Board candidates present their views, qualifications 13th Circuit, Seat 1 Following are the platform statements of the nine Florida Bar members running for the four contested seats in the 2002 Board of Governors elections.Ballots will be mailed to Bar members in circuits with contested races on or around February 26 and must be returned to the Bar’s election company no later than midnight March 21. If a runoff results from the three-way Fourth Circuit race, those ballots will be mailed in April.For the second year, Bar members will have the option of voting by the traditional paper ballot or casting their ballot electronically via the Internet. Complete instructions for electronic voting, along with the necessary passwords, will be included with the ballots.All the races are for two-year terms, except for the 15th Circuit. That is a new seat resulting from the board’s recent reapportionment and will initially have a one-year term.Winners of the election, as well as new and returning board members elected without opposition, will be sworn in during the Bar’s Annual Meeting in June. Fourth Circuit, Seat 1 For almost 28 years I have enjoyed the privilege of practicing here in the 17th Judicial Circuit and serving its legal community though various positions with the Broward County Bar Association. As my term as its president ends this June, I would welcome the challenge of continuing the representation of its members, as well as all Broward lawyers, on the Board of Governors. Practice area: Principal in the firm of Ferencik, Libanoff, Brandt and Bustamante, P.A, which is predominantly devoted to the representation of construction industry clientele. Bar-related experience: Member, The Florida Board of Bar Examiners (1998-2003). Member, various sections of The Florida Bar since 1974. President, Broward County Bar Association (2001-2002); President-elect (2000-2001); Secretary-Treasurer (1999-2000); Board of Directors (1995-1999); founder and chair, Construction Law Section (1993-1995). Co-chapter author, Florida Bar publications: Florida Construction Law and Practice (1st and 2nd Editions). Outline author and lecturer for six Florida Bar seminars. Outline author and lecturer for five Lorman seminars Civic: Alternate, City of Fort Lauderdale Board of Adjustment (1993-1995). Adjunct Instructor, Florida International University, Department of Construction Management. Objectives: Along with the other well-regarded 17th Judicial Circuit Governors, I would like to provide an additional voice for our Broward lawyers in and about the important issues confronting our profession. Like most attorneys, I find that the independence of our judiciary and self-regulation are perhaps the most compelling issues now confronting our profession. I would like to again advocate trial court merit selection and retention, which seems to have won some new converts despite its resounding defeat at the polls. The continuing debates about the efficacy of multidisciplinary and multijurisdictional practices should be of significant and urgent concern to all Florida lawyers. I have both the enthusiasm and work ethic to make meaningful contributions on those and other issues affecting our profession and would respectfully invite your support.Leigh C. Katzman Alan C. (Peter) Brandt, Jr. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with, and represent the attorneys of the Fourth Judicial Circuit through Bar leadership activities in the past. I now ask for your support and vote so that I may serve as your representative on the Florida Bar Board of Governors, Fourth Judicial Circuit, Seat One. I pledge to continue my history of service and hard work on behalf of the judges and attorneys of this community. Service to the Bar Jacksonville Bar Association — President and held every other elected position. Jacksonville Trial Lawyers Association — President and held every other elected position. Jacksonville Bar Association Young Lawyers — President and held every other elected position. The Florida Bar Fourth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee D — Chairman. The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers — Board of Governors — current. American Board of Trial Advocates. Master of the Bench — Chester Bedell Inn of Court. Fourth Judicial Circuit Fee Arbitration Committee. The Florida Bar — Code and Rules of Evidence Committee. Florida Supreme Court Committee on the Standards of Conduct of Judges. Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer — 1991; recertified in 1996 and 2001. Served on the boards of numerous charitable community organizations. Objectives for Board Service: The responsibilities of The Florida Bar Board of Governors are extremely broad and varied. They change each year as new issues arise. As such, it would be a mistake to have a specific stated agenda. However, in all of the actions I take as a member of the Board of Governors, my work and votes will be governed by three criteria:1. Are we acting to protect the independence of the judiciary and the Bar?2. Do our actions support or improve the quality of legal services in this state while minimizing the “Bar” intrusion into our day-to-day practices?3. Because The Florida Bar is a mandatory unified Bar, all segments of our Bar must have proper representation and an opportunity to be heard.I wish to continue my hard work on behalf of this community, its attorneys, and the judiciary. I would appreciate your support and your vote