BULLETIN BOARD
Legal Aid Expands Heir ' s Property Project with Palm Beach County Support
BULLETIN BOARD
Professional Announcements
Legal Aid Expands Heir ' s Property Project with Palm Beach County Support
The Palm Beach County Department of Housing and Economic Development has secured a $ 500,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta( FHL Bank) to bolster the Heirs ' Property Family Wealth Protection Fund. To maximize the impact, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners has approved a local funding match, bringing the total available assistance to $ 1 million. The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County( LASPBC) will administer the grant and provide essential services.
Jones Foster announces that litigation shareholder Joanne M. O’ Connor was elected to serve on the board of directors for a three-year term at the annual Officers’ meeting. As Town Attorney for the Town of Palm Beach, Ms. O’ Connor counsels the Town, its officials, and staff on a wide range of legal issues including contracts, land use and zoning, ordinances, and regulations. She also counsels other governmental entities on statutory, constitutional, and civil rights claims and both governmental and private entities on Florida’ s Public Records Act and Sunshine Law. Ms. O’ Connor has been named to Florida Trend ' s Legal Elite Notable- Women Leaders in Law since its 2023 inception and has been consistently selected by her peers for inclusion in industry publications including The Best Lawyers in America, Florida Super Lawyers, and Palm Beach Illustrated ' s“ Top Lawyers” list.
Building on its existing two-year Heir ' s Property Project, LASPBC will utilize the increased funding to expand its services countywide. The project assists low- to moderate-income residents with clearing property titles, estate planning, and other critical legal matters. Initially focused in Riviera Beach, the project will now extend its reach to all cities and towns within Palm Beach County.
" This funding is crucial in addressing the legal and financial challenges posed by heirs ' property, enabling families to preserve and transfer home equity," said Tequisha Myles, Esq., Supervising Attorney. " We are grateful for the support from FHL Bank of Atlanta and Palm Beach County, which will allow us to significantly expand our community impact." " For over 75 years, Legal Aid has served our community," stated Bob Bertisch, Executive Director of Legal Aid. " This partnership with the county underscores the value of our services and our shared commitment to improving the lives of all county residents."
The PBC Housing Finance Authority, a member of FHL Bank, played a pivotal role in securing the grant. In collaboration with LASPBC, the County will provide estate planning and title clearing services. Further program details and public announcements will follow upon program availability.
For more information about the Heirs’ Property Project, please visit www. legalaidpbc. org.
Moritt Hock & Hamroff announced today the addition of two new attorneys to its Florida office, illustrating the firm’ s continued commitment to growth in southeast Florida. Joseph F. Poklemba joins the firm’ s Litigation Practice Group as Senior Counsel and Steven M. Bimston joins the firm’ s Litigation and Creditors ' Rights, Restructuring & Bankruptcy Practice Groups as Counsel Founded in 1980, Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP is a 90-attorney full service commercial law firm that provides a wide range of legal services to businesses, corporations and individuals worldwide from its offices in New York City, on Long Island and in Florida.