Legal Briefs (Tampa edition)

Legal Briefs (Tampa edition)

Carlton Fields hires

two new associates

Guinevere M. Christmann and Christopher M. Sacco are new associates in the Tampa office of Carlton Fields PA.

Christmann practices in the real estate and mortgage financing practice group. She previously was a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Beverly B. Martin, Northern District of Georgia. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Christmann earned a law degree in 1998 from the New York University School of Law.

Sacco practices in the litigation and dispute resolution practice group. He was a law clerk for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Peter T. Fay, 11th District, and worked at White & Case LLP, Miami.

Fitzgerald to advise

on circuit grievances

GrayRobinson PA attorney Colleen M. Fitzgerald has been appointed to serve on the 13th Judicial Circuit grievance committee.

Fitzgerald practices in the areas of arbitration, litigation and securities litigation. She earned bacheloris and law degrees from the University of Florida.

Broad and Cassel

adds two lawyers

Litigators Marisa Davies and Sunny Lim have joined Broad and Casselis Tampa office as associates.

Davies is a former intern to U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich, Middle District of Florida, and a graduate of Florida State University and Stetson University College of Law.

Lim, a graduate of Michigan State University College of Law, was a law clerk.

Broad and Cassel, founded in 1946, has eight Florida offices.

JNC seeks applications

for 6th Circuit judgeship

The 6th Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications for the vacancy being created by the resignation of Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Susan Schaeffer.

Schaeffer, the circuitis former chief judge, announced her Dec. 31 retirement after 22 years on the bench, due to health reasons.

Applicants must be residents of Pinellas or Pasco counties, registered voters and members in good standing of the Florida Bar for the preceding five years. One original and nine copies of the application must be received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 22 at the offices of MacFarlane, Ferguson & McMullen, 6251 Court St., Suite 200, Clearwater 33756. Send applications to the attention of Josh Magidson.

Applications can be downloaded from www.flabar.org. For more information, call JNC Chairman Nicole Kerr at (813) 873-0026.

Fowler White attorneys

earn committee appointments

Seth Rodner, a Tampa shareholder with Fowler White Boggs Banker, was named chair of the Federal Bar Associationis National Criminal Law Section.

Rodner, a former federal prosecutor, practices in the firmis white-collar criminal and government investigations group.

In other news, the Florida Supreme Court appointed Gregory A. Richard Jr. of Fowler White to the 13th Judicial Circuitis Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee.

Fowler White has 200 attorneys in nine Florida offices.

Akerman Senterfitt

makes new appointments

Richard H. Martin is a new associate at Akerman Senterfitt, Tampa, in the firmis litigation group.

Martin previously clerked for U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson, Northern District of Florida, and served two years as an intern at the Florida House of Representatives. He earned a law degree from the Florida State University College of Law.

In other news, the firm named Robert A. Zinn, of Miami, to its newly created position of chief operating shareholder. Zinn will report to Chairman/CEO J. Thomas Cardwell. Zinn will work with Cardwell and Executive Director James Duffy to establish firm-wide objectives for revenue growth, practice development and expansion.

iMy goals in this position are to streamline Akerman Senterfittis administrative structure, assist in long-term decision making, build consensus and address diverse operational issues,i Zinn said in a written statement.

Akerman Senterfitt, founded in 1920, has offices in seven Florida cities and Washington, D.C.

Real estate group elects

Jeanette Flores president

GrayRobinson PA partner Jeannette M. Flores has been elected as 2005 president of the Commercial Real Estate Women of Tampa Bay.

A graduate of Northern Michigan University, Flores earned a law degree in 1985 from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law.

Stetson law school

promotes administrators

Stetson University College of Law promoted three administrators: Scarlett Guy to assistant dean for student life, Rick Brewer to executive director of business operations and Davina Gould to associate director of communications.

Phelps Dunbar hires

three new associates

Julie K. Narhi, Garrett Lewes Pendleton and Meredith A. Phipps are new associates at Phelps Dunbar, Tampa. Narhi, who practices in the insurance and reinsurance practice group, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University at Buffalo.

Pendleton, who also practices in the insurance and reinsurance practice group, earned a bacheloris degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a law degree from the Stetson University College in 2004.

Phipps, who practices in the commercial litigation practice group, earned a bacheloris degree from the University of Florida and a law degree from Stetson, where she was as editor-in-chief of the Stetson Law Review.