TAMPA, FL - October 28, 2010 - Brian C. Sparks, Shareholder in the Trusts & Estates Group at Hill Ward Henderson has been elected as a Fellow in the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC), which is the leading national organization of estate planning lawyers. Individual lawyers are nominated based on their demonstration of the highest level of integrity, commitment to the profession, competence, and experience as trusts and estates counselors. All ACTEC member have made substantial contributions to the field of trusts and estates law through writing, teaching, and bar leadership activities. Individual lawyers meeting the criteria for membership are nominated by Fellows of the College and subjected to careful review by both state and national membership selection committees, prior to consideration for election as a Fellow by the Regents of the College.

TAMPA, FL - September 27, 2010 - Three Shareholders at Hill Ward Henderson have been named to Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel, a national ranking of attorneys from all 50 states and D.C. who have been selected to Super Lawyers for their demonstrated expertise and excellence in business-related areas of the law. This national listing is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys in the country who currently serve as high quality corporate counsel on behalf of their clients.
Hill Ward Henderson is pleased to announce that the 2010 Super Lawyer Corporate Counsel has named the following attorneys to this prestigious honor recognizing them in the following practice areas:

• TROY A. FUHRMAN | Personal Injury Defense: Products
• JOHN L. HOLCOMB | Civil Litigation Defense
• C. HOWARD HUNTER | Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice

TAMPA, FL - September 15, 2010 - U.S. News & World Report, in conjunction with Best Lawyers in America has released its 2011 ranking of the nation’s “Best Law Firms” and Hill Ward Henderson received the most First-Tier rankings for a Tampa law firm. In the comprehensive, national survey conducted, Hill Ward Henderson was cited as “First Tier” for excellence in legal services for the following 19 practice areas:

• Administrative/Regulatory Law
• Banking and Finance Law
• Construction Law
• Corporate Law
• Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
• Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• General Commercial Litigation
• Insurance Law
• Land Use & Zoning Law
• Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants
• Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
• Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• Private Equity Law
• Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law
• Real Estate Law
• Tax Law
• Trusts & Estates Law
• Venture Capital Law

TAMPA, FL - September 3, 2010 - Shareholder John C. Connery has been elected to serve as President for the Tampa Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). Mr. Connery will serve a two-year term beginning in January 2011. ACG is a networking organization for corporate finance professionals and executives. The local Tampa Chapter boasts approximately 250 members. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors for ACG for the past several years. Mr. Connery serves as a co-leader of the Taxation practice for the firm’s Corporate & Tax Group.

TAMPA, FL - August 31, 2010 - Two new attorneys have joined Hill Ward Henderson. Emily Whelchel will serve as an associate in the firm’s Construction & Design Group. Her practice primarily involves representing owners, developers and contractors in construction defect disputes, bond claims, lien foreclosure actions, and complex commercial litigation. She is a graduate of Florida State University College of Law.

Patrick Causey will serve as an associate in the firm’s Real Property and General Commercial Litigation Groups. His practice focuses on litigation in the areas of real estate, land use, general commercial and insurance coverage. He is a graduate of Stetson University College of Law.

TAMPA, FL - August 16, 2010 - Four shareholders at Hill Ward Henderson have become newly Board Certified by the Florida Bar in their areas of specialization. Charles W. “Chad” Callahan, III is now Board Certified in Wills, Trusts & Estates, J. Rocco Cafaro is now Board Certified in Construction Law, S. Katherine Frazier is now Board Certified in Real Estate and Brian C. Sparks is now Board Certified in Wills, Trusts & Estates.

Certification is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar of the competency and experience of attorneys in the areas of law approved for certification by the Supreme Court of Florida. Board certification recognizes attorneys’ special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas of law. It honors their professionalism and ethics in practice. Once an attorney becomes Board Certified, he or she is distinguished as a specialist and expert within their practice area.

TAMPA, FL - August 6, 2010 - One of the oldest and most prestigious organizations to rank attorneys in the U.S., Best Lawyers in America has named 29 attorneys from Tampa law firm Hill Ward Henderson to its 2011 Best Lawyers designation. This is about one-third of the firm’s total attorneys. Three attorneys were newly named to the list this year, including Shareholders John B. Grandoff, III, R. Reid Haney and Erik R. Matheney.

