Cardillo, Keith & Bonaquist celebrates 30 years in Collier County

The area adjacent to the Collier County Government Center on U.S. 41 in East Naples has changed significantly in the last 30 years, but one thing has remained constant. The law offices of Cardillo, Keith, and Bonaquist are in the same location they were when the firm opened its doors on March1, 1975. The building that they occupy has been on the site since the late 1950s.

Partners John Cardillo, William Keith, and James Bonaquist Jr. (L-R)

“We bought the old Osceola Motel in 1974,” said John Cardillo, one of the three current partners and a founder of the firm. “Back then, there was nothing out here. We used to say that we were the last law firm out here before Miami.”

The motel’s lobby, offices, and four rooms were remodeled and renovated over the years to accommodate the growth of the company. Today, Cardillo and partners William Keith and James Bonaquist share the space with three other associates and eight staff members.

As Naples has grown around them, the location of the office has proved to be a wise choice.

“We’re right in front of the courthouse, which is great because we’re over there all the time,” Keith said.

All three partners have strong reputations in the legal arena. Each has served as president of the Collier County Bar Association, and has accepted leadership roles in other local and state legal organizations. The Governor of Florida has also appointed them to various positions.

“You have to be a pretty solid lawyer in the scheme of things to be in those positions,” Cardillo said. “It tells the public the validity of your position in town.”

Each partner has lived in the community for many years and raised their families here. They have been active in various community and charitable organizations, ranging from the American Cancer Society to the YMCA. Giving back to the community is part of their corporate philosophy.

“We feel that you do civic work, you do charitable work, you do professional work,” Cardillo said. “You become a stronger community, and people learn to rely on you when you do a good job in each one of those areas.”

Cardillo Keith and Bonaquist still focus on the same principles it started with 30 years ago.

“We still do the same things we’ve always done,” Cardillo said. “We represent the general public. We do personal injury and business litigation, real estate services, represent small companies that get involved in lawsuits, divorce and criminal work, and represent some corporate clients.”

The offices of Cardillo, Keith and Bonaquist as they appear today. The firm has been in the same location on East Tamiami Trail for the last 30 years (left).

They don’t believe in advertising, and all of their clients are referred to them by other lawyers, former clients, physicians, and through word of mouth.

“If you combine the things we do with the Bar with the things we do in the community, then you see a pretty solid group of people that you can rely on and trust,” Keith added.

One thing that has changed over the last three decades is that the practice of law has become more specialized. In the past, one lawyer may have worked a variety of different types of cases. Today, lawyers tend to specialize in areas such as divorce law or wills and estates.

“One of the reasons we’ve managed to work together for many years is because we have different strengths,” Keith said.

“We’re different people, but we have a lot in common. We just work well together.”

“We certainly have a lot of respect for each other,” Cardillo said. “I think we make sure that we aren’t so competitive among ourselves in the office, but we band together to be competitive outside the office.”

The old Osceola Motel, as it appeared in 1974 when it was bought by the law firm. It was built in 1957 by R. E. ‘Doc” Johnson (right).

Keith joined the firm 29 years ago as a new graduate of Stetson University Law School. He chose this area because his wife was from Punta Gorda and the couple wanted to stay on the west coast of Florida.

Both he and Cardillo have been happy to live and work in a growing community over the last three decades.

“It’s been great to see the growth of this town, and we’ve enjoyed being a part of it,” Cardillo said.