Scott C. Black was born in Nuremberg, Germany in 1973. For the past 35 years he has lived in the Florida Keys. He majored in Criminology/Criminal Justice and minored in Business at Florida State University, where he graduated in 1995. Prior to attending Florida State. Mr. Black earned a scholarship to attend his local Florida Keys Community College. Mr. Black graduated from FKCC in 1993 after making the Deans List and being named to Who’s Who Among American Junior Colleges. While attending Florida State University, Mr. Black was on the Deans List and was elected to the Golden Key National Honor Society.

Mr. Black graduated from Stetson University College of Law in December of 1998. During law school he participated in Stetson’s legal argument competitions and made the Honor roll. While at Stetson, Mr. Black received his Florida Bar certification and worked as a State Prosecutor for St. Petersburg State Attorney’s Office. After admission to the Florida Bar, Mr. Black began practicing with Vernis & Bowling of the Florida Keys. While practicing in the Florida Keys, Mr. Black has litigated in Federal, State and County Court. He has tried multiple cases both civil and criminal before the local County and Circuit courts. Mr. Black has also argued before the Third District Court of Appeals on multiple occasions and has argued before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Black is on the Monroe County School Board legal staff, as well as providing representation for the City of Layton and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District. Mr. Black is currently a member of the Florida Bar, and the American Bar Association.

Courtney Lucke was born in Atlanta, Georgia and later moved to the Tampa Bay, Florida, area right before high school. Courtney graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Management. While at UF, Courtney was heavily involved in the Business School, Greek Community, and the March of Dimes organization.

Upon graduating from UF, Courtney attended the University of Florida Levin College of Law where she earned her Juris Doctorate. While in law school, she was an active member of the John Marshall Bar Association and the Student Recruitment Team, as well as a Teaching Assistant for Legal Research and Writing and Appellate Advocacy. She also served as a Certified Legal Intern with the Virgil D. Hawkins Civil Clinics where she gained valuable experience representing clients in family law proceedings.

Courtney was admitted to the Florida Bar and joined the firm as an Associate Attorney in 2014. Her outside interests include: running, traveling, reading, and Gator athletic events.

Kenneth E. Amos, Jr. is the managing attorney for the firm’s St. Petersburg office. He was born in Canton, Ohio and was raised in a small town south of the Pro Football Hall of Fame city. While spending the first twenty-five years of his life in Southeast Ohio, Mr. Amos enjoyed fishing, 4-wheeling, and country living after working long days as an industrial painter. Mr. Amos married his wife of 30 years in 1995, and shortly thereafter the two relocated to Florida where Mr. Amos earned his law degree from Stetson University College of Law in 2003.

While Mr. Amos was in law school, he clerked with a local plaintiff’s attorney for two years and spent his first year of practice in the plantiff’s bar. This experience has prompted Mr. Amos to develop a mentoring program in the St. Petersburg office for law students who are inspiring litigators.

Mr. Amos was first hired as a managing attorney for an insurance defense firm in 2006 where he managed the firm’s St. Petersburg operations. Within months, Mr. Amos was invited to be a managing attorney with a second insurance defense firm where he became a partner in 2008.

Mr. Amos joined Vernis & Bowling in 2011. Mr. Amos has years of trial experience and courtroom experience. In addition to the areas of practice outlined herein, Mr. Amos handles a variety of Medicare and other healthcare lien issues. He also specializes in friendly suits throughout the State of Florida.

Mr. Amos was selected by Super Lawyers Magazine as a 2013 and 2014 Florida Rising Star in the practice area of Insurance Coverage for his work defending sinkhole claims throughout Florida.

He is the past President of the Belle Vista Community Association, and he is the current Chairman of Restore St. Pete Beach, a political committee created for the purpose of supporting or opposing political candidates to promote the restoration of his community following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.   He enjoys traveling with his family to Ohio where he is a season ticket holder for the Cleveland Browns. In his spare time, he enjoys relaxing on the beach and exercising.

Len Hackett was born in Fall River, Massachusetts. He majored in Criminal Justice at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts where he graduated with a B.A. in 1986. Thereafter, he enlisted in the United States Army where he earned his commission as a Lieutenant. While in the Army, he participated in and was decorated for his performance during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Following his tour in the Army, he attended Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. During law school, he served on the Cleveland State Law Review and Law Review Editorial Board. He graduated cum laude in May of 1996.

Len’s practice areas include employment law, labor law, condominium/homeowner association law, and personal injury litigation that involves catastrophic injury and/or wrongful death. He has extensive experience in defending both public and private employers in all aspects of employment litigation that involve claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, family and medical leave, equal pay violations, wage-hour, and civil rights. Len also provides guidance and legal advice to employers with regard to problem prevention and employment-related issues. He has represented and defended numerous business owners, commercial and residential property management companies, and homeowners in lawsuits involving serious personal injury and wrongful death arising from liability associated with the ownership and/or control of premises. Len also represents and defends condominium and homeowners’ associations in such areas as covenant enforcement litigation, fair housing discrimination claims, service and/or emotional support animal issues, director and officer liability, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and ADA matters.

Mr. Hackett is a Florida Bar Board Certified Labor and Employment Attorney and is currently a member of the Florida and Jacksonville Bar Associations.

Timothy S. Kazee was born in Galion, Ohio. He graduated cum laude from the University of Toledo in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Before graduating college, Timothy completed course work in business and communications through the Walt Disney World College Program, and he went on to serve as his University’s College Program Ambassador. He then completed a Pre-Law Program at Oxford University, England and earned the Program’s highest achievement level.

In 2002, Timothy graduated from the University of Toledo College of Law. During law school, he clerked at a local, litigation law firm and served as an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Legal Intern with Cedar Point Amusement Park, in Sandusky, Ohio.

Timothy is licensed in Florida and Ohio, and he has legal experience in state appellate and federal courts. While at VERNIS & BOWLING of Central Florida, P.A., Timothy has focused his practice on the areas of personal injury litigation and first party property claims, including auto liability defense, fraud / misrepresentation, premises liability, wind storm and water damage claims, and Personal Injury Protection litigation. In addition to defense litigation, his practice includes representing insurance companies in conducting good faith examinations under oath and preparing coverage opinions. He has defended community associations in claims arising from management and resident disputes and understands the value of working with residents, communities, and their insurers to explore prompt and meaningful dispute solutions.

Timothy has served his community as a municipal court mediator, as an Arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau, and as a University guest lecturer. He has also presented a wide- variety of Continuing Education seminars for insurance companies throughout the state of Florida.