Oct. 27, 12 – 1 PM, free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members. Presented by Diana Abril. Moderated by Solo & Small Firm Section Executive Council member Joshua Hertz of Law Office of Joshua J. Hertz, P.A. and Business and Professional Development Coach Paula Black. Course number 5400 is approved for 1.0 General CLE credit. Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed. REGISTER

Diana Abril is an executive with 17 years of legal and business experience having worked in the Corporate and M&A department of an AMLAW 200 law firm and for 12 years as General Counsel to two medium-sized companies, one of which was publicly traded. She is a proud graduate of the Florida Developmental Disability Council’s Florida Partners in Policymaking program, a leadership and advocacy training program for individuals with developmental disabilities and caregivers focusing on becoming community leaders and catalysts for systems change, and a member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA).

During 2020, Abril founded ABRIL LAW, PLLC to focus on child advocacy and special education law. As the mom to a neurodiverse child, Diana has been focusing on disability rights advocacy for the past four years—and this is her passion project. Learn the art of disability rights advocacy from a corporate lawyer-mom with first-hand experience.

Nov. 17, 12 – 1 PM, free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members.* Presented by Patrick Russell, Salmon & Dulberg Dispute Resolution and Meaningful Mediation. Moderated by Solo & Small Firm Section Executive Council member Joshua Hertz of Law Office of Joshua J. Hertz, P.A. and Business and Professional Development Coach Paula Black.

Course number and 1.0 General; 1.0 Ethics CLE credit pending. *Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed. REGISTER

Learn the mediation approach that rests on the powerful foundation of tactical thinking, ethics, and diplomacy from ADR Section Chair, Mediator, and former Florida Bar Ethics counsel and trial lawyer, Patrick Russell. His mediation goal is to unleash peace to have less conflict and more resolution. When parties mindfully listen, speak and act during mediation, they can better understand one another, trust one another, and are in a better position to resolve their differences.

Many litigators leave behind a legacy of conflict. Throughout his entire career, Patrick has maintained mutual respect with opposing counsel, many of whom are and remain friends. With courtesy, honesty, and respect as his guiding principles, Patrick prides himself on having a reputation as a relationship-builder who looks to the lessons of history to guide solutions for the future.
Patrick Russell has been a Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Circuit Court Mediator since 2009 and has been practicing law since 1994. Before joining Salmon & Dulberg, he was a Trial Partner at Lydecker | Diaz, where he also created and led the firm’s first statewide Mediation Division. Before Lydecker | Diaz, Patrick managed his own law firm for almost twenty years and then worked with The Florida Bar. Patrick’s diverse legal experience includes insurance law and first-party property claims, high-exposure personal injury claims and premises liability matters, ethics and professional responsibility issues, and commercial litigation.

EDUCATION:

University of Miami School of Law, Juris Doctor, 1993
Marquette University, Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, 1990

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

• Member, The Florida Bar
• Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator
• Chair: The Florida Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (2021)
• Secretary: The Florida Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (2019)
• Executive Council: The Florida Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (2019 – present)
• Chair of the Health & Wellness Committee: The Florida Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (2018 – present)
• Member, The Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section
• Member, Miami-Dade County Bar Association
• Member, Broward County Bar Association
• Florida Academy of Professional Mediators
• Director for the Making History Project, a non-profit oral history project that preserves the experiences of combat veterans and studies the impact that combat trauma can have on military service members.
• Member, Windstorm Insurance Network
• Former Member, Florida Grievance Committee, 11th Circuit
• Former Partner, Lydecker | Diaz
• Former Ethics Trial Lawyer, The Florida Bar
• Founding Lawyer, Russell | Law

Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom CLE open to all Florida Bar members. Presented by Jay Kim of Kim Vaughan Lerner LLP and Kevin Johnson of Johnson Jackson PLLC. Course number 5712; CLE credit pending approval. REGISTER

This webinar will identify ways to enhance your leadership skills and develop professionally by getting more involved in The Florida Bar, local voluntary bars, providing pro bono service or obtaining Florida Bar Certification. You will hear from two highly active and successful smaller-firm attorneys about the benefits of making time and the different ways to get involved through committees, sections, programs, local bar associations and pro bono service.

A Florida Bar Board of Governors member, former Solo & Small Firm Executive Council member, Leadership Academy inaugural class fellow, founding member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of South Florida, and Florida Bar Pro Bono Award Recipient, Jay Kim, Managing Partner at Kim Vaughan Lerner LLP will share his path.

