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CLASS NOTESRollo 99Harmon 00Piatt 00Thomas 00Carter 01directors in shareholder class actions,contested mergers and acquisitions,and similar litigation.Renee E. Thompson of Ocala firmMateer Harbert won The Florida BarYoung Lawyers Division 2008 OutstandingBoard Member Award.The Sarasota law firm of WilliamsParker Harrison Dietz & Getzenannounced that Michael J. Wilson, ashareholder with the firm, has beengranted board certification in taxationby The Florida Bar Board of LegalSpecialization and Education.2000Nikole D. Garcia has been electedshareholder of Trenam Kemker ofTampa and St. Petersburg.Jill Harmon will serve on the 2009Lake Nona Relay for Life Committee,chaired by Orange County SchoolBoard member Daryl Flynn.Richard Hornsby has become boardcertified in criminal trial law by TheFlorida Bar. Board certification isthe highest level of evaluation byThe Florida Bar of competency andexperience within an area of law,and professionalism and ethics in thepractice of law. Less than 1 percent ofall lawyers in Florida are board certifiedin criminal trial law.Michael Best & Friedrich announcedthat John N. Giftos has been electedto partnership in the firm. Giftos ismember of the firm’s litigation practicegroup.John A. Williams has been electedshareholder of Trenam Kemker ofTampa and St. Petersburg.2001McConnaughhay, Duffy, Coonrod,Pope & Weaver, P.A. announced theaddition of a new partner, Brian P.Carter of Pensacola. Carter joinedthe fi rm in July 2001 and beganpracticing in the Pensacola area inOctober 2002. He concentrates hispractice in workers’ compensationdefense.The litigation practice at GreenbergTraurig’s Tampa offi ce announcedthe addition of associate RichardJ. Mockler, who will focus onworking with clients in Florida oncommercial, real estate, land use,environmental and other complexlitigation.The law fi rm of Weiss Serota HelfmanPastoriza Cole & Boniskeannounced that Blanca Maria Vallehas joined its Miami offi ce, whereshe will focus her practice on commerciallitigation.Lonn Weissblum recently started hisown fi rm, the Law Offi ces of LonnWeissblum in Boca Raton. The fi rmhandles appeals in the Florida statecourts and in the Eleventh CircuitCourt of Appeals, and provides legalresearch and writing services forother attorneys nationwide. lonn@weissblumlaw.com.2002T. Robert Bulloch, an attorney in Quarles& Brady’s Trusts & Estates practicein the Naples office, has been namedto Florida Trend magazine’s “Up &Comers” list in the magazine’s fifthannual edition of the “Florida LegalElite.”Leonard Keen has joined Myers &Kaplan, Intellectual Property Law,L.L.C. as a partner in the firm’sOrlando office. A registered U.S. patentattorney, Keen focuses on intellectualproperty law, encompassing patents,trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets,licensing and related matters, andincluding IP prosecution, enforcement,litigation and business transactions.2003The litigation practice at GreenbergTraurig’s Tampa office announced theaddition of associate Don Crawford,who will focus on working with clientsin Florida on commercial, real estate,land use, environmental, and othercomplex litigation.Ben Diamond has been named oneof Florida’s future leaders by FloridaTrend magazine. Diamond serves asspecial counsel to state Chief FinancialOfficer Alex Sink and is her senior legaland policy adviser.JoAnn M. Guerrero has beenpromoted to named partner inthe Altamonte Springs law fi rm ofValle 01Penelope B. Perez-Kelly has beennamed a partner with the Orlandofirm McClane Tessitore. Perez-Kelly’spractice centers on commercial litigation,trademarks, copyrights andinternational business law.Dear Editor...UF Law welcomesyour feedback.Heatwole 03Lauren E. Piatt has joined the lawfirm of Parker, Hudson, Rainer &Dobbs in the Atlanta, Ga. office asan associate on the tax & employeebenefits team. Piatt’s practice areasinclude corporate law and federal taxlaw with a focus on entity formation,corporate governance, and the taxationof corporations and pass-throughentities.Send letters to Lindy Brounley,UF LAW Editor, UF LawCommunications, P. O. Box117633, Gainesville, FL32611-7633, or e-mail it tobrounley@law.ufl.edu.Terri N. Thomas has joined Shutts &Bowen’s Tampa office. Thomas willjoin the firm’s litigation department.54 UF LAW
