About

Gerald “Jerry” Schackow was born in Akron, Ohio. Shortly after graduating from high school, he served in the United States Army for three years. He then attended the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played football for the University of Hawaii Warriors, and more importantly, where he met his wife, Joanne. In 1962, he and Joanne moved to Gainesville, Florida where Jerry graduated from the University of Florida and entered law school in 1963. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida College of Law in 1965 and began practicing law as an attorney in June of 1966. Jerry practiced law in North Central Florida (Gainesville, Ocala, and Lake City) for over 50 years.

Jerry’s career began in criminal defense and family law before he spearheaded the local personal-injury firm Schackow & Mercadante, P.A. Over the past 60 years, Jerry has successfully launched multiple businesses, including Athletic Attic (1971-1998) and Brody’s Frozen Yogurt Stores (1980-2002). He started Athletic Attic with Olympic track coach Jimmy Carnes and then-world-record-holding runner Marty Liquori. The three men were friends and together decided to open an athletic business selling running shoes and other athletic merchandise. The company started in a small store’s attic, hence the name, and quickly expanded to more than 300 shops in America and worldwide. After 25 years, the business was acquired by a large conglomerate. Athletic Attic was one of the first stores to realize the “jogging craze” in the USA that started in the 1970s.

Another highlight of Mr. Schackow’s career would be in 1977 when he won one of the largest verdicts ever awarded in Florida at that time. The jury awarded his client $1.5 million, a result few lawyers could accomplish at that time. Although Mr. Schackow started his journey as a criminal defense attorney and family law attorney (he wrote the “Florida Family Law Practice Manual,” which is still a well-used publication), he has exclusively practiced in personal injury law since 1980 when his law partner Steve Mercadante joined him. He loves the Gainesville community, and especially the Gator Nation. In 2017, he made a sizeable donation to UF Levin College of Law, to which they thanked him by naming the admissions office after him. His humor and down-to-earth style are unique among his industry, making him a well-loved and respected pillar in our community. He loves staying physically active, and you can find him playing pickleball or cycling around town. Even though Gainesville has changed since the 1960s, Jerry’s compassionate heart has stayed the same.