James D. Thaler, Jr.
Jim practices in the areas of Business Law, Real Estate, Estate Planning and Probate. He also serves as general counsel to several small businesses and family owned companies. Jim lectures locally and nationally to lawyers, accountants and other professionals on Professionalism, Diversity, Business Law, Estate Planning and Practice Management issues, and has written numerous law practice related articles.
He is a Special Magistrate for Code Enforcement Hearings for the City of Gulfport and a Hearing Officer for the Pinellas County Housing Authority. Jim is admitted to The Florida Bar, the US Supreme Court, the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, the US Tax Court and the US Court of International Trade. For over 30 years, Jim has owned and operated several businesses as a manufacturer’s representative, restaurateur and commercial real estate developer, and is currently the principal broker for Real Estate firms in Florida and Kentucky.
He served for 10 years as a Visiting Assistant Professor and the Associate Director of Graduate Business Programs at the Stetson University School of Business Administration, overseeing the J.D./M.B.A. Dual Degree Program on Stetson University’s College of Law campus. He has taught graduate courses on Strategic Management, Organizational Theory and Behavior, Business Law, Ethics and Marketing.
Education
J.D., College of Law, Stetson University, Gulfport, Florida
M.B.A., School of Business Administration, Stetson University, DeLand, Florida
B.S., Centre College, Danville, Kentucky
Professional Activities
Jim is a Past President of the St. Petersburg Bar Association and a Past President of the St. Petersburg Bar Foundation. He has served as the Chair of the Lawyer Referral Service Committee and has chaired the Solo, Small Firm and Practice Management Section of the St. Petersburg Bar Association. Jim was an appointed member of the Professionalism Committee and the Voluntary Bar Liaison Committee of the Florida Bar. He is a member of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar and a Certified Diversity Trainer through the Center for Professionalism. He has also served on the Executive Committee of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
Community and Volunteer Activities
Jim performs pro-bono legal work for various small business start-up companies and for not-for-profit organizations. He is a past chair and member of the Gulfport Police Pension Board, is a Founding Director of the Hope, Health and Sunshine Foundation, was a Founding Director of the Gulfport Arts Center, has managed and coached a Tee Ball Team for the Gulfport Little League and served on the Catholic Foundation Business Advisory Committee for the Diocese of St. Petersburg. He was a member of the Finance Council at St. John Vianney Catholic Church and is a member of the Knights of Columbus Pius XII Council 5131.
Jim is married to Kelly Gratzer Thaler and they have one daughter.