About Florida ARECs

Brenda Ezell, founding shareholder of the Ezell Law Firm, represents clients in various types of commercial real estate acquisition, disposition, financing, development and leasing transactions.

A summa cum laude graduate of Jacksonville University, Ms. Ezell earned her J.D. with honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Board Certified in Real Estate Law since 2015, she has served on the Executive Council of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law (RPPTL) Section of the Florida Bar in various capacities since 2010, after having been selected to the inaugural class of the RPPTL Section Fellowship Program in 2008. Most recently, Ms. Ezell was appointed to the RPPTL Section’s Executive Committee to serve as Co-Chair of the CLE Coordination Committee, overseeing the continuing legal education offerings for the Section’s Real Property Division. By virtue of this appointment, Ms. Ezell will also serve concurrently as a representative on the Florida Bar’s Continuing Legal Education Committee.

Ms. Ezell is currently serving as a board member and has previously served as a past president and past board member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Jacksonville, a local affiliate of CREW Network,  a network of over 12,000 commercial real estate professionals globally, for which she also serves on its National Finance Committee.  In addition, Ms. Ezell  currently serves as a director and is a past president of the Jacksonville Area Real Estate Council (JAREC) and as a director of the Attorney’s Real Estate Councils of Florida (Florida ARECS). In her local community, Ms. Ezell is currently a member of the Bold City (FL) Chapter of the Links Incorporated, and on the Board of Directors for Girls, Inc., ElderSource, Inc., and The Empowered Kitchen, Inc. 

Ms. Ezell has received numerous professional honors, including receiving the Rising Star Award from the RPPTL Section in 2018.  She has been recognized nationally by Best Lawyers^® and Super Lawyers^® for the past five years. Ms. Ezell is a U.S. Army veteran, married to a Navy veteran (Beat Navy!), with two adult children, one grandson and a 15-year old black Lab mix which her family adopted at birth. Her passions include travel, cooking, health and fitness, college and professional football, and collecting and raising tropical marine fish.

Brian W. Hoffman is a partner with the firm, practicing in the firm’s Pensacola office. Mr. Hoffman is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Real Estate. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration majoring in Finance with high honors from the University of Florida in 2000 and received his Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Mississippi in 2002. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, real estate litigation, probate and trust litigation, real estate transactions, estate planning and probate, debt enforcement actions, and general business and corporate law.

Mr. Hoffman is a member of the Executive Council of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar. Additionally, Mr. Hoffman is actively involved with several substantive committees within the Section. He serves as Chair of the Title Insurance and Title Insurance Liaison Committee, Vice-Chair of the Real Estate Certification Review Course Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Title Issues and Standards Committee.

Erin N. Prete received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida State University in 2005 and her Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2008. Erin has practiced in the areas of foreclosure, real estate and litigation since her admission to the Florida Bar in 2008. Prior to joining Gasdick Stanton Early, P.A. in 2015, Erin was the managing partner of the foreclosure department for a nationwide law firm from 2012-2015.

Erin is a member of the Florida Bar, Orange County Bar Association, CREW, CFREAC, MBA and The Fund.

Gasdick Stanton Early, P.A. is an established real estate and litigation law firm in Orlando with a focus in real estate transactions. The firm provides specialized legal services to the real estate community, including escrow, title services and dispute resolution.

Frederick W. Jones is a Florida Bar Board Certified Real Estate lawyer. He has been a member of The Florida Bar for over 40 years, and his legal career includes Staff Counsel for the Florida Real Estate Commission, private practice and Judicial Magistrate positions. In private practice for more than 35 years, most recently as Partner in the Winter Park law firm of Graham, Builder, Jones, Pratt & Marks, LLP, (now Burr & Foreman LLP), he has specialized in residential and commercial real estate transactions, mortgage law, agency, title insurance and lender and broker representation, as well as estate planning and probate. He served as a Special Magistrate for the Orange County ad valorem tax Value Adjust Board and most recently was General Magistrate in Orange County, 9th Judicial Circuit Courts handling residential mortgage foreclosure cases.

