Block & Scarpa

­­­Attorney Ryan C. Scarpa

Ryan's real estate practice includes residential and commercial purchases and sales, financing, deal structuring, construction and planned real estate developments. Ryan's practice also consists of business transactions including entity formation, structuring, governance, mergers, acquisitions, and contracts. Ryan has represented several of the country's largest REITs and real estate investment and development companies in their Florida transactional matters.

Ryan's personal business and real estate dealings provide an added value to the firm's clients as Ryan is often able to leverage his experience, deal-structuring acumen, and network to help clients achieve their goals. Ryan's business outside of Block & Scarpa includes identifying, operating, investing in, and exiting over $250 Million in real estate projects and business ventures, and overseeing and growing several multi-million dollar companies across different industries including real estate and sports marketing.

Ryan has represented hundreds of athletes and celebrities in their sports and marketing related contracts including NFL player contracts, appearance agreements, sponsorships, endorsements, and NFT (non-fungible token) releases for several high-profile celebrities.

Ryan is routinely engaged to speak on a variety of legal and business topics and has been selected by Superlawyers for his diligence and advocacy on behalf of the firm's clients. Ryan is proud to have contributed to and overseen the firm's growth in excess of 1000% over the past ten years to date.

Bar Admissions:

• Florida
• New Jersey

Education:                                         

• New England Law, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Juris Doctor
  • Honors: • Member, Moot Court Honors Board
  • Honors: • Member – Negotiation Team, 2nd place finalist in nationwide Negotiation Competition
  • Honors: • Member, Sports and Entertainment Law Club
• Hofstra University
  • Bachelor’s Degree: Business Administration
  • Honors: Member, Division I football team
  • Honors: Joseph P. Healy Coaches Award recipient

Professional Memberships and Achievements: 

• Board of Directors of Indian River Charter High School
• Board of Directors of Indian River Charter High School
• Super Lawyers Selection; Rising Stars
• 2020 - Presenting speaker: Legal Update for Community Associations; Vero Beach, FL
• 2019 - Keynote speaker: C.H.A.I.R. (Condominium and HOA of Indian River County, FL) – Popular Topics Affecting PlannedDevelopments in Florida
• 2018 - Keynote speaker: C.H.A.I.R. – Ins and Outs of Foreclosures, Claims of Lien, and Violations
  Indian River County Real Property Council
• 2012 - Guest Speaker at FIU College of Law – Various Legal and Business Topics in Sports

­­­Attorney Samuel A. Block

Sam received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969 from the University of Florida. He received his Juris Doctor from the Stetson University College of Law in 1972 and became a member of the Florida Bar in May 1973. Sam joined the firm of Vocelle and Gallagher in 1973 and remained with the firm in Vero Beach until 1979, when he began his own practice.

Sam has lived in Vero Beach since December 1945 and he graduated from Vero Beach High School in 1963. He has been involved in numerous activities including: Temple Beth Shalom, Dollars for Scholars, The Education Foundation, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Indian River County Bar Association (Past President) and 19th Circuit Grievance Committee.

Bar Admissions:

• Florida, 1973

Education:                                         

• Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida
  • Juris Doctor - 1972
• Vero Beach High School
  • 1963
• University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
  • B.A., Bachelor of Arts - 1969

Professional Memberships and Achievements: 

• Temple Beth Shalom
• Dollars for Scholars
• The Education Foundation
• Vero Beach Museum of Art
• Indian River County Bar Association, Past President
• 19th Circuit Grievance Committee

­­­Attorney Beckett C. Horner

Bar Admissions:

• Florida

Education:                                         

• The John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois
  • Juris Doctor
  • Honors: Moot Court Honors Council, Member
  • Major: Property Law
• University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida
  • LL.M.
  • Major: Taxation
• University of Florida
  • B.A.
  • Major: History

Professional Memberships and Achievements: 

• Advisory Board Member, Hibiscus Children’s Center of Indian River County
• VNA Foundation’s Planned Giving Advisory Council
• Board Member, Hibiscus’s Children’s Center’s Governing Board
• Council Member, Hibiscus Children’s Center’s Indian River County Outreach Council
• Board Member and Secretary, Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County
• Member, Kiwanis Club of Vero-Treasure Coast
• Indian River County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
• Florida Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Member
• Florida Bar Association, Tax Law Section, Member
• Kiwanis Club of Vero-Treasure Coast, Member
• Hibiscus Children’s Center of Indian River County, Advisory Board Member
• Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar Association, Member
• Hibiscus’s Children’s Center’s Governing Board, Board Member
• Hibiscus Children’s Center’s Indian River County Outreach Council, Council member
• Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County, Board Member and Secretary

­­­Attorney Michael G. Kissner, Jr.

