(JD 72) propelled Greenberg Traurig into an international law firm

UF LAW HAPPENINGS, EVENTS & ACHIEVEMENTS
because of our historical relationship
with Cuba,” said Lyrissa Lidsky, UF
Law Stephen C. O’Connell Professor,
who organized the conference.
Conference topics included
trade, foreign investment, family law,
legal education and agricultural and
environmental issues.
Nancy Dowd named
Fulbright Scholar
U F L AW
PROFESSOR
NANCY
D O W D has
been awarded
a Fulbright
Distinguished
Chair. Dowd, the
David H. Levin
Dowd
Chair in Family
Law, will serve
as the Lund University Chair in Public
International Law, honoring her
scholarship and significant teaching
and publication record. The Fulbright
Commission annually awards
approximately 40 distinguished
chairs to American scholars in a
range of disciplines.
She will focus predominantly
on research as well as engage in
teaching while associated with
the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of
Human Rights and Humanitarian
Law and Lund University, the
largest higher education and
research institution in the Nordic
countries.
Dowd, who is the emeritus
director of UF Law’s Center on
Children and Families, will also
focus on comparative perspectives
and human rights strategies for
children, including experience in
the implementation of the U.N.
Convention on the Rights of the
Child. Her work is part of a book
6
under contract with NYU Press
examining the developmental arc
for male black children and exposing
systemic inequalities.
“I am honored to have this
opportunity to continue to explore
strategies to challenge inequalities,”
Dowd said. “Our embrace of the
importance of a developmental lens
to construct meaningful equality is
at the core of the analysis that leads
to strategies to ensure equality for all
children and youth.”
court opinions and has been cited
by more than 800 academic articles
and referenced in about 60 legal
decisions.
Richmond’s work has been cited
by more than 900 academic articles
and cited in about 170 legal decisions.
“The inclusion of Noah, Blair and
Richmond in this list is yet another
example of the ways UF Law faculty
impact national and international legal
debates,” Dean Laura A. Rosenbury
said.
Professors among
most-cited legal
scholars of all time
Leonard H. Johnson
(JD 80) new member
of the UF board of
trustees
U F L AW
PROFESSOR
LARS NOAH,
Affiliate
Professor
Roger Blair
and Adjunct
Professor
Noah
Douglas
Richmond have
been recognized
by the online database HeinOnline as
three of the top 250 law authors of all
time.
HeinOnline, the world’s largest
and most highly recognized collection
of legal journals, treatises, books, trial
documents and legal decisions from
more than 175 countries, calculated
the list based on analysis of more
than 100 million pages of documents
in its law library.
Noah is an internationally
influential scholar focusing on legal
issues in science and technology. His
articles have been cited in more than
1,400 academic articles and about 30
legal decisions.
Blair’s work focuses on clarifying
the economic effects of statutes and
LEONARD H.
J O H N S O N is
the newest Gator
lawyer to join
the UF board of
trustees.
Johnson who
was appointed by
Johnson
the Florida Board
of Governors, is
president-elect of
the Gator Boosters board of directors.
As a member of Barnett, Bolt,
Kirkwood, Long & Koche, P.A. in
Tampa, Johnson focuses on real
estate law, business law, banking
law, construction law and land
use and development law. He
has represented banks and other
businesses, as well as individual
clients, with complex issues related
to buying and selling real estate,
financial transactions, construction
disputes, and land use and
development regulations.
He joins fellow UF Law alumni Rahul
Patel (JD 97) and Robert B. Stern (JD
90) on the board.
UF L AW
FROM CESAR TO
CEO
How Cesar Alvarez
(JD 72) propelled
Greenberg Traurig
into an international
law firm
B Y M AT T WA L K E R
SPRI NG 2016
15
A very
deep
bench
UF Law produces hundreds of judges and
clerks, and many return to its halls
BY C H A N TE L L E M c H U G H
24
UF L AW
UF LAW ALUMNI LAURELS
CLASS NOTES
S E N D YO U R C L A S S N OT E S to classnotes@law.ufl.edu or to: UF LAW magazine, Levin College of
Law, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117633, Gainesville, FL 32611. Please limit submissions to 75 words or
fewer by focusing on new endeavors and recognition.
1962
J. Charles “Charlie” Gray (LLB 58), shareholder
and founding director in GrayRobinson’s Orlando
office, was awarded the University of Central
Florida’s Champions Award at the school’s Black
Gold Gala Event. The Champions Award is given to
an individual or corporation who has consistently
advocated the cause of UCF and/or the UCF Alumni
Association. It has only been given three times in
UCF’s history.
1963
Bruce Rogow, founding professor of Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law,
has been selected for inclusion in the 2016 edition
of Best Lawyers in America for his work in appellate
law, bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, white collar criminal defense, first amendment
law and municipal litigation. This marks Rogow’s
29th year included on the list.
1966
Charles Baumberger, co-founding partner of Rossman, Baumberger, Reboso & Spier, P.A., has become
national president of the American Board of Trial
Advocates. ABOTA is dedicated to the preservation
of the right of trial by jury, civility, professional
education, providing civic education for our nation’s
schools and to saving the civil justice system for
future generations. Baumberger was elected to
national leadership after his service to ABOTA,
most recently as national first vice president and
president-elect.
Stephen Rossman, co-founding partner of Rossman,
Baumberger, Reboso & Spier, P.A., has received the
Fran Peacock Coker FLABOTA Community Service
Award from the American Board of Trial Advocates
Gray 62
32
Rossman 66
Markus 73
and the Justice Joseph Story Award from the Dade
County Bar Association. Both awards celebrate a
lifetime of career excellence and advocacy on behalf
of the powerless.
1968
Justus W. Reid, senior partner of Reid Burman
Lebedeker, has been selected for inclusion in the
2016 edition of Best Lawyers in America for his work
in personal injury litigation. Reid has been listed in
Best Lawyers for more than 25 years and was also
listed as one of the “Top Lawyers in 2016” in the
South Florida Legal Guide.
