John Agnew

John serves as the City Attorney for the City of Sanibel and also has a diverse practice in other government, employment, and business matters, representing businesses, individuals, governmental entities, and special districts. His roles range from proactive counseling and document preparation in a boardroom setting, to mediations, arbitrations, and litigation in state and federal court. On the counseling side, John acts as general counsel for clients, providing advice, legal opinions, and alternative solutions to issues with the aim of maintaining compliance or otherwise resolving conflict outside of litigation.

In the event litigation is desired or unavoidable, John has extensive experience in government, business, and employment disputes. Regarding business litigation, some of the matters John routinely handles include disputes relating to contracts, real estate, construction, commercial leases, ADA accessibility and business break-ups. With respect to employment law, John frequently handles cases involving enforcement of non-compete agreements, defense of FLSA wage and hour claims, and defense of discrimination or retaliation claims.

John holds the highest (AV Preeminent) rating by Martindale-Hubbell.  He has been named among Florida Trend’s Legal Elite and has been selected annually by Florida Super Lawyers® for recognition every year since 2009. Prior to becoming an attorney, John was an Army Ranger, who served overseas on multiple deployments and competed three times in the annual Best Ranger Competition.

John is active in the legal community. He is a member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors and a Fellow of The Florida Bar Foundation. He is a past President of the Lee County Bar Association and was a member of its Executive Council from 2011-2015. He is also a past appointee to the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Professionalism Committee and Twentieth Judicial Circuit Local Professionalism Panel.

John is also active in the general community. He has twice served as the President of the Board of Directors for ACT (Abuse Counseling & Treatment, Inc.) and formerly served on the Executive Committee for the Board of Directors for PACE Center for Girls of Lee County. John is also a member of the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, having graduated from its Leadership Program in 2011, and served as an annual facilitator for many of the subsequent Leadership Program classes.

When not working, John enjoys spending time with his family and pursuing as many outdoor activities as possible.