Attorneys

Chris A. Barker, was born in Sheffield, Alabama, on July 24, 1965. He has been a member of the Bar of the State of Alabama since 1990, and Florida since 1991. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida; and, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama. Mr. Barker has also been certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Circuit Civil Mediator and is a member of the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators.

Mr. Barker has significant trial experience involving both jury and bench trials as well as arbitration proceedings. He has tried over 100 cases in federal, state and workers' compensation courts and has written and presented oral argument in both state and federal appellate courts. He handles many different types of matters including Constitutional litigation, commercial litigation, employment law discrimination and compliance, premises liability, personal injury and class actions. Mr. Barker has been awarded the highest possible rating of "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent, national directory of attorneys.

Mr. Barker was graduated from Birmingham-Southern College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1987) and the University of Alabama (J.D., 1990), where he was a member of Phi Alpha Delta. Mr. Barker has been listed in Who's Who in American Law; and in Who's Who in Finance and Industry. He was Editor-In-Chief of The Column-Legal Newspaper, 1989-1990 and Associate Editor, The Law and Psychology Review, 1988-1990. He is a Co-Author of Florida Practice Handbook, Damages, Volumes 1 and 2, 1990, current supplement; Florida Practice Handbook, Settlement and Release, Contribution Indemnity with Forms, 1991, current supplement; Florida Practice Handbook, Workers' Compensation With Forms, Volumes 1 and 2, 1995, current supplement; and Survey of State Class Action Law, American Bar Association, Litigation Section, 1999, and current supplement. This last publication is now included in the leading treatise on class action law, Newberg on Class Actions.

Mr. Barker has lectured on numerous topics including employment rights, law enforcement, personal injury settlements and ethical claims adjusting. He was also certified as an Instructor for Workers' Compensation Adjusters by the Florida Department of Insurance in1999.

Mr. Barker is licensed by the state bars of Florida and Alabama and is a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Mr. Barker is also a member and sponsor of the CEO Council of Tampa Bay, an organization comprised of hundreds of CEOs from all over the Tampa Bay area, and has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Council. Mr. Barker is also a member of the Tampa Club and the Tampa Bay Society.

In April of 2008, Mr. Barker was appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to serve on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, which assists the Governor in selecting qualified judges.

Mr. Barker can be reached via E-mail at cbarker@barkerrodemsandcook.com.

Ryan Christopher Rodems, was born in Buffalo, New York, on December 4, 1966 and moved to Lakeland, Florida in 1972. Mr. Rodems has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1992, and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.

Since 1992, Mr. Rodems has represented clients in class actions arising under ERISA and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. He has tried sixteen civil jury trials in federal and state courts, more than 25 non-jury trials and administrative hearings, and has handled numerous appeals in federal and state courts. Mr. Rodems has extensive experience in employment litigation, Constitutional litigation, and civil rights and has represented clients in lawsuits arising under the Florida and United States Constitutions, including Sections 1981 and 1983 of the United States Constitution, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and many other federal and state anti-discrimination laws. He has been awarded the highest possible rating of "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent, national directory of attorneys.

In 1989, Mr. Rodems was graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Business Administration. In 1992, he graduated from the Florida State University College of Law, where he was a member of the Florida State University Law Review from 1990-1992. In 1992, Mr. Rodems interned with then-Chief Justice Leander Shaw, of the Florida Supreme Court.

Mr. Rodems is a coauthor of two books, Florida Practice Handbook, Workers' Compensation with Forms, Volumes 1 and 2, 1995 and Florida Practice Handbook, Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law, 1998.Mr. Rodems has lectured for the Florida Association of School Board Officers, November 5, 1993; the Hillsborough County Bar Association Public Law School, April 26, 1994; the National Safety Council, March 13, 1997; and the American Liver Foundation, Gulf Coast Chapter, "Why Hepatitis is of Concern to You and Your Business," January 1999. He has also lectured for Lorman Business Services, Inc., "Florida Legal Ethics," January 2000 and 2001.

Mr. Rodems is also a Certified Instructor, Workers' Compensation Adjusters, Florida Department of Insurance, 1999, and is an adjunct professor of Business Law at Hillsborough Community College. Mr. Rodems is a member of the Hillsborough County, the American Bar Association and the Florida Bar. He was a Barrister in the Justice William Glenn Terrell American Inn of Court, and previously served on the Board of Directors of the American Liver Foundation, Gulf Coast Chapter, and the Florida Liver Association. In 2007, Mr. Rodems was certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in Civil Trial Law.

Mr. Rodems can be reached via E-mail at rodems@barkerrodemsandcook.com.

William J. Cook, was born in Fairfax, Virginia on June 13, 1968. Mr. Cook has been admitted to the Florida Bar since 1993 and is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.

Since 1993, Mr. Cook has represented clients in cases involving commercial and employment disputes, securities litigation, insurance, personal injury, and consumer law. He has been awarded the highest possible rating of "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent national directory of attorneys. Mr. Cook also is listed in Who's Who in American Law.

Mr. Cook graduated from Virginia Tech (B.A., 1990) and Stetson University College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1993), where he was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Book Award in Business Associations, and a Finalist, Scribes National Note and Comment Competition, 1992-1993. He was also an editor with the Stetson Law Review, and interned for U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich, Middle District of Florida, 1993.

Mr. Cook has written several articles, including "From Insider Trading to Unfair Trading: Chestman II and Rule 14e-3," 22 Stetson L. Rev. 171, 1992 and "Getting Slam-Dunked on Appeal," The Hillsborough County Bar Association Lawyer, April 1998. He is a co-author of Florida Practice Handbook, Damages, 1995, and current supplement and Florida Practice Handbook, Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law, 1998.

Mr. Cook has lectured for the National Business Institute, "Insurance Law: Third Party Coverage in Florida", November, 1998, "Basic Tort Law for the Florida Paralegal," June, 1999, "Litigating the Class Action Lawsuit in Florida", October, 1999, and "Protecting the Legal Rights of Florida Citizens in Consumer Transactions," March, 2003. He has also lectured for Lorman Business Services, Inc., "Florida Legal Ethics," January, 2001.

Mr. Cook is a member of the Hillsborough County and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Member, Appellate Practice and Advocacy Section; Business Law Section). He is a Barrister with the Tampa Bay Inn of Court.

Mr. Cook is past President of the Rotary Club of Tampa Bay.