Fenley, John R.

Michael Fender was born in 1963 in Kansas. In 1973, his family moved to Lakeland, Florida where he graduated from Lakeland Senior High School in 1981. Mr. Fender then attended the University of Florida where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance with Honors in 1985. During his undergraduate years, Mr. Fender competed on the varisty debate team for his Sophomore, Junior and Senior years traveling to many different campuses across the country representing the University of Florida in debate tournaments.

Upon graduation, Mr. Fender entered the work force. After taking a 3½ year break and working in the residential construction industry, first as a construction superintendent and then as an estimator and purchasing agent for two large homebuilders, Mr. Fender then entered law school at the University of Florida in 1989 and graduated in 1991.

On the morning of April 29, 1992 and after waiting since childhood to become a lawyer, Mr. Fender learned that he had passed the bar examination with a combined score of 170 (130 needed to pass at that time) and immediately made an appointment with The Honorable Frederick D. Smith of the Eight Judicial Circuit to be sworn in at 11:15 a.m. that morning and became of member of The Florida Bar. After having clerked at several local Gainesville law firms as a law student, Mr. Fender immediately opened his practice in Gainesville, Florida and has remained a sole practitioner for the past 17+ years. In 1993, Mr. Fender moved his practice to Orlando, Florida and initially located in downtown Orlando. In 1995, Mr. Fender moved his practice to Maitland, Florida and in 2000 made a final move to his current location in Altamonte Springs, Florida.

Mr. Fender represented his first divorce client in 1992 and has represented hundreds since then. Mr. Fender practices in all areas of family law including divorce, paternity, domestic violence injunctions, child support and alimony modifications, custody modifications and stepparent adoptions.

Mr. Fender has received a Martindale Hubbell rating of BV. This means that his peers have rated his legal ability from high to very high and his ethical standards as very high.

Mr. Fender provides criminal defense representation for all misdemeanors and felonies in Orange County, Seminole County, Osceola County, Volusia County and Lake County, Florida.

Utilizing his construction background and training, Mr. Fender also represents contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, owners and homeowners in construction disputes including breach of contract, construction or mechanic’s liens, warranty claims and defenses and construction defects.

Mr. Fender is also admitted to the United States District Court, Middle District, the United States District Court, Northern District, and the United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.

In his spare time, Mr. Fender raises two young children with his wife, Julie, collects antique clocks, antique tube radios, antique fans, antique bookends, antiquarian Americana books, and antique prints and paintings.