Owner of John's Island Real Estate and rival real estate agent end contentious lawsuit

VERO BEACH – Robert Gibb, the owner of John’s Island Real Estate, and real estate agent Michael Merrill have ended contentious civil litigation that began last July, but it’s likely the two friends-turned-rivals won’t be golfing together at the tony beachside enclave.

Merrill had claimed in an antitrust lawsuit filed in July that after Gibb terminated him in 2022, his former boss and mentor undertook a series of bad acts to damage Merrill’s career at a competitor firm, Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

Gibb though, rejected Merrill’s civil claims, and in court papers insisted no one at John’s Island Real Estate tried to damage his professional endeavors.

On May 17, Merrill, Gibb and John’s Island Real Estate entered a “joint stipulation for dismissal of all claims,” contained in Merrill’s complaint that had accused Gibb of using his influence over the exclusive community’s housing market to harm Merrill’s ability to conduct business in part through “pressure, threats and retaliation.”

The joint dismissal filing shows Merrill “has not received and will not receive any payment of any kind in connection with this lawsuit or this dismissal.”

John’s Island is an exclusive 1,650-acre barrier island community within the town of Indian River Shores, just north of Vero Beach, in Indian River County.

Merrill’s lawyer Matthew Thomas, said the suit “accomplished everything he wanted, which was to create a new market share for himself.”

“And be able to work independently in John’s Island and he's done that,” Thomas added.

Merrill’s business is now “thriving,” Thomas said Wednesday, proving that the disputed lawsuit was worth the time and money to litigate.

“There's people who are now willing to work with him and work with an outside broker, where in the past, that just wasn't the case,” he said.

“And you can just see by the number of business (transactions) that he's done.”

Gibb, meanwhile, is “pleased” the court action is over, his lawyer Lewis “Wil” Murphy Jr. said, despite feeling “bruised” from a lawsuit “designed to harm (Gibb) and his reputation.”

“He feels vindicated … Unfortunately, these two individuals will never have harmony with one another. They will not be dining together,” Lewis said. “They, on occasion, may have to work together because Michael Merrill works with a competing real estate brokerage firm and he’s going to continue to.”

Gibb, in a prepared statement, expressed “deep gratitude to our clients, team, and community for their unwavering support and trust.”

“This result enables us to continue our mission,” said Gibb, “with renewed vigor and dedication, maintaining our promise to deliver exceptional service with integrity and professionalism.”

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Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: John's Island Real Estate and a rival real estate agent end lawsuit