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Feb
24
Fri
Levitate & Automate: Annual Solo and Small Firm Conference @ Live GoToWebinar
Feb 24 @ 8:00 AM – 12:35 PM

Live GoToWebinar. Course number 6826 is approved for 4 General; 2 Technology CLE credits. Webinar registrants have 90-day,on-de,and access; Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $245. REGISTER

Thank you to Conference Chair Camara Williams of Orlando.

This seminar will cover automating your practice; simplify on boarding and collections; from lawyering to leading: knowing the numbers that matter most; funding your law firm and how to get financing; website best practices and educating different customer groups.

8:00 AM – 8:10 AM
Welcome
Camera Williams, Program Chair
Gary Lesser, The Florida Bar President

8:10 AM – 9:00 AM
Automating your Practice
Conti Moore, Conti Moore Law, PLLC, Orlando

9:00 AM – 9:50 AM
Simplify On Boarding and Collectons
Marko Skarica, Conti Moore Law, PLLC, Orlando
Nikie Lomax, Conti Moore Law, PLLC, Orlando

9:50 AM – 10:40 AM
From Lawyering to Leading:  Knowing the Numbers That Matter Most
Leticia DeSuze, Elite Wealth Enterprises, LLC

10:40 AM – 10:55 AM
Break

10:55 AM – 11:45 AM
Funding your Law Firm – How to get Financing
Scott Leitner, SVP, Centeral Counsel, Climate First Bank

11:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Website Best Practices and Educating Different Customer Groups
Robin Cardella, Titletap

Mar
24
Fri
Solo & Small Firm Section Long Range Planning Meeting @ Adolphus Autograph
Mar 24 @ 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Annual long-range planning meeting of The Florida Bar Solo & Small Firm Section.

Mar
28
Tue
Bona Fide Technology Barriers: Principles for the Layered Protection of Your Practice @ Live GoToWebinar
Mar 28 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Presented by G.C. Murray II, Esq., President of Global Cyber Management, an AGC Division; and Rob Blackwell, PMP, CISSP, CISM, MSCS, President of CyTech Services LLC. Moderated by Stephanie Cagnet Myron. Course number 7234 is approved for 1 CLE; 1 Technology CLE. Section members register for only $50. All registrants have 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER

Are your firm—and your clients—fully protected from intrusion? Did you know that the weakest link in any digital security is the human element, and not firewalls and anti-virus software? This webinar aims to educate Florida Bar members about technology security controls and steps to protect their practices and clients from intrusion. We will discuss data and security protection fundamentals, including the CIA, DAD, and DiD models, and best practices for law firms to protect their businesses and clients. We will also discuss the ethical and legal requirements in case of a breach. We finish with laying out the best tools in the tech space to help create barriers that protect the public.

Image of a smiling man (G.C. Murray II)

G.C. Murray II, Esq., DPL, is a nationally recognized lawyer, leader, and lobbyist who has received numerous awards for his legal acumen and his philanthropy. He focuses on all aspects of nonprofit management including Federal and State compliance, organizational leadership, and high-level fundraising. He is also the President of Global Cyber Management, a division of Association GC. In this capacity, he focuses on helping businesses with compliance with cybersecurity, privacy, and consumer laws.

 

Image of a smiling man (Robert Blackwell)

Robert Blackwell is an experienced IT professional with a wide array of experience in his career spanning over 16 years. Mr. Blackwell specializes in cybersecurity compliance, engineering, and management. Mr. Blackwell is the CEO of an IT Consulting Firm, CyTech Services LLC, based in Washington DC. Mr. Blackwell prides himself in educating others in the ever-changing field of cybersecurity. He holds several industry certifications, including CISSP, CISM, and PMP. He received his education from the University of Maryland majoring in BS: Information Technology and MS: Cybersecurity Management and Policy.