for The Florida Bar Board of Governors — Fourth Judicial Circuit, Seat One.Terrence E. Schmidt I think the members of the Bar in this circuit who know Tommy Edwards, Grier Wells, and me hopefully know any one of the three of us would be an effective representative on the Board of Governors. So, I gather the purpose for requiring platform statements is to furnish information to members of the Bar who may not know the candidates themselves.I have practiced law here since 1973. I started with the old Mahoney Hadlow firm in 1973, became a shareholder in 1978, and left with Jim Bledsoe and others to start our own firm on January 1, 1979. Jim and I have practiced together ever since. I have specialized primarily in the area of commercial litigation but have also represented plaintiffs and defendants in personal injury and employment litigation. We have had as few as two and as many as 10 lawyers in the firm at various times. The firm presently includes Steve Moonly, Cheryl Roberson, Chris Cobb, Jim, and me. Our most recent ex-shareholders and associates are Harold Lippes, Lep Adams, and Courtney Grimm. They left the firm for different reasons, but I would encourage anyone who knows them but doesn’t know me to ask them about me. One of my proudest accomplishments is that lawyers who have left the firm continue to be friends.Approximately four years ago, I became a certified circuit court and federal court mediator and AAA arbitrator and mediator, and that part of my practice has continually grown. As a result, I essentially stopped taking new litigation cases a year ago and have been transitioning from a litigation practice to a full-time mediation/arbitration practice since then.I served a three-year term on Grievance Committee A and was chairman last year. I am presently a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. I have been appointed as Special Counsel to the Grievance Committee for the United States Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida and acted as Special Counsel to The Florida Bar with staff counsel in the F. Lee Bailey disbarment proceeding. I am a Master in the Chester Bedell Inn of Court and a Barrister in the American College of Barristers.Until the Bailey disbarment proceeding, I never thought other lawyers were particularly impressed with what I thought or had to say. Since the Bailey case, some lawyers are at least interested in what happened in that case. At the same time, I think I have developed some decent consensus-building skills as a mediator, which would be beneficial in dealing with issues that come before the Board of Governors.Frankly, I don’t think either the Bar or the Board of Governors needs a major overhaul. I believe the level of professionalism has increased substantially due largely to the past efforts of John DeVault, Howard Coker, and others on the Board of Governors. I believe those efforts need to continue. I also think the Board of Governors is on the right track in vigorously resisting efforts to politicize the selection of judges and transfer lawyer discipline to a legislatively established administrative body and believe my past experiences on the grievance committee and judicial nominating commission and as counsel to the Bar can make me an effective spokesperson regarding those issues. Finally, I obviously believe in alternative dispute resolution and would encourage the Board of Governors to actively advocate more cost-effective ways of resolving disputes, particularly those in which the cost of the litigation process can quickly exceed the amount in controversy.S. Grier Wells February 1, 2002 Regular News Board candidates present their views, qualifications There are always a multitude of issues facing our profession. Terry Russell, our Florida Bar president, spoke about several of these issues at the recent January luncheon of our Jacksonville Bar Association. Like chads and pretzels, you never know where they may come from. These issues are viewed by each of us with differing levels of primacy.There are two issues which are foremost in my mind and which must be dealt with on an increasing level of attention by the Bar. Professionalism is an ever-present issue and in one form or another always has been. A more recent issue in the last several years is the advent of multidisciplinary practice within the Bar. Both issues present changing faces to the Bar, and it is the manner in which we deal with the changes which will measure our leadership.We can all be proud that the bar of the Fourth Judicial Circuit is probably the leader in Florida in advancing professionalism. What once was considered second nature in the Fourth Judicial Circuit is now essentially codified elsewhere. We are dealing with professionalism issues with greater frequency than ever before, even in our part of the world. Our traditional continuing legal education requirements in ethics are now coupled with professionalism. It is simply imperative that as the practice of law grows and changes, we constantly strive to maintain and even improve upon our professionalism. We must balance aggressive representation with the need for fairness, honesty, and courtesy, recognizing we are not just lawyers, but officers of the court.With the growth and changes in the practice of law, we must confront the concept of multidisciplinary practices. We all know that it has been openly common in other countries for years and the effort to legitimize it is gaining momentum here. Without