Raleigh “Lee” W. Greene III, of Greene & Greene,
Attorneys at Law, has been selected for inclusion in
the 2016 edition of Best Lawyers in America in the
fields of family law and family law mediation. Greene
has also been named one of the “Florida Legal
Elite” by Florida Trend for 2015 and is AV-rated by
Martindale-Hubbell.
1974
John D. Dumbaugh, partner with Syprett Meshad
in Sarasota, has become re-certified by The Florida
Bar in the field of real estate law. His certification will
continue through 2020.
1975
1970
Mercer K. Clarke, president and a founding principal
of Clarke Silverglate, P.A, has been named “Lawyer
of the Year” in the 2016 edition of Best Lawyers for
his work in personal injury litigation. Clarke was also
recognized in the product liability, construction and
commercial litigation categories.
Joseph C. Mellichamp III was named Able Trust’s
“Volunteer of the Year” for his work coordinating
funding and logistics support for the Tallahassee
Rotary’s Youth Leadership Forum over the last seven
years. The forum is a leadership-training event for
high school students with disabilities, aimed to
empower young adults. Mellichamp has served in
a leadership role with his Rotary, both volunteering
for YLF duties and recruiting new volunteers, since
2008.
Barry A. Abbott has been elected as a shareholder
in Lane Powell. Abbot has extensive experience
in corporate law and financial services and has
represented numerous international and domestic
institutions.
Larry D. Barnett, professor emeritus at the Widener
University Delaware Law School, has authored
a book titled Explaining Law: Macrosociological
Theory and Empirical Evidence. The book was
published by Brill in August 2015.
Christopher White, shareholder in
GrayRobinson’s Jacksonville office, has been
named to the Florida Coastal School of Law’s board
of visitors. The board assists in policy
and administrative issues with the school.
1976
1973
Andrew J. Markus, shareholder in Carlton Fields’
Miami office, has been appointed chair of the
Beacon Council’s International Committee for the
2015-2016 fiscal year. The Beacon
Greene 73
Council is Miami Dade County’s official economic
development partnership and its committees include industry leaders and academic and community partners who examine issues and opportunities
within an industry that enable or inhibit job growth.
Dumbaugh 74
Tyrie W. Boyer, circuit judge of the 4th Judicial
Circuit of Florida, was recently honored by the
Jacksonville Chapter of the American Board of Trial
Advocates as “Jurist of the Year” (2015). “Florida
Super Lawyer” for the 10th year in a row. Mark
Abbott 75
White 75
Boyer 76
UF L AW
CLASS NOTES
Vision 2016
Incoming Florida Bar President William
Schifino Jr. (JD 85) speaks during a
UF Law Center Association Board of
Trustees meeting.
Alum to tackle legal representation, diversity as Florida Bar president
B Y M AT T WA L K E R
G AT O R L AW Y E R S D O M I N AT E the Florida legal elite, and on the other hand, we have way too many of our citizens not getting the
nowhere is this more apparent than the leadership of The Florida Bar.
legal services they need.”
In June, William Schifino Jr. (JD 85) becomes the sixth UF Law
The Florida Bar is participating in the state Supreme Court’s Florida
alum in eight years to take the reins as president of The Florida Bar. Commission on Access to Civil Justice, Schifino said, as it searches for
Since 1950, UF Law alumni have held more than half of the annual creative solutions to the problem.
terms of Florida Bar presidencies.
Schifino, who is also a member of the UF Law Center Association
“With all the dynamics and all of the working
Board of Trustees, said he and the bar’s board of
pieces today, I don’t have a single issue but several
governors are working closely with UF Law Dean
“Some people talk
areas I want to work on to benefit Florida attorneys,
Laura A. Rosenbury and other law school deans in
about
too
many
citizens and law students,” Schifino said.
the state to assess how to best equip law students
lawyers, but on the
One major component of his term will be seeing
to enter the practice of law, whether through
the Vision 2016 initiative to completion. Schifino’s
other hand, we have classroom education or clinics.
law school classmate Eugene Pettis (JD 85) started
“We want our students doing what’s appropriate
way too many of our
the program in 2013, when Pettis was serving as
for them to be ready to practice law,” Schifino said.
citizens not getting
Florida Bar president. The Vision 2016 commission
Diversity and inclusion will also be an important
aims to evaluate four main areas for possible
part of Schifino’s presidency. He said the legal
the legal services
improvements: bar admissions, legal education,
profession and The Florida Bar will continue to strive
they need.”
technology and access to legal services.
to be true leaders in the area.
“We’ve known for decades now that we’ve had —WILLIAM SCHIFINO JR. (JD 85)
Schifino is managing partner of Burr & Forman’s
a civil justice access issue with legal services and
Tampa office, where he focuses on litigation and trial
resolution in our courts, with representation being unaffordable not practice, including securities litigation and arbitration, professional
only for those below the poverty line but also for the middle class,” malpractice litigation, employment litigation and intellectual property
Schifino said.
litigation. Schifino helped establish Williams, Schifino, Mangione
Although lawyers in Florida last year contributed approximately & Steady, P.A., as a founding shareholder, president and managing
half a billion dollars in free legal services and millions of dollars in director. The firm combined with Burr & Forman in 2012.
direct support, it’s just not enough, he said.
Schifino joins Pettis, Scott Hawkins (JD 83), Gwynne A. Young (JD
“You’ve got (approximately) 75,000 lawyers serving 20 million 74), Mayanne Downs (JD 87) and John G. White III (JD 83) as UF Law
people,” Schifino said. “Some people talk about too many lawyers, but alumni who have recently served as presidents of The Florida Bar.
34
UF L AW
CLASS NOTES
Hawkins 83
Marraffino 84
Domnick 89
Scott G. Hawkins, former president of The
Florida Bar, received the Palm Beach County Bar
Association’s Judge Edward Rodgers Diversity
Award at the bar’s annual Bench Bar Conference
Luncheon in February. The award honors an
individual who “cultivates and promotes diversity
and gender initiatives that establish and foster a
more inclusive and equitable work environment.”
1984
Donnelly 89
Fleming 89
1987
Harvey L. Jay has been appointed to the 1st
District Court of Appeal by Gov. Rick Scott. Jay
has served as a 4th Judicial Circuit judge since
2012 and was awarded the 2015 “Jurist of the
Year Award” by the Jacksonville Chapter of the
American Board of Trial Advocates. He fills a
vacancy created by the resignation of Judge
Simone Marstiller.
