South Florida Legal Guide congratulates trial attorney Hilarie Bass, co-president of Greenberg Traurig LLP, on assuming the presidency of the American Bar Association (ABA) at its annual meeting in New York.
“Never before has there been a more urgent need for the American Bar Association to lead the way toward needed changes in the profession and to educate our citizens about the rule of law,” Bass said at the August meeting, “We will focus on issues that go to the core of our profession: how we provide access to justice, educate law students, and serve our clients.”
Seven years ago, another Miami attorney was also chosen to lead the 400,000-member ABA. In 2010, Steve Zack, a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP and a board-certified trial lawyer, became the first Hispanic American to assume the ABA presidency.
These two ABA presidents are among the many South Florida lawyers who are contributing to their profession and community, while serving as effective advocates for their clients.
Bass and Zack are among the select group of 53 highly experienced Distinguished Attorneys that we have profiled in our annual publication in the past few years. It is always a challenge to select just a handful of our Top Attorneys for this recognition, because there is such a deep pool of legal talent in our region.
There are dozens of dedicated South Florida attorneys who have served as leaders of The Florida Bar and the bar associations in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. A good example is Eugene Pettis, co-founder of Haliczer, Pettis & Schwamm P.A., and another of our Distinguished Attorneys.
Virtually every one of our Top Attorneys is involved with civic or charitable organizations that give something back to our community, and donate many hours of their professional time to pro bono work.
In keeping with that spirit of contributing to others, South Florida Legal Guide has asked five experienced attorneys to provide their general advice on handling common legal questions related to their areas of practice. We hope that their responses will provide a helpful starting point if you face a similar challenge now or in the future.
As we enter the start of a new business year in September, South Florida Legal Guide will continue to reach out to attorneys, accountants, bankers and other professionals who can provide insights into important trends affecting our region, as well as practical advice you can apply in your business or daily life.
Stay tuned to our channel!
Richard Westlund
Editor