October 1, 2011 News and Notes October 1, 2011 News & Notes News and Notes Peter F. Valori of Damian & Valori in Miami has become vice chair of the Dade County Bar Association’s Federal Courts Committee. David Sacks and Louis Archambault of Pathman Lewis in Miami spoke on the increasing interest in older properties for new uses and the legal issues that often arise with these properties at a Miami Association of Realtors event. J. Jeffrey Rice of Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz in Ft. Myers presented “Misunderstood Issues in the Construction Lien Law and Contracts” to the local chapter of the National Association of Credit Management. Gregory C. Yadley of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick in Tampa has been elected chair of the Middle Market and Small Business Committee of the ABA Business Law Section. Howard S. Krooks of Elder Law Associates in Boca Raton presented “Counting Time and Fees: Guardian and Attorney Fees, the Mystery Unraveled — Reasonable/Unreasonable? Remedies for Objections” at the Florida State Guardianship Association’s 24th Annual Conference “Solving the Mysteries of Guardianship,” in Lake Buena Vista. Earnest DeLoach, Jr., of Young DeLoach in Orlando was appointed to the Orange County Charter Review Commission, the Orange County School Board Reapportionment Advisory Committee, and the City of Orlando Nominating Board Robert D. Peltz of Leesfield & Partners in Miami discussed “Special Considerations in Handling Resort Cases” at the American Association of Justice Convention in New York. Clark A.D. Wilson of Gardner Groff Greenwald & Villanueva in Atlanta was selected to become a member of the Atlanta IP Inn of Court. John Elliott Leighton of Leighton Law spoke on “Terrorism and Civil Actions” at the National Crime Victim Bar Association’s National Conference in Washington, D.C. He also spoke on “The Trial of an ATM Shooting Case” at the Belli Society Seminar in New York and on “Evaluating, Assessing, and Litigating Premises Security Cases” for the American Association for Justice in New York. Jourdan Haynes of Fowler White Boggs in Tampa has been selected to participate in the Tampa Connection Class. Ross R. Hartog of Markowitz, Ringel, Trusty & Hartog in Miami has been appointed to the panel of Chapter 7 Trustees for the Southern District of Florida. Cyrus K. Toufanian of The Law Office of Cyrus K. Toufanian in West Palm Beach has been elected secretary for the Palm Beach Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. William J. Bosch of Conner Bosch Law in Palm Coast has been re-elected to serve a second term as president of the Flagler County Bar Association. David Gersten of Bilzin Sumberg in Miami hosted a webinar presentation in conjunction with a course taught at The National Judicial College in Reno, NV. Gersten discussed the standards of review employed by appellate courts and why appellate courts overturn decisions. Frank P. Terzo of GrayRobinson in Miami was inducted into the LL.M. Advisory Board of St. John’s Law School in New York. H. Scott Fingerhut, of H. Scott Fingerhut, P.A. and Florida International University College of Law in Miami, has been appointed by the Florida Supreme Court to the Florida Innocence Commission. Starlett M. Miller of McCumber, Daniels, Buntz, Hartig & Puig in Tampa presented “Legal Update: Arbitration Agreements and Legislative Changes” at the Florida Assisted Living Association Annual Conference. Traci McKee of Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt in Ft. Myers won the Florida Defense Lawyers Association’s James A. Dixon Young Lawyer of the Year Award. Timothy M. Cerio of GrayRobinson in Tallahassee was selected as a member of Leadership Florida Class XXX. J. Jerome Miller, of counsel to Pleat & Perry in Destin, has been named general counsel to the Walton County Code Enforcement Board. Brett Schneider of Weiss Serota Helfman Pastoriza Cole & Boniske spoke on “Conducting Workplace Investigations” at the Florida Public Personnel Association annual conference in Ft. Lauderdale. He also provided a presentation on “How to Effectively Redesign Employee Benefit Plans” at the Florida Government Finance Officers Association Annual Conference in Boca Raton. Gregory A. Haile of Berger Singerman in Ft. Lauderdale has been reelected chair of 2-1-1 Broward. Hunter Chamberlin of Chamberlin, Butler & Crowe has become an adjunct professor at St. Petersburg College and will teach Advanced Legal Research in the Paralegal Studies Department. Robert A. Schatzman of GrayRobinson in Miami was admitted to the mediation panel of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. David Avellar Neblett of Perry & Neblett in Miami has joined the board of directors of Wounded Nature – Working Veterans, a nonprofit that will have five Victory Vessels moving up and down the East Coast in 2012 cleaning beaches, visiting military bases, and attending port festivals. Kristy M. Johnson