David Akins, shareholder in the estate and
succession planning department of Dean, Mead,
Egerton, Bloodworth, Capouano & Bozarth,
P.A., has been elected a fellow of the American
College of Trust and Estate Counsel. His election
is based on reputation, skill and significant contributions to the field through writing, lecturing
and participating in bar activities.
1988
Gwen A. Baumann, associate municipal judge of
Plano, Texas, was appointed associate municipal
judge of the city of Carrollton, Texas.
Spencer H. Silverglate, managing partner of
Clarke Silverglate, served as a panelist at the
Minority Mentoring Picnic in Miami. The panel
gave advice to minority law students and provided
opportunities for them to network with lawyers
and judges in an informal environment. Silverglate
was recognized by Best Lawyers for his work in
labor and employment litigation, employment law
and commercial litigation.
Lawrence Marraffino has been awarded the
AV-Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell
based on recommendations of high levels of
professional excellence from his peers. Marraffino was also named a “Top 100 Litigation Lawyer” in Florida by the American Society of Legal
Advocates, and he has maintained a 10.0 AVVO
rating since 2010. Marraffino is board-certified in
civil trial law and focuses his practice on personal
injury, family law and bankruptcy.
1985
Steven Ellison, partner in Broad and Cassel’s
West Palm Beach office, has been selected for
inclusion in the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers
in America.
Reginald Garcia has published Second Chances:
Florida Pardons, Restoration of Civil Rights, Gun
Rights and More. The book is designed to help
Florida’s convicted felons with transition, reentry,
state licenses and jobs.
1986
Jennifer Taylor, general magistrate and hearing
officer for the 18th Judicial Circuit Court, has
been appointed as a judge to the 18th Judicial
Court by Gov. Rick Scott.
SPRI NG 2016
Kevin Hyde, partner with Foley and Lardner, LLP,
has been appointed to the University of North
Florida board of trustees by Gov. Rick Scott. Hyde
previously served as president of the Jacksonville
City Council and chair of The Florida Bar Labor
Employment Section.
Robert Wheeler, of Tallahassee, has been appointed to the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court by Gov.
Rick Scott. Wheeler has served as a Leon County
judge since 2010 and fills the vacancy left by the
resignation of Judge Frank Sheffield.
1989
Sean C. Domnick, shareholder in the national
plaintiff litigation firm Domnick Cunningham &
Whalen, has been elected secretary of the Palm
Beach County Justice Association for the 2016
term. Domnick served as past president of the Miami Dade Trial Lawyers Association and currently
serves on the board of governors for the American
Association for Justice. He is the 2015 recipient
of the “Florida Justice Association BJ Masterson
Award for Professionalism” and the Daily Business
Review’s “Verdicts Hall of Fame” award.
Paul Donnelly has been included in Florida’s Best
Lawyers for labor and employment law for the
past 10 years and received an AV Preeminent
rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Donnelly was
also selected for inclusion in Florida Trend’s
Stein 89
Akin 90
“Legal Elite” (2015) and Florida Super Lawyers
(2015). His firm, Donnelly and Gross, founded
with Laura Gross (JD 90), was recognized in the
2016 edition of U.S. News’ “Best Law Firms.”
T. Mills Fleming, chair of HunterMaclean’s
health care practice group and partner in the
firm, has been selected for inclusion in the 2016
edition of Georgia Super Lawyers. Fleming
was also honored with the 17th annual “Justice
Robert Benham Award for Community Service”
by the State Bar of Georgia and the Chief
Justice’s Commission on Professionalism, for
his outstanding contributions in community
service.
Lawrence Krutchik joined global strategic communications firm Hill+Knowlton Strategies as
senior vice president of public affairs. Krutchik
leads the agency’s West Coast public affairs
practice, where he provides issues management, community engagement and crisis communications counsel as well as media training
for executives and spokespersons.
Guy Norris, attorney with Norris and Norris
P.A., has been appointed to the Commission on
Ethics by Gov. Rick Scott. His term began December 2015 and will end in June 2017. Norris
previously served as the chair of the 3rd Judicial
Circuit Nominating Commission.
Jeffrey Paskert has been elected president
of Mills Paskert Divers. Paskert was noted in
the 2015 Super Lawyers list and listed by Best
Lawyers in Tampa Bay, Florida and America.
Mark E. Stein, of Mark Stein Law, has been
appointed as a team leader for the Social Media
and Mobile Application Subcommittee for the
International Trademark Association. Stein was
named “Co-lawyer of the Year” by Florida’s Best
Lawyers in America for his work in copyright
law. He also received a tier 1 ranking in the 2016
edition of U.S. News’s “Best Law Firms.”
1990
Sherri D. Bailey Akin (LLMT) has joined ShuffieldLowman’s two Volusia County offices and
Orlando office as of counsel. Akin practices in
complex estate planning and tax law.
Steven Bernstein, managing partner in Fisher
& Phillips’ Tampa office, has been appointed
treasurer of the Greater Tampa Chamber of
35
CLASS NOTES
Commerce where he will oversee the chamber’s
budget and ensure its funds are used to further
its priorities. As a member of the executive
committee, he will oversee chamber activities,
determine strategic priorities and provide
guidance to the organization.
Laura Gross has been included in Florida’s
Best Lawyers for labor and employment law
for the past 10 years and received an AV
Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Gross was also selected for inclusion in Florida
Trend’s “Legal Elite” (2015) and Florida Super
Lawyers (2015). Her firm, Donnelly and Gross,
founded with Paul Donnelly (JD 89), was
recognized in the 2016 edition of U.S. News’
“Best Law Firms.”
David A. Wolf, partner with Wood, Atter & Wolf,
P.A. in Jacksonville, published his fifth book
entitled Bikes, Trikes and Automobiles – Legal
Rights of the Injured Cyclist. The book is provided as a free resource for injury victims and
families dealing with the aftermath of a bicycle
accident.
