Strayhorn anchored to the past, focused on the future

Take one step into the Downtown offices of Strayhorn, Persons-Mulicka & Fisher, and it’s clear this is not your typical Fort Myers law firm.

Nineteenth-century plat maps of Florida line the walls, stretching back nearly as far as the territory becoming the 27th state in 1845. A framed blackand-white photo depicts a 1929 family hunting excursion in the Everglades, while assorted campaign memorabilia traces the 115-year-old firm’s political bona fides — from a 1950 constituent letter penned by state Rep. Norwood Strayhorn (whose father, firm founder Guy M. Strayhorn, also served as state representative), to more recent literature outlining the leadership of firm partner Jenna Persons-Mulicka, now in her second term as a state representative.

A Fort Myers native, Bruce Strayhorn shows no sign of slowing down, said his daughter Megan, who joined the four-attorney firm in September after several years at the Public Defender’s Office of Florida’s 20th Judicial Circuit. The familial hire ensures the next generation will endure at the Strayhorn firm — but it wasn’t necessarily a fait accompli.

“My Dad finally coaxed me to come on over. It was my destiny – but I was very reluctant to admit it,” said Megan Strayhorn, an Ave Maria School of Law graduate.

Like father, like daughter. Bruce Strayhorn too flirted with not following his predecessors with a career in law, he recalled in a 2015 interview, acknowledging his father and grandfather “were using reverse psychology.” The 1977 Stetson Law graduate returned home and never looked back.

True to a practice whose founder served as Lee County prosecuting attorney, state attorney, state representative and city attorney for Fort Myers, the Strayhorn firm’s early focus included criminal and civil law, as well as about any legal matter to arise in a city emerging from the scrub pines in the earlyand mid-20th century.

As the surrounding area grew, the firm’s focus narrowed. Now focusing on land-use and development, the rebranded firm emerged as an authority on planning, zoning and building codes; real estate; tax increment financing; contracts; and business law.

“When a developer comes in with a great idea, we’re able to help them refine their project to determine what’s going to work here, to benefit the local community,” said Jennifer Fisher, who joined the practice in 2015 and was named partner in January. “Our firm gets to help shape the skyline.”

That includes the decades-long revitalization of Downtown Fort Myers and its River District, spurred by a Community Redevelopment Agency designation in the mid-1980s. That’s also when the firm designed and built its current First Street location.

That community service is evident in Bruce Strayhorn’s work as a 35-year board member of the Fort Myers Housing Authority. A lifelong commitment to social and racial justice is one he instilled deeply in both family and colleagues, Fisher said.

“Bruce passes on the stories of injustices that have occurred in the past, to make sure we never forget from whence we came,” she said.

Those values include surrounding himself with strong women in leadership. In January, the family firm changed its name from Strayhorn & Persons to its present incarnation, an acknowledgement that a new crop of 30- and 40-something women will lead the firm squarely into the 21st century.

For Persons-Mulicka, the fit is a natural one. A sixth-generation Lee County resident (ancestors John and Penelope Powell were among the area’s first settlers; John Powell was elected to serve on the first Lee County Commission), the state representative boasts a commitment to public service that aligns ideally with the firm’s mission.

“Practicing land use and development law here truly is an extension of my commitment to public service,” said Persons-Mulicka, whose grandmother Myrtle Persons was a beloved local artist, and whose dad Armor is Lee County School Board chairman.

“Clients know that our legal team isn’t just looking for the best deal — as lifelong residents of Lee County, we’re dedicated to ensuring that any projects we pursue will best serve the community’s needs and protect our piece of paradise for generations to come.”

Fisher, who heads up the real estate transaction department, issued over $118 million in title insurance and is versed in real estate transactions including acquisitions, dispositions, entitlements, commercial leasing and complex commercial financing. With seven years as a paralegal, her career trajectory was atypical. “I was able to start handling large transactions out of the gate,” she said.

Eight years into the firm’s second century, Bruce Strayhorn is bullish on its future.

“I can think of no finer group of colleagues to lead the charge into the community’s future,” he said. “The legacy of our family firm is one that I cherish. We honor our forebearers, but are also firmly focused on the road ahead.”