Mar
29
Wed
Creating a Law Firm You Love (Free CLE for Section Members) @ Zoom
Mar 29 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

FREE Wednesday Wisdom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Jordan Ostroff, a visionary entrepreneur, President of LegalEase Marketing, Managing Partner of Jordan Law FL, and host of multiple Facebook live shows. Course number and CLE credit pending approval. REGISTER

Course Description: Jordon Ostroff begins by helping law firm owners set the GPS coordinates for their firms. Next, he will explore ways to improve it. What do you want your firm to look like? What work does it do? Who do you serve? And then Jordan will try to empower you to make the decisions to get there. Who should you hire, who is no longer a good fit? What steps can you implement toward your goals while following the Florida Bar Ethics Rules to create the firm you love.

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

Image of a smiling man (Jordan Ostroff)

Jordan Ostroff grew up in South Florida and came to Orlando to attend the University of Central Florida. The son of a postal employee and a substitute teacher, for whatever reason he had always known he wanted to be a lawyer, even without knowing what that really meant. At UCF, he competed on the trial team and traveled around the country doing fake cases while learning real skills. He continued to Barry University’s School of Law and continued on this path to being a great trial attorney. After graduating from law school with high honors and a litigation certificate he went to work for the State as an Assistant State Attorney. There he handled thousands of cases and handled around 50 trials and hundreds of motions.

Eventually, he left the State with a dream, a dream to do things a different way. To leverage the latest legal technology and systems to create a client-focused practice. Jordan Law started in 2015 with just Jordan in a small office and has since grown to a multi attorney firm with its own building taking cases throughout Central Florida.

You see that Jordan Law difference from the very first minute you call the office. Our whole firm is cloud-based, so those first questions our staff asks about your contact information will be saved for every document instead of you having to fill out the same form 15 times. Little details like this streamline the entire legal process and allow us to give you facetime with your attorney, rather than having 1 lawyer and 15 staff members.

Jordan believes that high seas raise all boats and to this day we get over 90% of our cases from referrals from other lawyers, doctors, financial professionals, and especially current and former clients. That means that we’ve built those systems and processes to not only have to do an amazing job on your case legally but that we have to make it as smooth of a process for you the whole way through. We aren’t looking to just be your lawyer on this one case, we are looking to be a trusted partner in your life for the next 20-30 years.

When he’s not managing the office and building better and better systems, Jordan can usually be found either playing disc golf, eating with friends, or with his wife and son -enjoying Sea World, the science center, or just digging in the dirt with toy construction vehicles–which his son likes to play with too.

Apr
11
Tue
Arbitrator/Mediator Perspectives – How to Best Prepare Your Clients for Mediations, Conciliations, Conferences and Arbitrations @ Live GoToWebinar
Apr 11 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Live GoToWebinar by Renée E. Thompson of Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group, Ocala, and Adam M. Myron, Cagnet Myron Law, P.A., Wellington. Moderator:  Bill Curphey. Course number 7324 is approved for 1 CLE/CME credit. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $50. REGISTER

ADR mechanisms are being used in more courts today, but are less familiar to most clients. Hear strategies and tips from our experienced mediators/arbitrators on how to best prepare your clients for their participation in these different types of experiences by understanding the processes, participant roles, and expectations.

Image of a smiling woman (Renée E. Thompson

Renée E. Thompson is a solo civil trial attorney and mediator from Ocala, Florida. She is an active leader in The Florida Bar, serving on the Board of Governors as the current Technology Chair and Member Benefit Liaison and on the Executive Council of the Solo and Small Firm Section. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law in the area of Practice Management and Technology, and has received the General Practice/ Solo and Small Firm Section’s Walter S. Crumbley Award for her contributions in the area of Practice Management. She established a reputation at a young age as a high achiever, as President of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division and inaugural Chair of The Florida Bar Leadership Academy, and received the President’s Award of Merit twice while serving on the Board of Governors.

 

Image of a smiling man in a businesss suit (Adam M. Myron)

A native Floridian, Adam M. Myron grew up in Palm Beach County. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, magna cum laude, from Emory University and a Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University. After law school, Adam returned home to Palm Beach County, where he and his wife Stephanie are raising their two sons.