Hill Ward Henderson’s attorneys being named to the 2011 Best Lawyers include:

• MARIE A. BORLAND | Appellate Law
• MICHAEL P. BRUNDAGE | Bankruptcy & Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
• MARK A. DANZI | Corporate Law
• DAVID S. FELMAN | Banking Law, Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Funds Law, Venture Capital Law
• JOHN B. GRANDOFF, III | Land Use & Zoning Law
• GINA K. GRIMES | Land Use & Zoning Law, Real Estate Law
• WILLIAM C. GUERRANT, JR. | Commercial Litigation
• BRET T. HAMLIN | Employee Benefits Law
• R. REID HANEY | Corporate Law
• LINDA D. HARTLEY | Trusts & Estates
• THOMAS N. HENDERSON, III | Real Estate Law
• BENJAMIN H. HILL, III | Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Legal Malpractice Law, Medical Malpractice Law, Professional Malpractice Law
• JOHN L. HOLCOMB | Medical Malpractice Law, Personal Injury Litigation
• STEPHEN M. HUDOBA | Real Estate Law
• TIMOTHY A. HUNT | Construction Law
• C. HOWARD HUNTER | Health Care Law, Medical Malpractice Law, Personal Injury Litigation
• JONATHAN P. JENNEWEIN | Real Estate Law
• ROBERT E. V. KELLEY, JR. | Commercial Litigation, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law
• DAVID T. KNIGHT | Commercial Litigation
• ERIK MATHENEY | Criminal Defense: White Collar
• BRETT J. PRESTON | Insurance Law, Legal Malpractice Law
• R. JAMES ROBBINS, JR. | Corporate Law, Real Estate Law
• ROBERT A. SHIMBERG | Administrative Law
• W. LAWRENCE SMITH | Real Estate Law
• BRIAN C. SPARKS | Tax Law, Trusts & Estates
• R. DENNIS TWEED | Employee Benefits Law
• KIRSTEN L. VIGNEC | Employee Benefits Law
• DENNIS P. WAGGONER | Commercial Litigation
• ALTON C. WARD | Employee Benefits Law

TAMPA, FL - August 2, 2010 - Hilary High, an attorney with Hill Ward Henderson has been selected by Legacies & Lifelines® to serve as a guest faculty member for its national webinar series, Health Information Organizing, offered live starting August 10, 2010, and on demand as a recorded series thereafter.
“As counsel to medical and long-term care providers, it is evident to me that everyone can benefit if patients and their caregivers have important health information organized and accessible,” says High. “This is especially true in an emergency situation. I am happy to be included in a webinar series that is teaching senior service providers and families such an important skill.”
High’s practice primarily deals with senior care, insurance coverage, and premises and products liability. She frequently provides training and lectures to organizations like the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. In the Health Information Organizing series, she will be explaining HIPAA laws and discussing how to properly handle confidential health information.
This educational webinar series is ideal for home healthcare and companion care providers, care managers, guardians, family caregivers, patient advocates, senior move managers, professional organizers, elder law professionals, health benefits managers, and people in related fields.
Legacies & Lifelines is a national expert on innovative services and products for today’s seniors. Through its Lifelines Academy™, the company educates businesses and consumers about solutions to the challenges of aging.

TAMPA, FL - July 15, 2010 - Hill Ward Henderson received many rankings and citations for its attorneys and practice groups in the recently published Chambers USA by the internationally acclaimed research group Chambers & Partners, based in London. Three practice areas of the firm were highlighted and ranked in the publication for excellence in service – Corporate M&A and Private Equity; General Commercial Litigation and Real Estate.
In addition, individual attorneys at the firm were cited by Chambers USA with the following comments:

Thomas N. Henderson, III - “Founding shareholder Tom Henderson is a first-class lawyer who does a stellar job. His practice involves the acquisition and disposition of commercial real estate.”

