Overview
Trenam enjoys a rare position among Florida’s law firms. We are recognized as a leader in the state, ranking among the top law firms in size and breadth of practice. We are proud that our firm and most of our attorneys are listed in third-party publications and directories including The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, Florida Super Lawyers, Florida Trend, Legal Elite, Martindale Hubbell, and U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firms.
Trenam serves the needs of our clients in the Tampa Bay community with offices in Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida. We have over eighty attorneys practicing in multiple practice groups, all sharing the goal of working with clients to establish cost-effective, highly automated and responsive representation. Our attorneys value relationships over projects, and to be not just attorneys, but reliable business partners and trusted advisors to our clients.
Founded in 1970, Trenam has evolved to meet the changing needs of our clients. Our flexibility has allowed the firm to develop and retain clients, both large and small, across a wide range of industries including real estate, banking, manufacturing, financial services, hospitality, construction, and technology. Our ability to represent clients in all facets of their business, from litigation to complex business transactions, has allowed us to grow at a rapid pace.
We operate on the simple principle that achieving success for our clients is paramount. That means phone calls get returned, questions get answered and problems get solved. We are sensitive to our clients’ need to minimize expense without forfeiting the quality of service they deserve and we deliver.
We practice in the areas of:
Antitrust and Trade Regulation
Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights
Casualty / Personal Injury Defense
Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
Eminent Domain and Property Rights Litigation
ERISA, Employee Benefits and Compensation
Probate and Guardianship Litigation
Qui Tam /Whistle Blower Claims
Real Estate and Lending Transactions
Securities Litigation and Arbitration
Technology Company Transactions
TRENAM KEMKER
History
In 1970 our firm was founded with 9 attorneys and 12 staff members as Trenam, Simmons, Kemker, Scharf & Barkin. Today, we are one of the largest law firms in the Tampa Bay region.
Trenam Timeline
- 1970 - Firm founded with 9 attorneys and 12 staff members as Trenam, Simmons, Kemker, Scharf & Barkin; offices were in Freedom Federal Building on Madison Street, Tampa
- 1975 - Firm expands to 27th floor of First Florida Tower and renamed Trenam, Simmons, Kemker, Scharf, Barkin, Frye & O’Neill
- 1978 - Founding member John J. Trenam dies at age 65
- 1980 - 10th Anniversary
- 1984 - Founding member, G. Harry Kemker dies at age 54
- 1987 - Relocated office to the new Barnett Plaza Building, now known as Bank of America Plaza
- 1990 - 20th Anniversary; Firm opens a St. Petersburg office
- 1994 - Founding member Hal Mullis is elected President of the firm; Founding member Sherwin Simmons leaves the firm and relocates to Miami; firm renamed Trenam, Kemker, Scharf, Barkin, Frye, O’Neill & Mullis
- 2000 - 30th Anniversary; Tampa office expands
- 2006 - The St. Petersburg office expands with the addition of 12 lawyers and 14 staff and other professionals formerly with Holland & Knight; Founding member Sherwin Simmons dies at age 75
- 2010 - 40th Anniversary – Firm celebrates by helping to build a Habitat for Humanity house
- 2013 - Management structure changes to 5 person Executive Board; Tate Taylor is named Chair of Executive Board and Marie Tomassi is named Managing Shareholder
- 2013 - Founding Member Marvin Barkin celebrates 80th birthday and 55 years of practice
- 2015 - Firm completes major renovations in the Tampa and St. Petersburg offices; modernizes work spaces, conference areas, collaboration zones and rebrands to Trenam Law
- 2020 - Firm celebrates 50th Anniversary. Due to coronavirus pandemic, many of us work remotely from our homes.
Community Involvement
At Trenam, We All Give
Trenam employees believe in community service and financial support of community and charitable projects as obligations of good citizens and as opportunities for the firm to tangibly express our appreciation for the Tampa Bay community’s support of the firm. We are proud of the firm’s long tradition of responsible corporate citizenship, and grateful for the opportunity to give back to our community.
