The History of The Law Firm of Douglas G. Jackson, P.A.
Founded to Serve the Whole Client
The Law Firm of Douglas G. Jackson, P.A. was established in August 2017 with a purpose that extended beyond any single practice area. The firm was created to provide practical, relationship-based legal counsel to people and businesses whose problems did not fit neatly into one legal category.
Before founding the firm, Douglas G. Jackson practiced at Bosley & Bratch, now known as Helping Veterans Group. His work there focused on Veterans Disability and Social Security Disability matters. By the time he prepared to leave, he was responsible for the representation of more than 400 clients.
Douglas remained with Bosley & Bratch while completing his duties to those clients and transitioning his responsibilities. His final day with the firm was October 28, 2017. From that point forward, he operated The Law Firm of Douglas G. Jackson, P.A. on a full-time basis.
The Problem That Inspired the Firm
The idea for the firm grew from Douglas’s experience representing veterans with disability claims. Many of those clients trusted him with more than the specific claim for which he represented them. They would also describe problems involving housing, debt, family matters, estates, contracts, businesses, criminal accusations, or other civil concerns.
Under the practice model of his former firm, Douglas was authorized to handle Veterans Disability and Social Security matters, but not the additional legal issues affecting those clients. Referring a client elsewhere was not always enough. Many clients did not know another lawyer, did not understand which type of lawyer they needed, or did not have the confidence to begin again with someone unfamiliar with their circumstances.
As a result, some clients allowed serious legal problems to continue even when a potential remedy existed. That experience convinced Douglas that the legal profession needed more attorneys willing to serve as general practitioners and trusted problem-solvers.
The firm was therefore built on a fundamental principle: law does not exist in a vacuum.
A legal dispute in one area can affect a client’s business, property, family, income, health, estate plan, or long-term security. Douglas believed that clients should be able to begin with a lawyer who would examine the complete situation, identify the legal issues involved, and help determine what should happen next.
From “Action Jackson” to Get Your Legal Action
The firm has always operated under the legal name The Law Firm of Douglas G. Jackson, P.A. It also maintains the fictitious names The Law Firm of Douglas G. Jackson and the Jackson Law Firm.
The phrase “Get Your Legal Action” has been part of the firm’s identity since its beginning. The name has personal roots: while playing high school football, Douglas was called “Action Jackson.” He remained partial to the nickname and wanted to incorporate it into the firm’s public identity.
The domain GetYourLegalAction.com was acquired when the firm began. The original logo used substantially the same colors as the firm’s present branding, although its design evolved as the firm developed.
Beginning with a Virtual Office
The firm’s first location was a virtual office at 4437 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg through Hancock Law. Douglas initially worked alone and performed every function required to operate the firm.
He served as attorney, intake coordinator, administrator, scheduler, technology manager, billing department, and client-service representative. The experience gave him a direct understanding of every part of the practice and later influenced the firm’s approach to systems, staffing, and team development.
The firm’s relationship with Hancock Law continued as the practice grew. Today, the firm shares office space with Hancock Law and also maintains access to offices at 200 Central and Connect in the EDGE District.
A General Practice with Deep Veterans Disability Roots
Although the firm was organized as a general practice, Veterans Disability was its largest area of work during the early years. Many of the first clients came through referrals from veterans the firm had served well.
The growth was primarily relationship-driven. Satisfied clients referred family members, friends, and other veterans. The firm did not begin with a large advertising campaign or a sophisticated marketing system. It grew because clients trusted the work and told others about their experiences.
The firm’s general-practice model allowed it to assist clients with legal needs beyond federal disability benefits. That broader model was not an afterthought. It was the reason the firm had been created.
The Financial Reality of the Early Years
The first year was lean. Veterans Disability cases often require substantial work over a long period before a fee is generated, and the timing of payment can be difficult to predict. That created significant cash-flow challenges for a newly established firm.
Douglas supplemented the firm’s income by handling coverage appearances in Social Security Disability hearings for other attorneys. He also relied on financing while building a sufficient caseload and developing the firm’s systems.
As the practice grew, Douglas began using more technology and outside professional services to improve efficiency. Even then, managing and scaling the practice remained one of the firm’s principal challenges.
The difficulty was not simply obtaining work. The greater challenge was building the infrastructure needed to serve an increasing number of clients consistently while managing the unpredictable payment cycle associated with disability claims.
Building the First Team
In 2019, Stacey Bechtel joined the firm as its first paralegal. Stacey had previously worked with Douglas at Bosley & Bratch, and her familiarity with the work and Douglas’s approach to client service made her arrival especially important.
Her addition helped the firm begin transitioning from a solo practice into an organized legal team. Stacey later became the firm’s Case Manager and has played a central role in the firm’s operations and development.
Michael Durkin joined the firm in 2020, becoming its second non-founder employee. His work contributed to the continuing development of the firm’s client-service and support functions.
The firm also began developing future attorneys internally. Luz Bastos worked with the firm as a law clerk while attending Stetson University College of Law. After passing the bar in late 2020, she became the firm’s first additional attorney.
These additions represented more than an increase in headcount. They marked the beginning of a collaborative model in which legal matters could be supported by attorneys, paralegals, case managers, and other professionals with different responsibilities and perspectives.
Learning to Manage Growth
The firm continued to grow, but growth created new challenges. The years 2021 and 2022 were particularly difficult from a management and operational standpoint.
The same Veterans Disability cases that helped establish the firm also created cash-flow pressure because the work required and the revenue received did not always occur in the same period. Adding personnel, technology, and professional services increased the firm’s capacity, but it also increased the importance of budgeting, forecasting, systems, and consistent case management.