A trial attorney, Adam has been practicing law for nearly two decades, representing both individuals and companies in the areas of complex business and partnership litigation, professional malpractice liability, trust and estate litigation, defamation, non-competition law, employment litigation, personal injury, association law, and both commercial and residential real estate transactions. Adam is a problem solver for high-profile clients, having handled multimillion-dollar business and commercial disputes, including the defense of a professional liability matter in which the plaintiff sought more than a billion dollars in damages.

In addition to being a trial attorney, Adam focuses on alternative dispute resolution, serving as a neutral for individuals and businesses that desire to resolve their conflicts outside of court. Adam is certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Circuit Mediator, and he is a Qualified Florida Arbitrator.

Apr
26
Wed
The Art & Science of Voir Dire & Opening Statements (Free CLE for Section Members) @ Zoom
Apr 26 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Bill Curphey, Curphey & Badger, P.A., Palm Harbor, and moderated by Judge Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Third Judicial Circuit. Course number 7396 is approved for 1 CLE and 1 Civil Trial certification credit. Members may self-report CLE credit through The Florida Bar member portal.

In this webinar, you will learn from a successful civil trial lawyer, Bill Curphey, tools and strategies to employ during jury selection and how to most effectively create and deliver your opening statement.

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

Image of a smiling man (Bill Curphey)

Bill Curphey has been practicing for over 45 years, beginning as a trial attorney for the US Dept of Labor prosecuting companies for violations of Federal labor and employment laws and then associate counsel for a Fortune 200 company where he coordinated litigation nationwide.  He has been with Big Law firms before starting his own practice 20 years ago mainly as a commercial litigator representing businesses large and small nationwide mostly in federal court.  He has built a national practice while maintaining a small town lifestyle in Bradenton, Florida.  He will share his insights on building a successful practice and keeping clients.

May
2
Tue
Florida’s New Tort Reform: The Impact on Attorneys and Potential Litigants @ Live GoToWebinar
May 2 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Live GoToWebinar by Michal Meiler, Ver Ploeg & Marino, Miami, and moderated by Joshua Hertz, Miami Lakes. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $50. All registrants have 90-day, on-demand access. Course number 7397 is approved for 1 CLE; 1 Civil Trial certification credit. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $50 and have 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER

Course Description:  Michal Meiler focuses on insurance coverage and bad-faith litigation. She will detail the impact of this new act, having recently testified in hearings before the Florida legislature on the proposed tort reform. HB 837/SB 236, which became law upon signing on March 24, 2023, contains significant tort litigation changes favoring insurers and business owners.  The new law includes new challenges in bringing premises liability actions, caps on medical damages, a reduction in the statute of limitations for negligence claims, elimination of one-way attorneys’ fees recovery, and makes it more difficult to sue for insurance bad faith. Join us for this most informative webinar.

 

Image of a smiling woman (Michal Meiler)

Michal Meiler is a Partner with Ver Ploeg & Marino, P.A. Ms. Meiler focuses her trial practice in insurance coverage and bad faith litigation, representing policyholders and injured victims. Prior to joining VPM, she served as an Assistant Public Defender in Miami-Dade County.  She is admitted to practice before The Florida Bar; the U.S. District Court for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida; and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Meiler is an active member of the American Association for Justice (serving as Chair of the Insurance Law Section), the Florida Justice Association (serving as a member of the Board of Directors and Chair-Elect of the Women’s Caucus), the Miami-Dade Trial Lawyers Association, the Miami-Dade Bar, and the Florida Association for Women Lawyers. She has been named as One to Watch in 2023 by Best Lawyers in America, a 2020 Top Up and Comer Under 40 by the South Florida Legal Guide, a 2020 On the Rise Honoree by the Daily Business Review, Rising Star by SuperLawyers and one of the 2018 40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers in South Florida by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Ms. Meiler received her B.A. degree, cum laude, from George Washington University and earned her J.D. degree, cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center.

 

May
16
Tue
Ethical Concerns When Representing Crime Victims: Emerging Issues Involving Technology & Cyberstalking @ Zoom Webinar
May 16 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Zoom Webinar by Stephanie Cagnet Myron, Cagnet Myron Law, P.A., Wellington, and moderated by Amanda Barton. Course number 7221 is approved for 1 CLE, all of which may be applied toward Ethics, and 1 Technology CLE. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $50. REGISTER

This CLE will discuss ethical concerns when representing crime victims. We will address emerging issues involving technology, private sexual images, cyberstalking and extortion. We will also provide information regarding available resources for victims.

