Legal Briefs (Tampa)

Legal Briefs (Tampa)

Carlton Fields hires

real estate attorney

Richard Linquant, a longtime attorney in Denver, joined Carlton Fields PA as a shareholder in the real estate and mortgage financing practice group. He practices law relating to land business, including public-private partnerships, finance, business planning and implementation, front-end transaction structuring, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint ventures, land use, common interest ownership communities and foreclosures and workouts.

For nearly 30 years, Linquant was with Ireland, Stapleton, Pryor & Pascoe in Denver. He's a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Yale Law School.

Tampa businessman wins

trial against former partner

Two Holland & Knight LLP lawyers along with one of their former partners obtained an $11.3 million judgment on behalf of a Tampa businessman who was defrauded by a longtime partner.

The team - Brad Kimbro and Mike Chapman, both of H&K, and Guy Spicola - won the judgment on behalf of Hung-Lin Wu and the Wu Trust after a two-week trial before Hillsborough Circuit Judge Sam Pendino. They also obtained a $1.9 million judgment on behalf of Winner Metals of Florida LLC.

Wu successfully accused Virginia businessman Stanley Tseng, an entrepreneur who started the Bamboo Huts restaurant chain, of fraud in connection with the formation of Winners Metals, a scrap metals business that operated at the Port of Tampa, according to an H&K statement.

"This was a case about a friend and confidant who lied to and misled our client," Kimbro said in the statement. "Stanley Tseng earned and then betrayed Mr. Wu's trust, and years passed before Mr. Wu discovered what had really happened."

Judge Pendino determined that Tseng defrauded Wu by representing that assets of the new business cost nearly $3 million, when the real cost was $500,000. Tseng later transferred the company's assets to another business that he controlled. The parties litigated the case for three years prior to trial. The final judgment awarded all damages sought, plus the right to recover attorneys' fees and costs.

Bavol Judge hires

firm administrator

Lisa F. Graham joined Bavol Judge PA as firm administrator. A 1997 graduate of the University of South Florida, Graham previously worked for Holland & Knight LLP.

Fowler White

hires new associate

John C. Murrow joined Tampa-based Fowler White Boggs Banker as an associate in the firm's general trial practice group. He's a graduate of Mississippi State University and the University of Iowa College of Law.

Stetson professor to chair

environmental groups

Stetson University College of Law Vice Dean Royal C. Gardner is stepping down from his administrative position to return to teaching and to help increase the school's work in environmental law.

Gardner will lead two environmental groups. He'll chair the U.S. National Ramsar Committee, and he'll be director of Stetson's newly formed Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy.

Gardner was elected chairman of the Ramsar Committee in April at the group's annual convention.

An active scholar in environmental and international law, Gardner previously worked as the U.S. Army's principal wetland attorney.

Phelps Dunbar hires

Gore as associate

The Tampa office of Phelps Dunbar LLP recently hired Kimberly Golden Gore as an associate in the regional insurance and reinsurance practice groups. She's a graduate of Mississippi College and the Mississippi University for Women.

Chambers USA recognizes

Holland & Knight lawyers

Chambers USA - America's Leading Business Lawyers recognized Holland & Knight LLP in four practice areas: corporate mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, construction and tax.

H&K Managing Partner Howell W. Melton Jr., through a press release, said: "We appreciate the continuing trust in our firm that these high rankings represent."

In addition, five H&K Tampa partners were recognized by Chambers USA: Bernard Barton, in the firm's business law section, specializes in federal, state and local taxation; William deMeza Jr., a litigator who represents employers; Leonard Gilbert, in the business law section, specializes in commercial finance, insolvency and commercial litigation; Robert Grammig, in the business law section, specializes in corporate finance, securities law, general corporate law and international business; and Charles Stutts, also of the business law section, who specializes in securities and banking law.

GrayRobinson lawyer

elected to YLD board

Christine A. Donoghue, a litigator with the Tampa office of GrayRobinson, was elected to the board of the Hillsborough County Bar Association's Young Lawyer's Division. She was previously parliamentarian and chair of the pro bono committee.

Also, Michael J. Vitoria, a shareholder in the Tampa office, received Martindale-Hubbell's AV rating, the highest available. Vitoria practices in the areas of transportation law, products liability, medical malpractice, insurance defense, commercial litigation and general civil litigation.

Carlton Fields attorneys

honored by Chambers

The Tampa law firm of Carlton Fields PA was recently recognized by Chambers USA - America's Leading Business Lawyers. Eleven of the firm's practice areas and 16 attorneys are ranked among the best in Florida.

The firm's construction practice was No. 1 for the third consecutive year, and the insurance practice was also No. 1.

Lawyers recognized were Chris S. Coutroulis, Robert N. Gilbert, Robert A. Soriano, Charles J. Cacciabeve, Bruce Charles King, George J. Meyer, Michael Nuechterlein, Nathaniel L. Doliner, George Barford, Laurel E. Lockett, Donald R. Schmidt, Daniel C. Brown, Benjamin Reid, Sylvia Walbolt, Ruth Barnes Kinsolving and David P. Burke.

In other firm news, Carlton Fields President/CEO Thomas A. Snow was elected vice president of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers.