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Community Corner

Honest Lawyers Sighted in Dunedin

Q: What do honest lawyers and UFO's have in common? A: You hear about them but you have never seen them.

, LLP — besides a mouthful — is the law firm that has represented the city of Dunedin since the 1970s.

FHBTYM&D was founded by  and the late John Frazer. The two men knew each other because of their mutual passion for canoeing in the local rivers and springs.

“You learn pretty quickly if you can get along with someone after spending hours together on a canoe,” Hubbard says.

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Both men were unsatisfied at their current firms, and knowing they had loyal clients, they decided to try and go out on their own.

Originally they opened their office at 1059 Broadway, and then in 1985 built the two-story brick building at 595 Main St, where the firm resides. It was the perfect location between Frazer’s main client Mease Hospital and City Hall.  

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Hubbard became Dunedin's city attorney in 1973 and in April after 37 years of service, one of the longest terms in Florida history.

Now that he is no longer representing the city, Hubbard travels the state teaching ethics and The Sunshine Laws for the Florida Institute of Government and for the Florida League of Cities.

“We take our ethical standard from the Florida Bar,” Hubbard says of being city attorney. “As opposed to other private practice lawyers, government attorneys have an obligation not just to the client but to the public at large. We must always respect the best interest of the people.”

Hubbard’s law partner, , who had been interim city attorney since April, was officially given the position at the city commission meeting.

“Tom was the best choice for city attorney because he is straight as an arrow,” Hubbard says. “He will do what is right no matter how difficult.”

Trask gives credit for his integrity to the example set by Frazer and Hubbard:

Part of why our firm is so ethical is being mentored by lawyers like Hubbard. Everyone has moments where it would be easier to cut corners, but we have the expectations of our firm keeping us accountable, and our responsibility to the people of Dunedin to remain fair and honest.

The most recent partner Jay Daigneault agrees: 

I worked for Frazer, Hubbard, Brandt, Trask, & Yacavone as a law clerk, and although I was hoping to get hired by them, I still had to interview at other law firms, just in case. My brief experiences with different attorneys showed me how much this firm stood out for their values and the ethical way they conduct themselves.

“We are a like-minded, family-oriented and practical group of lawyers,” Trask says.

Representing Dunedin, Redington Beach, Madeira Beach, Oldsmar, and Belleair Bluffs in zoning, personnel and ordinance matters, FHBTYM&D also does probate, wills and trusts, real estate closings, family law, like adoptions and divorce, and corporate law.

  • Where:  , 595 Main St.
  • Contact: 727-733-0494, http://www.fhbty.com
  • Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, closed


Author’s Note: Does this seem biased? It is. I have looked up to John Hubbard as a man of integrity, loyalty and honesty for 16 years. He is respectful and charismatic. He is frank and jovial. He is loving and kind, and he holds you to high expectations.

I can relate to his lawyers saying that they were mentored in ethics by him because I want to be a better person in his presence. He changed my definition of what to expect from a man and a father.

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