1991
Keith S. Grossman, founder and managing
partner of Grossman Law & Conflict Management, has been awarded the Hugh E. Starnes
“Think Outside the Box” award by the Association of Family Law Professionals. The award
recognizes his leadership, critical thinking,
innovation and dedication to non-adversarial
practice.
Kevin F. O’Brien, Georgetown University’s vice
president for mission and ministry, will become
the dean of Santa Clara University’s Jesuit
School of Theology in August.
Kimberly Rezanka, attorney with Dean Mead,
has been appointed to the Commission on
Ethics by Gov. Rick Scott. Her term began
December 2015 and will end in June 2017.
Nelson C. Bellido, managing partner of Roig
Lawyers’ Miami office, has been re-elected to
the Miami-Dade County Fair & Expo board of
directors and elected incoming chairperson.
Bellido also served on a panel in March at
36
qualified women candidates for Florida Bar
committee appointments. Gerber has also
been named chair of the subcommittee on
law firm advancement.
John Guy has been appointed to the 4th Judicial Circuit Court as a judge by Gov. Rick Scott.
He has served as an assistant state attorney for
the 4th Judicial Circuit and as managing director of the office since 1993.
Tim Cerio has rejoined GrayRobinson as a
shareholder after serving as general counsel
to Florida Gov. Rick Scott. Cerio focuses his
practice on regulatory and health care law;
administrative law, including representation
of clients in regulatory, administrative and
quasi-judicial proceedings; and complex
litigation in state and federal courts.
D. Bruce Hoffman, head of the global competition practice at Hunton & Williams, has been
recognized in Washington’s Best Lawyers
and International Who’s Who of Competition
Lawyers for his accomplishments in antitrust
and competition law. He was also named a
“Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer” and ranked a
leader in antitrust by Chambers and Partners.
He was recently admitted as a fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only
trial lawyer honor society.
Paul Militello, past president of the Citrus
County Bar Association, has been appointed to
the Sumter County Court by Gov. Rick Scott.
1993
Jed L. Frankel, partner with Eisinger, Brown,
Lewis, Frankel & Chaiet, P.A., was certified by
the Supreme Court of Florida as a circuit mediator for a two-year term.
Lawrence “Larry” Freiman, of MendenFreiman
LLP, has been selected for inclusion in the 2016
edition of Georgia Super Lawyers based on
research evaluation and peer reviews.
Carl V. Romano, partner in Broad and Cassel’s
West Palm Beach office, has been selected for
inclusion in the 2016 edition of Best Lawyers in
America.
1994
1992
Gross 90
the 2016 Hispanic National Bar Association
Corporate Counsel Conference. The panel,
entitled “Judges that Google: the Ethics of
Judicial Use of Internet Resources,” discussed
the concerns of accuracy, fairness and permanency that comes from judicial searching
and citing Internet materials.
Grossman 91
Tracy L. Gerber, co-managing shareholder
in Greenberg Traurig, P.A.’s West Palm Beach
office, has been appointed to the Florida Association of Women Lawyers standing
committee on Member Advancement and
Placement. The committee helps to vet
Bellido 92
Frankel 93
McClelland 96
1995
Douglas A. Harrison, an assistant city
attorney with the city of Miami, has been
reappointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the South
Broward Hospital District board of commissioners for a four-year term.
1996
Dennis McClelland, partner in Phelps
Dunbar’s Labor and Employment Group and
newly named managing partner of Phelps
Dunbar’s Tampa office, now serves as an
editor-in-chief of the newly published third
edition of The Fair Labor Standards Act.
The volume is a nationally recognized legal
treatise published by the American Bar Association’s Section of Labor and Employment
Law and Bloomberg BNA.
1997
Brian D. Burgoon, of the Burgoon Law Firm,
LLC, in Atlanta, was elected vice president of
the UF Alumni Association and was re-elected
as an out-of-state representative on The
Florida Bar Board of Governors. Burgoon
practices in the areas of civil and business
litigation.
Jennifer Fowler-Hermes has become a
counsel in the Sarasota firm Williams Parker
Harrison Dietz & Getzen as part of the expansion of its Labor and Employment Practice
Group.
Nicole L. Goetz, of Nicole L Goetz, P.L., has
become treasurer of the family law section
of The Florida Bar. For more than 10 years,
Burgoon 97
Fowler-Hermes 97
UF L AW
CLASS NOTES
Troy Finnegan, general counsel of Dr. Philips
Charities, was elected president of the
University Club of Orlando.
Larry Fleurantin, of Fleurantin, Francois
& Antonin, P.A., recently published a coauthored article titled “Attorneys’ Fees on
Appeal: Misapplication of the Law of the
Case Raises Procedural and Substantive Due
Process Concerns.”
Whalen J. Kuller has joined Hartman Simons
& Wood’s Atlanta office as senior of counsel.
Kuller practices in the areas of acquisitions
and divestitures, joint ventures, private equity
and venture capital, crowdfunding, and public
offerings and private placements of debt and
equity securities and technology licensing.
Allison R. Sabocik, of Pankauski Law Firm
PLLC in West Palm Beach, has earned a
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating
based on peer reviews and recommendations.
This rating reflects the highest level of competency, ethics and professional excellence.
Sabocik focuses her practice on estate and
trust litigation.
L. Elijah Stiers has founded Stiers Law,
P.A., a boutique civil litigation firm located
in Miami. The firm focuses on catastrophic
personal injury, specializing in medical malpractice, wrongful death, auto negligence
and general liability matters, as well as
commercial and business litigation disputes.
Stiers has been recognized as a 2015 “Top
40 Under 40,” a “Rising Star” (2010-2015),
“Up and Comer” (2011 and 2013), and has
been given an AV Preeminent rating by
Martindale-Hubbell.
2004
Brian Arthur (LLMT, JD 02), of Baker &
McKenzie, has become a partner in the firm’s
tax practice. Arthur practices in the areas of
international and federal taxation, focusing
on transfer pricing and federal income tax
controversy matters.
