Legal Briefs (Tampa edition)

Legal Briefs (Tampa edition)

Hill brothers join

Hill, Ward & Henderson

Benjamin H. Hill IV and S. Gordon Hill left Akerman Senterfitt to join Hill, Ward & Henderson PA as associates. Ben will practice in the real estate related litigation group, while Gordon will work in the general commercial litigation and employment law groups.

Tampa lawyer named

Foley & Lardner partner

Tampa attorney C. David Harper is one of 24 lawyers at Chicago-based Foley & Lardner LLP recently promoted to partner.

Harper is a member of the litigation department, construction practice group and general commercial litigation practice group.

He focuses on construction litigation, commercial litigation, creditor's rights, trust and fiduciary litigation and condominium law.

Michael Brundage earns

national law certification

Michael Brundage, a shareholder at Tampa's Hill Ward & Henderson PA, recently earned a national certification in business bankruptcy law from the American Board of Certification.

Brundage heads Hill Ward's creditors' rights and bankruptcy group. A Florida State University graduate, he earned a law degree in 1986 from the Stetson University College of Law.

Michael Vitoria chosen

as national YLD delegate

Michael Vitoria, a shareholder in the Tampa office of GrayRobinson PA, has been chosen to represent the state at the American Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division mid-year assembly in Salt Lake City.

Vitoria focuses on areas of transportation law, products liability, medical malpractice, insurance defense, commercial litigation and general civil litigation.

A University of South Florida graduate, he earned a master's degree in business administration and a law degree in 1997 from Stetson University.

Tampa chamber appoints

David Hendrix as counsel

The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce has appointed GrayRobinson PA shareholder David Hendrix as legal counsel and ex-officio member of the group's 2005 executive committee.

The group also elected him to its board of directors.

Hendrix practices in the areas of commercial litigation, banking, administrative and regulatory law, securities litigation and international business law.

A Northwestern University graduate, he earned a law degree in 1989 from the Case Western Reserve University College of Law.

Foley & Lardner expands

into Boston through merger

The national firm Foley & Lardner LLP, which staffs a Tampa office, will soon complete a merger deal with a Boston law firm.

Besides announcing the pending merger, the firm also disclosed its plans to expand at a later date into Miami.

The international firm expected to merge with Boston's Epstein Becker & Green PC by Feb. 1.

The deal adds about 38 attorneys to the firm's legal staff of about 1,000. Susan E. Pravda will serve as the Boston managing partner.

Prior to the announcement, the firm staffed 19 offices, including one in Brussels and another in Tokyo.

YueLing Lee joins

Bar Murman Tonelli

YueLing E. Lee is a new associate at Tampa's Barr Murman Tonelli Slother & Sleet. Lee, who was admitted to practice law last October, practices commercial law and litigation.

Lee, a graduate of Michigan State University, earned a law degree in 2004 from Tulane University.

Ward Rovell administrator

earns national certification

Gary T. Swisher II, administrator at Tampa's Ward Rovell PA, has earned the certified legal manager designation from the national Association of Legal Administrators.

Swisher, Ward Rovell's administrator since 1997, has worked as a legal administrator for more than 15 years.

Gublis joins Akerman

Senterfitt tax group

Vitauts Gublis, a former senior counsel with Foley & Lardner, joined Akerman Senterfitt as of counsel. A University of Minnesota Law School graduate, Gublis represents businesses and their owners in mergers and acquisitions and financings and associated tax and asset-protection planning.