Kristin Morris Joins HCBA Youth Projects Committee

Kristin Morris has joined the Hillsborough County Bar Association (HCBA) Young Lawyers Division Youth Projects Committee. The Committee, which organizes events for local foster children, teamed up with Hillsborough Kids to host Holidays in January. The event was held at Malibu Grand Prix to bring together foster children, foster parents and young lawyers in the Tampa Bay area for a fun-filled day of activities and holiday gift giving.

With a membership of almost 1,000 lawyers under the age of 36, the mission of the Young Lawyers Division of the HCBA is to promote professionalism and ethical conduct, provide guidance and support, provide educational opportunities, organize programs and events, and encourage community involvement.

Kristin joined de la Parte & Gilbert, P.A. in 2012; her primary area of practice is civil litigation. She can be reached at kmorris@dgfirm.com.

Richard A. Gilbert and Edward P. de la Parte, Jr. Selected for 2012’s The Best Lawyers In America®

Attorneys Rich Gilbert and Ed de la Parte were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.   The Best Lawyers list is compiled after an exhaustive peer-review survey in which thousands of the top lawyers in the United States confidentially evaluate their professional peers.

Lawyers are not allowed to pay a fee to be listed, so Best Lawyers is regarded by both legal professionals and the general public as one of the most definitive guides to legal excellence in the U.S. and inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

Mr. Gilbert is a Shareholder with de la Parte & Gilbert and was listed for the areas of Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation.  Rich is Board Certified as a Business Litigation Lawyer and Civil Trial Lawyer and can be reached at rgilbert@dgfirm.com.

Ed de la Parte, also a Shareholder with de la Parte & Gilbert, was listed for the specialty of Water Law.  Mr. de la Parte is Board Certified as a State & Federal Government and Administrative Practice lawyer and he can be reached at edelaparte@dgfirm.com.

Vivian Arenas-Battles Named Chair of The Florida Bar’s Eminent Domain Committee

Vivian Arenas-Battles has been named Chair of The Florida Bar’s Eminent Domain Committee for the 2011-2012 term. The Eminent Domain Committee’s scope and function is to study and keep informed of recent developments in the field of eminent domain, to be a liaison to private companies and governmental agencies who have and use the power of eminent domain, and study and consider legislation, law or problems in the area of eminent domain law.

Vivian is a Shareholder with de la Parte & Gilbert, P.A. and practices in the areas of eminent domain, environmental and land use law and administrative law.

Bay Area Legal Services’ 2012 Cruisin’ for Justice presented by the HCBA

Rich Gilbert will be one of the presenters in next year’s Cruisin’ for Justice. This exciting fundraising event will take place aboard The Carnival Paradise, sailing to Cozumel. The Hillsborough County Bar Association is providing attorneys with the option of earning four (4) CLE credits with a seminar entitled “Ethics at Sea.” Funds from both the cost of the CLE course and the cabins will go toward Bay Area Legal Services in their First Annual Bay Area Legal Services’ fundraiser. The dates of the cruise are March 1st through March 5th, 2012. For more information, please visit www.bals.org or call Anne Childers at Childers Travel 813-948-7484.

Rich is a Shareholder with de la Parte & Gilbert and can be reached at rgilbert@dgfirm.com.

Richard Gilbert, David Caldevilla, and Vivian Arenas-Battles Named To Florida Trend’s Legal Elite

Richard A. Gilbert, David M. Caldevilla and Vivian Arenas-Battles have been named to Florida Trend’s Legal Elite for 2011. Florida Trend’s Legal Elite recognizes the top tier of attorneys as chosen by their peers. These lawyers have each exemplified a standard of excellence in their profession.

Rich Gilbert’s practice areas include business litigation and civil trial, construction litigation, commercial litigation, professional liability and products liability. Rich is a Shareholder with de la Parte & Gilbert and can be reached at rgilbert@dgfirm.com.

David Caldevilla focuses his practice on appellate, administrative, civil litigation, environmental, eminent domain and government cases. David is also a Shareholder at the firm and can be reached at dcaldevilla@dgfirm.com.