Travis Hayes, vice chair of The Florida Bar
Probate Rules Committee, along with Laird
A. Lile, has formed Lile & Hayes, PLLC, a legal
Fleurantin 03
38
Stiers 03
practice specializing in estate and trust related
matters. Hayes is a member of the Executive
Council for the Real Property, Probate & Trust
Law Section of The Florida Bar. He serves
as vice chair of both the Probate Law and
Procedure Committee and the Digital Assets
and Information Study Committee. He serves
on the board of directors of the Collier
County Bar Foundation and has been named
a “Top Up & Comer” by Florida Trend and a
“Top 40 under 40 Trust and Estate Attorney
in Florida” by the American Society of Legal
Advocates.
2005
Jill Bechtold has been elected as shareholder
in Marks Gray, P.A. Bechtold practices in the
areas of medical and professional liability
defense, products liability and general civil
litigation defense.
Jarrett Hoffman joined Boies, Schiller and
Flexner LLP as head of the firm’s Executive
Compensation & Benefits practice and was
elected partner in December 2015. Hoffman
was also selected again by Super Lawyers
Magazine as a “Rising Star” in the New York
metro area for employee benefits.
Erin Houck-Toll (LLMT), stockholder in
Henderson Franklin’s Business & Tax Division,
has been recertified as a board-certified tax
expert by The Florida Bar. Houck-Toll is also
board-certified in health law and is one of
only three attorneys in the entire state of
Florida dual-certified in both health and tax
law.
Charles Jimerson, managing partner of
Jimerson & Cobb, was named to the Jacksonville Business Journal’s inaugural “Ultimate
Attorneys” list. The list honors those who
have elevated the legal profession and helped
to shape Jacksonville’s business community.
Kenneth M. Poole Jr. has been named a
partner in the Sarasota law firm of Syprett
Meshad. Poole focuses his practice on family
and criminal law and is a member of the
Sarasota County Bar Association as well as
the Florida Association of Criminal Defense
Attorneys.
Hayes 04
Jimerson 05
Poole 05
Michelle Yard was presented with the
Joseph W. Durocher “Foot Soldier of the
Constitution” award by the Central Florida
Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. The
award is given annually to a criminal defense
attorney who fights for their clients’ rights
and improves the criminal justice system as a
whole.
2006
Florence Taylor Barner, former Broward
County assistant state attorney and AV Preeminent-rated civil trial attorney, announced
her candidacy for Broward County court
judge in group 3 as the first-ever candidate of
Haitian decent seeking election to the Broward
judiciary.
Willard A. Blair has been named a partner
of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP. Blair
practices primarily in corporate and securities
law and mergers and acquisitions and has
experience in all aspects of public and private
company representation.
Amanda Groover Hyland, attorney at Taylor
English Duma in Atlanta, has been elected
partner in the firm. Hyland was ranked by
Chambers and Partners in 2015 as a
leader in intellectual property law and also is
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rated. She
has also been named a “Rising Star” by Super
Lawyers in intellectual property litigation for
the fourth consecutive year.
C. Victoria Knight-Alaee has been named a
partner of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP.
Knight-Alaee practices primarily in health law.
Joanna Lardin has joined Carlton Fields’ Miami
office as an associate. Lardin is a member
of the firm’s business transactions practice
group and focuses her practice on domestic
and international income, estate and gift
planning and probate, trust and guardianship
administration and litigation.
Chad McCormick (LLMT) has joined Kirkland
& Ellis LLP as a partner. McCormick will help
build the Houston office’s Tax Practice Group.
Kevin McCoy, an attorney with Carlton Fields,
has been elected president of the board of
Lardin 06
McCoy 06
UF L AW
CLASS NOTES
Wire-to-wire
Miami-Dade county attorney concludes 45 years of service
BY TI M G R OVES ( 2 L )
W H E N R O B E R T C U E VA S J R . ( J D 7 0 ) joined the Miami-Dade UF Law, which focuses on current
County Attorney’s Office in June 1970, he did so with the idea of staying land use topics, including eminent
for a couple years before moving on to the next phase of his legal career. domain.
Instead, Cuevas retired in September after 45 years working for the
Wolf said eminent domain is
county.
usually invoked after initial negotiaAfter completing his UF undergraduate studies in political science tions with the property owner have
and his law degree from UF Law, Cuevas chose the County Attorney’s broken down because the owner
Office to begin his legal career and never looked back.
may not want to sell the property or
“When I interviewed there I just felt it would be a good fit,” he said. is asking too much.
“Forty-five years later, it still was.”
Eminent domain is by no
Cuevas began as an assistant county attorney before becoming first means rare and is often a vital comassistant county attorney, the second in command, in
ponent in the
2005 and finally county attorney in May 2007. Along
construction of
Cuevas
played
Cuevas
the way he headed numerous legal departments within
some of the most
a key role in
the office, including tax, eminent domain, transit and
important public
commercial law.
structures, Wolf said. However, it is often met with
the 1980’s
Robert Ginsburg was a colleague of Cuevas beskepticism from the general public because they view
fore becoming his boss for approximately 25 years as construction of the it as the government “using the bulldozer to take their
county attorney.
21-mile Metrorail houses,” Wolf said.
“He had a rare ability — you don’t see this in everyWhile Cuevas turned the highly challenging Meand the 4.4-mile
body — to actually take responsibility for his work and
trorail project into a rousing success, he does not view
Metromover.
follow through,” Ginsburg said. “He was just superb.
it as his greatest accomplishment. He instead referencHe’s a good trial lawyer and a great administrator as
es his eight years as county attorney.
well.”
The position of county attorney places a great deal of responsibilIt was in the field of transportation law, according to Ginsburg, that ity on a single individual. Miami-Dade operates Miami International
Cuevas completed his greatest project. He played a key role in the 1980’s Airport, PortMiami, some of the largest police and fire departments in
construction of the Rapid Transit Project, which included the 21-mile the country, and many other government entities. All of the legal issues
Metrorail and the 4.4-mile Metromover.
of those massive projects fall on the county attorney’s desk, resulting in
“You wouldn’t believe the amount of federal regulations that sur- roughly 10,000 lawsuits a year for the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Ofround a project of that type,” Ginsburg said. “In those days, the federal fice. To handle the caseload, the office requires approximately 70 lawyers
government was funding transportation projects so they called the shots. and 75 staff members.