editorializing, it may be analogized to several physical phenomena such as avalanches and dams bursting. It must be addressed because it will necessarily involve us all in ways yet unimaginable. Certainly there are features of it that are both good and bad. It is probable that features of multidisciplinarism may be behind the fall of Enron. Conversely, there are stories yet to be told in which multidisciplinary practices have achieved good. It is the responsibility of the Bar leadership to achieve balanced caution in our response.I have cited balance as an objective in dealing with these issues. As a former member of the Jacksonville Bar Association Board of Governors and a past president of the association, a charter member of the Jacksonville Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a practicing litigator for over 26 years, a mediator, a former Volunteer of the Year for the Guardian ad Litem program, and actively involved in numerous community organizations, I feel I can achieve such balance. I would be honored to serve the Fourth Judicial Circuit as a member of the Board of Governors in representing you on these and other issues which face us as lawyers and citizens.On a personal note, I commend both Tom Edwards and Terry Schmidt for their continued commitment to The Florida Bar and to the profession. Both are friends and I am sure that each would make, as would I, an excellent representative to The Florida Bar Board of Governors from the Fourth Judicial Circuit. There can be no losers in this election; the Fourth Judicial Circuit, the Florida Bar, the profession, and the public will all be winners. E. Christopher Abdoney I would be profoundly honored to serve as the representative member of the Florida Bar Board of Governors for the 17th Circuit. If elected, I will use the skills and experience I have gained in my 10 years of practice to represent and further the interests of the attorneys of the 17th Circuit.In 1994 I co-founded Katzman & Korr, a practice primarily devoted to the representation of community associations. As a consequence of my practice area, I have had the unique opportunity to come in contact with many attorneys and a wide variety of non-lawyers. I have witnessed the successful as well as the not-so-successful operation of numerous boards of directors. Accordingly, I believe I know how to competently participate in the process and can assist the Board of Governors in continuing to be an effective and relevant entity. Furthermore, as consequence of coming in contact with such a large number of attorneys and non-lawyers alike, I believe I understand how we may better our image with the public and restore the trust and respect that the vast majority of us deserve.I believe The Florida Bar does an outstanding job of self regulation. Publicizing the program to the public and taking steps to ensure that our independence continues is of paramount importance to me. Over the past 10 years, I believe the Bar has improved the continuing legal education process and has made access to ethics opinions significantly easier. My belief is that the system can be improved further by encouraging lawyer participation and promoting professionalism between ourselves.Even in the litigation arena, if our clients and the public at large see us treating each other with respect and dignity while still vigorously pursuing our clients’ interests, our image will improve and those who have little confidence in the Bar’s ability to regulate its members independently may reassess that unjustified opinion. If we demonstrate respect for each other and the system in which we practice, our profession will flourish and prosper.If elected, I will work diligently to meet these goals. I thank you for taking the time to read the foregoing and would appreciate your support. Richard B. Kay Do members of The Florida Bar take time out to read statements made by those who challenge the direction and philosophy of The Florida Bar? We hope some read these statements, think about their profession and what they want their Board of Governors to adopt as programs for the future.Some ideas I advocated in previous elections still are not being considered by The Florida Bar. However, I believe if some ideas have some merit, eventually they will be adopted.1. We should do away with the bureaucratic system, sending ads than an attorney wants to try to Tallahassee for approval. Set up rules and guidelines and have enough confidence in professionals to follow them. However, if guidelines are not followed, bring that attorney on the carpet. Note: We should limit advertising by attorneys. No wonder fees are so high for the average citizen.2. The middle class is being punished by increased court costs and the cost for a court reporter at hearings. Court reporters should be furnished by the state. If a client needs to have the proceedings typed up, they would have to pay unless they are in the poverty level.3. Let us continue to advocate that each judge should have a legal assistant for briefs and legal arguments in all cases. One for every three judges is not enough.4. Justice is not being served with the per curiam affirmed rulings in the district courts of appeal. We need additional judges in the district courts. Trial judges, when asked for a written decision in a non-jury trial, should comply.5. Restore designations to various areas of practice, so there’s more than just a certification system of elitists.The Florida Bar spent a great deal of money on radio and TV ads telling how great we are. Instead, we should spend money by having a real survey of the average citizens and find out why the legal profession has such a bad reputation. Then find solutions for the bad reputation.In a recent survey of Palm Beach County attorneys, they responded as follows:1. 