Legal Briefs (Tampa)

Legal Briefs (Tampa)

Tobacco lawyer

joins Bricklemyer

Adam M. Wolfe, who was part of the team that obtained billions for the state of Florida from tobacco companies, has joined Bricklemyer, Smolker & Bolves PA as an associate.

Wolfe, a graduate of Cornell University Law School, focuses primarily on commercial and real estate litigation. He previously worked for Foley & Lardner.

Bricklemyer Smolker & Bolves, which has offices in Tampa and Longwood, represents property owners on all matters, from due diligence to regulatory taking.

Phelps Dunbar

adds associate

Bret M. Feldman joined Phelps Dunbar LLP as an associate in the firm's Tampa litigation practice group. He received his law degree from the University of Florida in 2000.

Buell receives

Fogarty award

Mark P. Buell, a shareholder with Tampa's Schropp, Buell and Elligett PA, received the Michael A. Fogarty Memorial in the Trenches Award for excellence in civil litigation. Buell, chair of the Florida Bar Trial Lawyers section, practices primarily in the areas of eminent domain/property rights and plaintiffs' personal injury.

Fowler White adds

insurance attorney

Jennifer L. Marino, who specializes in appellate and insurance defense, joined Fowler White Boggs Banker PA as an associate in Tampa. She's a graduate of Long Island University and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

In other firm news, Cathy R. LeBeau, who is of counsel in the health care practice group, was elected co-chair of the Hillsborough County Bar Association's Health Law Committee. And Anthony J. Fantauzzi III was elected co-chair of the Hillsborough bar's Law Week Committee. Also, Fantauzzi was selected to join the Tampa Bay Inns of Court as an associate.

How to make a

business thrive

Learn how to "Help Make Your Business Thrive, Not Just Survive" at a Sept. 17 class sponsored by the University of South Florida and SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business. The all-day class begins at 9 a.m. and is at USF, 140 7th Ave., S., Davis Hall Room 130, St. Petersburg.

To register or for more information, call (727) 893-7146 or e-mail [email protected]. Cost: $50.

Carlton Fields receives 'Friend of FAWL' award

Carlton Fields PA, a Tampa-based firm, received the "Friend of FAWL" award from the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers. Edith G. Osman and Kristy M. Johnson accepted the award on behalf of the firm at a July 22 luncheon.

Public defender

Dillinger reappointed

Gov. Jeb Bush reappointed Pinellas-Pasco Public Defender Robert H. Dillinger, 53, to the Medical Examiners Commission. Dillinger's commission term began in August and ends July 1, 2009.

Foley & Lardner recognized

The life sciences practice at Foley & Lardner LLP was recently recognized as one of the best in the country by the Practical Law Co.'s 2004-'05 Cross Border Life Sciences Handbook for the firm's work in the intellectual property, competition/antitrust and regulatory areas.

The publication also named Foley & Lardner's Stephen A. Bent, founder of the firm's life sciences industry team, a leading attorney in the intellectual property category.

The handbook is a guide to the law and leading lawyers in the industry.

Judges up for reappointment

The Statewide Nominating Commission for Judges of Compensation Claims will decide whether three workers' compensation judges - John Lazzara, Lauren Hafner and Mily Rodriguez-Powell - should be reappointed.

The commission will interview the three judges at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 23 at the Orlando World Center Marriott, 8701 World Center Drive, Orlando. Commission Chair Victor Marrero can be reached at (954) 831-8358 or e-mail [email protected].

Solo practioner opens shop

Attorney William C. Demas has opened a Clearwater shop as a solo practitioner. He specializes in workers' compensation, Social Security disability and long-term/short-term disability. He can be reached at (727) 489-9288 or e-mail [email protected].

Tampa lawyer appointed to board

Gov. Jeb Bush appointed Tampa lawyer Chris M. Kavouklis to the Hillsborough County Civil Service Board to succeed Joseph Stagi. The Florida Senate must confirm his appointment.

Business owners face deadline

Florida business owners must file an annual business report by Sept. 7 if they didn't file one between January and May or face dissolution, Secretary of State Glenda Hood says in a press release. The forms can be downloaded and filed at www.sunbiz.org.

Attorneys receive board certification

The Florida Bar recently certified 221 Florida lawyers as specialists in 19 areas of legal practice, including the newly approved area of construction law.

In addition to passing a written test to become board certified, a lawyer must have a minimum of five years experience, show substantial involvement in the field for which certification is sought, receive a satisfactory peer review assessment of competency and meet continued legal education requirements.

Newly certified Tampa Bay area lawyers:

• Construction Law - Michael R. Carey, Trenton Hugh Cotney, Andrea Marie Fair, Stephen Douglas Marlowe, George Joseph Meyer, Randall Patrick Mueller, Louis Prats, John Harrison Rains III, Hardy L. Roberts, George Edson Spofford IV, Brian Frederick Stayon, Joseph George Thresher, John Sebastian Vento, Brett Garrett Wadsworth, William Cary Wright and Mark Andrew Campbell, all of Tampa; and Brian Paul Deeb, St. Petersburg.

• Appellate practice law - Celene Harrell Humphries, Tampa.

• Aviation - Christopher S. Morin, Tampa.

• City, county and local government - Jewel White Cole, Donald Stephen Crowell and Dennis Long, all of Clearwater and the Pinellas County Attorney's Office; and Kenneth Anthony Tinkler, Tampa.

• Civil trial - Robert John Healy Jr., Chris Matthew Limberopoulos and Julian A. Sanchez, all of Tampa; and Mark Herman Garrison, Clearwater.

• Elder law - Dennis Reppard DeLoach III, Seminole, and Kara Lynn Evans, Tampa.

• Labor/employment law - Luis Cabassa and Tracey K. Jaensch, both of Tampa; and M. Sean Moyles, Clearwater.

• Tax law - Cristin Ann Conley, Tampa.