Florida Bar Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law and a Founding Partner in Johnson Jackson PLLC, Kevin Johnson, former chair of Solo & Small Firm Section and The Florida Bar Technology Committee, member of the Strategic Planning Committee, and Technology Committee, as well as a past President of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, will talk about his involvement and becoming Florida Bar Certified.

In consideration of the health of its members and staff, The Florida Bar Winter Meeting has changed to an all-virtual format. Solo & Small Firm Section Executive Council members will receive details about how to access the Executive Council meeting via Zoom.

“Pivoting Your Practice” was presented as a live GoToWebinar on Friday, February 11, 2022. Course number 5622 is available through The Florida Bar InReach catalog as an Online Seminar (on-demand) and Downloadable Audio (podcast) and will soon be available in CD and DVD formats.  It is approved for 1.0 Technology, 1.0 Mental Illness Awareness and 5.0 General CLE credits, 2.0 of which may be applied toward Ethics and 1.0 of which may be applied toward Professionalism. Visit the conference web page.

“Pivoting Your Law Practice: The Resilience & Grit You Need to Survive” is designed to meet the needs of lawyers who understand the importance of transforming their law practices to address the new demands of virtual and hybrid business models. Our diverse roster of experienced presenters will address topics such as technology transformations, working as outside counsel, managing stress with recovery, ethics of online payment systems and fee-sharing with nonlawyers and managing the ethics of law with second income streams.

Thank you to conference co-chairs Jacina Parson and Camara Williams.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

8:00 AM – 8:10 AM
Welcome by Solo & Small Firm Section Chair & Conference Co-Chair Jacina Parson and Conference Co-Chair Camara Williams with a welcome by Florida Bar President Michael Tanner.

8:10 AM – 9:00 AM
“The Transformation of Technology Usage, Adoption, and Expectations” by Ari Kaplan, Ari Kaplan Advisors of New York

9:00 AM – 9:50 AM “Bidding on Billions: Pro Tips for Working as Outside Counsel on Corporate Client Files”
Panel discussion moderated by Diriki T. Geuka, Associate, Townsend Lockett, LLC, of Atlanta
Panelists: Jennifer Branham, Director & Corporate Counsel, L3Harris Technologies, Inc. of Melbourne, FL, Shannon Finucane, Director of Legal Business Affairs, Hornets Sports and Entertainment of Charlotte, NC, D. Tennell Lockett, Managing Partner, Townsend & Lockett, LLC, of Atlanta

9:50 AM – 10:40 AM “How to Be Your Best Professional Self by Managing Stress With Recovery” by Rebecca Bandy, Director of the Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism The Florida Bar, Tallahassee

10:40 AM – 10:55 AM Break

10:55 AM – 11:45 AM “Ethically Accepting Payments via Online Apps and Fee-Sharing with Nonlawyers” by D. Culver (Skip) Smith, III, Culver Smith, III, PA, of West Palm Beach

11:45 AM – 12:35 PM “Ethical Aspects of Combining Lawyering by Day with Second Streams of Income”
Panel discussion moderated by Camara Williams, Smith and Williams Trial Group, PLLC, of Orlando
Panelists: Jordan Ostroff, President of LegalEase Marketing, & Managing Partner of Jordan Law of Orlando, Fl, Shannon A. Ligon, Attorney, Ligon Law Group, LLC d.b.a. PrettySMART Law | PrettySMART, LLC | Legacy Entertainment & Arts Foundation Inc. (L.E.A.F. Inc.) of Miami, Jacina Parson, Chair Solo & Small Firm Section, Senior Assistant County Attorney, Pinellas County Attorney’s Office, and Realtor, Coldwell Banker of Clearwater

Free Wednesday Wisdom CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members* on Zoom. “Successfully Balancing Family, Life and Practicing Law” will be presented by Theresa Jean-Pierre Coy, Seffner; and Travis Coy, Assistant State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, Tampa; Joshua Hertz will serve as moderator. Course number 5714 is approved for 1 General CLE credit. REGISTER

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

A married criminal defense lawyer and prosecutor will share their experiences and perspectives on how they have balanced their marriage, being parents, and dealing with medical challenges, all while practicing law and serving as leaders in the legal community.

Theresa Jean-Pierre Coy is an experienced criminal defense and personal injury attorney who began her career as an Assistant Public Defender in Pinellas County, Florida. In that role, she relied on her own personal experience with the criminal justice system to help defend clients and empathize with their families and loved ones. She defended a full range of cases—from traffic citations to misdemeanors to felonies punishable by life. She has taken well over 50 cases to trial and has argued countless motions on behalf of her clients.