I remember going into the office of the administrators who worked on
The position also requires working one-on-one with clients, such as
that and there was an entire wall of federal regulations. He was able to county commissioners, the mayor and all county department heads.
master that.”
The office is an atypical governmental entity as the turnover rate is
The system was subject to intense scrutiny, eventually reaching low, and many attorneys make their careers there, much the way Cuevas
the desk of President Reagan. But Cuevas soldiered on and the project did. Ginsburg said the office wins roughly 90 percent of its cases, which
opened for service in 1984.
led it to be featured in the book The Greatest Places to Practice Law in
Cuevas handled Miami-Dade’s acquisition of virtually all the proper- America.
ty and right-of-ways required for the project. He managed to accomplish
“People like Bob Cuevas were part of that and made it that way,”
this massive land accumulation through both purchases and eminent Ginsburg said.
domain.
Cuevas retired in 2015 and is pondering his next step. But Cuevas
UF Law Professor Michael Allan Wolf, the Richard E. Nelson Chair will forever cherish his time with the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s
in Local Government, is one of the most recognized scholars on eminent Office.
domain. He is the general editor of Powell on Real Property (17 volumes),
“I miss them tremendously,” Cuevas said of the County Attorney’s
the most prominent treatise in the area that is regularly cited by state and Office staff. “I got up every morning looking forward to going in and
federal courts. He also hosts the annual Richard E. Nelson Symposium at interacting with them and solving the issues we had.”
SPRI NG 2016
39
CLASS NOTES
Plata 10
D’Alessandro 11
Madden 12
Raiford 12
Morgan 12
Gaffney 13
Nozzolillo 13
Griffin 14
Diaz-Cortes 15
Gallagher 15
Greiwe 15
Rodriguez 15
2010
Belkis Plata, of Plata Schott Attorneys
& Counselors at Law, was honored as a
champion of mentoring by MENTOR: The
National Mentoring Partnership for her
commitment to the needs of young people
at the national, state and local levels. Plata
began mentoring through Take Stock in
Children and continues to mentor young
attorneys and speak to high school students.
She was honored with two others at the 6th
annual Mentoring Summit at the Library
of Congress in Washington, D.C., based
on nominations by members of MENTOR’s
national network of affiliate partnerships and
youth-serving partner organizations.
2011
Amy D’Alessandro, assistant Florida state
attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit, joined
Aloia, Roland & Lubell, PLLC, as an associate.
She will initially focus on representing clients
in the firm’s rapidly expanding business
litigation and real estate practices.
Jeffrey A. Eisel has become a partner with
BaskinFleece, Attorneys at Law. He practices
in the areas of guardianship, probate, and
trust litigation and administration; fiduciary
litigation; estate planning; commercial and
civil litigation; and business law.
2012
Deborah K. Madden, attorney with
Gunster’s Ft. Lauderdale office, has been
elected to the leadership team of the
2016 board of directors for the Florida
Association of Environmental Professionals
SPRI NG 2016
(FAEP). The multidisciplinary professional
association includes environmental professionals from a variety of disciplines and is
an affiliate of the National Association of
Environmental Professionals.
Hilary Flint Morgan has joined Trent
Cotney, P.A., where she focuses on all
aspects of construction law including lien
law, surety bond law, litigation, arbitration,
construction defect, contract review and
drafting, licensing, bid protests and OSHA
defense.
Anitra Raiford has joined Shook Hardy and
Bacon as an associate in its Tampa office.
She practices in the areas of business
disputes, employment litigation and policy,
mass tort and product liability.
2013
Nicholas Gaffney (LLMT, JD 12), attorney
in Quarles & Brady LLP’s Tampa office,
was selected as part of the Hillsborough
County Bar Association Leadership Institute Class of 2015-16. The institute helps
attorneys develop the skills to become
leaders.
Armando Nozzolillo has joined Burr &
Forman’s Jacksonville office. The firm
opened the Jacksonville office in early
January, and Nozzolillo is one of the first
attorneys to join in what the firm expects
to be a high-growth year.
2014
Kyle C. Griffin (LLMT, JD 13) has joined Dean
Mead’s Orlando office in the estate and succession planning department. Griffin focuses
his practice in the areas of estate planning,
probate and trust administration and taxation
law.
2015
John F. DeStefano (LLMT, JD 14) has joined
Proskauer Rose LLP in Boca Raton.
Marcelo Diaz-Cortes has joined Levine
Kellogg Lehman Schneider + Grossman as an
associate. Diaz-Cortes focuses his practice on
complex commercial litigation.
Marjorie Gallagher (LLMT) has joined
Comiter, Singer, Baseman & Braun in Palm
Beach Gardens. Gallagher practices in federal
taxation of partnerships, S Corporations and
limited liability companies; business transactions; income and estate planning; asset
protection; and trust, estate and guardianship
litigation.
Donald Greiwe has joined de la Parte &
Gilbert, P.A., practicing primarily in the areas
of civil and business litigation, appeals and
commercial transactions.
Yisell Rodriguez has joined Broad and Cassel
as an associate in the affordable housing and
tax credit practice group in its Orlando office.
Send your class notes to classnotes@law.ufl.edu or to: UF LAW magazine, Levin
College of Law, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117633, Gainesville, FL 32611. The class
notes deadline for the fall issue is July 25. Please limit submissions to 75 words
or fewer by focusing on new endeavors and recognition.
41
CLASS NOTES
Laying the foundations
Mid-career law students build upon past work experiences
BY CH A NTELLE Mc H UG H
A S A P R A C T I C I N G E N V I R O N M E N TA L E N G I N E E R in Atlanta,
“Experience in the workforce before law school can make you a stronger
Dana Mehlman (JD 10) grew frustrated dealing with attorneys who lacked a applicant and a stronger law student,” said Ian McInnis, UF Law’s associate
fundamental understanding of the issues that arose in her work. After almost director of admissions. “It gives you experiences someone else may not have,
a decade working as an engineer, she knew she could succeed in the technical which bolsters the learning experience.”
world, but was it time to venture into a new field altogether and view her work
Associate Dean for Student Affairs Rachel Inman noted the educational
from a different angle?
benefits of combining mid-career students with recent graduates.