Bar Admissions:

• Florida, 2009
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 2012
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 2012

Education:                                         

• Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida
  • Juris Doctor - 2008
  • Honors: Received a Book Award for Achieving the Highest Grade in his Torts Class
  • Major: Law
• Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
  • B.A.-Bachelor - 2003
  • Honors: The University Cottage Club, Member
  • Major: History
• Vero Beach High School
  • 1999
  • Honors: Academic And Athletic Achievements
  • Honors: Student Government, Leader

Professional Memberships and Achievements: 

• Young Professional of the Year - IRC Chamber of Commerce
• President - Elect, Rotary Club of Vero Beach Oceanside
• Board Member and Treasurer, Princeton Club of Vero Beach
• Board of the Indian River Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Network
• Member, Indian River County Foundation for the Elderly
• Board of the Main Street Vero Beach
• First Baptist Church of Vero Beach, Member

­­­Attorney Shayda Kayhani

Bar Admissions:

• Georgia, 2015
• Florida, 2017

Education:                                         

• Mercer University School of Law, Macon, Georgia
  • Juris Doctor
  • Honors: cum laude
• Florida State University
  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Honors: cum laude

Professional Memberships and Achievements: 

• Selected to Rising Stars: 2021 - 2024
• Order of the Barristers, Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law, 2015
• Faculty Legal Writing Award, Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law, 2013
• CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Legal Writing, Mercer University’s Walter F.
• George School of Law, 2013
• International Golden Key Honour Society, Florida State University, 2010-2012

­­­­­­Attorney Mario Menocal

Bar Admissions:

• Florida
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida

Education:                                         

• University of Miami School Law, Miami, Florida
  • J.D. - 2012
  • Honors: cum laude
  • Honors: Dean’s Merit Scholarship Recipient; (ii) Book Award and CALI Excellence Award in Commercial Law II; Won Litigation Skills I Jury Trial
• University of Florida Warrington School of Business Executive MBA Program
  • Master of Business Administration - 2005
• Florida International University
  • B.S. - 1995
  • Honors: Dean's List 5 Semesters; Florida-Georgia Alliance for Minority Participation Scholarship Recipient
  • Major: Electrical Engineering

Professional Memberships and Achievements: 

• Miami-Dade County Bar’s Put Something Back Program

­­­­­­Attorney Shannah E. Eber

Bar Admissions:

• Florida

Education:                                         

• University of Richmond, The T.C. Williams School of Law, Richmond, Virginia
  • Juris Doctor
• Elon University
  • Major: Political Science
  • Minor: Business Administration and Criminal Justice

­­­Attorney Peter J. Sweeney Jr.

Peter J. "Pete" Sweeney, Jr. is Senior Counsel at Block & Scarpa. He is the only attorney in the state of Florida to be board-certified in both Construction Law and City, County and Local Government Law. In addition to practicing with Block & Scarpa, Pete is currently the Town Attorney for the Town of Indian River Shores.

Pete's professional experience including serving as the City Attorney for the City of Fort Pierce, as well as Deputy City Attorney for the City of Palm Bay. While serving in each of these roles, Pete developed experience and demonstrated a wide-array of legal knowledge and acumen on a variety of subjects including the Public Records Act, the Government-in-the-Sunshine law, government construction, public works and utilities projects and civil litigation claims in excess of $10 million dollars. Pete also has significant experience relating to land-development projects, particularly in the area of zoning and re-zoning, land plats, future land use map amendments ("FLUMA's") and annexations. While acting as the City Attorney for Fort Pierce, he was instrumental in advising the development agreement for an $80 million redevelopment project in the downtown area, as well as the approval of the largest wave park in the world. Prior to working in government, Pete began his career practicing civil litigation, with a strong emphasis on construction litigation and other business litigation matters.

­­­Attorney Savannah Unruh

Bar Admissions:

• Florida

Education:                                         

• University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida
  • Juris Doctor
  • Honors: Florida Association of Women Lawyers
• University of Florida, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Honors: summa cum laude
  • Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
  • Honors: Michael G Hauptman Medal
  • Honors: Board of Women’s Student Association
  • Major: Classical Studies
  • Minor: History

­­­Attorney Eric S. Eber

Eric Eber, a Florida native, graduated from Bucknell University where he majored in Philosophy and minored in English Literature. Eric then graduated from Stetson University College of Law where he sat as President of the Investment & Finance Law Association and earned his Juris Doctor in 2018.

Prior to joining Block & Scarpa, Eric was an Assistant State's Attorney in Clearwater, Florida for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. During his three years of service at the Pinellas County State Attorney, Eric tried approximately 20 criminal cases to verdict and prosecuted hundreds of cases, ranging from local ordinance violations to punishable-by-life Felony crimes. From 2019 to 2020, Eric also acted as the Lead Trial Attorney for Domestic Crimes in Pinellas County. Eric has since joined Block & Scarpa's Civil Litigation Department and is also a member of the Indian River Bar Association.

