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FORT MYERS, Fla. (Feb. 1, 2024) – Attorney Eve T. K. Volkmann, whose practice focuses on personal injury, property damage claims, motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents, and slip/trip and falls, has been named a partner at the law firm of Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A. “We are pleased to offer Eve a partnership,” said Christopher Smith, managing partner at the firm. “Her courtroom training while in law school as well as proven track record since joining the firm make her a valuable member of our team.” Since she joined the firm in 2019, Volkmann was successful in securing the second-highest jury award in 2021 in Lee County for an insurance-related property claim resulting from Hurricane Irma. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Volkmann moved to Southwest Florida in 2005. She graduated summa cum laude from Hodges University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing, working for eight years in the senior aging and health care industry. Volkmann then turned her focus to law, graduating magna cum laude while ranking fourth in her class at Ave Maria School of Law. While at Ave Maria, she earned the Book Awards for highest grade in her class for Commercial Law, Healthcare Law, and Research, Writing & Advocacy. As a Moot Court Board member, Volkmann won best oralist of the St. Thomas More Oral Advocacy Competition and the Robert H. Bork Appellate Team Competition and Best Brief. She received the Saint Francis Cabrini Award for excellence in clinical programs for her work in the Ave Maria Law School’s Estate Planning Clinic. She was associate editor on the Ave Maria Law Review, secretary of Ave Maria’s student chapter of The Federalist Society, Dean’s Delegate and the student commencement speaker. After earning her law degree in 2019, Volkmann was admitted to the Florida Bar. She was also admitted to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Volkmann is the past president and member of the Southwest Florida Federal Court Bar Association and was a judicial intern clerk to the U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell and to the U.S. Magistrate Judge Mac R. McCoy. She is a member of the Calusa Inn of Court, the Lee County Bar Association and the Florida Justice Association. “I’m grateful to be a partner at Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, a firm that aligns with my personal beliefs and my passion for justice and to make a meaningful impact for our clients,” Volkmann said. “Client satisfaction is important to me, so my goal is to communicate with clients every step of the process.” About Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A., is a personal injury firm representing those injured by the wrongdoing of others in Southwest Florida since 1962. The firm’s experienced attorneys are board certified by the Florida Bar, and areas of practice include personal injury and accidents, trip, slip and fall, premises liability, wrongful death, motorcycle and truck accidents, medical malpractice, wills, and estate planning and administration. With offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Lehigh Acres and Port Charlotte, attorneys can be reached by calling 239-500-HURT or visiting JusticeStartsNow.com. Media Contact Kathy Becker, Priority Marketing, kathyb@PriorityMarketing.com, 239-267-2638 or 239-470-2681 (cell)

J. Jeffrey Rice also named to ‘Best Lawyers’ list and 2022 ‘Lawyers of the Year’ list for construction law FORT MYERS, Fla. (Sept. 2, 2021) – Accomplished Fort Myers attorneys J. Jeffrey Rice, John B. Cechman and Richard L. Purtz, all partners at Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, have been named to the prestigious 2021 Florida Super Lawyers list. Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. Super Lawyers represent the top 5% of legal professionals in each state. Rice has been named to the list each year since 2006. Cechman was named to the list in 2007, 2009, 2020 and 2021. Purtz was first named in 2009, and each year since 2017. Additionally, Rice was named to 28th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation and construction law as well as 2022 “Lawyers of the Year” recipient for construction law. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and community is honored with “Lawyers of the Year” Award. The Best Lawyers list on average recognizes six of every 100 lawyers in public practice. Rice emphasizes his practice on commercial law, construction law and real estate. Cechman and Purtz are personal injury attorneys for the firm. All three and Managing Partner Christopher J. Smith are Florida Board Certified in Civil Trial, an honor approximately only 1% of trial lawyers achieve by trying a certain number of civil trials to verdict and passing a written exam. Rice is also Board Certified in business litigation and construction law. In addition, Cechman, Smith, Rice and Purtz, as well as partners Stephen Buckley and Michael Versnik are also AV Preeminent rated, the highest rating attorneys can receive by Martindale Hubbell’s peer attorney and judges’ review. Smith and Cechman are also members of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a prestigious national invitation-only group of trial attorneys that has stringent requirements attorneys must meet to qualify. Super Lawyers magazine featured Cechman, Rice and Purtz in its June issue, which was distributed to more than 62,000 attorneys and posted in an online directory. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com. About Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A., has offered a full complement of professional legal services to Southwest Florida clients since 1962. The firm’s experienced attorneys are board certified by the Florida Bar, and their areas of practice include personal injury and accidents, fall and premises liability, wrongful death, motorcycle and truck accidents, medical malpractice, real estate, commercial litigation, construction law, wills, estate planning and administration, social security law and criminal law. With offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Lehigh Acres and Port Charlotte, attorneys can be reached by calling 239-334-1146 or visiting JusticeStartsNow.com.

