Marks Gray | Newsroom

Newsroom

July 2010

— Allison H. Hauser, a shareholder at Marks Gray, was awarded a Pro Bono Honor Roll Bronze Award by the Supreme Court of Florida, the Florida Bar, the Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. The award was presented in recognition of exceptional pro bono legal services offered to the poor and low income communities in Jacksonville.

— Jeptha F. Barbour and Marianne Lloyd Aho, shareholders at Marks Gray, appeared among a select group of Florida attorneys in the Florida Trend Magazine’s 2010 Florida Legal Elite. Both Mr. Barbour and Ms. Aho were listed in the Civil Trial Category. The Florida Legal Elite represents less than 2% of the practicing Florida Bar members in Florida. Attorneys are chosen by their peers for inclusion on this list.

June 2010

— Marks Gray is proud to announce that eight of the firms attorneys, Victor M. Halbach Jr., Gerald W. Weedon, Nicholas V. Pulignano, Jr., Jeptha F. Barbour, William M. Corley, Allison H. Hauser, Susan S. Erdelyi and Marianne L. Aho were recently named to the 2010 Florida Super Lawyers list. Only 5% of the lawyers in the state are named to the Super Lawyers list. Additionally, four Marks Gray attorneys, Giselle Carson, Paul E. Bueker, Stella J. Lane and Meagan L. Logan were named to the magazine's Rising Starts list.

— Gerald W. Weedon, president and shareholder of Marks Gray, was presented with the Patriotic Employer award by the Department of Defense's National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Mr. Weedon was nominated for the award by Stella J. Lane, associate of Marks Gray and former member of the United States Navy. Ms. Lane is currently a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve. The award recognizes managers, supervisors and employers that show support of their employees' participation in the U.S. National Guard and Reserve through employment practices and policies.

— Marks Gray recently celebrated the impressive career of the firm's longest standing member, James C. Rinaman, Jr. On June 2, 2010, Mr. Rinaman marked 50 years of service to the firm since joining the practice in 1960. During his half-century of practice to date, Mr. Rinaman has distinguished himself as an advocate, community leader, military officer, and servant of the bar.

May 2010

— Edward L. Birk was quoted in an article in the May 24th edition of the Florida Times-Union. The article reported the firing of a Live Oak assistant district attorney after she refused to stop speaking to political groups. The reporter sought out the opinion of Mr. Birk on the First Amendment and labor law implications of the attorney's dismissal.

— Allison H. Hauser, a shareholder at Marks Gray, was recently appointed to the Workers' Compensation Rules Advisory Committee of the Florida Bar for the 2011 term. Ms. Hauser has served on this committee for 10 years and has held several positions during that time, including member at large, Vice Chair, Chair and various other committee chairmanships.

— Marks Gray shareholder, Edward L. Birk, was appointed to Executive Committee of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA). Marks Gray has a proud tradition with this association. Four of the ADTA's presidents have been Marks Gray shareholders.

April 2010

— On April 14, 2010, Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed House Bill 689 which will raise the level of proof for plaintiffs to win some slip-and-fall lawsuits against Florida businesses. Click here to read more.

March 2010

— Marianne Lloyd Aho, a Marks Gray shareholder, is pleased to announce her mediation practice as a Certified Circuit Civil Mediator. With the recent increase in foreclosures that require mediation, the firm is pleased to have an additional attorney who is qualified to assist in these matters. Ms. Aho is a civil litigator who has focused her practice on liability defense and commercial litigation work for over nineteen years. James C. Rinaman, Jr., Victor M. Halbach, Jr. and Stephen B. Gallagher are also certified circuit civil mediators at Marks Gray.

— Marks Gray shareholder Marianne Lloyd Aho along with Scott Yount of the Tampa firm Garrison, Yount, Forte & Mulcahy, LLC recently obtained summary judgment in favor of their client, City of Daytona Beach, in three lawsuits brought by or on behalf of three city employees who were involved in a catastrophic explosion at a waste water treatment facility. Click here to read more.

