Legal Briefs (Tampa)

Legal Briefs (Tampa)

Learn to be a rainmaker

at Powers seminar

Consultant Mark Powers teaches lawyers how to make more money, while working fewer hours and experiencing less stress. Learn his rainmaking tips at a 1:30 p.m. seminar Sept. 9 at the Mirror Lake Lyceum, St. Petersburg.

The free class is sponsored by the St. Petersburg Bar Association.

"Many attorneys are looking for solutions to the frustrating problems that surround the legal profession today," according to the Web site for Atticus, Power's company. "The practice of law has changed tremendously over the past 10 years, eroding the rewards of a once highly respected profession.

"Even the most successful attorneys are besieged by challenges on every side - more lawyers vying for less business, increased regulation, a hostile public, escalating technology demands, working too many hours, and professional and personal burnout. Ultimately, this increasingly difficult business climate will require fundamental changes in the legal profession."

St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyer Lucas Fleming, co-chair of the bar's solo committee, has coached with Powers for about five years.

"I wanted to work less hours and make more money," Fleming says. "My work week has decreased from 60 hours to 40 hours, and my income has doubled."

Fleming acknowledges the rainmaking message sounds too good to be true. But he says it works.

"Before you were considered a great lawyer if you were great in the courtroom," Fleming says. "Mark is helping us understand the world of the lawyer has expanded. It's more than just doing good in the courtroom."

The solutions aren't easy, he says, adding: "You have to make changes, expand staff, delegate, work with goal setting. It's a process you have to commit to."

The seminar follows a noon luncheon, "A View From The Bench," by Judges Henry Andringa, Frank Quesada and Anthony Rondolino.

Reservations are required, and can be made by calling (727) 823-7474. The Lyceum is at 737 Third Ave., N., St. Petersburg.

Fowler White shareholder

chosen for Leadership Tampa

Hala A. Sandridge, a shareholder with Fowler White Boggs Banker, was selected to participate in the 2006 class of Leadership Tampa. As group leader of the firm's appellate group, she concentrates her practice on commercial appeals.

Senator forms statewide

nominating commission

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez recently announced the formation of a statewide federal Judicial Nominating Commission to provide recommendations on nominees to Florida's federal courts. The 56-member commission was named in cooperation with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and other members of the Florida congressional delegation

Orlando attorney Michael Grindstaff of Shutts & Bowen was named chair of the commission, which is divided into three geographic regions, northern, middle and southern.

Martinez says the commission will screen applicants and provide recommendations for district judges, U.S. attorneys and marshalls.

Middle District Conference members include criminal defense attorney John M. Fitzgibbons, Martin Garcia, Richard Hadlow of Holland & Knight LLP and William B. Wilson, all of Tampa; and Kathleen Passidomo and Michael Noch, both of Naples.

President nominates

Orlando lawyer

Florida Housing Finance Corp. Executive Director Orlando J. Cabrera is being nominated by President George Bush to assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Development for public and Indian housing.

Cabrera, a former Holland & Knight LLP partner, is a member of the Florida Bar, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Wisconsin Bar, American Bar Association, the Cuban American Bar Association, the Interamerican Bar Association and the Dade County Bar Association. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, and he's a 1989 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Foley & Lardner

recognized for work

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 its 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.

Solo practioner

opens shop

Attorney William C. Demas has opened a Clearwater office 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].

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.