Image of a smiling woman (Stephanie Myron)

Stephanie Cagnet Myron is the founder of Cagnet Myron Law. Her firm has handled more stalking and cyberstalking cases than any other private firm in the nation and has empowered hundreds of victims.

She is a premiere victims’ rights attorney with experience fighting for the justice that stalking and sexual assault victims deserve. Cagnet Myron Law has a solid foundation based upon active involvement with the Florida Bar and the local community in Palm Beach County.

Attorney Stephanie Cagnet Myron has served as the Director of the Palm Beach County Anti-Stalking Collaborative, where she led a team of police officers, investigators, therapists, victim advocates, attorneys and members of the general public. As Director, she created and conducted trainings on the issues of Stalking, Cyberstalking, Cyberbullying, and Sexual Cyberharassment (Revenge Porn). She also served as a member of the Domestic Violence Council of Palm Beach County and the Palm Beach County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). These efforts help create a system for providing a coordinated comprehensive approach to victims of Stalking, Domestic Violence, and Sexual Assault.

May
24
Wed
Elder Law Case: From Initial Consult to Funding (Free CLE for Section Members) @ Zoom
May 24 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Zach Bloxham, Sandberg, Stettler, & Bloxham, Kaysville, Utah, and WealthCounsel. Moderator:  Judge Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Third Judicial Circuit. Course number 7399 is approved for 1 CLE; 1 Elder Law certification credit. REGISTER

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

In order to better understand a practice area like elder law, it can be helpful to walk through what a case file looks like from beginning to close. During this webinar, we will illustrate the life of both Medicaid crisis and proactive planning cases from the initial consultation to funding considerations for an EC Medicaid Asset Protection Trust®. Join WealthCounsel’s Zach Bloxham, J.D., as he takes you on this exciting legal journey.

Image of a smiling man (Zach Bloxham)

Zach Bloxham is WealthCounsel’s Elder Law Faculty, where he assists attorneys and other stakeholders from around the country in navigating the world of public benefits planning, consultation, and strategy. Zach works to provide comprehensive and cutting-edge legal education, supplying attorneys with practicable solutions and positive outcomes for the clients that they represent.  Before following his passion for education and joining WealthCounsel, Zach spent nearly a decade as a partner in an elder law firm which specialized in planning for Medicaid, VA Pension with Aid and Attendance, Special Needs, and Estate Recovery. Zach is licensed to practice law in Utah where he lives with his wife and their four children. In his free time, Zach enjoys writing, history, sports, and serving on his local City Council.

 

May
26
Fri
How to How to Avoid a Fee Dispute—And Happily Get Paid! @ Live GoToWebinar
May 26 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

12–1 PM Live GoToWebinar by Mari J. Frank, JD, JD. This program will provide an analysis of Florida’s attorney ethical rules as they relate to billing and collecting fees. Course number 7231 is approved for 1 CLE; all of which may be applied toward Ethics. This is a joint program by the ADR and Solo & Small Firm Sections; members register for only $50. Registrants have 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER

Mari J. Frank, JD is a professional corporate leadership trainer, negotiations coach, privacy consultant and radio/podcast host in private practice in Florida and California. Mari is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court and Family Court Mediator. She serves as a Mediation Fee Disputes mediator for the Orange County California Bar Association.

Smiling womanMari is a California-licensed attorney/mediator since 1985. She’s also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit and Family Court Mediator. She’s the author of five books and dozens of published articles. She is a professional corporate leadership trainer, negotiations coach, privacy consultant and radio host in private practice in Florida and California.

  • Orange County, California: Superior Court Civil Court Mediator
  • Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court and Family Court Mediator
Education:
  • BA from University of Wisconsin
  • Masters from Hofstra University
  • Law Degree from Western State University College of Law.
  • Post Law Negotiation and Mediation Certification from Mc George School of Law, Harvard Law School, and Pepperdine Law School.