PRACTICE

CLASSIFIED ADS

Continued from Page 15 and Colonial American lawyer , Andrew Hamilton . Alternatively , a usage dating to the second half of the 20th century denotes “ the ultimate in crooked lawyers .” I ’ m not saying either description is necessarily accurate or applicable to all of the lawyers in the area . But almost every day involved a quarrel over some discovery issue or motion or a point of law in a hearing or trial , and it wasn ’ t always civil .

On the other hand , I have been pleasantly surprised by the civility , respect and collegiality of the lawyers in Southwest Florida , and in particular , Sarasota County lawyers . Certainly , matters are contested , and each side zealously represents the interests of their clients . But , with few exceptions , honesty and integrity is the norm . Winning at all costs , regardless of the consequences , does not appear to be the goal . Respect for the law , for the profession and for each other is clear .

I did not know what to expect transitioning as a Senior Partner in a 36-member firm to a two-man shop . Despite Russ Snyder ’ s success in Venice , I worried about where clients would come from . Certainly , there are many successful and excellent lawyers in Venice from which to choose . One of the biggest and most pleasant surprises was how welcoming those lawyers were and are , and how quickly a referral network was established . And totally unexpected was how some of these lawyers have become some of my closest and dearest friends in town .

12th Judicial Circuit have been welcoming as well . I have enjoyed appearing before the judges in Sarasota and Manatee Counties , who give the lawyers a full opportunity to present their case before ruling . Most impressive has been the judiciary ’ s quick response to the Covid- 19 pandemic . Although in-presence hearings were not available , the court hastily made hearings available by Zoom , and encouraged the bar to utilize Zoom for depositions in order to allow the legal process to continue , albeit , in an unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable fashion . Additionally , the frequent town hall meetings with the judges kept us all informed and up to date on how

I did not know what to expect transitioning as a Senior Partner in a 36-member firm to a two-man shop .

to keep our cases moving forward . Based on my conversations with former colleagues in Pennsylvania , the judges were unavailable for a much longer period of time and were not as quick to utilize Zoom .

As we reflect back on 2020 , it is easy to be overwhelmed by a sense of negativity because of Covid-19 , the loss of many lives and the financial impact on a large portion of the population . But we shouldn ’ t lose sight of the positives as well , particularly how members of the bar and the judiciary came together cooperatively to support one another , the profession and the judicial process . Thank you all for your collegiality and your willingness to adapt to the changes we faced in 2020 . I look forward to practicing with you in 2021 and beyond .

12TH CIRCUIT

Continued from Page 15 as a Judge .

Do you have any judicial role models ?

It is hard to pinpoint a particular Judge that I will model myself after . I think I will absolutely be my own Judge . I am surrounded by some of the finest Judges in the world on this Bench . I rely on them to guide me and assist me every day . As I am still very new to the Bench , I get guidance from my colleagues on a lot of what I see and do .

What division will you be in ?

I will be in Manatee County Family Division 3 . You can find me on Zoom or in Courtroom 3D in Manatee County ( when we are allowed to be in Court ).

Is there anything else you want to share with the members of the SCBA ?

I will miss practicing with all of you in the SCBA . But , I know you all very well and I look forward to seeing you from this side of the Bench . As a practitioner , I wanted to know what the Judges liked and didn ’ t like in their courtrooms and chambers . I will make myself available to the bar to discuss how we can best do things together in the best interest of our community and the law .

EMPLOYMENT

Mallard Law Firm is seeking a personal injury litigation paralegal . The paralegal will focus on all aspects of complex personal injury cases : preparation and management from intake to trial to payout . Duties : communication with clients ; preparation of documents ( intake , demand , settlement , court filing ); request / follow up / analysis of medical records ; preparation of materials for depositions , mediations , trials , etc . Candidate must have at least 5 years ligation paralegal experience ( personal injury preferred ); understand different types of insurance coverages ; proficient in Outlook , Work , and Excel ; able to handle multiple tasks at once ; self-directed and results driven . Competitive salary / benefits package provided . For more info https :// www . mallardlawfirm . com / news / litigation-paralegalwanted . cfm

Berlin Patten Ebling , PLLC , a finalist in the 2020 Best Places to Work in Sarasota and Manatee Counties , is searching for a Corporate Attorney with 3-7 years of experience , preferably with an emphasis on entity and partnership formation , structuring , and administration . Ideal candidates will exhibit excellent communication skills and will be extremely responsive . Extremely competitive salary and benefits . Berlin Patten Ebling , PLLC is a full-service law firm with a focus on real estate , and maintains offices in Lakewood Ranch , Sarasota , Venice , St . Petersburg and Tampa . This position can be based out of any of our offices .

OFFICE SPACE

Wallace Ave Professional Center . Walk to Courthouse . 1400 Sq . Ft . 3 offices and conference room . Perfect for 2-3 person firm . $ 2,500 mo . gross + sales tax , utilities . Available 1 / 1 / 21 tia @ jlerealty . com 941-906-4000

Great opportunity to improve your firm ’ s visibility . Building for rent at 544 S . Washington Blvd near the Courthouse . 6300 square feet would be ideal for a larger firm or would be an opportunity for several attorneys to share expenses . Contact Pam at 941-366-9826 for details .

Office space available for rent on the first floor of The Byrd Law Firm building located at 2151 Main Street . Within walking distance of Judicial Center . Lobby / reception area , 2 offices with windows , conference room , full kitchen , and bathroom ( 1,169 square feet ). Please call Becky at ( 941 ) 954-3400 for more information or to schedule a walk-through .

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

To place a classified advertisement , call the Bar office or send an email to scba @ sarasotabar . com .

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