Education: The University of Florida (B.A. 1970) and U of F College of Law (J.D. 1974).

Mr. Jones holds an “AV” rating by Martindale Hubbell and has been recognized as a Florida Super Lawyer from 2007 – 2012. He is a member of The Florida Bar and United States Supreme Court Bar, and has been an active member of the American Bar Association and Orange County Bar Association. He is on the Executive Council of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar, has served as Chairman of the Section’s Residential Real Estate & Industry Liaison Committee and currently is an At Large Members representing the 9th Judicial Circuit. Mr. Jones was appointed by The Florida Bar as an Attorney member on the Florida Realtor-Attorney Joint Committee and has continuously served on the Joint Committee since 1997, and he is on the FAR/BAR Contract Sub-Committee. He is founding member and past chair of the Central Florida Real Estate Attorneys Council and currently serves as President of the Attorneys’ Real Estate Councils of Florida. He is past Chairman of the Real Property Committee of the Orange County Bar Association. He was honored with the Attorney Appreciation Award by Orlando Regional Realtors Association in 1996. He is a member of Florida Blue Key, Rotary Club of Winter Park, Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and serves on the boards of various community and charitable organizations.

Jeffrey P. Zane is the sole shareholder of Jeffrey P. Zane, P.A. His practice focuses on residential and commercial real estate, business and corporate law, estate planning and probate and tax law. Mr. Zane is a member of the Florida and New York Bars as well as the United States Tax Court. Mr. Zane has received an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He continuously speaks to groups like the Realtors Association of Palm Beach, lay groups and professional groups such as the American Bar Association at its national annual meeting.

Mr. Zane is a founding member and President of the Attorneys' Real Estate Council of Palm Beach County, Inc. since its inception. He is also a Vice President of the Attorneys' Real Estate Councils of Florida, Inc. which is a statewide organization. Mr. Zane is also Co-President of Temple Beth David.

Mobile Phone Number: 561-307-1048

(2014-2020) Lynwood F. Arnold, Jr. received his undergraduate degree from Stetson University (B.A. 1969) and his law degree from Florida State University (J.D. 1973). He is a member of the Executive Council of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar, currently serving as Co-Chair of the Membership and Inclusion Committee. He is a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association and the Tallahassee Bar Association. He is a past Chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Hillsborough County Bar Association. He is a member, director and past president of the Bay Area Real Estate Council. He is a past director of the Tampa Bay Estate Planning Council. Mr. Arnold currently serves on the Professional Ethics Committee of The Florida Bar and on the Board of Directors of the Tallahassee Bar Association Legal Aid Foundation.

Mr. Arnold’s practice areas are real estate transactions and litigation; wills, trusts and estates; estate and trust litigation; and the mediation of real estate and estate disputes. Mr. Arnold has been certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Board Certified Real Estate Lawyer and Circuit Court Mediator. He has an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell.

Nishad Khan is a Central Florida based real estate attorney, who established his own firm in 2007, Nishad Khan, PL. Nishad and his firm’s main focuses are all forms of real estate and business transactions, as well as the formation of business entities like corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, the structuring of debt and equity investments, and the negotiation and preparation of corporate agreements. Before opening his own practice, Nishad practiced at several commercial law firms advising businesses and individuals of wealth preservation strategies, advanced estate planning techniques, and innovative tax and financial planning.

• Founding Partner of Nugent & Ground LLC
• Co-Founder of Floridian Title & Escrow LLC
• Admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court
• Admitted to practice in the State of Florida and the State of Texas
• Director and Trustee for Attorneys Title Insurance Fund, Inc. (present)
• President & Director of Broward Attorneys’ Real Estate Council (2008 to present)
• Director of Attorney’s Real Estate Councils of Florida (2013 to present)
• Member of Attorneys Real Estate Council of Broward County, Inc. (2012 to present)
• Member of the 17th Circuit Advisory Team for Attorneys Title Fund Services, Inc. (2011 to present)
• Member of the Florida Bar Real Property Probate & Trust Law (RPPTL) Section
• Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) Texas A&M University School of Law 1994 Magna Cum Laude