In 2010, she opened her own law firm to zealously represent individuals involved in the Family Unified Court and those hurt or injured in various types of automobile/motorcycle accidents.

She is fluent in Haitian-Creole and prides herself on being able to help the surrounding Haitian community with their legal needs in a language that they are comfortable and familiar with.

Additionally, she is extremely active in the legal community in Tampa Bay and holds numerous leadership roles in various organizations. Theresa was named the 2019 Candidate for Woman of the Year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and raised $15K for cancer research.

Travis Coy is the Juvenile Division Chief & Assistant State Attorney for the  Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Tampa (Criminal and Civil Litigation). He is a trial attorney with extensive criminal and civil litigation experience as well as a record of prosecuting a caseload of 1,000+ first, second, and third-degree felony cases with a track record of chairing over 75 jury trials. Prior large firm experience in a wide range of civil litigation matters (from inception through settlement), including insurance defense, commercial litigation, administrative, real property, and personal injury. Graduate of Stetson Law School and Florida State University.

Memberships & Community Involvement:

• President, George Edgecomb Bar Association
• Judicial Nominating Procedures Committee, The Florida Bar
• Member, Tampa Bay American Inn of Court
• Minister and Sunday School Superintendent, The Pentecostal Church of God of Jesus Christ, Inc.

Annual out-of-state long-range planning retreat for Solo & Small Firm Section Executive Council members.

Free Wednesday Wisdom CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members.* Presented by Judge Lody Jean, Circuit Court Judge for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami; and Judge Fabienne E. Fahnestock, Circuit Court Judge for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Fort Lauderdale. Moderated by Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin. Course number 5716 is approved for 1.0 General CLE credit. REGISTER

Join us for this Solo & Small Firm Section Wednesday Wisdom on Zoom* to hear from Circuit Court Judges Jean and Fahnestock as they share their experiences and observations on how attorneys can most effectively appear before the court to cultivate a stellar reputation. You will hear about what sets the most successful attorneys apart from those who are less skilled as well as sources of irritation for judges so you will never find yourself being identified as THAT lawyer.

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

The Honorable Jody Lean

Judge Lody Jean was appointed to the Miami-Dade County Court on November 16th, 2018. She became the first Haitian-American woman to serve on the Miami-Dade County Court. Born and raised in Haiti to Lebanese parents, she attended college at the University of Miami where she double majored in Political Science and International Studies with a minor in Foreign Languages.

She obtained her Juris Doctor from St. Thomas University. While in law school, she was the recipient of the Haitian Lawyers Association law school scholarship. Also, while in law school, Judge Jean interned at the Legal Services of Greater Miami working with a staff attorney on the Haitian Citizenship Project applying for naturalization for those primarily of Haitian descent. Judge Jean also interned at the Third District Court of Appeal (3DCA), at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office and Broward State Attorney’s Office. While at the 3DCA, Judge Jean was a summer clerk for the Honorable Melvia Green who was the first African American woman to be appointed to the Miami-Dade Circuit Court.

From May 2013 through December 2018, Judge Jean served on the Florida Bar’s Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee. She served as the Chair of that committee in the year 2018. The committee is a voluntary committee comprised of non-attorneys and attorneys who investigate the unlicensed practice of law in Miami-Dade County. The Florida Bar has an office in Miami and investigates a wide range of matters but the Committee the Judge served on was assigned immigration related cases.

From August 2004 to June 2012, she served with the State Attorney in Miami-Dade County, first as an Assistant State Attorney, and then as a Felony Division Chief. As a Deputy Chief, she prosecuted homicide cases and supervised many Assistant State Attorneys. From June 2012 through the date of her Judicial Commission, she was in private practice specializing in immigration and criminal defense with a focus on deportation related matters. While in private practice, she spoke at many forums and community gatherings on the topic of immigration law and deportation. She also volunteered her time through the Haitian Lawyers Association and other organizations at clinics dealing with many different legal issues ranging from eviction, small claims suits, citizenship and TPS (temporary protected status).

She is a member of many Voluntary Bar organizations and a past member of the Judicial Diversity Initiative that is dedicated to the election and appointment of qualified minority jurists to the bench. She is a past director of the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center and a Past President of the Haitian Lawyers Association.

From January 3, 2019 through November 5, 2019, Judge Jean served in the North Dade Justice Center for the Miami-Dade Courts. This is a branch court that offers a variety of services to the residents of northern Miami-Dade County. Judge Jean had a hybrid division where she presided over a primarily civil docket consisting of small claims and county court cases. She also presided over a Domestic Violence docket composed of final hearings on filed injunction cases.

