Sherrille D. Akin

Coming home for Sherri Bailey Akin is certainly sweet. After practicing estate planning, probate, and guardianship law in Ohio for 23 years, she returned to her roots in DeLand, a place where she was born and raised and a place she says is still as easy, friendly and relaxed as ever.

The daughter of prominent Stetson professor and community leader T. Wayne Bailey, Sherri knew by the 5th grade that she wanted to be a lawyer. In fact, at the age of 14, while attending DeLand Junior High School, Sherri started working in the law office of Bill Sherman, a well-know local attorney. Her work with Sherman started with sorting mail, filing, running errands and eventually grew with her, as she worked as a paralegal in college and a clerk in law school. According to Sherri, "Bill was a wonderful mentor and demonstrated to me the proper way to practice law and regard clients."

After law school and graduate tax school, a job clerking in Washington D.C. for the U.S. Tax Court and a marriage proposal from an Ohio native drew her away, but Sherri always continued to practice law in Florida. As the go-to Florida attorney for Ohio snowbirds and business owners, Sherri worked continually on Florida matters, with a focus on estate planning, guardianship, care planning and fiduciary litigation. She brought that experience back to Florida and uses it now to assist Florida residents with their Ohio property and family matters.

Sherri draws on years of experience to practice complex estate planning and tax law, with emphasis on high net worth individuals and businesses, including tax minimization strategies, asset protection planning, business transition planning and unique planning for impaired beneficiaries. Her Ohio expertise and licensure adds an additional level of to the many services provided by the firm, offering the ability to assist Florida clients with matters 'back home' in the Buckeye State.

Sherri holds her J.D., cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law and an advanced tax degree, LL.M., from The University of Florida College of Law. She holds her B.A. in Political Science from Stetson University, where her father founded the Department of Political Science in 1963.