Firm News
New AWKO Location - Cedar Street Warehouse Building
On September 1, 2010, the law firm of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz moved into its new offices at 17 East Main Street, in Pensacola, Florida. The firm now occupies over 10,000 square feet of space on the second floor of what has been known in the past as the Cedar Street Warehouse, at the corner of Main and Palafox. The beautiful historic building is located a block from the Escambia County Courthouse, and two blocks from pristine Pensacola Bay.
Originally built in the early 1900s, the building served as a grocery store and distribution warehouse for much of the 20th century. The building underwent a major renovation in 1998, but the original 8x8 wood columns remain throughout the building, along with high ceilings and exposed original brick, creating the perfect blend of the modern office with the historic warehouse feel.
Originally based in Gulf Breeze, Florida, the firm has operated from multiple offices in both Pensacola and Gulf Breeze over the last ten years. But, with growth to twelve (12) attorneys and more than fifty (50) staff members, the firm needed a new home. So, now the entire firm operates out of the downtown Pensacola office. The office features four modern conference rooms, with state-of-the-art technology including projections screens, touch screen plasma panels, video conferencing, and video deposition capabilities.
The firm is very happy to have the entire AWKO family under one roof and is committed to serving its clients at the highest level for many years to come. Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz is also pleased to be part of the downtown Pensacola community, and play its part in assisting the continued investment in our historic downtown.
Welcome to New Partner Brad Bradford
Brad Bradford, AWKO's newest partner, heads up AWKO's Personal Injury and Automobile Negligence departments, and specializes in serious injury cases. Brad has been an accomplished lawyer since 1999 and was previously a partner at Green & Bradford. He is a member of the Florida Justice Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Escambia-Santa Rosa County Bar Association, and First Circuit Trial Lawyers Association. He is Past President of the local chapter of the Florida Justice Association. Born in Gadsden, Alabama, Brad received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Alabama in 1995, and his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1999.
Admitted to the bar in both Florida and Alabama, Brad specializes in personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, will contests and undue influence. He is also licensed to practice law before the United States District Court for the Northern District and the Middle District of Florida, as well as the Southern District of Alabama.
Partners Neil Overholtz and Doug Kreis
The shareholders are proud to announce that Neil Overholtz and Doug Kreis have become named partners in the law firm, and the new name of the firm is Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLC. Doug Kreis and Neil Overholtz have been active members of the firm nearly since its inception, and have led the firm's efforts in becoming a national law firm in the areas of pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, as well as allowing the firm to focus on representing injured consumers in the Northwest Florida area from Pensacola to Panama City.
Currently, Neil Overholtz is serving as a lead attorney in the national heart device litigation involving defective Medtronic and Guidant defibrillators and pacemakers, and along with Doug Kreis, is also serving as a lead attorney in the litigation against Bausch & Lomb over its defective contact lens solution, ReNu with MoistureLoc. Doug Kreis is also leading the national efforts of the firm in the defective Bard Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch litigation. Neil Overholtz (Crestview) and Doug Kreis (Tallahassee) each grew up in Northwest Florida, and are each proud members of the local Pensacola community, as each have played a key effort in the firm's community outreach programs, including the recent preservation of the Trader Jon's Naval aviation memorabilia and its donation to the Maritime Museum.