TAMPA – Carlton Fields is pleased to announce that seven new shareholders were elected at the 2007 Annual Shareholder Meeting held in Miami, Florida on Friday, February 23, 2007. The seven newly elected shareholders are Alina Alonso, Roger S. Goldman, Joseph Hession, Niall T. McLachlan, Scott A. Richman, David J. Smith, and Stacey K. Sutton.
ATLANTA OFFICE
Joseph F. Hession is a member of the firm’s Construction and Business Litigation & Trade Regulation Practice Groups. He represents clients in connection with construction disputes, complex commercial litigation, business dispute resolution, appeals, and insurance coverage. Hession received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami in 1995 and his B.B.A. in Finance, from the University of Miami in 1991.
MIAMI OFFICE
Alina Alonso is a member of the Firm’s Appellate Practice and Trial Support Practice Group. She handles all aspects of appellate litigation in state and federal court, including brief writing and oral argument. Alonso provides litigation support, including drafting and arguing case dispositive motions, pre-trial motions, and post-trial motions. She also provides legal assistance at trial, including handling motions for directed verdicts, complex evidentiary issues, and charge conferences. Additionally, she has significant experience in coordinating mass tort settlements. Alonso’s substantive areas of concentration include, products liability, personal injury defense, and complex commercial litigation. Prior to joining Carlton Fields, Alonso served as a law clerk to Florida Supreme Court Justice R. Fred Lewis. She received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami in 1999 and her B.S., summa cum laude, from Florida International University in 1996.
Roger S. Goldman is a member of the Real Estate and Finance Practice Group. He has extensive experience in complex and sophisticated real estate, financial and other business transactions, including commercial real estate acquisitions and sales, drafting and negotiating loan documentation, construction financing, and commercial lease drafting and negotiation. Goldman has represented clients in the purchase and sale of business and commercial ventures, drafted and negotiated asset and stock purchase agreements, employment and shareholder agreements, and in the formation of general and limited partnerships, limited liability companies and other business entities. He has represented lenders and borrowers in mortgage and asset-based financing transactions, mortgage foreclosures and debt restructuring. Goldman received his J.D., with honors, from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1980 and his B.S., within highest honors, in Business and Management, from the University of Maryland in 1974.
Niall T. McLachlan is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation and Trade Regulation Practice Group. He has significant experience representing creditors in disputes with debtors in state courts, federal district and bankruptcy courts and in arbitration proceedings. McLachlan has extensive experience litigating matters involving the Uniform Commercial Code, with particular emphasis on disputes concerning negotiable instruments, bank deposits and collections, secured transactions, fund transfers and letters of credit. He also represents securities brokerage firms in arbitration proceedings before the National Association of Securities Dealers concerning disputes with former brokers. McLachlan received his J.D. from Nova Southeastern University in 1995, his M.B.A. from Florida Atlantic University in 1992, and his B.S. in Finance, from Florida State University in 1989.
David J. Smith is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation and Trade Regulation Practice Group. He focuses his practice on complex business and commercial litigation in a wide array of legal areas including banking law, business fraud and torts, the Uniform Commercial Code, real property litigation, creditor’s issues in bankruptcy, NASD securities arbitrations, and commercial loan workouts. Smith also has extensive experience defending ERISA based litigation focusing on pension issues, and appellate practice. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami in 1990 and his B.A., summa cum laude, in Anthropology, in 1978.
ORLANDO OFFICE
Scott A. Richman is a member if the firm’s Product Liability & Toxic Tort and Business Litigation and Trade Regulation Practice Groups. His practice primarily focuses on the representation of product manufacturers in state and federal courts throughout Florida. He also represents both small and large companies in complex personal injury and commercial litigation matters. Richman received his B.A. from the University of Central Florida in 1995 and his J.D. from Washington University School of Law in 1999.
WEST PALM BEACH OFFICE
Stacey K. Sutton is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation and Trade Regulation Practice Group, as well as the Labor and Employment Practice Group. She is also a member of the Appellate Practice Group. Sutton is an experienced commercial litigator and focuses her practice on business, education, and employment matters. She represents a wide range of clients, including major Telecommunications companies on significant litigation matters, and defends employers against discrimination, retaliation, and harassment claims. Sutton has unique experience in litigating charter school issues. She also handles appeals and administrative matters. Sutton received her B.S. from Syracuse University in 1991 and her J.D., cum laude, from St. John’s University School of Law in 1999.