Rutherford Law Firm, P.L. was established in October of 2012 by Charles (“Charlie”) E. Rutherford, Esq.
Areas of Specialty
Charlie Rutherford’s areas of specialization include Estate Planning, Probate, Trust and Guardianship Law, Real Estate Law and Corporate Law. Charlie is AV rated, indicating the highest level of professional excellence, through Martindale Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating system.
Early Life and Schooling
Charlie was born in Detroit, Michigan. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan (B.A.) and Wayne State University (J.D.), where he was a member of the National Moot Court Team. He is admitted to The Michigan Bar, The Florida Bar and The Colorado Bar.
Business Community Involvement
Charlie is and has been very involved in the business community. He was named one of Palm Beach County’s Ultimate CEO, South Florida Business Journal (2009). He was also named 2005- 2006 Business Leader of the Year by the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce and is a former Board member of that Chamber and Trustee. He is the Past Chair of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (2005-2006), where he served as a Board Member and Executive Committee Member for many years. Charlie also served as a board member of the Economic Council of Palm Beach County and as General Counsel for part of his tenure.
Legal Community Involvement
Active in the legal community, Charlie is a member of the South Palm Beach County and American Bar Associations, where he is a member of the Business Law Section and the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section. He is also a member of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section and Business Law Section of The Florida Bar. He is a Founding Director of the Gold Coast Chapter of the International Association of Financial Planners and was a member of the East Coast Estate Planning Council, the Boca Raton Estate Planning Council, the Palm Beach Estate Planning Council and the Planned Giving Council of Palm Beach County. Charlie lectured on estate planning for many years individually and in conjunction with other corporate and wealth management entities.
Civic Involvement
Civically and charitably oriented, Charlie has served as Chairman of the United Way, former member of the YMCA board of directors, Executive Committee and Campaign Chair for the Boca Raton American Red Cross Chapter, board member and general counsel for the Boca Raton Regional Hospital, and, as a board member of The Alzheimer’s Association. Charlie also served as a long time board member as well as Chair of the Schmidt Family Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park, Inc., supporting its Festival of the Arts/Boca. After an absence, Charlie rejoined the Florida Atlantic University Foundation Board, finishing his maximum three terms recently. Charlie and his wife, Ann, have both long been active supporters of the Boca Raton Historical Society, and, along with two Boca Raton legacy couples, the Shuffs and Wargos, founded Boca Bacchanal, an international food and wine Festival which from its first year has been recognized as one of the best in the United States.
Family and Personal Life
Charlie and Ann have resided in Boca Raton since 1973. They have two sons, Eric and David, and their granddaughters, Blair and Heather. Charlie’s leisure interests include golf, tennis, reading, cinema, theater and travel.