With over 70 years of combined trial experience and a unique background of experience in both the maritime industry and maritime law, the team at Brais Law Firm is a force to be reckoned with. We use our considerable skill to provide personalized, client-centric representation to those who have been injured and need to see the liable party held accountable. Having graduated with a B.S. degree in Marine Engineering from Massachusetts Maritime Academy, acquired three U.S. Coast Guard licenses and worked on offshore oil drilling platforms for more than seven years, Keith Brais brings an uncommon degree of real world experience to his clients’ personal injury and wrongful death claims. His engineering degree, licenses, marine experience, legal expertise and trial skills provide invaluable benefit to clients when describing to a judge or jury the unsafe and hazardous conditions giving rise to an injury or death. Keith S. Brais is one of a very specialized group of lawyers in the State of Florida that is Board Certified in Maritime and Admiralty Law by the Florida Bar (1996-present). His additional peer reviewed credentials and awards include: “AV” Preeminent rating from the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory (2001-present – top 10% of all attorneys), the highest rating attainable, Life Member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Society (2015-present – top 1% of all lawyers), Florida’s Legal Elite (2015-present – top 1.7% of all lawyers), Best Lawyers (2020-present), U.S. News “Best Lawyers” (2020-present), Super Lawyer (2008-present – top 5% of all lawyers), America’s Top 100 High States Litigator (2020-present), U.S. News “Best Law Firms – Maritime” (2020-present – top 5% of all lawyers) and recipient of the 2016 Top 100 Verdicts Awards and Top Florida Maritime Verdict Award.

With over 25 years of criminal legal experience, Rocky Brancato has been a prominent figure in the Hillsborough County legal community. As a seasoned criminal trial lawyer, he rose to the position of second-in-command at the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office before founding the Brancato Law Firm, P.A., in January 2025. Rocky has extensive experience handling serious cases, including homicides and sex crimes, from his time in a specialized major crimes unit. Throughout his career, Rocky has maintained a caseload of significant cases, demonstrating his commitment to his clients. His expertise allows him to adeptly manage any criminal, criminal traffic, or DUI case at any level. Rocky is known for his strategic use of expert witnesses to educate judges and juries on critical legal and factual issues, leveling the playing field against the government’s resources. Rocky also has a deep understanding of the mental health and specialty court systems, which he uses to help divert clients from the criminal justice system. For over two decades, he has trained and mentored hundreds of attorneys in the Tampa Bay area and has lectured statewide for Florida Bar credit. His peers have recognized him with an AV Preeminent rating in criminal law and criminal defense by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest standard for professional excellence. Admitted to practice law in the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Rocky is a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association (HCBA), the Hillsborough County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (HCACDL), the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL), and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). Rocky has made a significant impact on thousands of clients’ lives and their families’ lives. Let him make a difference in yours by putting him in your corner today.

Alcoholic Beverage Law His has spanned over 30 years in trial, regulatory, and transactional matters, including interstate and international trade. He has been the key legal officer in multiple start/ups and mergers/acquisitions of brewery’s, wineries, distilleries and retail hospitality entities, always mindful of the restrictions created by the 3 tier system. He prides himself on his innate ability to structure both new and existing companies and to strategically determine the right fit for acquisitions and the right time for spinoffs. A major portion of his practice is devoted to sales, marketing, and trade practice requirements proffered by the federal and individual state governments. He actively teaches professionals & students at regional wine forums, local colleges & major wine universities in France & California. He currently serves as the American Bar Association as a Committee Chair of the GPS International Committee, the GPS Agricultural Committee, and the Assistant Chair of the Business Law and Litigation Committee, Subcommittee on Alcohol and Cannabis.

Roy R. Brandys joined Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC in 2008. He exclusively represents landowners in eminent domain, inverse condemnation, and related land use matters. He has represented landowners in hundreds of cases related to road, highway, power line and pipeline projects. He has worked on well-known cases such as the US-Mexico border wall project, and his practice serves all of Texas including Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, the Rio Grande Valley, and west Texas. Prior to joining Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, Mr. Brandys was a civil trial lawyer and tried more than 50 civil cases to jury verdict in Texas, Illinois, and New Mexico. He has extensive appellate experience in state and federal appellate courts. Before representing clients in eminent domain, inverse condemnation, and related land use matters, he represented clients before administrative bodies including the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Mr. Brandys earned his B.A. from Knox College in 1980 and his J.D. from Wake Forest University in 1985. While at Wake Forest University, he was a member of the Law Review.

John Brantley has experience advising United States and international companies on the risks and benefits of expansion and operation out-bound from, and in-bound to, the U.S. He has knowledge of the cultural and practical side of international operations acquired through personal experience on the ground in Central Asia, China, the Middle East, South America and the United Kingdom. Additionally, John has advised international companies (including state owned enterprises), private equity firms and strategic buyers and sellers on the intricacies of investing in the securities of U.S. public and private companies in traditional and auction transactions. This experience, coupled with his market knowledge, enables him to identify the factors critical to the success of a transaction at an early stage so that strategies may be developed to improve outcomes. His securities experience includes private and public offerings in the U.S. and internationally of debt and equity securities for state-owned and private enterprises, including initial public offerings, follow-on offerings and Rule 144A/Regulation S offerings for listing in the U.S. and London. John’s evaluation of disclosure issues is based on knowledge of the unique disclosure issues applicable in the oil and gas, chemical and banking industries acquired through years of practice. He advises boards of directors and committees on disclosure and corporate governance issues, issues regarding board structure and composition, executive compensation, director independence and fiduciary duties in a variety of contexts. His knowledge enables him to provide perspective to clients in successfully resolving governance disputes among management, the board of directors and the stockholders.