Drawn by the strength of the Environmental and Land Use Law Certifi“Mixing students who have previous work experience with those who are
cate Program and its course variety, Mehlman left Atlanta for the orange and viewing subjects with fresh eyes creates a dynamic atmosphere in the classblue halls of UF Law.
room that incorporates different perspectives,” Inman said.
She found that her environPrevious work experience can also influence how stumental engineering experience
dents approach law school in general. Goliath Davis IV
“As a former
helped her acclimate to environ(1L) ran a nonprofit before enrolling in UF Law. Now he
engineer, I can
mental law. While her classmates
treats law school like a full-time job.
take depositions
had a hard time understanding
“I get to campus by 8 or 9 a.m., whether I have class
the environmental acronyms and
or not, and stay until around 5 pm. When I’m here, I’m
of engineers
technical jargon, her work before
working, whether studying or reading or in class, so that
more easily
law school placed her ahead of the
when I’m home I can relax,” Davis said. “It’s exhausting, but
than if I didn’t
learning curve.
I co-founded a nonprofit, Citizens for a Sustainable Future,
Mehlman
“I was up to speed on envihave a technical before coming to law school, and a law degree seemed like
ronmental aspects of the field so
the most practical skill I could have to grow that nonprofit.
background.”
I wasn’t intimidated by the mate“The nonprofit works on issues pertaining to environ—DANA MEHLMAN (JD 10)
rial,” Mehlman said. “As a former
mental justice and food sovereignty in low-income comengineer, I can take depositions of
munities, particularly African-American neighborhoods,”
engineers more easily than if I didn’t have a techni- Davis said. “Having that specific goal in mind gives me more focus and discical background. Furthermore, the engineers I have pline to do what needs to be done.”
hired, as well as those hired by opposing parties,
Some students find that their technical background also allows them to
show a unique respect for me because they know think more deeply about the legal issues concerning their areas of specialty.
I am not only an attorney, but a licensed engineer This positions them to advance an organization because they understand its
Davis
as well.”
goals, obligations and technical functions before offering counsel.
This interdisciplinary focus means Mehlman
“My law classes allowed me to see how the technical aspects of environstands out in the legal field for her ability to interpret what experts say and to mental engineering interacted with the policy aspects of environmental law,”
translate it into legal arguments courts can understand. Last year, the National Mehlman said.
Law Journal recognized her as one of its inaugural “Energy & Environmental
Even without previous work experience, students can immerse themselves
Trailblazers.”
in fields that interest them during law school through certificate programs,
Today Mehlman is a manager in the corporate environmental division of clinics and conferences. Experiential work coupled with the expertise of visitPCS Administration (USA), Inc., one of the world’s largest fertilizer compa- ing practitioners and scholars from different disciplines broaden perspectives.
nies by capacity, producing potash, nitrogen and phosphate. She is leading the
UF Law students also benefit from the law school’s location on the UF
development and evolution of the firm’s environmental management system, campus, a major research university with a multitude of resources and scholwhich includes the creation of a legal register — a list of relevant legislation ars, which allows law students to earn a master’s degree in related fields while
— for each of the company’s facilities. Mehlman especially credits UF Law pursuing their J.D. degrees.
Professors Mary Jane Angelo (JD 87) and Alyson Flournoy with much of her
For UF Law students, Flournoy noted, these opportunities allow them to
law school and career success. Flournoy is former director of the Environmen- transition into employment with experience and knowledge of the legal imtal and Land Use Law Program and Angelo is the current program director.
pacts in the various areas that interest their clients.
Mehlman is just one of a growing number of students who decide mid-ca“Whether they are mid-career professionals or students coming directly
reer to pursue a degree at UF Law. In the fall 2015 entering class, 46.5 percent from their undergraduate studies, UF Law students have the opportunity to
of incoming students had been out of school up to four years before enrolling, gain experience and knowledge of topics that will help them to understand
and 5.8 percent had been out of school for five or more years.
their future clients’ concerns,” Flournoy said.
42
UF L AW
SCHOLARSHIP
Research Report
A sampling of the wide-ranging scholarly articles and books UF Law professors are producing
“Technology
has
facilitated
both the
amount of
trade secrets
that are now
stored electronically and
the rise of cyber intrusions.
Together, this
has created a
storm perfectly ripe for
economic
espionage.”
ELIZABETH ROWE
Feldman Gale Term
Professor in IP Law; UF
Research Foundation
Professor; Director,
Program in Intellectual
Property Law
“RATs, TRAPs, and Trade
Secrets,” 57 B.C. L. Rev.
(forthcoming)
SPRI NG 2016
WENTONG ZHENG
Associate Professor of Law
“Exhausting Patents,”
63 UCLA L. Rev. 122 (2016)
“Yet underneath
the seemingly
unequivocal
mandate of
patent exhaustion
lies a doctrine
fraught with
contradictions.”
“Yet perhaps
the most
alarming
aspect of overdisciplining
students
and of the
school-toprison pipeline
generally is
that not all
racial groups
are affected
equally by
these negative
trends.”
JASON NANCE
Associate Professor of Law;
Associate Director, Center on
Children and Families
“Over-Disciplining Students,
Racial Bias, and the SchoolTo-Prison Pipeline,” 50
University of Richmond L.
Rev. 1063 (2016)
43
SCHOLARSHIP
“Structured
properly and
achieved fairly
as to senior
executives, a
non-binding
employee vote
would politically legitimate
executive
compensation
and income
disparity at
both the firm
and political
levels.”
ROBERT RHEE
John H. and Mary Lou
Dasburg Professor of
Law
“Intra-Firm Monitoring
of Executive
Compensation,”
69 Vanderbilt L. Rev.
(forthcoming 2016)
44
AMY STEIN
Associate Professor
of Law
“Distributed Reliability,” 87
University of Colorado L. Rev.
(forthcoming 2016)
“Coordination with energy storage resources
will require greater
effort, both because
of the multitude of energy storage forms, as
well as the ability of
customers to reap the
private benefits of energy storage without
regard to contracts.”
“In applying
these standards, states
have denied
a defendant’s
self-representation because
of his stuttering, strong
foreign accent
and low level
of education,
even when
the defendant
has intact
decision-making abilities.”
