• University of Pennsylvania, B.A. in Economics, 1974
• Florida State University College of Law, with honors, 1977

Pete was an associate attorney and later a partner in the Fort Myers firm of Henderson, Franklin, Starnes, and Holt from 1977-1985 where he primarily represented the insurance industry in a wide variety of cases including personal injury, workers’ compensation, and medical malpractice. In 1986 the firm of Burkert & Hart, P.A. was formed, where Pete maintained a full practice representing plaintiffs in the fields of personal injury, worker's compensation, and employment matters. Pete left the firm on January 1, 2008, after 22 years. He is currently not engaged in the active practice of law and is exclusively engaged in mediation and arbitration. During his years of practice, Pete held many leadership roles in his profession including Chair of the Workers' Compensation Section of the Florida Bar and President of the Florida Worker's Advocates. Pete has litigated at the State and Federal level in the areas of personal injury and employment, having tried cases of these types at both Court levels. He has further litigated a wide variety of other claims including consumer issues, eminent domain, and business issues.

Pete is a Certified County and Circuit Court Civil Mediator since 2004. He is also an approved Arbitrator. He is and has always been (since his admittance in 1977) an active and full member of the Florida Bar. He is also admitted to the Middle District of Florida, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He is certified as a Federal Mediator in the Ft Myers Division of the Middle District of Florida.

Mediation Arbitration Rates Policies.pdf