OUR HISTORY
The Philadelphia Lawyer
Neal Blaher began practicing law in Philadelphia in 1986 after obtaining a B.A. degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Villanova Law School. After two years as a Philadelphia lawyer, Neal returned to his roots in Central Florida.
The Florida Copyright & Trademark Lawyer
An avid supporter and patron of the arts, and himself a violinist, Neal Blaher joined what was then the largest and oldest Central Florida law firm that focused on copyright and trademark law. There, Neal began counseling individuals and small business owners on trademark and copyright registration matters, and representing clients in federal trademark and copyright infringement court cases.
A National Practice for the Protection of Individual Investors
The most far-reaching development in Neal Blaher’s legal career also began at this firm. Here, Neal launched his nationwide securities arbitration practice. At the time, the country was recovering from the stock market crash of 1987 — the first far-reaching market collapse since the Great Depression. Neal represented individuals against unscrupulous securities and investment advisory firms, ranging from one-broker shops to the likes of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Smith Barney, Merrill Lynch, Prudential Securities and Charles Schwab.
The Solo Attorney
Neal Blaher’s independent spirit and deep, personal dedication to clients prompted his opening of the Law Office of Neal J. Blaher on October 20, 1993. As a sole practitioner, Neal was able to expand the practice from securities cases and copyright and trademark matters to franchise law. Neal advised potential and existing franchisees and franchisors in preparing and reviewing Franchise Disclosure Documents and agreements, monitoring and renewing state registrations, and mediating relationships between franchisors and franchisees.
Neal Blaher also served as an arbitrator and mediator in a broad range of commercial and business cases, including foreclosures and loan modifications. As part of the Orange County Bar Association’s pro bono program, Neal volunteered as a court-appointed Guardian ad litem for abused and neglected children in the juvenile dependency system for over 25 years.
In the wake of these successes, Neal added staff and opened two satellite offices on the Florida Space Coast in the early 2000s.
In 2007, Neal’s former firm invited him back to serve of counsel to the firm. Three years later, however, it again became clear that clients would be better served by an independent practice. The Law Office of Neal J. Blaher re-opened in 2010.
A Changing World
The 21st Century witnessed dramatic changes in the practice of law, the American system of justice, and the ideals and sense of humanity of our nation’s decision makers. There was less integrity among the new graduates in the field, far less justice in the courthouses, and diminishing interest in individual rights and compassion for people in general. As a result, Neal Blaher decided in the Fall of 2012 to look at and consider different vocations. Although steps were taken, he initially was unable to find an opportunity that would allow him to definitively exit from the practice.
In 2014, Neal Blaher was notified of an issue The Florida Bar was raising with regard to a transaction in his trust account. Although the issue was technical in nature and limited in scope and implicated no clients, the Bar refused to discuss the matter. Instead, it filed a complaint using a procedural mechanism that eliminated Neal’s right to submit a formal response. When he attempted to respond notwithstanding the Bar’s action, the Bar blocked publication of his responses and thus any opportunity to publicly present the lack of foundation for the Bar’s actions.
The link below will direct the reader to the filings that the Bar blocked at the time.
Having already decided 2 years earlier that he wanted to leave the practice of law behind, and despite client pleas that he contest the matter so that he could continue to represent them, Neal Blaher declined to participate with the Bar and closed his office. Consistent with its conduct to that time, the Bar proceeded with the matter without Neal’s participation despite the closure of the practice. All this against an attorney with an unblemished record and awards for his accomplishments — including awards received from the Bar itself — over the span of nearly 30 years.
Despite Neal Blaher’s departure from the practice of law in 2014, The Florida Bar inexplicably continued for 6 more years to spend its resources on this no-longer licensed or practicing attorney. During this time, The Florida Bar sent copies of its proceedings to both the New Jersey and Pennsylvania attorney regulation bodies (where Neal had held licenses but not practiced for over 25 years), as well as Florida’s state regulator of mediators, prompting each of these organizations to prosecute their own actions based solely on what transpired in The Florida Bar matter. Neal declined participation in these later proceedings as well, beyond sending copies of the papers he had filed at the outset of The Florida Bar proceeding. Instead, he continued moving forward with his new ventures.
A New Path
Since 2015, Neal has returned to his original planned career path in psychology. He is happy to report that he is once again making a positive contribution to and impact on the community at large — something that had been missing during the final years of his law practice.
Neal spent five years working with researchers at the University of Central Florida on psychological issues involving the interaction between humans and technology. When research opportunities declined, Neal devoted three years to pursuing delivery of behavior analysis services to autistic and developmentally disabled children. Finally, from the outset of his formation of NJB Services to the present time, Neal has been providing seniors and the physically and developmentally disabled with caregiver services ranging from assistance with daily tasks to independent living skills.
And of course, Neal Blaher can still be found performing three times a year as a violinist with the Central Florida Community Arts Symphony Orchestra.