Pro bono pays offJason Lazarus (JD 81)BY SPENSER SOLISFor one UF Law graduate, thephrase “And Justice for All,”rings especially true in thecourtroom. Throughout his legalcareer, Jason D. Lazarus (JD 97), adouble Gator from Miami, Fla. andan attorney for Holland & KnightLLP, has racked up more than 200hours of pro bono service.“I knew that I would want to usemy law degree to the extent I couldto help people,” he said. “Includingthose who were less fortunate.”Lazarus was recently honoredfor his service to those in need atthe Legal Aid Society’s 20th AnnualPro Bono Recognition Evening. ForLazarus, an interest in serving thepublic runs in the family. His father,grandfather, stepmother and sisterare all attorneys.“My grandfather meant a lot tome,” Lazarus said. “He always tookpride in being a lawyer.”Although Lazarus graduatedfrom UF with a finance degree, hequickly decided that he was destinedfor the legal profession, he said.At UF Law, Lazarus was in thetop 10 percent of his class and servedas a senior editor of the Florida LawReview. Before working at Holland &Knight, Lazarus served as an assistantstate attorney for the Fourth JudicialCircuit in Jacksonville.“To me it was much moreappealing to help victims than torepresent criminal defendants.”In the State Attorney’s Officefelony unit, Lazarus was exposedto serious crimes, including grandtheft, burglary, armed robbery andattempted murder. Lazarus thenmoved on to the Special AssaultDivision at the State Attorney’sOffice, where he prosecuted manyof the most serious crimes in theoffice, including child abuse, felonydomestic violence and sex crimes.“The most horrific crimes inthat unit were the sex crimes againstchildren,” he said.In his current position in thelitigation department at Holland &Knight LLP, Lazarus has continuedto serve those in need by providingrepresentation to those who cannotafford it. While many attorneyssimply write a check to the LegalAid Society, Holland & Knight LLPactively encourages its attorneys todo pro bono work, Lazarus said.Lazarus typically takes onbetween two and three cases a yearfrom the Legal Aid Society. He isalways handling at least one case forthe society, he said.“There have even been timesthat I have called Legal Aid myselfasking for cases.”In one of his most recent probono cases, Lazarus representedan elderly couple in a constructiondispute. The pro bono clients hireda roofing company to replace theirroof. The roofer failed to completethe job as contracted but continuedto demand full payment, Lazarussaid.“After several months of presuitnegotiations with the roofer’sattorney, the roofer filed a lawsuitagainst the pro bono clients,” hesaid. “I represented the clientsduring the months of litigation thatfollowed.”The roofing company ultimatelydropped the lawsuit.Lazarus developed a goodrelationship with the clients, whowere extremely thankful, he said.“They praised me in letters toLegal Aid and to my superiors hereat the firm.”Throughout his legal career,the pro bono clients Lazarus hasrepresented have been genuinelydeserving of quality legal help, hesaid.