Gabrielle Russon
High-profile GrayRobinson attorneys Mayanne Downs and Jeff Aaron are leaving with eight other attorneys to start their own practice to “focus on complex, high-stakes litigation,” they announced Thursday.
“We are thrilled to embark on this new venture together,” Downs said in a statement. “This is a unique opportunity to leverage our extensive experience and commitment to excellence in a setting that prioritizes personalized client service. We are dedicated to delivering the highest quality legal representation and achieving exceptional outcomes for our clients.”
DownsAaron will open with offices in Tallahassee and Orlando.
“Mayanne and Jeff are leaving GrayRobinson to form their own firm, with our blessings. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with them,” GrayRobinson President and CEO Dean Cannon said in a statement.
Downs has been Orlando’s City Attorney since 2007. Her career also includes being the former president of The Florida Bar and the Orange County Bar Association. She previously was the GrayRobinson President and CEO from 2016-2019 and General Counsel since 2019
Meanwhile, Aaron is Chair of the 9th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission and the 6th District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission. He represented Gov. Ron DeSantis’ defense in the lawsuit from suspended Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren.
“Jeff has zealously represented Gov. DeSantis and state agencies in numerous matters of significant importance,” said DeSantis’ Chief of Staff, James Uthmeier, in a statement to Florida Politics. “His steady counsel and tireless work ethic make him an ideal fighter for the free state of Florida.”
The other eight founding shareholders include Niki Park, Jenny Sullivan, Jason Zimmerman, Joshua Bachman, and Brock Magruder, senior associates Savannah Clifton and Tabatha Boltze and associate Eisele Ibarra.
“Our mission is to create a smaller, responsive firm that can deliver concierge-level service for our clients. We’re fortunate to have the best of the best, which will allow us to handle a broad range of legal matters effectively,” Aaron said.
