S. Cary Gaylord
cgaylord@gaylordmerlin.com

Background
S.Cary Gaylord has represented clients in over 30 counties in Florida as well as in the federal courts and courts of Illinois and Georgia. He has handled cases involving large vacant parcels, churches, national big box retailers, shopping centers, gas station/convenience stores, fast food restaurants, supermarket chains, professional offices, farmers, retailers, grove operators, golf course owners, homeowners, as well as other properties.

Accomplishments
He has authored and co-authored numerous articles including chapters in Nichols on Eminent Domain covering maps of reservation and powerlines and electromagnetic fields and in The Florida Bar's Florida Eminent Domain Practice and Procedure on the public purpose doctrine.

He has also lectured on these and other condemnation topics for the American Bar Association, Southwestern Legal Foundation, ALI-ABA, the Florida Bar and the Hillsborough County Bar Associations as well as numerous other groups.

Selected to Florida Trend Magazine's "Legal Elite" in 2005 and 2006.

Memberships
He is a member of the Hillsborough County, Florida and American Bar Associations and is active in the Eminent Domain Committees of the Florida Bar and the Hillsborough County Bar Associations. He served as Chairman of the Florida Bar Eminent Domain Committee from 1982 to 1984. He is a member of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates.

He also served on the Grievance Committee for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Hillsborough County for a period of four years and is currently a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.

Personal
Mr. Gaylord was born in Tampa, Florida on February 4, 1947, where he remained until his acceptance at West Point. He graduated from West Point in 1969 and obtained his law degree from the University of Florida in 1974. He served as a captain in the Army Infantry and was trained as an airborne ranger. He also served in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps.

He began practicing in the field of eminent domain in 1978, working first in Miami, then in Sarasota and moving to back to Tampa in 1983. In July 2000 he helped form the law firm of Gaylord Merlin Ludovici Diaz & Bain. He is admitted to practice before all Florida courts and the U.S. District Courts for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.

He is married to Ann Kirkconnell Gaylord and has two children. His son, Blake, is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, served as a captain in the U.S. Army and is married to Haven Davis Gaylord. His daughter, Anne Leigh, is attending Arizona State University College of Law and is married to Captain Benjamin Moe.

He is a member of Idlewild Baptist Church and is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Family First, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening Florida families. He is an active outdoor sportsman and hunts and fishes regularly. He also rides motorcycles and plays basketball.

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