleared, engagement letter out, and the pro hac vice motion drafted shortly after — subject to the court's schedule.
Send the court and the deadline. I'll tell you exactly what local counsel will handle — usually within one business day.