62 percent oppose that we do away with the election of trial judges.2. 72 percent were in favor of having court reporters available at all court hearings furnished at county expense.3. 76 percent were in favor of an in-depth study to find out from the public why they dislike attorneys.4. 72 percent were in favor of each trial judge having a legal assistant.5. 76 percent wanted the bar association to continue its efforts to do away with per curiam affirmed decisions.A few final propositions that should be considered by The Florida Bar:1. Will our society benefit more if we repeal the no-fault divorce law?2. Is there something wrong with our system when only four seats for the Board of Governors in the entire state are being contested?3. Is the growing influence of the large firms, that are getting bigger and bigger, a threat to the existence of the solo practicing attorney?Your vote would be appreciated.Amy L. Smith 15th Circuit, Seat 4 I am a member of both The Florida Bar and the Georgia State Bar. Once admitted to the Bar, I practiced law as a prosecutor in the 13th Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County, Florida. In 1997, I entered private practice as a solo practitioner. Since then, I have handled numerous cases in a variety of areas including criminal defense in federal and state court, civil litigation, both plaintiff and defense, family law, mental health, probate, juvenile, administrative, and also some appeals. At the same time, I managed the business affairs of my office and maintained a busy daily court schedule representing clients at various types of hearings and trials. In addition, I have served on the Hillsborough County Bar Law Week Committee giving courthouse tours to students during Law Week. I have also visited various middle schools during the “Great American Teach-In” to speak to students regarding the legal profession. My clients and my peers know me to be a zealous advocate for my clients, but not one to over-litigate issues or file frivolous claims.One function of the board is to nominate and appoint lawyers to certain committees and different entities within the Bar as well as nominations to the governor of Florida for vacancies on the judicial nominating commissions around the state. My goal on the board will be to recommend members of the Bar who are most qualified to effectively represent our interests on the various committees. Regarding JNC appointments, I will support the most qualified member for the job while striving to make sure the 13th Judicial Circuit is adequately represented on the 2nd District Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Florida. This is important to our circuit’s members, given the fact that we have one of the heaviest appellate case loads in the state.If elected to the 13th Circuit seat for the Board of Governors, I will make it my goal to diligently represent the interests of all Bar members in this circuit, regardless of whether they are members of the largest firms or are solo practitioners. As your elected representative, I promise to be available to listen to any concerns you may have and entertain your input concerning matters to be dealt with by the Board of Governors. The ballots should be in your offices by March 1, 2002, and they must be returned by midnight March 21, 2002. I would greatly appreciate your vote and look forward to representing you on the board.Timon V. Sullivan Practice Experience: Civil trial practice involving litigation and trial of personal injury and commercial cases in State and Federal Courts throughout West Central Florida. Years of Practice: 22. Firm: Ogden & Sullivan, P.A., 12-lawyer Tampa firm. Personal Data: Born 1954. Attended Tampa Jesuit High School, Vanderbilt University (B.A. 1976) and University of Florida, Holland Law Center (J.D. 1979). Married to Diana (Olmo) Sullivan; three sons: Chris (17), David (16), Kevin (13). Bar Experience: Hillsborough County Bar Association (HCBA), 1979-present HCBA Young Lawyers Board, 1981-84 HCBA Young Lawyers President, 1985-86 Florida Bar Young Lawyers Section Board of Governors, 1986-89 Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section Executive Council, 1990-93 HCBA Lawyer Magazine Editor, 1991-92 HCBA Board of Directors, 1989-95 HCBA President, 1993-94 13th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, 1995-97; chair, 1997 Objective for Board Service: To represent all the lawyers of the 13th Circuit and their diverse interests on the Board of Governors. To provide the lawyers of the 13th Circuit with access to and a voice in the governance of their profession.I have no “agenda” for service on the Board of Governors other than to work hard to see that the best interests of lawyers in our circuit are protected. My principal concerns include the Bar’s continuing effort to deal with multidisciplinary practice issues. MDP is a fact of life in Europe. Soon that may be the case in Florida and the United States unless we continue to be vigilant in protecting our independence as lawyers.Additionally, we must address the lack of diversity in the leadership of The Florida Bar. To