LEA JOHNSTON
Professor of Law;
Assistant Director,
Criminal Justice Center
“Communication and
Competence for SelfRepresentation,” 84
Fordham L. Rev. 2121
(2016)
UF L AW
EXPERT OPINION
Faculty in the News
“The consequences are
not likely to be
serious, however serious it
is for (Trump)
I think it is really just going
to be the way
that it plays
out in the
media more
so than the
way it plays
out in the
courts.”
KENNETH NUNN
Professor of Law;
Associate Director, Center
on Children and Families;
Assistant Director,
Criminal Justice Center
“Florida legal expert:
Lewandowski incident ‘is a
battery’” (March 30, 2016,
The Washington Post)
SPRI NG 2016
“(The pattern)
may be the least
effective way
to rehabilitate
youth. (It has a)
disproportionate
impact on
students of color,
LGBTQ and those
with disabilities.”
“Clearly, the
existence of
the sex tape is
newsworthy
in the context
of this
particular
celebrity.
But does
that mean
the actual
tape itself is
newsworthy?”
JASON NANCE
Associate Professor of Law;
Associate Director, Center on
Children and Families
“Too many students are being
diverted from school into the
criminal justice system, report
says” (Feb. 6, 2016, ABA Journal).
Nance is co-author of the report
referenced in the article.
LYRISSA LIDSKY
Stephen C. O’Connell
Professor; Associate
Dean for International
Programs
“Hulk Hogan’s Suit
Over Sex Tape May
Test Limits of Online
Press Freedom”
(March 4, 2016, The
New York Times)
45
EXPERT OPINION
“I think the
court understands
that our
sentencing
scheme is
different
from (Arizona’s), and
therefore it’s
not a slam
dunk that
the same
analysis
would apply
in Florida.”
TERESA REID
Master Legal Skills
Professor; Assistant
Director, Criminal
Justice Center
“Attorneys for Florida
inmate argue for
execution delay” (Feb. 2,
2016, Associated Press)
46
STACEY STEINBERG
Legal Skills Professor;
Associate Director, Center on
Children and Families
“Parent partnerships: A better
way to co-parent” (March 8,
op-ed in The Washington Post)
“Children thrive when
their parents work
harmoniously to meet
their needs. While
laws establish each
parent’s legal obligation to the child,
they do not specify
obligations between
co-parents in the
absence of a marriage.”
“The deeper
point, however,
is that it is hard
to see why
those wishing
to honor the
originalist
principle
for which
Scalia stood
are voicing
such strong
objection to the
Senate voting
on the nominee
of a lameduck President
Obama.”
JONATHAN COHEN
Professor of Law
“Why ‘originalists’ who
loved Scalia should want a
vote on his replacement”
(Feb. 22, 2016, op-ed in
The Washington Post)
UF L AW
UP&COMING
Equal marriage model
Student, professor publish in European journal
BY C H A N TE L L E M c H U G H
SI MON E C H R I S S ( 3 L ) A N D P R OFESS OR DAN AYA W R IG H T
have entered the international conversation about same-sex marriage with an article published in the Italian law journal Genius. The
article examines the evolution of the 50-year-old same-sex marriage
debate in the U.S. It also analyzes the Supreme
Court’s June 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges
and its implications moving forward.
“Very few countries in Europe have legalized same-sex marriage, and Italy is a long way
from doing so,” Wright said. “But Genius is read
by a lot of people in different countries around
Europe and outside of Europe. We wanted to
give the European legal community – or a general audience who are not specifically educated
on this issue – an understanding of what we did
in this country, how we got there and the basis
on which we made the decision.”
The project began after “Conversations
Across the Curriculum” – a UF Law initiative
to expose students to diverse perspectives on social issues – brought
U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker to campus in February. Judge
Walker spoke about his Hollingsworth v. Perry ruling that some say
sparked the same-sex marriage litigation of the past several years.
Chriss was one of two students on the panel who interviewed Judge
Walker on the landmark decision and his predictions for the future
of LGBT rights.
Roberto Virzo, a visiting Italian scholar at UF Law, asked Wright,
who had organized the event, and Chriss to write a piece on how the
same-sex marriage debate in the U.S. had come about and where it
could go, with a European audience in mind.
“I approached Professor Wright about writing an article because
she is an eminent expert on constitutional law with a sensibility for
the constitutional rights of sexual minorities,” Virzo said.
The goal was to give European lawmakers a model of how the
discussion was handled here, showing the successes and pitfalls, so
that they could understand or one day follow our path.
“When I started writing and doing the research for it, we didn’t have
nationwide same-sex marriage,” explained Chriss, president of OUTLaw, a UF Law student organization that brings awareness to LGBT issues through events and guest speakers. “So the focus of the paper was
about how far we’d come and all of the little pieces of the same-sex marriage fight and gay rights fight at that point, as well as different avenues
on which the Supreme Court could eventually decide.”
With the 2015 Obergefell decision, holding that all states must
issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the article grew to in-
SPRI NG 2016
corporate an analysis of the consequences of the dissenting and
majority opinions. The article was the first analysis of Obergefell to
be published in a European law journal, Virzo said.
“European law scholars are studying the continued battle over
equal rights for sexual minorities in the United States because of
the role that judges are playing in it,” Virzo said. “In Italy, Parliament has yet to adopt any law on same-sex
marriage or on same-sex partnership. Our
hope is that judges might shake the Italian
Parliament out of its apathy.”
Wright said she tries to co-author with
students regularly to encourage them to get
into the spirit of academic work outside of
the classroom. For example, she worked with
Shelbi Day (JD 02), who went on to become
one of the lawyers that filed the Nevada lawsuit instrumental in striking that state’s gay
adoption ban.
While same-sex couples can now marry,
Chriss stresses that they still do not possess
all of the privileges of heterosexual couples.
States can still discriminate in the workplace, in housing and in
public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and
gender identity, which are not protected classes in the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 and its various amendments.
“That is the civil rights issue of the early 21st century,”
Wright said.
UF Law
Professor
Danaya
Wright and
Simone
Chriss (3L).
47