Vivian Arenas-Battles is a Shareholder with de la Parte & Gilbert and focuses her practice in the areas of administrative law, civil litigation, environmental and eminent domain issues.

Rich Gilbert Invited to Speak at State Court Trial Seminar

Rich Gilbert has been invited to speak at the Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Young Lawyer’s Division State Court Trial Seminar on June 10, 2011. Mr. Gilbert will be speaking about the examination of witnesses from the plaintiff’s perspective. Over the years, he has lectured extensively in the areas of trial advocacy, professional ethics, business and commercial litigation, and professional and products liability.

The seminar is being held at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse and carries a qualifying 4.0 credits for registered young lawyers. For more information, please visit www.hillsbar.com.

Rich is a Shareholder with de la Parte & Gilbert and can be reached at rgilbert@dgfirm.com.

de la Parte & Gilbert Attorneys selected as 2011 Super Lawyers & Rising Stars by Super Lawyer Magazine

Edward P. de la Parte, Jr. (Environmental Litigation), Richard A. Gilbert (General Litigation), David M. Caldevilla (Appellate) and Vivian Arenas-Battles (Eminent Domain) were once again named as “Super Lawyers” in the 2011 issue of Florida Super Lawyers magazine.

Daniel J. McBreen (Business Litigation) and Kristin Y. Melton (Environmental Litigation and Administrative Law) have also been selected again as Rising Stars among the state’s younger attorneys.

Nicolas Q. Porter (Environmental Litigation and Administrative Law) is a new addition to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. Nick joined the firm in 2003 after graduating with honors from Florida State University College of Law. He can be reached at nporter@dgfirm.com.

Mike Bray, Eric Nowak and Sara Younger participate in “Law Week Mock Trial” at Ballast Point Elementary

United States vs Paul Bunyan

On May 3, 2011, Mike Bray, Eric Nowak, and Sara Younger participated in the Mock Trial component of the Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Law Week. Law week is an annual event where local attorneys visit classrooms, give tours of the local courthouses, and perform mock trials for elementary through high school students as a way to educate them about the legal process. The three attorneys acted out the script of “United States v. Bunyan” in front of a large group of 3rd and 4th graders at Ballast Point Elementary.  The attorneys thoroughly enjoyed playing the parts of prosecutor and defense attorney in this environmental court-room drama, scripted by the American Bar Association. At the conclusion of the mock trial, all three attorneys fielded questions from the students about not only the mock trial and its results, but what their lives are like as practicing attorneys.  Mike Bray joined the firm in 2008; Eric Nowak joined the firm in 2009; and Sara Younger joined the firm in 2010.

Kristin Melton participates in “Law Week” Courthouse Tours

On May 5, 2011, Kristin Melton participated in the courthouse tours component of the Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Law Week. She thoroughly enjoyed showing the students how our judicial system works by taking the students into courtrooms where they were able to watch criminal defendants appear before the judge. Law Week is an annual event where local attorneys visit classrooms, give tours of the local courthouses, and perform mock trials for elementary through high school students as a way to educate them about the legal process.

Kristin joined de la Parte & Gilbert in 2007; her primary practice areas include environmental, government, administrative and appellate law.

Team de la Parte & Gilbert was at it again! Fundraising for Moffitt Cancer Research

For six years and counting, de la Parte & Gilbert, P.A. raised funds and participated in the Florida Bank Miles for Moffitt 5K Run and the 1 mile walk held on May 14, 2011, at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

While the rest of the Tampa Bay Area was sleeping, Team de la Parte & Gilbert, along with a record breaking number of runners/walkers, engaged in a memorable event and walked to celebrate and honor loved ones and friends stricken by and who have survived cancer. Proceeds from Team de la Parte & Gilbert’s fundraising efforts go to Miles for Moffitt, which was created to support cancer research at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. Team de la Parte & Gilbert hopes its contribution will help to make a positive impact on finding a cure for cancer.