Richard, a native of Hollywood, Florida, has more than 22 years of experience in law and trust services. He began his legal career as an assistant state attorney in Orange County, Florida, prosecuting third-degree felonies. After managing a successful solo law practice focused on estate planning and real estate, he earned a Master of Law Degree (LL.M.) in Estate Planning and joined Northern Trust Company where he was a Trust and Investment Officer for more than five years. In 2007, Richard DeNapoli was appointed as a Commissioner to the Florida Real Estate Commission (“FREC”) by Florida’s Governor, serving in a quasi-judicial role to regulate the industry and assess violations of Florida’s real estate law. He served for over six years on FREC, with both of his appointments confirmed by the Florida Senate.
After working as a Vice-President at a trust company based on the west coast of Florida, Richard joined Coral Gables Trust Company in 2015, serving as its Chief Trust Officer and Chief Fiduciary Counsel. Richard is a longtime member of the Tax Section as well as the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, where he has recently served on the Probate Rules Committee. He is a longtime member and has also served as the President of the Estate Planning Council of Broward County, in addition to being on the Trust Executive Committee of the Florida Bankers Association.
Richard has been quoted and featured in many print and online publications, including the Miami Herald, “Palm Beach Society Magazine,” “Miami Today,” the “Wall Street Journal’s Mansion Global,” and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has appeared regularly on both local and national television throughout his career and served on many panels for trust and estate planning topics throughout South Florida. Richard currently serves in elected office as a Town Commissioner in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea since 2024 and also serves as a State Committeeman for Broward County since 2016. He has previously served as a Broward Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor (2018-2024) and Chairman of the District.