Ms. Post is a native to Florida, having grown up along the Gulf Coast Beaches. She returned to the Tampa Bay area in 2018 after practicing law on the east coast of Florida for eight years.

Ms. Post graduated with honors from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Florida Coastal School of Law where she received multiple Dean’s Honors scholarships. While in law school, Ms. Post clerked at an A.V. rated trial law firm and interned at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.

Prior to joining Vernis & Bowling, Ms. Post gained experience defending insurance carriers in coverage and a wide variety of other first-party disputes. Ms. Post is an accomplished litigator, having successfully represented clients in appellate and trial court.

Ms. Post is a passionate environmental conservationist and devoted member of the Florida Trail Association. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at the local animal rescue, fostering pets and spending time with her family and friends.

Mike is an attorney at Vernis & Bowling of North Florida, P.A., in Jacksonville, Florida. He represents insureds, self- insureds, individuals, national corporations, domestic and public companies, and non-profit organizations in complex insurance and business litigation matters at both the state and federal levels. Mike maintains a concentrated practice in pre-trial litigation, including client interviews, drafting complex motions and pleadings, developing litigation strategies, and conducting
and defending depositions. While he has second chaired jury trials in state and federal court, Mike understands the practical and economic factors associated with litigation and regularly obtains settlements that serve his client’s interests at mediation.

Mike grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania where his family owned and operated a dairy business. The non-negotiable core values of honesty, accountability, and ethics were instilled in him at an early age and operate as the foundation for maintaining the reputations of he and his clients with courts, adversaries, and peers.

Prior to joining Vernis & Bowling, Mike worked for one of the nation’s premier trial law firms, where he honed his litigation experience by handling all stages of high stakes civil litigation from investigations to discovery and throughout trial. Clients and colleagues alike have remarked on his aptitude for diagnosing problems, identifying innovative solutions, and making those solutions a reality. With a work ethic that is unmatched, Mike is adept at managing deadlines, multi-tasking, and coordinating litigation strategies in a fast-paced environment. He enjoys condensing otherwise-complex issues for the fact-finder through the effective and impactful presentation of information. And in every case, he is committed to efficiently and economically meeting his client’s objectives.

Mike met his Wife, Melinda, in law school and attributes much of his professional success to her creativity and counsel over the years. Together, they are devoted to the community and cherish every day with their two young daughters playing golf, riding bikes, and taking family trips to the beaches along the First Coast.

Kimberly B. Sheridan was born in Frankfurt, Germany where her father was serving in the Army. She grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, but left South Carolina to attend college in Georgia. She fell in love with the State of Georgia and stayed to pursue her life long goal of being an attorney. While attending law school at the University of Georgia, Kimberly worked in the Prosecution Clinic, a program that allowed her to try cases before graduating. Kimberly also participated in the Public Interest Practicum representing women and children who were abused and neglected. Both experiences created a passion for litigation and for being in the courtroom advocating vigorously for her clients.

Kimberly believes in the legal system and works hard to defend her clients’ rights with integrity, diligence and hard work. Kimberly has been a trial lawyer in Atlanta since receiving her Juris Doctorate degree in 1996. She began her legal career as criminal defense attorney and Plaintiff’s lawyer before becoming a prosecutor with the District Attorney’s Offices in Fulton and Gwinnett counties providing her with tremendous experience litigating and trying cases. In 2001, Ms. Sheridan shifted from criminal law and applied her substantial experience in the courtroom to civil defense litigation. Kimberly has handled many jury and bench trials. She has defended and deposed numerous parties, witnesses, and experts and drafted and argued countless motions. Kimberly has also written and won many appellate arguments.

Kimberly Sheridan is the Managing Attorney for Vernis and Bowling of Atlanta, LLC. With two (2) decades of trial experience, she has developed a diverse litigation practice that includes automobile liability, premises liability (including slip & fall and negligent security), trucking litigation, products liability, employment defense and wrongful death. With an extensive knowledge of both the law and its practical application, Kimberly works with clients to resolve complex disputes per mediation, negotiated settlement, or trial resolution.  She is admitted to practice in Georgia and the U.S. District Courts in Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Georgia.

