WIDEIKIS, BENEDICT & BERNTSSON, LLC
THE BIG W LAW FIRM
ATTORNEYS AT LAW

Englewood
Boca Grande
North Port
Port Charlotte

John L. Wideikis

Visit John L. Wideikis online at SuperLawyers.comlawyers of distinction

Mr. Wideikis (Partner) received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Iowa School of Law in Iowa City, Iowa in 2001. At the time Mr. Wideikis attended this law school it was ranked as the 17th best law school in the United States by U. S. News and World Report. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with Honors from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois in 1998. At North Central College, Mr. Wideikis was named to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin All-Conference Baseball Team as both a shortstop and designated hitter, and served as captain of the 1998 baseball team that finished ninth in the country. He also represented the United States on Team Chicago, USA which won the World Baseball Championship Tournament held in Amsterdam in 1994.

As a third year law student, Mr. Wideikis was employed as a pre-licensed lawyer at the Cook County Illinois State Attorney's Office in its homicide division. Subsequently, he received his license to practice law in the State of Illinois where he served as an associate at Kubiesa, Spiroff, Gosselar, Acker & Kern, P.C. practicing in the areas of local government representation and defense, land use and planning, real property transactions, business law, family law and general civil litigation.

Mr. Wideikis practiced law in Illinois for three years before becoming licensed to practice law in Florida where he relocated in January of 2004. Mr. Wideikis was previously a managing partner of the Law firm of Berntsson, Ittersagen, Gunderson & Wideikis, LLP.

Among other accolades and recognitions, some of which are outlined hereinbelow, Mr. Wideikis has been selected on numerous occasions as a Florida Super Lawyer's Rising Star, a designation reserved for only 2.5 percent of practicing attorneys in the state. In addition, Mr. Wideikis has been nominated and elected as a Lawyer of Distinction, a designation reserved for only ten (10) percent of all lawyers in the state. In both instances, Mr. Wideikis was recognized in the area of Real Property Law. This area of law Mr. Wideikis concentrates in involves every type of residential lot and home sale together with the most complex of commercial real estate and business transactions. Mr. Wideikis is widely acknowledged as the local attorney to work with on such matters as marina, hotel, restaurant, subdivision, strip center, airport, and franchise transactions, etc. During The Great Recession Mr. Wideikis made a name for himself pioneering a creative local short sale assistance program with modestly priced legal fees befitting of the extraordinary economic circumstances facing the State of Florida. He negotiated and closed short sales for individuals throughout the state, and had the unique opportunity to assist sellers with short sales, while continuing his representation of lenders in loan workouts, foreclosures, and commercial loan documentation.

Education: North Central College (B.A., cum laude, 1998); University of Iowa College of Law (J.D., 2001). Phi Delta Phi. Admitted to bar, 2001, Illinois and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; 2003, Florida, and U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida

Member: The Florida State Bar (Member, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Sections); and Illinois State Bar.

Practice Areas: Title Insurance; Residential and Complex Commercial Real Property Closings; Bank Representation; Lender and Bank Closings; Commercial Transactions; Asset Protection; Developer representation; Condominium and Association creation and representation; Corporate and Limited Liability Company Formation and Representation; Purchase and Sale of Business or Company; Mortgage Foreclosures; Short Sales; Loan Workouts; and Loan Modifications.

Awards and Recognitions:

  • AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale Hubbell. According to Martindale Hubbell, this is the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards reflecting the confidential opinions of the members of the bar and judiciary. Martindale Hubbell continues to explain that the AV Preeminent rating is the pinnacle of professional excellence earned through a strenuous peer review rating process.
  • Client Distinction Award from Martindale Hubbell and Lawyers.com recognizing excellence in quality of service, overall value, responsiveness and communication ability.
  • Florida Legal Elite Selection, 2019, as voted on by the actual members of the Florida Bar and as reported by Florida Trend Magazine. According to the publication, only 1.4% of Florida attorneys are so reported and selected for this designation.
  • Superlawyer Selection, Rising Star, in 2010, 2015, 2016, and 2017, recognizing excellence in practice in the area of Real Property Law. This is a designation reserved for no more than 2.5% of the lawyers in the State of Florida.
  • Lawyer of Distinction in the area of Real Property Law. A Lawyer of Distinction designation is reserved for no more than 10% of lawyers in the State of Florida 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
  • Named one of America's Most Honored Professionals, an award for continuous professional recognition, an accomplishment realized by the Top 1% of American Professionals according to the American Registry 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
  • Top Rated Lawyer in Community by AVVO 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
  • Named by Florida Trend's magazine as one of Florida's Legal Elite, a determination made by an independent research firm in conjunction with members of the Florida Bar, 2019.
  • Named "Top 50 Lawyer" by America’s Top Lawyers, a selection that includes independent third party validation and is reserved for 0.05% of practicing attorneys in the United States, 2022.