The law firm Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz was proud to have J. Jeffrey Rice, John B. Cechman and Richard L. Purtz, their Fort Myers attorneys named as Super Lawyers on the prestigious 2020 Florida Super Lawyers list. Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. They are named as Super Lawyers and receive accolades each year. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. Super Lawyers represent the top 5% of legal professionals in each state. Three Attorneys Named As Super Lawyers Rice was first named to the list in 2006. Cechman was named to the list in 2007, 2009 and 2020. Purtz was first named in 2009, and each year since 2017. Rice emphasizes his practice on commercial law, construction law and real estate. Cechman and Purtz are personal injury attorneys for the firm. All three, as well as managing partner Christopher J. Smith, are Florida Board Certified in Civil Trial, an honor approximately only 1% of trial lawyers achieve by trying a certain number of civil trials to verdict and passing a written exam. Rice is also Board Certified in business litigation and construction law. In addition, Cechman, Rice and Purtz, as well as partner Stephen Buckley, Chris and Smith are also AV Preeminent rated, the highest rating attorneys can receive by Martindale Hubbell’s peer attorney and judges review. Smith, Rice, Cechman and Purtz are also members of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a prestigious national invitation-only group of trial attorneys that has stringent requirements attorneys must meet in order to qualify. Super Lawyers magazine features Cechman, Rice and Purtz in its June issue, which will be distributed to more than 62,000 attorneys and posted in an online directory. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com. About Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A., has offered a full complement of professional legal services to Southwest Florida clients since 1962. The firm’s experienced attorneys are board certified by the Florida Bar, and their areas of practice include personal injury and accidents, fall and premises liability, wrongful death, motorcycle and truck accidents, medical malpractice, real estate, commercial litigation, construction law, wills, estate planning and administration, social security law and criminal law. With offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Lehigh Acres and Port Charlotte, these attorneys named as Super Lawyers can be reached by calling 239-334-1146 or visiting our contact us page.

The team is celebrating a positive outcome after the legal firm sponsors fishing tournament for Lee County 2020 graduates. Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz joined other sponsors to support Take a Grad Fishing 2020, a catch-and-release fishing tournament for Lee County high school graduates held from and on the Sanibel Causeway July 11. The sponsorship helped provide food and beverages, prizes, tournament shirts and team rulers for over 100 participants. Legal Firm Sponsors Fishing Tournament About 15 charter fishing captains donated their time, boats, bait and gear to take registered students fishing at no cost to the students. The event was organized by Jason Miller, owner of Reel Therapy Charters, in recognition of cancellation due to the pandemic of traditional events including prom, in-person graduation and other end-of-year events. In addition to providing funding, Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz provided logo backpacks filled with koozies, water bottles, small hand sanitizers and key chains for the participants. “For nearly 60 years, our firm has been supporting our community,” said Richard L. Purtz, managing partner for Goldstein Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz. “When we saw that the tournament might fall short of funding, we wanted to participate and acknowledge the sacrifices the graduates have had to make through no fault of their own. The tournament is a bright spot in an unprecedented year.”

Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz is honored to be recognized for our expertise with car accidents. The legal firm recently named among the Best Car Accident Lawyers in Fort Myers, by Expertise. The firm was one of 19 selected out of 34 area firms considered. Expertise handpicks objectively quantified and qualified professionals for its lists, identifying the top service professionals in over 200 different industries in the United States for our expertise with car accidents. To date, Expertise has analyzed more than 10 million companies to help more than 10 million customers find the best qualified professionals for their needs. Using publicly available data, Expertise verifies contact and license information, and then using in-house software grades each business on more than 25 variables across five categories: reputation, credibility, experience, engagement and professionalism. To see the listing, click here.

Breaking news: Accomplished Fort Myers attorney J. Jeffrey Rice named a Florida Super Lawyer for the 14th consecutive year. Rice, a former managing partner of Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz was first named to the list in 2006. To earn the annual honor, candidates are measured against 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement, a rigorous and methodical process to determine Super Lawyers that represent the top 5 percent of legal professionals in each state. Super Lawyers magazine will feature Rice in his primary practice area, business litigation, in its June issue, which will be distributed to more than 62,000 attorneys and posted in an online directory. Rice emphasizes his practice on commercial law, construction law and real estate. J. Jeffrey Rice named a Florida Super Lawyer for 14th consecutive year Rice was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1975 after completing a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University and a juris doctorate from Case Western Reserve University. He is a member of the Lee County Bar Association and Florida Bar, and licensed to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and 11 th Circuit Court of Appeals. He previously has been honored by Martindale-Hubbell as a top-rated lawyer in business and corporate law, and has been included in the peer-reviewed legal publication Best Lawyers. About Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz has offered a full complement of professional legal services to Southwest Florida clients since 1962. The firm’s experienced attorneys are board certified by the Florida Bar, and their areas of practice include personal injury and accidents, fall and premises liability, wrongful death, motorcycle and truck accidents, medical malpractice, real estate, commercial litigation, construction law, wills, estate planning and administration, social security law and criminal law. With offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Lehigh Acres and Port Charlotte, attorneys can be reached by calling (239) 326-0558 or visiting JusticeStartsNow.com.

Gulfshore Business magazine recently selected Christopher Smith, a managing partner, from hundreds of nominations for the publication’s 18th annual salute to 40 rising stars under the age of 40. “This year’s recipients draw experience from impressive backgrounds and have amassed significant accomplishments in their respective fields,” wrote Heidi Rambo Centrella, editor-in-chief for the publication. Kudos to Christopher Smith! The 40 people featured in the September issue of Gulfshore Business were celebrated virtually on Sept. 2. Smith remains humble as ever, crediting his father for the award. “My dad instilled in me that hard work will always get you where you want to be,” said Smith. Smith joins his wife, Attorney Andrea Pleimling Smith, in receiving this distinction. She was selected in 2019 for Business Observer’s 40 Under 40.

Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz hosted a recent donation to Eva’s Closet during a drive from March 25 to April 15. The donation supports their mission to provide assistance to people in need, regardless of situation or circumstance, without judgement. Kudos to everyone who was involved in the organization of these donations on behalf of the firm. Learn more about this worthy cause.

Legal Assistant Emily Miller has a heart for helping the homeless. She recently made good use of a spare office to collect items for donation. The goal? Helping the homeless veterans through the Cape Coral office of U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Through coupons, in a couple months, she was able to collect $4,300 worth of food, self-care and other products. Helping the Homeless Miller, who has been with Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz for 10 years, started couponing for herself about two years ago. She became so good at couponing, she began sharing excess deals with friends. “It starts to accumulate over time,” she said, so she decided to collect items the homeless might need. “You can get things for pennies on the dollar. It does get time consuming with the planning and driving. My biggest investment is time.” The only drawback? With a sleeve full of coupons, she’s that person slowing down the grocery line. “They can heckle me all they want. I’m helping people.” Want to get involved with helping the homeless? Contact Frank Jones at (239) 652-1800, ext. 20551.