Judge Jean was promoted to be an Associate Administrative Judge for County Court; affectionately known as the “People’s Court”. Miami-Dade County is the most populous County in the State of Florida with the most diverse backgrounds. She handled a civil docket, which comprised of small claims and county court cases. She also worked closely with the Miami-Dade County Clerk’s Office on administrative issues to help keep the County Court running efficiently to serve the community.

On April 17, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis elevated Judge Jean to the Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County. She became the first Haitian-American to serve in the Circuit Court. She is currently assigned to the Circuit Criminal division.

The Honorable Fabienne Fahnestock

Judge Fabienne E. Fahnestock grew up in Broward County. She attended the University of Miami and obtained her bachelor’s degree in English. She earned her law degree from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1998. Judge Fahnestock was subsequently admitted to the United States District Courts for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, the Ninth

Circuit Court of Appeals and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. While in private practice, Judge Fahnestock also earned her Master’s in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University in 2001.

Judge Fahnestock had the privilege to clerk for the Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida. There, she worked on a variety of appeals. Judge Fahnestock was responsible for critically analyzing the parties’ legal arguments and relevant case law, and making recommendations to the appellate panel for each case. At the end of her clerkship, she joined Ruden McClosky, and in 2002, she joined Gunster and was elevated to Shareholder in 2007.

Over the course of her career, Judge Fahnestock has been recognized for her outstanding legal achievements. To name just a few, she has been honored with an AV Preeminent ranking by Martindale-Hubbell, and selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013 and 2014 in the field of Trusts & Estates Litigation. She has also been listed among the “100 Outstanding Women of Broward County” and recognized as a Florida Super Lawyer, as well as a “Top Lawyer” and “Up & Comer” by South Florida Legal Guide.

But Judge Fahnestock’s accomplishments were not solely related to her legal skills. As a resident of  Broward County for over 30 years, Judge Fahnestock felt compelled to invest her passion and dedication in our community with a focus on families and children. Her commitment is evidenced by her work with the Children’s Cancer Caring Center, the Jack and Jill Children’s Center, and the Early Learning Coalition. Judge Fahnestock also devoted her time mentoring young men and women at her firm, as well as in the community through the Annual Kozyak Minority Mentoring Picnic and as the co-chair for Leadership Broward’s Women Leading Broward. She was also very active in many voluntary bars and in the Florida Bar. For example, Judge Fahnestock was a member of the Board for the Broward County Women Lawyers Association, participated in Class IV of the Florida Bar Leadership Academy, and served as a member of the Executive Council for the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section for the Florida Bar, where she was Chair of the Membership Diversity Committee.

On February 14, 2017, Judge Fahnestock was appointed as a circuit judge in the Seventeenth Circuit Court, serving Broward County, Florida. She was assigned to the Family Division of the Unified Family Court for 4 ½ years, where she was the assigned Chair for the division for 3 years. In July 2021, Judge Fahnestock was assigned to the Circuit Civil division where she presides over a variety of civil disputes, including breach of contract cases, insurance disputes and personal injury cases.

April 27, 12 – 1 PM, free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members.* Presented by Melissa Caballero Alton, Alton Law, Miami Lakes and Samantha S. Loveland, Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, Jacksonville, and moderated by Joshua Hertz. Course number 5890 is approved for 1.0 General CLE credit. REGISTER

The challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic have undoubtedly changed the way we practice law, but the lasting impact of how we prioritize home life, work life, and parenting has been entirely revolutionized as well. This CLE will explore the unique trials and tribulations lawyers face as they attempt to excel in their career as well as in parenthood—and how to use the changes of post-pandemic lawyering to benefit them in both.

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

Melissa Caballero Alton is a lawyer mom of three, a Cuban American, and a South Florida native. She launched her own law firm when her firstborn was only two months old. She now runs her law practice together with her husband, who is also a lawyer, and they focus on business and transactional matters. Ms. Alton is also the founder of The Objectionable Mom, a movement that recognizes, supports, and encourages working lawyer moms.

Samantha S. Loveland is an associate in the firm’s Jacksonville office and practices in the area of insurance defense, personal injury, and civil litigation matters. Some of her notable representations include defending claims brought for personal injury and sexual assault arising under maritime law; seafarer workplace injuries under the Jones Act; and contractual arbitration of seafarer claims.

In addition to her background in admiralty & maritime and civil litigation, Ms. Loveland has experience in bankruptcy, guardianship, criminal defense, and family law.