Outside of work, Kimberly enjoys spending time with her husband and five children. Kimberly is an avid painter and has sold her paintings throughout Georgia.

Thomas W. Paradise was born in Houghton, Michigan and raised in Boca Raton, Florida. He graduated in 1988 from Tulane University, A.B. Freeman School of Business with a B.A. Degree in Management, Accounting Major. While at Tulane, Tom was awarded for academic achievement and was the Vice-President of the Beta Alpha Psi Honorary Fraternity. He then attended Stetson University College of Law and received his Juris Doctorate in 1991.

Tom Paradise is an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, which is an award that identifies attorneys with the highest legal ability and signifies expertise, experience, integrity and overall professional excellence. He is also listed in the Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers, A.M. Best’s Recommended Insurance Attorneys and named in “South Florida’s Top Rated Lawyers”. Tom specializes in civil litigation with an emphasis in the areas of personal injury, premises liability, automobile accidents, negligent security and supervision, commercial trucking accidents, governmental tort liability, product liability and insurance subrogation. His practice includes formulating polices/procedures and managing risk concerns for major corporations and governmental entities. He also defends insurance companies in first party property claims which covers a wide array of issues such as breach of contract, appraisals, declaratory actions, fraud, arson and bad faith. Tom has been a speaker at numerous conferences and has presented legal/educational seminars for insurance companies, third party administrators and self-insureds throughout the United States.

He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1991, and practices before all Florida State Courts, including the Third and Fourth District Court of Appeals. Tom also has an active Federal Court practice and is admitted in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Tom began his practice with a prominent Miami civil defense firm where he worked in the areas of insurance defense, personal injury, commercial litigation, and in complex litigation involving shoddy home construction and Hurricane Andrew. His practice at that time included several class actions involving catastrophic property damage and significant insurance subrogation. Tom joined Vernis & Bowling as a Managing Attorney in October 2002.

Tom has participated in the Broward Community Development Corporation and the Dade County Bar Association Put Something Back Program. He is a current or past member of the Broward County Bar Association, Miami-Dade County Bar Association, American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, Counsel for Litigation Management and the South Florida Claims Association where he served as President in 2012.

Nationally Board Certified Trial Advocate
Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer
Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator

Christopher Blain is the managing attorney of the Tampa, Florida office.  He has worked all aspects of the insurance industry.  He is an expert in Civil Trial and is Board Certified by the Florida Bar and Nationally Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.  He was born in Addison, Illinois which is a suburb outside of Chicago.  He attended college at Lake Forest College where he graduated in 1996.  He continued his education at Barry University, School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor in 2002.  While in law school, Chris worked under the Honorable Judge Walter Komanski at the Ninth Judicial Circuit, where he researched complex civil litigation issues.

Chris has tried numerous matters to jury verdicts in both State and Federal Courts.  He has litigated general liability defense work ranging from handling lawsuits involving claims of wrongful death, premises liability, insurance coverage, auto negligence, negligent security and property claims. Chris has also represented Homeowner/Condominium Associations and their Board Members before HUD, State and Federal Courts regarding disputes arising over deed restrictions, enforcement of those restrictions and alleged discrimination. In addition, Chris has also lectured extensively in these fields where he has been a featured speaker at continuing education seminars around the United States on a variety of insurance defense and litigation topics.

Chris is admitted to practice law in all State Courts in Florida as well as all Federal Courts which include the Northern, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida.  He is admitted to practice in the Eleventh Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals. Further, he is admitted to practice in all courts in the State of Illinois.

In his free time, Chris enjoys being active in the Tampa area.  He is an assistant soccer coach for his son’s team and can also be found cheering on his daughter at her drama class performances.