Charitable Giving
Trenam takes pride in giving back and we are grateful to our attorneys and staff who have offered leadership, service and monetary contributions to so many organizations that work hard for our communities. Here are just some of those organizations that received our support in 2016:
- A Brighter Community
- Academy of the Holy Names
- Achievement Centers for Children & Families
- Adaptive Yoga for Veterans
- All Children’s Hospital Foundation
- American State Theater Company
- AMIkids Pinellas
- Angelman Syndrome Foundation
- Athens Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children
- Bay Areas Legal Services
- Best Buddies
- Birdies for Tampa Bay Charities
- Boley Centers
- Carlton Manor
- Central Florida Disability Chamber
- Children’s Dream Fund
- City of Tampa Code Enforcement
- Clutch Hitters of Tampa Bay
- Community Foundation of Tampa Bay
- Copperhead Charities
- Cross Out Cancer
- Crossroads for Florida Kids
- Davis Ferguson Memorial Fund
- Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County
- Episcopal Diocese
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- Florida Alliance of YMCA’s
- Florida Council on Economic Education
- Florida CraftArt
- Florida Wildlife Corridor
- Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
- Florida’s Children First
- Goodwill Industries Suncoast
- Greater Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Tampa Catholic Lawyers Guild
- Guardian Ad Litem Foundation
- Habitat for Humanity
- Hillsborough Community College
- Hillsborough County Bar Foundation
- Hillsborough Education Foundation
- Historic Hyde Park Neighborhood Association
- Indo-US Chamber of Commerce
- InfraGard
- Jewish Family & Children’s Service of the Suncoast
- Junior Achievement
- Junior League of Tampa
- Kiwanis Club of Tampa
- Lazydays Employee Foundation
- Lowry Park Zoo
- Magicians Perform for Our Veterans
- Make-A-Wish Foundation
- Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation
- Morean Arts Center
- Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg
- National Christian Foundation
- NephCure Kidney International
- Northeast Little League
- Patrick Brett Foundation
- Pinellas Education Foundation
- Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg
- Project Prosper
- Religious Community Services
- Remember, Honor, Support
- Rotary Club of St. Petersburg Sunset
- Salesian Youth Center
- Sal’s Soldiers
- Sant’ Yago Education Foundation
- Southeastern Guide Dogs
- Special Olympics
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church
- St. Pete’s Promise
- St. Petersburg Bar Foundation
- St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce
- St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership
- Suncoast Hospice Professional Partners Council
- Tampa Bay History Center
- Tampa Bay Kiwanis Club
- Tampa Bay Paralegal Association
- Tampa Bay Sports Commission
- Tampa Bay WaVE
- Tampa Downtown Partnership
- Tampa General Hospital Foundation
- Tampa Jewish Family Services
- Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA
- Tampa Organization of Black Affairs
- The Brick & Mortar Society
- The Children’s Forum
- The Conn Foundation
- The Dali Museum
- The Diversity Initiative
- The Lifelink Foundation
- The Salvation Army
- The Smile Foundation
- The Stuart Society
- The Tampa Connection
- Tiger Bay Club
- United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation
- United Way Suncoast
- University of Florida Foundation, Inc.
- University of South Florida
- Univeristy of South Florida Varsity Club
- University of South Florida Women in Leadership & Philanthropy
- University of Tampa
- Voices for Children of Tampa Bay
- Volunteers of America of Florida
- Westchase Charitable Foundation
- Wills for Heroes
- WUSF Public Media
Global Reach
Trenam’s active membership in MSI Global Alliance provides us access to a network of leading independent, international legal and accounting firms, affording us global reach without yielding our local focus.
MSI Global Alliance-is a Top 20 ranked international association of independent professional services firms. Formed in 1990 in response to the growing need for cross-border cooperation between independent, professional services firms, MSI has steadily grown to become a leading, international association with over 250 independent member firms in more than 100 countries throughout the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa regions. Membership in MSI enables Trenam Law to quickly source reliable, local expertise worldwide—wherever our clients are involved in doing business— and the flexibility generally absent from multi-office international firms, to find and engage exactly the right professional for each client and matter.