­­­Attorney Robin A. Blanton

Bar Admissions:

• Florida
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit
• United States Supreme Court

Education:                                         

• Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida
  • J.D. - 1977
• Stetson University, Florida
  • B.A. - 1973

Professional Memberships and Achievements: 

• Stetson University National Alumni Association, President, 2000 to 2002
• Stetson University Board of Trustees, Member, 2000 to 2002
• Past President, Methodist Men's Fellowship, First United Methodist Church, Vero Beach, Florida
• Past Member, Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, First United Methodist Church, Vero Beach, Florida
• Past Member, Board of Directors, Indian River County Blood Bank
• Past Member, Board of Directors, Kiwanis Club/Treasure Coast, Vero Beach, Florida
• Past Chairman, Board of Trustees, Community Church of Vero Beach
• Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer since 1988
• Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Circuit Mediator since 1988
• American Board of Trial Advocates, Member, Rank of Advocate
• Palm Beach Chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates, Past President
• Litigation Counsel of America, Charter Fellow
• The Florida Bar Association, Member
• The Florida Bar Association, Professionalism Committee, past Member
• The Florida Bar Association, Public Utilities Law Committee, past Member
• Indian River County Bar Association, Member, Past President
• 19th Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee, past Member

­­­Attorney Stephanie A. Seligman

Bar Admissions:

• Florida, 2003

Education:                                         

• Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
  • Juris Doctor - 2002
• Florida International University, N. Miami, Florida
  • B.S., Bachelor of Science - 1996
  • Major: Advertising

Professional Memberships and Achievements: 

• Florida Bar, Member

­­­Attorney Elaine A. Humphreys

Bar Admissions:

• Florida
• North Carolina

Education:                                         

• Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston Salem, North Carolina
  • J.D.
• University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida
  • LL.M.
• Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia
  • B.A.

Professional Memberships and Achievements: 

• Philanthropic Advisory Council Member, Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties
• Palm Beach County Bar Association, Estate and Probate CLE Committee Member
• Palm Beach County Bar Association, Probate and Guardianship Committee Member
• Florida Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Member
• Florida Bar Association, Tax Law Section, Member

­­­Attorney Donna M. Cusimano

Donna was born and raised in Manhasset, Long Island. She attended the University of Vermont and received her B.A. in Political Science in 1990. After graduating from college, she enrolled in the John Marshall Law School located in Chicago, Illinois. At John Marshall Law School she concurrently earned both a Juris Doctorate in 1999 and L.L.M. in commercial real estate in 1999. While in law school Donna was also a member of the Journal of Computer and Information Law.

Upon graduation from law school Donna returned to New York and spent 20 years practicing law in New York City. She represented clients in the acquisition and sale of both residential and commercial properties. Her experience also includes representing commercial banks as well as private lenders in connection with secured and unsecured commercial loan transactions. During the last financial crisis, she represented several commercial banks with the disposition of toxic assets from their loan portfolios and participated in the restructure of non-performing loans and foreclosures for her clients. Donna also represents both landlords and tenants in connection with commercial leases.

In addition to her experience in real estate, Donna has experience handling corporate transactions. She has represented clients in the formation of entities as well as the acquisition or conveyance of stock, membership interests and assets.

­­­Attorney Zachary A. Emmanouil

Zachary A. Emmanouil, Esq. is a seasoned Business Attorney, and a former President and General Counsel of a U.S.-based company with international operations. Zachary is also an “Outside” General Counsel and consults CEOs and Boards of various companies on several matters, from both a legal and business perspective.

Zachary has extensive experience in both Corporate Law & Business Transactions, and Complex Business Litigation & Arbitration, which is a notable benefit to business clients because experience in one of these practice areas provides a valuable benefit to the other.

As a Corporate Law and Business Transactions Attorney, Zachary counsels businesses in all stages of growth. Zachary has also engaged in the purchase and sale of several companies, and has negotiated and drafted countless contracts and agreements for corporate clients in various industries.

The largest transaction that Zachary has handled single-handedly exceeded $1.2 Billion. Yet Zachary has just as effectively represented small businesses in the sale of businesses under $500,000.

As a complex Commercial Litigation Attorney, Zachary represented a corporate plaintiff in a $25 million Civil RICO case against a Fortune 250 Company on a contingency fee basis, and secured a favorable confidential settlement for his client.

Zachary has extensive General Counsel experience, both as an “In-House” General Counsel, and also as an “Outside” General Counsel.

Zachary is also a Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator. Zachary has experience with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), National Arbitration and Mediation (NAM), and the American Arbitration Association (AAA).

Zachary is very active in his church and spends his free time hunting and fishing.