Newsmakers (Tampa)

Newsmakers (Tampa)

Nancie Neal joins

Tampa's Allen Dell

Nancie Neal has joined Tampa's Allen Dell PA. She is one of the latest to leave Akerman Senterfitt's Tampa office.

More than a dozen Akerman Senterfitt lawyers have left the office over the past few months, including Allen Dell's Gary Walker.

Neal, a University of San Diego College of Law graduate, practices complex tort and liability defense law.

Moffitt Cancer Center board

re-elects Houghton as chair

Beth Houghton, a St. Petersburg Real estate executive and attorney, has been re-elected to the board of directors at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

A certified public accountant, Houghton earned a law degree from the Stetson University College of Law. She is vice president of Houghton-Wagman Enterprises Inc., a family-owned real estate holding company.

Tampa lawyer Rick Eckhard

elected to directors committee

Tampa's Rick Eckhard is one of nine new partners elected to Holland & Knight LLP's directors committee. He is one of 24 partners who participate on the firm's policymaking committee.

Eckhard joins Al Adams, Atlanta, Steven Elrod, Chicago, Larry Hamilton, Jacksonville, George Mencio, Miami, Janis Schiff, Washington, D.C., David Sloan, Boston, Mark von Bergen, Portland, and Bill Wilson, Orlando.

The committee also re-elected Martha Barnett, a partner in the Tallahassee office, as committee chair.

Birthisell talks about impact

of Homeland Security rules

GrayRobinson PA's Robert "Chip" Birthisel recently spoke about federal Homeland Security regulations and their impact on the shipping community at the recent Loss Prevention Conference in Atlanta.

The Tampa lawyer talked about how strict regulation and compliance at U.S. ports affects the transportation industry as a whole and how regulation is expected to expand to other locations and facilities throughout the United States.

Birthisel represents clients in the transportation and maritime industries.

Hill Ward & Henderson

hires Josias as associate

Brian Josias is a new associate at Tampa's Hill Ward & Henderson PA. He focuses on commercial litigation.

Josias, who graduated from the University of Notre Dame School of Law, worked as a federal clerk for Judge Charles Wilson of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.