Beach lawyer gains perfect rating recognition
Fort Myers Beach Attorney William E. Shenko, Jr. is among the best at his profession, according to a confidential rating process by Lexis Nexis – Martindale-Hubbell.
Shenko received an AV preeminent rating of 5.0 out of 5 for ethical standards and professional excellence by his peers in the business. The list, which can be reviewed at lawyers.com and martindale.com, was published as an inaugural listing in the November 2011 issue of Gulfshore Life Magazine under “Top Lawyers” and includes attorneys from Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.
“I am very honored to be included to the list,” said Shenko. “It’s something I have worked hard at. But, I did not work as hard as I did on this as I did to achieve Eagle Scout.”
The top lawyer list process, which begins with a high ethical standard and ability rating and involves lawyers who have been practicing a number of years, evolved when Gulfshore Life partnered with Martindale-Hubbell for an inaugural “secret rating” where lawyers and judges were asked to rate other lawyers and judges.
Shenko said he has possessed the rating for five to six years, but being recognized in a respected business magazine is a great validation.
“I was very, very pleased to receive it a few years ago, and now I’m pleased to see this in Gulfshore Life,” he said. “If you don’t get a V rating, which is a very good rating for ethics, you cannot get a rating as a lawyer. You still first have to meet the ethical criteria if you are a C rated, B rated or A rated lawyer. I’ve been asked to rate other lawyers, but you can’t call up your buddies and say that you’ll rate them an ‘A’ if they rate you an ‘A'”.
Shenko, who received his bachelor’s degree at the University of South Florida and Juris Doctor degree at Stetson University, is a second-generation Florida attorney who was born in North Dakota, raised in Fort Myers and has practiced law in Lee County since 1980. He represents sellers, buyers, real estate professionals and lenders in all facets of real estate, including residential and commercial closings, title insurance and solutions to title problems. He possesses 30 years of experience handling the preparation of wills, living trusts, probate/trust administration and the formation and management of corporations and businesses.
Shenko moved his law practice to the Beach in 1984. He enjoys the Beach life -as does his wife- and the closer proximity to the Gulf due to his sailing passion. His father was an independent insurance adjuster, and he has a brother who is a circuit court judge. He also has a brother-in-law who is a lawyer.
Shenko was a Fort Myers Beach Town Councilman from 2005 to 2008; a member of the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Agency from 2005 to 2008; a member of Florida State University School of Government Institute for Elected Officials in 2006; and a co-author of the Municipal Charter of Town of Fort Myers Beach.
Martindale-Hubbell has a 143-year-old history that dates back to 1868, when lawyer and businessman James B. Martindale first published ‘The Martindale Directory” to furnish lawyers, bankers, wholesale merchants, manufacturers, real estate agents and more the location of one reliable law firm, bank and real estate office in every city in the nation. In 1930, that directory purchased rights to “Hubbell’s Legal Directory” that contained a digest of state laws, court calendars and a chosen list of lawyers and firms. The following year, a combined double volume set of both predecessor publications was published as the “Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.”
The ratings system is expected to be changed from A, B and C to a scale of 1 to 5 in the near future.