Fort Myers attorney J. Jeffrey Rice retires as NFL referee this year. He has been moonlighting as an NFL referee for 25 years, but hung up his whistle for the final time after Sunday’s Pro Bowl. Rice, a former managing partner of Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz retired as a game umpire after calling Sunday’s Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Rice began officiating high school football games in 1973, just a year after graduating from Northwestern University. After earning a juris doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in 1975, Rice was admitted to the Florida Bar and continued officiating on the weekends in Southwest Florida through the South Gulf Football Officials Association. He steadily built a reputation as a premier official and worked his way up to college games, then NFL Europe games, before being hired by the NFL in 1995. J. Jeffrey Rice retires as NFL referee after a fulfilling role on the field as an umpire. His duties include monitoring the line of scrimmage for illegal blocking or holding calls and false starts, as well as marking off penalty yardage and counting the number of offensive players on the field. Over the past 25 years, Rice has officiated more than 400 NFL games and been granted 24 postseason assignments, including four Super Bowls and four Pro Bowls. Postseason officiating crews are considered the league’s top game officials. Rice is one of only 105 officials to work a Super Bowl game, and one of just 16 who have worked three or more Super Bowls, including two of the closest championship games in NFL history: Super Bowl XXXV (2001 – alternate official): Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7 Super Bowl XXXVI (2002 – umpire): New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17 Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004 – umpire): New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29 Super Bowl 50 (2016 – umpire): Denver Broncos 24, Carolina Panthers 10 With 25 years of experience, J. Jeffrey Rice retires as NFL referee with many accolades. Rice is recognized on a plaque displayed in a special exhibit at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Rice’s father, Bob Rice, worked for 19 years as an NFL official, including two Super Bowls. Fort Myers attorney J. Jeffrey Rice retires as NFL referee At his day job, Rice also is at the top of his game, having been named to Florida’s prestigious Super Lawyers list for 14 consecutive years. To earn the annual honor, candidates are measured against 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement, a rigorous and methodical process to determine Super Lawyers that represent the top 5 percent of legal professionals in each state. Rice, who often makes himself available as a guest speaker for local organizations, emphasizes his practice on commercial law, construction law, construction lien cases and real estate closings for clients. He is a member of the Lee County Bar Association and Florida Bar, and licensed to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Rice has been honored by Martindale-Hubbell as a top-rated lawyer in business and corporate law, and has been included in the peer-reviewed legal publication Best Lawyers. Further Reading Florida Bar News Naples Daily News Naples Daily News WINK

Partner Andrea Smith Named Leader in the Law The Florida Association for Women Lawyers named Partner Andrea Pleimling Smith “Lee County Leader in the Law” for 2018-2019 at its Annual Conference June 26. Mrs. Smith is president for the Lee County Association for Women Lawyers, who nominated her for the recognition intended to promote women who have made meaningful contributions in their communities through their legal service or volunteer activities and have provided a positive role model for Florida Association for Women Lawyers. Lee County Association for Women Lawyers is a local branch of the Florida association that was founded in 1951 with the goal of propelling women lawyers into economic, social and leadership spheres of power. The Lee County chapter is dedicated to actively promoting and supporting the advancement of women within the Lee County legal community. It has been a great honor to have partner Andrea Smith named Leader in the Law. Both Andrea and her husband Chris, who is also a partner at the firm, volunteer and donate to the Gulf Coast Humane Society, where they adopted their deaf Catahoula shepherd mix, Boo, who comes to the office with their other dog, Bruiser, a rat terrier/chihuahua mix that Andrea adopted when she was in law school. They also donate and are involved with Habitat for Humanity, the American Heart Association, and the Dominican Joe Foundation, which builds schools in the Dominica Republic. Additionally, Chris and Andrea are passionate supporters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and the firm is a presenting sponsor for MADD’s 5K at Jet Blue Park Sept. 28.

Gulfshore Business Best of Business Awards Best Small Law Firm Gulfshore Business magazine’s Best of Business readers’ poll is in its seventh year of honoring Southwest Florida’s top firms. More than 6,000 unique votes were cast through a polling service that required a name and email address to allow only one vote per person. Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz was named Best Small Law Firm, with this description: Since 1962, Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz attorneys have provided representation to a wide variety of both commercial and private clients. Offices are located in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.