truly represent and protect the interests of all Florida lawyers, our Bar leadership must more closely mirror that constituency to the extent possible. I will work to give leadership opportunities to women and minority lawyers who have the time and interest to become involved.During my 22 years of practice, I have been involved in the management of both a large and a small law firm. That valuable experience has helped me gain insight into the economic pressures all Florida lawyers face. The Florida Bar must continue to assist lawyers in meeting the economic challenges presented by competition from other professions and rapidly advancing technology. I would be honored to have the opportunity to represent the 13th Circuit on the Board of Governors, and to ensure The Florida Bar addresses the concerns of all lawyers in our circuit. Palm Beach County has received a fourth seat on the Florida Bar Board of Governors giving us a more proportionate share of input and voting. It is so important to be certain that this circuit’s representatives have the experience, training, and ability to represent our interests with The Florida Bar. We have been fortunate to have some of our finest Bar leaders as our representatives for many years. I am now asking for your vote to make me your fourth representative on the Board of Governors. I not only have the qualifications to serve our circuit, but I have the dedication and enthusiasm that is equally vital.I have had the honor of serving as the president of the Palm Beach County Bar Association this year. Prior to taking this office in June 2001, I held every elected office within the Palm Beach County Bar as well as its Young Lawyers Division during the past 13 years. I am very proud that a 2,600-member association has had the confidence in me to allow me the privilege to serve in all of these leadership roles. I hope this confidence carries over to all members of the 15th Circuit and I will receive your vote in this election.This seat will be a much-desired continuation of my service in The Florida Bar for the 15th Circuit. From 1990 to 1994, I was elected to two terms on the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors representing this circuit. During that time, I chaired many important committees, including Continuing Legal Education, the Children’s Witness Room Project, Holidays in January, and was an active member of the Long Range Planning Committee. I was also appointed to the Executive Board from 1992 to 1995. Subsequent to my two elected terms, I returned for three years as an ex-officio member of that board serving as secretary, sergeant-at-arms and parliamentarian. One of my proudest achievements was receiving the 1993-1994 award for the Most Outstanding Board Member from my peers.I was a member of the 15th Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee for The Florida Bar from 1995 to 1998, chairing that committee in 1997-1998. I was the vice-chair of The Florida Bar Annual Meeting Committee from 1999-2000. I also accepted an appointment to The Florida Bar Multidisciplinary Practice Committee in 1999-2000 and chaired the committee’s Town Hall Meeting in Miami on January 12, 2000.As has been my practice in both my Palm Beach County and Florida Bar experience, I am a proponent of vision and change, when necessary. As part of the Revitalization Committee of the Palm Beach County Bar, I am currently overseeing the changes implemented by our organization in opening up the leadership roles to a bigger sector of members. I recognized the need for positive change in this regard. The Florida Bar is facing many important issues to our practice which need full and active attention as well as modern ideas and vision. Multidisciplinary practice remains at issue. Multijurisdictional practice is presently being debated. There are members of the legislature who want to see The Florida Bar lose its independence and become governed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. We need representatives on our Board of Governors who are current with the issues, innovative, and have the ability to think well into the future, for the good of the Bar and all members.I am ready to take on this challenge and give every member of the circuit my absolute promise that I will serve you to the best of my abilities. I hope by reviewing my credentials you will recognize that my commitment to Bar service is effectively my “second job.” My “regular job” is with Walton, Lantaff, Schroeder & Carson, a firm established in 1934 with offices in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Tampa. I am a senior partner with the firm’s West Palm Beach office where I have been since 1989. Prior to my civil litigation experience with the firm, I was an assistant state attorney in Palm Beach County for two years. I am fortunate to have the support of my partners and associates who have generously allowed me the significant time away from the office to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the local and state bar associations.While I am asking you to vote for me, I ask this based on a review of hard facts and my credentials. I have earned and established the credibility that will help me make a positive difference on the Board of Governors. However, most importantly, I urge every member to please cast their vote in this important election. Your opinion matters! 17th Circuit, Seat 1 Thomas S. Edwards
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