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Practice Areas

★★★★★ Rated of Happy Clients

Real Estate Law & Closings

For more than 40 years, our firm has provided comprehensive real estate legal services for both residential and commercial transactions.

Our experience includes zoning and land use matters, 1031 tax-deferred exchanges, drafting and reviewing purchase and sale agreements, title examinations, title insurance, and managing real estate closings.

We guide clients through every stage of the transaction to ensure a smooth, secure, and efficient closing process.

Corporate & Business Law

Our business law practice is built on proactive legal counsel that supports informed decision-making and long-term success.

We work closely with business owners, executives, and nonprofit organizations to ensure their strategies are supported by a solid legal foundation in an evolving regulatory environment.

Whether forming a corporation or nonprofit, managing operations, or navigating compliance issues, our attorneys provide practical guidance tailored to your business goals.

Personal Injury & Wrongful Death

Personal injury and wrongful death law exists to protect individuals and families who have suffered serious harm due to the negligence of others.

Our firm represents clients in cases involving automobile, trucking, railroad, boating, and water-related accidents, as well as slip-and-fall incidents, defective products, medical malpractice, premises liability, sports injuries, explosions, and other catastrophic events.

We are committed to pursuing the financial compensation our clients need to recover and move forward.

Civil & Commercial Litigation

Our attorneys represent clients in a broad range of civil and commercial litigation matters, including banking disputes, class actions, contract issues, employment matters, government regulations, ERISA, environmental law, fiduciary liability, health care, intellectual property, products liability, public utilities, real estate, and securities litigation.

With extensive real estate litigation experience, we also handle easements, eminent domain, landlord-tenant disputes, leasing issues, development regulations, and land use conflicts. Our team provides strategic advocacy and steady guidance throughout the litigation process.

Government Relations & Land Use Issues

We provide extensive government relations and land use representation at the local, state, and federal levels. For more than 45 years, Attorney Jacobs has worked on zoning and land use matters, Florida Cabinet issues, and regulatory matters involving the Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Community Affairs.

As a registered state and federal lobbyist, Attorney Jacobs remains actively engaged in regulatory and legislative matters. Our firm also collaborates with government agencies and organizations—including the Department of the Navy and the Army Corps of Engineers—to support responsible development and the preservation of Amelia Island’s natural environment.

Estate Planning & Estate Administration

Our firm helps clients develop personalized estate planning strategies designed to protect their assets and honor their wishes. We work closely with clients to create comprehensive estate plans that reflect their goals and family needs.

Following the loss of a loved one, we also assist families with probate and estate administration, ensuring the process is handled efficiently, compassionately, and with minimal stress.

Meet The Team

ARTHUR I. “BUDDY” JACOBS

Founder & Managing Member

Arthur I. “Buddy” Jacobs’ family moved to Fernandina Beach in 1943 where he has remained a resident. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and was President of the Student Body. Upon graduation, he became Dean of University Relations and Development, at the age of 26. He served as an Organized Crime Strike Force Prosecutor in the Fourth Judicial Circuit.

While serving as Nassau County Attorney for 13 years, he wrote the first zoning code for the County. He has been General Counsel for the State Attorneys of Florida for 47 years, representing them in the US and State Supreme Court, District Courts of Appeal and the Florida Legislature. He was Counsel to the Trial Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar, for 32 years representing 7,000 civil Trial Lawyers in Florida. He represented them in the State Supreme Court and the Legislature. He has served as Chairman of the State Arts Council of Florida and was a member of the National Council of the Arts for a decade under Reagan and Bush. He has been Chairman of the Advocacy Committee of the American Arts Alliance in Washington. He has served since 1977 as a member of the Board of Advisors of the Preservation Institute of Nantucket and served as Chairman of the Board for over a decade. He has lectured throughout the country on Historic Preservation on how to restore towns and cities and uses his work in the restoration of the historic city of Fernandina as an example.

He served for six years as a Regent on the Board of the American Architecture Foundation in Washington, DC. The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers named Jacobs the top advocate in Florida among trial lawyers for justice for the citizens of Florida for 2005. Mr. Jacobs has successfully represented counties, municipalities, cities and community associations seeking federal and state funding for beach renourishment projects critical to local economies, as well as appropriations for transportation projects, environmental enhancement projects, and preservation of historic landmarks. He was also the 2010 recipient of the Beinecke-Reeves Distinguished Achievement Award in Historic Preservation from the University of Florida. He has also been a recipient of the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association. On May 18, 2012, he received the prestigious Carl Weinhardt Award from The Florida Trust For Historic Preservation recognizing his many years of service to Historic Preservation. He has been Head Usher of his church, Amelia Island Plantation Chapel, for 23 years.

RICHARD J. SCHOLZ

Managing Member

Richard J. Scholz graduated from the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy in 1977 and became a licensed pharmacist in Ohio, embarking on a career in community pharmacy. In 1987, Scholz founded Complete Pharmacy Network, a pharmacy benefit management company that pioneered the implementation of real-time computerized pharmacy management and cost controls to clients throughout the U.S. He launched the Denali Group Inc., a multi-faceted health care economics management consulting group that managed projects for stakeholders in the distribution, delivery, and financing of pharmacy care, in 1994. Branching outside of the pharmacy field, Scholz was president of Sound Point Strategies, Inc., a real estate consulting, management, and holding company from 1998 to 2005. Scholz graduated cum laude from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida in 2005, and became a member of the Florida Bar in 2006. Scholz joined Jacobs Scholz & Associates in 2005. Since joining the firm, Scholz has led Jacobs Scholz, LLLP, a holding company for health care ventures in the medical device, optics, and digital healthcare markets, and co-founded Optimized Care Network, which connects primary care and specialty care providers with their patients via state-of-the-art CareSpaces, improving healthcare accessibility and affordability.

He is currently Chief Strategy Officer of Optimized Care Network. Scholz is a registered lobbyist for local government entities as well as representing domestic and international healthcare stakeholders interacting with both the State of Florida and the Federal government. He is an active member and on the Board of Directors of Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association (PPLA) in Washington, D.C. Scholz works with international businesses in developing and managing coalitions to complete clinical trials, process FDA approval for medical devices, and implement international production and distribution strategies. He represents healthcare clients in complex regulatory and litigation interfaces with CMS, FDA, OMB, U.S. Military branches, U.S. Veterans Administration, and Tricare. He has presented at national conferences and summits for the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, PHARMA Packaging and Labeling USA Conference, and Verizon Life Sciences and Healthcare, and was a panelist at the HX360, HIMMS 2015 TeleHealth Turnabout. The Ohio House of Representative has recognized him for his work as president of the Board of Education his local public school district in Ohio. He is an active member of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and the National Council of Prescription Drug Programs. Locally, he is a member of the Board of Directors for the Nassau County Education Foundation, and the Robert M. Foster Inn of Courts.

DOUGLAS A. WYLER

Member

Douglas A. Wyler, originally from New York, but raised in Frederick, Maryland, graduated with his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. He interned with Merrill Lynch and during his study of law, Wyler interned with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (“JALA”) and the Jacksonville Film and Television Commission. In 2010, Wyler graduated from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville. He earned a Certificate in Advanced Legal Research and Writing from Florida Coastal.

He joined Jacobs Scholz & Associates in 2015. Wyler has spent considerable time volunteering with non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Guardian ad Litem Program of Nassau County. He is a member in good standing with the Florida Bar.