Jim Brindell

Land use and environmental attorney

with Gunster Yoakley and Stewart

in West Palm Beach

Why: Nearly every high-profile zoning and land-use issue in town has Brindell on one side or the other. In 2007 alone, he represented Royal Poinciana Plaza owner Sidney Spiegel, the Royal Poinciana Chapel in seeking variances for Sea Gull Cottage, Palm Beach Day Academy's parking changes and S. Daniel Abraham's establishment of the New Synagogue in the Roof Garden Ballroom of the Palm Beach Hotel. Brindell also represented Starbucks in its successful bid to get Town Council approval for a store on Worth Avenue.

Peter Broberg

Real estate attorney with the Palm Beach firm

of Coe, Broberg and Austin

Why: A former major-league pitcher-turned-lawyer, Broberg frequently represents clients in front of the Palm Beach Town Council, drawing on his in-depth knowledge of the town's zoning codes. Broberg is a former Palm Beach zoning commissioner. He received the Guardianship Law Award from the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County in 2004.

Ron Kolins

Land-use and zoning attorney with Greenberg Traurig

Why: Kolins spent much of 2007 representing the developers of the Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn in South Palm Beach in their unsuccessful effort to turn the motel into a luxury hotel/condominium. He also represented The Ritz-Carlton in its negotiations with Manalapan, as well as Leslie Evans, owner of a hurricane-damaged commercial building at 2875 S. Ocean Blvd. Kolins is noted for his eloquent arguments on behalf of clients at odds with town zoning or building codes.

Bob Montgomery

Personal injury attorney with the firm

Robert M. Montgomery Jr. & Associates

Why: With a high-profile, take-no-prisoners approach, Montgomery is known for going against the big guys — and winning. He was instrumental in conquering Big Tobacco and orchestrating a landmark $11.3 billion settlement to the State of Florida. Last fall, he began representing 93-year-old Janina "Nina" Zaniewska, who alleges that she was kidnapped and defrauded by her one-time neighbors. Outside of the courtroom, Montgomery and his wife, Mary, are major supporters of the Armory Art Center, Children's Place at Home Safe, American Cancer Society, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, American Heart Association, Mounts Botanical Garden and the Palm Beach Theater Guild. He is a chairman emeritus of Palm Beach Opera, a Kravis Center for the Performing Arts board member and founder of the Robert M. Montgomery Jr. Cancer Research Fund at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

David Roth

Criminal defense attorney with the West Palm Beach firm

Roth and Duncan

Why: Well-respected in his field, Roth, a Palm Beach resident, has represented a number of high-profile clients with ties to the island. In 2007, Roth and law partner Doug Duncan defended Palm Beacher Fred Keller in his retrial on a first-degree murder charge of shooting to death his ex-wife. Keller was found guilty and died in prison later in the year. Roth also has represented Patricia Bowman, who accused William Kennedy Smith of raping her at the Kennedys' then-Palm Beach compound; and, in 2006, former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley.

Trela White

Town attorney to eight municipalities,

including South Palm Beach and Manalapan

Why: White has a reputation for knowing municipal law inside and out. She is well liked and respected for her professionalism, preparation, tenacity and ethics. Her firm, Corbett and White, also serves as general counsel for the Palm Beach County League of Cities.