“These are people that withoutgood legal representation wouldhave nowhere to turn,” he said. “Onmany occasions, they have beenon the right side and have had verylegitimate complaints.” ■Lazarus“I knew thatI would wantto use mylaw degreeto the extentI could tohelp people.”Chaires, Brooderson & Guerrero. Thefi rm represents health care practitionersand entities and focuses in theareas of health law, business law andadministrative law.Lauren Heatwole was sworn in asthe Young Lawyers Section secretaryof the board of directors for 2008-2009 for the Orange County BarAssociation.John and Ashleigh (Bartkus) Merchantwelcomed their daughter, ElleElizabeth, into the world on Aug.23, 2007. John is an attorney withthe Atlanta, Ga., offi ce of GreenbergTraurig, LLP in the litigation/productsliability group and Ashleighis an attorney with the FultonCounty Offi ce of the Public Defenderin the complex felony trial division.The Merchant family resides in Marietta,Ga.Arnstein & Lehr LLP has announcedthat Gilda G. Romano has joined thefi rm’s Fort Lauderdale offi ce as anassociate. She is a member of thefi rm’s litigation group and will focusher practice in the area of complexcommercial litigation.2005The law firm Broad and Casselannounced the addition of AngelaLipscomb, who joins the fi rm’s Ft.Lauderdale offi ce as an associate inthe commercial litigation practicegroup.2006Dustin N. Dailey, of Freeport, Fla.,has joined Burke Blue HutchisonWalters and Smith. He is maintainingoffi ce hours in both the BurkeBlue Downtown Panama City offi ceLipscomb 05Dailey 06FALL 2008 55
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UF LAWUNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FREDRIC
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UF LAW Vol. 45, Issue 1 FALL 2008CO
Page 5 and 6: “We openedin 1909 with 38students
Page 7 and 8: question, but it was probably theon
Page 9 and 10: UF Conservation ClinicTeams Up With
Page 11 and 12: “I feel very strongly that casewa
Page 13 and 14: Fifty years ago one man changed the
Page 15 and 16: Early newspaperaccounts of George H
Page 17 and 18: “The first lesson is this: Take i
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Page 21 and 22: high court’s decision as final an
Page 23 and 24: AP PHOTO/J.PAT CARTEREarly voters c
Page 25 and 26: tender age of 18, where he became a
Page 27 and 28: Allen, left, and Andrew Hallreturne
Page 29 and 30: In the old Alligator Alley, AndyOwe
Page 31 and 32: Brenda Owens-Philhower with herdaug
Page 33 and 34: DAVID GRUNFELD/THE TIMES-PICAYUNEPe
Page 35 and 36: Homes in the Pontchartrain Parkneig
Page 37 and 38: PART I:Making the case forelectroni
Page 39 and 40: PART II:Discoveringe-discoveryBY IA
Page 41 and 42: which could force delays throughout
Page 43 and 44: some big problems with the juvenile
Page 45 and 46: Florida TomorrowThe Campaign for th
Page 47 and 48: CLASS NOTESShare your newsThe e-mai
Page 49 and 50: The magic touchDerek Bruce (JD/MBA
Page 51 and 52: COURTROOM SKETCH COURTESY OF DANA V
Page 53 and 54: Making the cut Scott Sheftall (JD 7
Page 55: A man of firstsAlfredo Garcia (JD 8
Page 59 and 60: Golden opportunityEvelyn Davis Gold
Page 62 and 63: As chair of the Law CenterAssociati
Page 64 and 65: Financial SummaryOF GIVING JULY 1,
Page 66 and 67: I loved my time at UF as an undergr
Page 68 and 69: John M. GilliesDaniel J. GlassmanMa
Page 70 and 71: While on our life’s journey, we m
Page 72 and 73: Gary L. & Suzanne Printy*J. Stephen
Page 74 and 75: Greg & Sonya BrownJoshua R. & Monic
Page 76 and 77: Ross T. & Silvana LessackChauncey W
Page 78 and 79: As a May 2006 graduate, I spent hal
Page 81 and 82: M. Stephen Smith IIIRodney W. Smith
Page 83 and 84: Douglas A. SmithH. Bradley StaggsGe
Page 85 and 86: Enrichment SocietySara S. BeckerJoh
Page 87 and 88: PartnersDavid H. PeekJohn J. Scrogg
Page 89 and 90: NOTAS BENEFaculty Scholarship & Act
Page 91 and 92: NOTAS BENEAlyson FlournoyUF Researc
Page 93 and 94: NOTAS BENE■ Presented “When the
Page 95 and 96: NOTAS BENE■ Participated in “Ne
Page 97 and 98: NOTAS BENEroundtable, Northwestern
Page 99 and 100: UP AND COMINGUF Law Student Wins Di
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