— Shareholders Gerald W. Weedon and Nicholas V. Pulignano, Jr. were both listed in the 2010 Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel edition under Business Litigation. Marks Gray has a robust business and corporate law practice group that is spearheaded by Mr. Weedon and Mr. Pulignano.

February 2010

— Marks Gray served as counsel to Total Military Management (“TMM”) in a recent transaction with Eureka Growth Capital ("Eureka"), a Philadelphia based private equity firm which became a partner with management in the recapitalization of TMM, a Jacksonville based company focused on the complete management of U.S. military domestic and international household relocations.

Founded in 2003 by CEO Matt Connell and headquartered in Jacksonville, FL, TMM works with carriers, agents and other service providers to manage the complexities of procuring military moves, military base transportation procedures, and the systems put in place by the Department of Defense ("DOD") for authorization to conduct business with military base transportation offices. Eureka provides capital and counsel in partnership with management teams of businesses with $10 million to $75 million in revenue.

For more information, click here.

— Victor M. Halbach, Jr. and L. Johnny Sarber, III, both shareholders at Marks Gray, obtained defense verdict on all counts in a products liability case against Illinois Tool Works. The plaintiff’s legal theories were negligence and strict liability. The plaintiff, a 37-year-old construction worker, was using an ITW Positive Placement Nailer when a nail ricocheted and struck his right eye resulting in permanent blindness. Based upon biomechanical testimony and other evidence, the defense was able to prove that the plaintiff could not have been wearing the safety glasses supplied by ITW with its product due to the tumbling nature of a ricocheted nail coupled with the kind of injury received in the eye.

January 2010

— Marks Gray Shareholder, Giselle Carson, authored a chapter, “Strategies for Worksite Enforcement Compliance”, in a book titled, Counseling Clients on Worksite Enforcement published by Aspatore Books, a Thomson Reuters business. The book covers various aspects of government investigations and workplace enforcement as well as how businesses and managers can implement effective compliance programs to avoid and respond to worksite enforcement. Click here to read more.

— Marks Gray recently encountered a unique opportunity to assist a non-profit organization in Haiti recover from the aftermath of that country’s earthquakes. Dorothy Pearce, a long-term employee of Marks Gray, left the firm in 2003 to work in an orphanage in Haiti and now runs her own orphanage, “Faith-Hope-Love Infant Rescue.” This non-profit organization relies solely on donations to cover expenses and operational needs. After spreading the word of Ms. Pearce’s need to firm shareholders and employees, a collection of individual employee and firm donations topped $5,130, including a 50% firm donation match. Click here to read more about this firm donation.

— Giselle Carson has been asked to serve as General Counsel of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and a member of its Executive Committee for 2010. The General Counsel is a volunteer position. Ms. Carson serves as a member of the Board and advises the Board on legal matters.

Marks Gray was selected as one of Jacksonville Magazine's 2010 Companies that Care. The firm accepted the award at a luncheon on January 12th at the Omni Hotel in downtown Jacksonville. Click here to read more about our community involvement.

August 2009

— L. Johnson (“Johnny”) Sarber, III, a shareholder with Marks Gray, P.A. in Jacksonville, has been elected to the position of Secretary/Treasurer at the annual business meeting of the Florida Defense Lawyers Association (FDLA), held earlier this month at the FDLA Annual Meeting in Doral, Florida. Click here to read more.

Jeptha ("Jep") F. Barbour, a shareholder with Marks Gray, P.A., has been named the 2011 International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy Director. Click here to read more.

— Marks Gray, P.A. is proud to announce that four if its attorneys have been named to the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers®. James C. Rinaman, Jr., Victor M. Halbach, Jr., William M. Corley and Jeptha F. Barbour were all listed from Marks Gray.
Click here to read more.

July 2009

— Giselle Carson, a shareholder at Marks Gray, has been selected by the Jacksonville Business Journal to receive its Women of Influence Award at a luncheon at the Southpoint Marriott on August 27, 2009.

