St. Petersburg-based lawyer Larry Silvestri has officially joined Mechanik Nuccio Hearne & Wester, P.A. – now known as Mechanik Nuccio Hearne & Silvestri, P.A.
The change was announced Feb. 2.
A transactional real estate attorney, Silvestri works with property owners, developers, real estate companies and local tenants on items like commercial property leases and title work. He has collaborated with clients such as the owner of The Factory St. Pete in connection with its lease with the St. Pete Athletic Paddle and Social Club.
For Silvestri, joining the practice was a way to become a part of a team again.
“These are attorneys that I’ve respected from afar, and now I get the ability to tap into their knowledge – which is a different knowledge base than I have.”
Silvestri spent a majority of his career pursuing in-house legal positions at various companies. However, he began his professional journey at a Detroit area law firm – close to where he grew up.
The experience gave the lawyer a revelation. Silvestri realized that he wanted to pursue something outside of a firm. This led to a retail-related role at Michigan-based consumer electronics and home appliance company Highland Superstores.
After a mass layoff due to hard financial times, Silvestri would find a position at Ohio-based real estate developer Zaremba Group. Focusing on shopping center development work, this showed him a whole new perspective on real estate law.
The attorney would eventually move to West Palm Beach and work with developer the Goodman Company for more than a decade.
In 2015, he dedicated to start his own firm, Silvestri Law, initially as a one man operation. Silvestri would move to St. Petersburg a year later – opening an office in the Plaza Tower.
The connection to the area was strong.
His grandmother, who was a key support in his legal career, spent her retirement years in St. Pete. Silvestri first visited the city in 5th grade to spend the holidays with her. Later, his father would move to the community as well.
While the lawyer would eventually hire a paralegal to assist, Silvestri Law was different from his past experiences. Something was lacking.
Collaboration.
One of Mechanik Nuccio Hearne & Wester, P.A.’s partners reached out to Silvestri about an opportunity to join the practice in the fall of 2025. Some of the firm’s lawyers are moving to “of counsel” or part-time roles, he explained.
Additionally, it would allow the organization to further expand its operations in Pinellas County and have its own St. Pete-based office.
“The firm has done some stuff in Pinellas, but sometimes people forget who you are. Sometimes the people that you work with are no longer working at those companies,” Silvestri said. “So, you always – in my view – have to be out there and be top of mind with people.”
Furthermore, the attorney’s transactional work compliments the environmental aspect of the practice.
“It bumps up against the strengths of the firm in land use, entitlements, permitting and environmental permitting,” he added. “We all think that the benefit is bringing more to our clients.”
Silvestri Law merged with the firm in December.