of Carlton Fields in Miami spoke on “Licensure & the Impaired Professional: Effective Practice and Intervention Strategies for Attorneys and Healthcare Practitioners” at the ABA’s Annual Meeting in Toronto. Andrew J. Markus of Carlton Fields in Miami was elected to the ABA House of Delegates as a delegate-at-large. Rhonda Hollander of Rhonda Hollander in Dania Beach presented “How to Avoid an Impasse at Mediation” with Samuel A. Coffey of Abramowitz, Pomerantz & Coffey at the Annual Dispute Resolution Conference. Amy A. Perry of Pleat & Perry in Destin was selected into the 1st Special Operations Wing Honorary Commanders Program at Hurlburt Air Force Base. Jeffrey C. Lynne of Weiner & Lynne in Delray Beach has become general counsel for Creative City Collaborative, a nonprofit created to build the cultural infrastructure that celebrates Delray Beach as a creative, authentic, and intimate city. David B. Pleat of Pleat & Perry in Destin has been named to the First Circuit Bench/Bar Professionalism Committee. Jeff Garvin of Jeff R. Gavin, P.A. in Ft. Myers; Tom Gamba of Gamba & Lombana in Coral Gables; Howard Hunter of Hill; Ward and Henderson in Tampa; Howard Coker of Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay in Jacksonville; Bob Cole of Boyd & Jenerette in Jacksonville; and Jeff Kottkamp of Messer, Caparello & Self in Tallahassee received “Advocate Awards” from the Florida Board of Trial Advocates Legislative and Education Fund for their efforts to protect the independence of the judiciary during the 2011 Legislative Session. Trenton H. Cotney of Glenn Rasmussen Fogarty & Hooker in Tampa is now a Florida Supreme Court Certified Appellate Mediator. Amy Turner of Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt in Ft. Myers has been appointed to the Lee County Community Board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast. Thomas A. Sadaka of NeJame Law in Orlando spoke at the National Judicial College’s Scientific Evidence and Expert Testimony Course. Jeffrey L. Cohen of Florida Healthcare Law Firm in Delray Beach was a featured panelist at the American College of Emergency Physicians Symposium by the Sea in Naples. Gregory A. Hearing of Thompson, Sizemore, Gonzalez & Hearing in Tampa has become a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Cathleen O’Dowd of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick in Tampa has been re-elected treasurer of the Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. MaryEllen P. Osterndorf of Osterndorf & Associates in Daytona Beach was selected to be a member of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers’ 2011 Leaders in the Law. Albert R. Meyer of the Florida Healthcare Law Firm in Delray Beach attended the Palm Beach County Medical Society’s June 23rd event as a featured panelist speaking on healthcare reform. Tony J. Abate of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick in Sarasota; Brian R. Lambert of the Tampa office; and Christopher Z. Staine of the Sarasota office presented “ABC’s of Florida Construction Lien Law: What You Need to Know to Make the Lien Law Work for You” at the Gulf Coast Builders XChange” at the State College of Florida/Lakewood Ranch. Maria Chang Mayer of Carlton Fields has been named to the board of governors of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. Merrick L. “Rick” Gross of Carlton Fields in Miami has been appointed the ABA Business Law Section’s liaison to the ABA’s Section of Litigation. Grey Squires-Binford of Killgore, Pearlman, Stamp, Ornstein & Squires in Orlando has been named chair of the Enzian Advisory Council, a nonprofit which exists to entertain, inspire, educate, and connect the community through film. Elizabeth Pryor Johnson of Fowler White Burnett in Miami was elected chair of the board of trustees of St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School in Coral Gables. Robin Bresky of the The Law Offices of Robin Bresky in Boca Raton presented “Mediation at its Best! Settling Your Cases Within Ethical Boundaries” at an ARC Mediation CME Seminar. Seth Benton Claytor of Boswell and Dunlap in Bartow was appointed assistant city attorney for the City of Lake Alfred. Robyn L. Vines of GrayRobinson in Ft. Lauderdale has been reappointed to the Florida Supreme Court Family Law Forms Workshop. Anthony T. Martino of Clark & Martino in Tampa has been elected chair of the Second District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission. Alexander L. Palenzuela-Mauri of Weiss Serota Helfman Pastoriza Cole & Boniske has been named to the Board of Miami Council for International Visitors. Paul Levine of Los Angeles is the author of Lassiter, the latest in his series of legal thrillers involving the NFL linebacker turned Miami lawyer Jake Lassiter. Published by Random House, Lassiter involves a missing woman, a shady state attorney, and a raucous murder trial.
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