For further information on MSI, please visit-www.msiglobal.org.
50 Years and Beyond
It was January, 1970 when our Founders thought it was a good idea to leave their current firm and start a new one. The US population had just passed 293 million. The first non-stop 747 commercial flight from New York to London had successfully landed in a mere 6.50 hours. Television network ABC premiered a new soap opera, All My Children, and Walt Disney opened a preview center in what would later become the nation’s largest tourist attraction, Disney World. Complementing these influential and enduring events, five attorneys, with four associates and twelve support staff, decided to form Trenam, Simmons, Kemker, Scharf, and Barkin, a firm whose culture and success would focus on the principles of client service, collaboration, professional development, and commitment to the community. Within five years, the firm would expand to occupy an entire floor of the First Florida Tower and add two named partners to become Trenam, Simmons, Kemker, Scharf, Barkin, Frye & O’Neill.
Now, as Trenam Law, we celebrate 50 years as a firm, as a team, we look back on these principles and reflect upon the foundation they established, which has enabled us to grow our ranks, expand our footprint, and to witness and participate in the development of the Tampa Bay region.
Our founders set out to create an inclusive, family based culture at the firm; one where all members, shareholders, associates, and staff, were equally valued and appreciated for their roles and contributions. They believed in, and we continue to emphasize, the importance of having a wide range of knowledge, experience, perspectives, and backgrounds represented in all roles at our firm.
That belief, a key differentiation in today’s legal market, is integral to the culture we began fifty years ago. And we continue to devote substantial time and resources, whether through firm social events or community engagement and volunteering opportunities, to ensuring each Trenam employee is imbued with the same philosophy. As a result, we are proud to have created a culture where attorneys, employees, and importantly, countless clients, have remained with Trenam throughout the decades.
Nevertheless, strategic management of the firm in order to benefit our clients was and is inherent to our success. This is embodied in our Code of Client Commitment, and based on four simple principles:
- Getting to know our clients’ businesses and understanding what is important to them in both legal and business terms and goals;
- Offering certainty and accountability on the economics and logistics of matters and being time and cost conscious at all times;
- Providing accessibility via cell phone and/or email, even after hours, with a maximum 24 hour response time; and
- Delivering on deadlines by either meeting or exceeding expectations in a timely manner.
Ever since we opened our doors, we have endeavored to be trusted advisors beyond legal advice to our clients. This desire is at the heart of our approach to integrity and client service. It requires consistent and thorough communication, which we establish at the beginning of each engagement and emphasize throughout the life of the client relationship. It also requires sophisticated collaboration and team work , a strength in unity our founders believed would be central to the firm’s success. These goals are facilitated by investments in advanced and evolving technologies which enhance our team work, communications, and efficiencies. Our seamless coordination and emphasis on the relationships and interactions between practices, offices, attorneys, and staff has allowed us to be held to account not only by each other, but also by our clients.
As observers and contributors to the Tampa Bay region’s growth across the bay over the last fifty years, a central tenant of the core values we inherited from our founders is investing in our communities, with both time and treasure. We do this in several ways, including: having attorneys join various legal, business, and civic organizations and non-profit boards; providing pro bono assistance in-house and through community agencies; and by providing and supporting volunteer opportunities which allow us to integrate our families into social engagements and events. With a focus on charitable organizations providing aid to children, the less fortunate, the arts, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem bridging the bay, we seek to treat each market individually, yet cooperatively; respecting each one’s strengths, needs, and future plans.
Looking forward to our next fifty years, we will continue to be grateful for the groundwork laid by our founders and all who have come through our doors; especially our valued clients. We hope to express that gratitude to our clients and the communities which have given us so much over the years. We will continue to invest in the technologies needed to enhance client service, contain costs, improve efficiencies, and adapt to the evolving trends of the legal industry.