Marks Gray has been selected to receive the Jacksonville Business Journal's Diversity Award at a luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront on August 13.

— Allison Hunnicutt Hauser, a shareholder at Marks Gray, appeared as one of only six attorneys in Florida on the Florida Trend Magazine’s 2009 Florida Legal Elite list in the Workers’ Compensation category. In addition, Jeptha F. Barbour and Gerald W. Weedon were also named to the list in their respective categories: Mr. Barbour under Civil Trial and Mr. Weedon under Business Law. Click here to read more.

Awards

ABA-EPA Climate Challenge Partner: Our commitment to “going green”

Marks Gray was awarded the title “Law Office Climate Challenge Partner” through the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy and Resources partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The ABA-EPA Law Office Climate Challenge is intended to promote “green” practices in law offices through the implementation of specific environmental initiatives. Over 100 law offices have qualified to participate as ABA-EPA Law Office Climate Challenge Partners or Leaders.

Women of Influence

Shareholder Giselle Carson was recently awarded the Jacksonville Business Journal’s Woman of Influence award showcasing her current involvement in the community and success in her immigration law practice at Marks Gray.

Diversity Award

Our firm was honored as Legal Provider in the 2009 Jacksonville Business Journal’s Diversity Awards ceremony. This award highlighted the assistance we provide various minority-owned businesses in the Jacksonville area, including TTV Architects, the business that nominated us for the Diversity Award. In addition to providing legal services for minority-owned businesses, our attorneys are also involved in multicultural organizations around the city; including Giselle Carson who is president of the First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“AV” Rating by Martindale-Hubbell

Over half of the attorneys at our firm have been given an “AV” rating from their peers; which means they were deemed to have very high professional ethics and pre-eminent legal ability. Only lawyers with the highest ethical standards and exceptional qualifications receive a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating.

Florida Super Lawyers

Jeptha F. Barbour, a shareholder at the firm, was named to the Top 100 list in the 2009 Florida Super Lawyers® magazine. The Top 100 lists the lawyers who received the highest point totals in the 2009 Florida Super Lawyers nomination, research and blue ribbon review process. Victor M. Halbach, Gerald W. Weedon, Nicholas V. Pulignano, Jr., William M. Corley, Jeptha F. Barbour, Allison H. Hauser and Marianne Lloyd Aho were also named by Florida Super Lawyers magazine as some of the top attorneys in Florida for 2009. Only five percent of the lawyers in the state are named by Super Lawyers and our firm is proud to have over one quarter of its attorneys on the list. Additionally, Giselle Carson and Paul E. Bueker have been named to the 2009 Florida Super Lawyers - Rising Stars list and Allison H. Hauser will also be listed in the Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition under Workers’ Compensation.

2010 Best Lawyers®

Four of our attorneys were named to the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers®:

Jim Rinaman has been listed in Best Lawyers® for over 20 years, with his first appearance on the list in 1989.

2009 Florida Trend Magazine’s Florida Legal Elite

Allison Hunnicutt Hauser appeared as one of only six attorneys in Florida on the Florida Trend Magazine’s 2009 Florida Legal Elite list in the Workers’ Compensation category. In addition, Jeptha F. Barbour and Gerald W. Weedonwere also named to the list in their respective categories: Mr. Barbour under Civil Trial and Mr. Weedon under Business Law.

Jacksonville’s Healthiest 100

Marks Gray received the bronze level award for worksite wellness during the City's 2009 inaugural fitness and well-being conference at the University of North Florida. Attorneys and staff at Marks Gray participate at many levels of physical activity. Giselle Carson, a shareholder at the firm, is a spirited triathlete and avid cyclist. She has competed in a number of triathlons and has cycled all over the globe. Fred Kent and Susan Erdelyi, both shareholders at the firm, are enthusiastic runners. Attorneys and staff members alike participate in a number of local physical activities such as the Ortega River Run, the Gate River Run and the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure and attend in-house nutrition and wellness seminars sponsored by the firm.