Denise Hallmon Rowan, ESQ.

Denise “Dede” Rowan focuses her practice on commercial and residential real estate law, including acquisitions and sales, development, leasing, financing and loan foreclosures and workouts. A significant component of her practice involves the representation of banking institutions and special servicers, including servicers of commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), in connection with commercial foreclosure litigation, loan workouts, deficiency collection, assumption transactions, and the sale of properties (both REO sales and retail sales). She also represents property managers and owners in lease transactions, landlord-tenant disputes and code enforcement matters, and has represented clients in various business litigation matters including contract and construction disputes. Ms. Rowan has past experience as an assistant county attorney and city attorney for a local municipality during which time she benefitted by serving as counsel to the planning commission, code enforcement board, and construction industry advisory council. As a result of her years of experience with real estate transactions, Ms. Rowan handles title curative actions as well.

Ms. Rowan received her undergraduate degree from Florida State University with a B.S. in Risk Management and Insurance and Marketing. She earned her J.D. from Emory University School of Law, where she was a member of Moot Court Society, serving on the executive board, and Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity. Upon graduation, Ms. Rowan began her practice in Atlanta, Georgia, moving back to her home state of Florida in 2003. She was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 2000 and the Florida Bar in 2002. Courts before which she may practice include the Georgia Supreme Court, Northern District of Georgia, Florida Supreme Court, Middle District of Florida and Southern District of Florida.

Dede is presently a member of the Bay County Bar Association, the St. Andrews Bay Inn of Court, and past member of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation. She is a past chair of the First Saturday Legal Aid Clinic, a pro bono legal aid clinic providing legal advice and representation to qualified individuals, and past chair and member of the Grievance Committee of the Florida Bar for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. Ms. Rowan earned certification by the Florida Supreme Court as a Civil Circuit Mediator and specifically trained to mediate cases under Florida’s mandated Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Program. She has also served as an Arbitrator for the Florida Bar under its Fee Arbitration and Mediation Program.

Ms. Rowan was selected in 2013, 2014, and 2015 as a Super Lawyer Rising Star, an honor only bestowed upon 2.5% of active licensed attorneys in Florida. In 2011 and in 2012, she was on the short list submitted by the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit for consideration of gubernatorial appointment for a circuit judge vacancy. Dede has also served as a panelist in May 2014 for the Florida Bar’s Practicing with Professionalism and February 2012 for the Information Management Network for Institutional Finance & Investment.

Catherine S. Hester, ESQ

Jodena Beranek

Leonor Hallmon