Frank T. Gaylord

Born Orlando Florida July 14, 1946
Attended and graduated from Eustis High School, Stetson University with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree, Cumberland Law School with a Doctor of Jurisprudence in June 1971.

General Information

Admitted to practice law by the Florida Bar in June, 1971 and has practiced law at 804 N. Bay St. in Eustis, Florida, since then. Admitted to the Colorado Bar in 1988.

Specialization or Designation
Present Practice
Estate Planning and Probate:

Florida Bar Board Certified in Wills Trusts and Estates (1988 to date) Martindale-Hubbell: AV rating

Prior Experience

Criminal Law:

County Prosecutor for Lake County until the office was abolished by the constitution and was absorbed into the State Attorney’s office. Practiced defense work until 1980, when a partner became an assistant State Attorney and the defense work was a conflict with the prosecution.

Municipal Law:

Represented the City of Eustis from 1983 until 1989
Represented the Eustis Police Pension Board (1990-2007)
Represented the Tavares Police Pension Board
Represented the Tavares Fireman’s Pension Board
Represented the Leesburg Fireman’s Pension Board
Represented the Umatilla Police Pension Board
Represented the Eustis Fireman’s Pension Board (1990 to 1993)
Represented the Umatilla Code Enforcement Board by special appointment

Other Governmental Experience

Served as County Attorney for Lake County (10/93 to 12/94)

Quasi-Judicial Experience

Certified Arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association
Certified Circuit Court Mediator (2000 to 2006)

Florida Bar Activities

Served on the Florida Probate Rules Committee for the Florida Bar 2003-2007
Member of the Executive Council for the Real Property, Probate and Trust Section of the Florida Bar (1984 to 2005)
Former Member of the Probate Law Committee
Former Member of the Trust Law Committee
Board Member of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers – commercial Section (1982)
Member of the Fifth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee of the Florida Bar (1993)
Served on the Grievance Committee for the Florida Bar for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, Florida

Civic Activities:

Active Member First Presbyterian Church of Eustis, Florida (1952 to date)
Past Elder
Active member and past president of the Eustis Rotary Club (1971 to date)
Past member of the Board of Directors for the Golden Triangle YMCA
Past YMCA Coach – Soccer, Y-ball
Past Coach Little League
Director and past President to the Pine Meadows Golf and Country Club (1973-1981)
Board Member and President of PACE Private School (1989 to 1993)
Taught Guardianship Law at Lake Sumter Community College (1988 – 1996)
Board Member of Florida Hospital Waterman, Eustis, FL (2000 – 2007)
North Lake Hospital District, Seat One (2002 to 2010)

University Activities

Member of the Advisory Board to Stetson Business School, Stetson University (1981 to date)
Trustee of Stetson University (1987 to 2009)
Member of the Sarah and Roland George Board (1987-date) the first student directed managed securities portfolio

Other

Chaired the Waterman – Florida Hospital Task Force to determine the use of the old hospital site.
President of Lake Eustis Institute
Member of the Board of Lake Community Foundation
Recipient of the 2004 Community Service Award from the Lake County League of Cities

Michael J Rogers

Education: B.A. in Psychology, State University New York College at Oswego – 1989 J.D. Stetson University College of Law – 1994

Current bar memberships:

The Florida Bar – Admitted 1994
United States District Court, Middle District of Florida
Lake County Bar Association – Past President

Business and community memberships:

Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Section
Lake County Bar Board of Directors
Lake County Guardianship Association
Florida State Guardianship Association
Florida Bar Grievance Committee – Former Chairperson
Florida Lemon Law Arbitrator – Former Chairperson
American Cancer Society Board of Directors
Lake County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory committee – Former Chairperson
Lake Sumter Community College – Former adjunct professor

Personal history:

Born and raised on Long Island, New York. Relocated to Florida in 1991 to attend Stetson College of Law in St. Petersburg. Moved to Lake County in 1995 to work as Assistant Public Defender. In 1997 hired by Morley Law Office, PA, in Tavares, Florida. Practice concentrated on family and guardianship law. Became partner with Michelle T. Morley and formed Morley and Rogers, PA, in 2000. In 2005 joined with Frank T. Gaylord to form Gaylord & Rogers, LLC, after Michelle T. Morley was appointed to serve as Circuit Judge.

Personal Interests: Marathon Running, Triathlons, Mountain Biking, Whitewater Kayaking

History of the Firm

The webmaster asked the other day for a “History of the Law Firm”. I looked around and she was looking at me for a response. I have seen various and sundry histories as I researched the use of other law firms. Those histories tend to be that the law firm is the besttiest, most diverse and efficient to handle a myriad of legal matters. This history will be nothing of that sort. So, if you are reading this history, you may stop now.

The firm was founded by my father, Harry E. Gaylord, after his graduation from Stetson University in 1936 with a Bachelor of Law.  By the way, when J.D. was offered to replace the Bachelor degree for the sum of $100.00, he said “thank you very much, but I will remain a Bachelor.” I paid the $100.00, but he never displayed this newly acquired honorary J.D. He became the youngest mayor in the United States at age 21. He, as many of his generation, had the interruption of the Great War during his career, then proceeded to practice law until his death in 1992. He was always referred to as “Mr. Harry” with the fondest of respect from both bar and bench – the local Atticas Finch. I remember on one occasion we decided to purge some ancient files. On a Friday afternoon, he drew the first file from the cabinet and proceeded to spin a tale of the case for an hour. Not to be outdone, I did the same. We purged four files after an afternoon of hard work and never did that again.

I joined the firm in 1971, after completion of law school at Cumberland Law School as a Juris Doctorate. I became board certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates in 1988, and have retained my certification from the Florida Bar since that date. We had several partners through the years, but after his death in 1992, I remained a sole practitioner until 2005, when Michael J. Rogers joined me, practicing primarily in Estate Planning, Probate, Trust, and Guardianship Law.

Mike is a graduate from Stetson Law School in 1994. He practiced as a sole practitioner until we joined in 2005. Mr. Harry and Mike have something in common – they were both born in New York – but we won’t hold that against them. Mike and I have something in common. We both have Juris Doctorate degrees. I don’t think Mr. Harry will hold that against us.