 The offices of Grall, Glenn & Grall are as unique in appearance as they are in outlook; neither is what you expect.
Set on ten acres, the building looks more like a house than an office. In fact, it's reminiscent of Tara, the plantation house in David O. Selznick's film, Gone with the Wind. The modern-day antebellum architecture with its columns and portico is real. The name on the sign near the road on 20th Street says "Tara Plantation".
 The fact that Gone With the Wind wall-mounted painted plates are hanging on the walls of a law library tells you this is no movie set. Real work is done here.
Bernard F. Grall, Jr., Esquire, the owner of the firm, is the driving force behind the design of the building and the design of the practice. Both are built to exceptional standards. Mr. Grall started his firm in 1979 after practicing for four years. His firm relocated to Tara Plantation in 1989 and Tara has been its home since that time.
The business focuses on personal injury litigation and general practice, and the attorneys exude an air of confidence and ability, but there's no pretense in their warm handshakes or smiles.
Grall and his children, Erin K. Grall, Esquire, and Patrick M. Grall, Esquire, handle most of the civil litigation and specialize in personal injury and wrongful death. The Gralls’ take a hands-on approach to the practice of law and the family aspect of the firm assures their clients that they truly care for them and their situation. “My father’s reputation is excellent and it is a tremendous experience to learn from a man who values honesty and hard work," says his daughter, Erin K. Grall. As Grall's hard work resulted in a unique office setting, that same hard work also resulted in his gaining the second largest claims bill in Florida's history.
George A. Glenn, Sr., Esquire, joined the firm in 1990 with ten years experience behind him. He concentrates on estate planning, dissolution of marriages, real estate and business/commercial litigation. Most of Glenn's work centers on advising and preparing wills, living will, trusts, handling probate cases, and sales and closing in real estate.
Clients have very good personal relationships with the firm. "Everyone here has a really great attitude," says Glenn. "There's a lack of formality and everybody is down-to-earth. Once new clients get inside they feel the warm atmosphere generated by the people working here. Having worked in this area for such a long time, we know the community and have developed excellent relationships with other professionals as well."
"There's good diversity among the four of us," Grall offers. "We work hard and good things happen." The good things that happen include the growth of the business, mostly by word of mouth from very satisfied clients. "People prefer you straight up," Grall states. "Our goal is to help people, and approaching our decisions from a business perspective is the key to our success."
"There are three things I focus on," Grall says. "Family and church are first, then come community and career."
Theirs is a family-like practice and everyone helps with their biggest annual event - Christmas.
On the Sunday after Thanksgiving the switch is thrown and nearly 500,000 miniature lights flash to life across the grounds. There's normally a private lighting ceremony and party for family and friends that night, celebrating months of preparation.
More than 30 life-size figures decorate the house and grounds, and Grall spends some 600 hours of his own time preparing and setting up. The grounds are opened to the public and it's not unusual to have thousands of people drive through during an evening.
Please see the Special Events section for details about the Open Houses.
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