Attorney Profiles

R. John Cole II & Associates, P.A. is home to dedicated and caring bankruptcy attorneys. The firm is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell's Peer Review Ratings and Mr. Cole is board certified in Consumer Bankruptcy Law by the American Board of Certification. For more information on the firm's attorneys, click the names below.

• R. John Cole, II
• Peter M. Knize
• Richard J. Cole, III

R. John Cole, II

Email: rjc@rjcolelaw.com

Practice Areas

• Bankruptcy
• Family Law
• Divorce

Admitted

• 1975, Florida and U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
• 1978, U.S. Tax Court
• 1981, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
• 1989, U.S. Supreme Court

Law School

• University of Florida, J.D., 1974

College

• Auburn University, B.A., 1968

Memberships

• Sarasota County Bar Association
• National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association

Biography

Mr. Cole has been in the private practice of law since 1979 with R. John Cole, II & Associates, P.A., as its shareholder. Before opening his office, he was an Assistant Public Defender for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida from 1975 through 1977, and First Assistant State Attorney for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida from 1977 through 1979. While a prosecutor, he was primarily responsible for homicide prosecutions and the handling of official corruption cases involving law enforcement.

After entering private practice in 1979, his practice has focused on litigation and bankruptcy. He has handled numerous civil litigation matters, and hundreds of bankruptcies. His practice has involved representing individuals and corporations in litigation and bankruptcy issues, and he has also handled numerous family law matters representing both husbands and wives as they sort through the problems inherent in the divorce process.

He was an undergraduate major in speech obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree from Auburn University, and he received his J.D. degree with honors from the University of Florida College of Law in 1974. While in law school, Mr. Cole was a member of the law review, and was awarded the American Jurisprudence “Book” Award in Creditors’ Rights.

Mr. Cole has been admitted to The Florida Bar and the Bars of the United States Supreme Court, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He is a member of the Federal Court Practice Committee of the Florida Bar since his appointment to it in 2005. He is also rated "AV," the top rating given by the lawyer rating service, Martindale-Hubbell, Inc. Mr. Cole has lectured in the area of bankruptcy, collection and on similar topics.

While in law school, Mr. Cole was a member of the University of Florida Law Review. He was selected for membership in the Order of the COIF at graduation. The Order of the COIF is a national honorary society for the top 10 percent of law school graduates nationally in law classes in the United States in the year of a member’s graduation. He was also a member of the Fletcher Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa legal fraternity, serving as its president during his senior year. Additionally, he was selected for membership in Phi Kappa Phi, the national legal honorary society. He received the American Jurisprudence 2nd Book Award in creditors’ rights and estate taxation while in law school; he was an honors graduate from the University of Florida law school in 1974.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Cole served in the United States Navy for four years achieving the rank of lieutenant. Those tours of duty saw him at sea in various forms on naval combatant ships, including aircraft carriers, destroyers and a cruiser. Mr. Cole is also presently a member of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association, the Sarasota County Bar Association, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and the American Bankruptcy Institute participating in numerous activities with those groups.

As an AV-rated lawyer, Mr. Cole attempts to provide the highest quality services for his clients. He became Board Certified in the area of consumer bankruptcy law by the American Board of Certification 2004. Mr. Cole is a third-generation Floridian, whose relatives reside throughout the State of Florida.

Back to top

Peter M. Knize

Email: pmk@rjcolelaw.com

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning
• Bankruptcy
• Family Law
• Civil and Commercial Litigation
• Divorce
• Trusts and Estates
• Child Support
• Child Custody
• Wills
• Probate/Estate Administration
• Tax Planning

Admitted

• Florida Bar
• North Carolina Bar
• U.S. Tax Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida

Law School

• Nova Southeastern University, J.D., 2005
• University of Miami, LL.M. (Estate Planning), 2006

College

• University of South Florida (B.A., 1996; M.A., 2000)
• University of Central Florida, B.S., 1993

Memberships

• The Florida Bar
• North Carolina State Bar
• Federal Bar Association
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• American Bar Association
  • Real Property, Trusts, & Estates
  • Business Law
  • Litigation
• Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association
• North Carolina Bar Association
• Sarasota County Bar Association

Biography

Peter was born in Ohio but was raised in Sarasota County, Florida graduating from St. Stephen’s Episcopal High School. He attended the University of Central Florida receiving a bachelor of science degree in Cardiopulmonary Sciences in 1993. Upon graduation, Peter worked as a licensed registered respiratory therapist in neonatal intensive care units throughout Florida. Peter attended the University of South Florida where he received both a bachelor of arts in 1996 and a master of arts degree in History, with honors, in 2000. He attended Nova Southeastern University receiving his juris doctorate in 2005. He continued his study of law at the University of Miami where he received his master of laws degree in estate planning in 2006.

Prior to joining the firm of R. John Cole, II & Associates, P.A., Peter was a senior associate in the corporate and estate planning division of the Raleigh, North Carolina law firm of Warren, Perry, Narron, Shackleford & Mackay, P.L.L.C. where he focused on corporate law, elder law, advance estate planning, guardianship, civil litigation, real property and estate administration.

Peter has extensive experience in corporate law, from business entity formations and operations to corporate dissolutions as well as estate planning for clients with closely held business entities. He currently practices corporate law, bankruptcy, estate planning, probate administration, guardianship, family law, foreclosure defense and civil & commercial litigation matters.

Peter is a member of both the Florida State Bar and the North Carolina State Bar. He is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Middle District Court of Florida. He also is a member of the Real Property, Probate & Trust Law sections of the Florida and North Carolina Bar, and the Sarasota County Bar Association.

Back to top

Richard J. Cole, III

Email: rc3@rjcolelaw.com

Practice Areas

• International Law
• Corporate Law
• Business LAw
• Bankruptcy

Admitted

• 2008, Florida
• 2009, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
• 2010, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
• 2010, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
• 2010, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
• 2010, U.S. Tax Court

Law School

• University of Florida, J.D., cum laude, 2008
• University College London, LL.M., with merit, 2009

College

• University of Florida, B.A., summa cum laude, 2005

Memberships

• Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• INSOL International (International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Professionals)
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• Sarasota County Bar Association

Biography

Richard has been in private practice of law since 2009 with R. John Cole, II, & Associates, P.A., as an associate. He has been admitted to practice with the Florida Bar and is a fourth-generation Floridian born and raised in Sarasota.

Richard began law school at the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, in 2005 following his Bachelor of Arts program at the University of Florida, where he majored in English and minored in Sociology with highest honors. At Levin, Richard was a member of the Florida Law Review and served as a Research Editor. In 2006 he was awarded the “Book” Award for Corporations. He received honors in his Legal Research and Writing and Appellate Advocacy courses. Richard also served as a board member on the Law College Council, a student government body. Richard studied European law at the Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands during his J.D. program. He graduated in the top third of his class with cum laude distinction.

After completing his J.D., Richard went to London to further study international and European laws. Richard focused on international finance, investment, and insolvency (bankruptcy) law. He received his Master of Laws in 2009. His dissertation focused on the special issues confronted by multinational corporate groups and securitized assets during bankruptcy.