Those years helped shape the firm’s later focus on operational structure, financial discipline, written procedures, team meetings, and measurable performance. The firm’s development did not occur in a straight line. It required experimentation, adjustment, and a willingness to learn from both successful and unsuccessful decisions.
Growing Through Relationships
The firm’s earliest growth came through referrals, particularly from veterans. Social media and more formal marketing efforts developed later.
Beginning around 2022, Douglas became significantly more involved in the St. Petersburg business, civic, and professional community. That involvement was consistent with the firm’s original purpose. Douglas had wanted to build a law firm that did more than provide legal services; he wanted it to participate in making its community stronger.
The benefits of that involvement did not appear immediately. Relationships developed over time, and the firm’s community presence began to compound by approximately 2024. By then, the firm increasingly viewed itself not merely as a law firm located in St. Petersburg, but as a community law firm with an obligation to contribute to the city and the people it served.
Douglas considers that development—becoming a firm known for involvement, education, relationships, and service—one of the firm’s most important accomplishments.
Expansion of Civil Litigation
The firm had handled general civil disputes throughout its history, but civil litigation became a more substantial focus during 2022 and 2023.
The practice evolved to address disputes involving businesses, contracts, property, ownership interests, commercial relationships, financial obligations, and other significant civil matters. The firm represents both plaintiffs and defendants, depending on the circumstances and the client’s needs.
The expansion of litigation was consistent with the firm’s original philosophy. A client who begins with a contract question may later face a lawsuit. A business dispute may involve real property, ownership rights, fiduciary duties, or personal guarantees. Effective representation requires the ability to understand how those legal issues interact and to remain involved as the matter develops.
The firm seeks reasonable settlements when they serve the client’s interests, but it also prepares matters for discovery, motion practice, trial, appeal, and post-judgment proceedings when necessary.
Healing First. Justice Always.
Personal injury work had been part of the firm’s practice to some degree from its early years, but the firm later began a more deliberate expansion of that service.
In 2025, the firm adopted the personal-injury philosophy Healing First. Justice Always.
The phrase reflects the firm’s view that an injured client’s health and recovery should not become secondary to the claim. Appropriate treatment, evidence preservation, and medical improvement come first. The legal process should then be used to protect the client’s rights, pursue fair compensation, and prepare for litigation when necessary.
The philosophy also reflects a broader truth that has guided the firm since its founding: legal representation should address the client as a whole person rather than treating the legal claim as an isolated file.
Formalizing the Mission
The firm’s mission existed informally from the beginning. Douglas knew that he wanted to help people, solve problems, build relationships, and make a meaningful difference in the community.
Around 2023, that purpose was placed into a formal written mission:
To embody the spirit of law, governance, and justice by advocating for good, building relationships, and developing community.
Each part of the mission reflects the firm’s history.
“Advocating for good” describes the firm’s obligation to use legal skill and judgment in service of clients and lawful outcomes.
“Building relationships” recognizes that effective legal representation depends on trust, communication, professional connections, and long-term engagement.
“Developing community” reflects the firm’s belief that attorneys and law firms should participate in the civic, professional, and economic life of the places they serve.
A Community Law Firm
The firm’s community-law-firm identity is now central to its work. The firm participates in business education, professional organizations, community events, civic leadership, legal education, and recurring service activities.
That involvement is not separate from the practice of law. It strengthens the relationships that allow the firm to identify resources, coordinate assistance, understand local institutions, and serve clients more effectively.
The firm’s community involvement also reflects the purpose Douglas identified before the firm was established: a law firm should not merely conduct business in a city. It should help make that city better.
Continuing the Original Vision
The Law Firm of Douglas G. Jackson, P.A. has grown substantially since Douglas began working alone from a virtual office. It now operates through a team of attorneys and legal professionals and serves clients across multiple areas of law.
Even as the firm has expanded, its original purpose has remained consistent. Clients frequently face legal problems that cross traditional practice-area boundaries. They need an attorney who can listen to the complete story, identify the issues, determine priorities, and help develop a workable plan.
That idea eventually developed into the firm’s First Counsel™ and Legal Ladder philosophies. Those concepts give formal expression to what the firm has attempted to do since 2017: serve as a trusted first call and help clients use the law to move from crisis toward stability, growth, and legacy.
The firm’s history is therefore not simply a story of adding employees, practice areas, or office locations. It is the continuing development of a law firm built to address the whole problem, maintain meaningful relationships, and use the law as a practical tool for improving the client’s position.
Timeline
2017
The Law Firm of Douglas G. Jackson, P.A. is established in August. Douglas completes his responsibilities to more than 400 clients at Bosley & Bratch and begins operating the firm full-time after October 28.
2018
The firm develops its general-practice model while Veterans Disability referrals form the foundation of its early client base. Douglas supplements revenue through Social Security Disability hearing appearances.
2019
Stacey Bechtel joins as the firm’s first paralegal, helping the practice begin its transition from a solo operation into a structured legal team.
2020
Michael Durkin becomes the firm’s second non-founder employee. Luz Bastos, formerly a law clerk with the firm, becomes its first additional attorney after passing the bar.
2021–2022
The firm confronts significant operational, scaling, and cash-flow challenges while expanding its personnel, technology, and professional systems.
2022–2023
Civil litigation becomes a more substantial part of the firm’s practice. Douglas also becomes increasingly involved in St. Petersburg’s business, civic, and professional community.
2023
The firm formally adopts its written mission: to advocate for good, build relationships, and develop community.
2024
The firm’s community relationships and involvement begin to compound, reinforcing its identity as a community law firm.
2025
The firm adopts Healing First. Justice Always. as the guiding philosophy for its expanding personal-injury practice.
Today
The firm continues to develop its First Counsel™, Legal Ladder, litigation, business-law, Fractional General Counsel, personal-injury, disability, estate-planning, probate, and broader client-service models.