Alton C. Ward - “A first-class employee benefits lawyer with enviable knowledge of retirement planning. He leads a team of seven full-time ERISA lawyers and represents public companies, healthcare providers, professional employer organizations and small businesses in compliance matters and audits.”

David S. Felman – “Highly competent player David Felman acted for Advanced Financial on the acquisition of a Baltimore-based rival.”

Mark A. Danzi – “He is well regarded for his M&A and private equity expertise. He led the American land Lease deal.”

Benjamin H. Hill, III – “Interviewees enthusiastically endorse founding partner Ben Hill, agreeing that he is as good an attorney as you will find in the whole of Florida!”

Dennis P. Waggoner – “He leads the department and has a broad commercial litigation practice. A bright, hard-working lawyer, he has particular expertise in professional malpractice defense and professional liability disputes.”

TAMPA, FL - July 6, 2010 - The Florida Bar Business Law Journal has published an article authored by Hill Ward Henderson Attorney Eric J. Hall, “Case Law Update 2010” in its July issue. Mr. Hall practices in the corporate and business areas, working primarily on transactions in connection with business acquisitions and dispositions. In addition, he counsels clients on an ongoing basis in conjunction with a wide range of corporate and business matters.

TAMPA, FL - June 25, 2010 - Tampa law firm Hill Ward Henderson hosted an Executive Compensation Panel Discussion today for the Florida Institute of CFOs (fiCFO). The featured program was “Current Trends in Compensation Structures, and Developing Programs that Effectively Motivate and Retain Key Executives While Being Well Received by the Investment Community.” Shareholder David S. Felman served as Panel Moderator.
Panel members included Susan Marcille of Ernst & Young in Washington, D.C., Ted Buyniski of Radford in Boston, and Mark Merlotti, CPA, of Aon Consulting in St. Louis. The team of panelists covered a variety of topics including bonus programs, equity compensation structures, the compensation committee process and red flags for institutional investors.
The Florida Institute of CFOs (fiCFO) is an organization for Certified Financial Officers to share best practices and to provide a secure CFO peer community that promotes the development of key professional relationships.

TAMPA, FL - June 22, 2010 - The 2010 edition of Florida Super Lawyers has just named Benjamin H. Hill, III and Thomas N. Henderson, III as two of the “Top Ten Attorneys in Florida.” No other law firm has had two attorneys named to this prestigious designation during the same year. Mr. Hill and Mr. Henderson, both founding shareholders of Hill Ward Henderson, are joined by two other Tampa attorneys in this ranking. The Tampa legal market can now boast that it has four out of the top ten attorneys in the state practicing in its local business community.
In addition, Hill Ward Henderson had a total of 36 attorneys listed as 2010 Florida Super Lawyers within their specific areas of practice, five of which are included in the “Top 100 Attorneys in Florida.” Among that distinction, Mr. Hill and Mr. Henderson are joined by David T. Knight, Dennis P. Waggoner and Alton C.Ward.
Florida Super Lawyers recognizes excellence in providing professional legal counsel, and is voted on by peer attorneys throughout Florida.

TAMPA, FL - June 21, 2010 - Hill Ward Henderson is pleased to announce that Founding Shareholders Benjamin H. Hill, III and Thomas N. Henderson, III have been named to the prestigious “2010 Florida Trend Legal Elite Hall of Fame.” This is the second year in a row that both Mr. Hill and Mr. Henderson have been recognized with this honor.
In addition, twelve firm attorneys have been named to the 2010 Florida Trend Legal Elite by the statewide business publication. The following individuals were named “Legal Elite” throughout the state of Florida: Gregory P. Brown, J. Rocco Cafaro, David S. Felman, S. Katherine Frazier, Timothy A. Hunt, David T. Knight, R. James Robbins, Jr., Brian C. Sparks, Dennis P. Waggoner and Alton C. Ward.

TAMPA, FL - June 18, 2010 - Sponsors for the 2010 Florida Directors Institute Program was announced today by its Community Collaboration Group, led by Hill Ward Henderson Shareholder David S. Felman. The 2010 national conference to be held on December 13, 2010 at The University of Tampa is a highly acclaimed, one-day program designed exclusively for directors of public and large private companies.
The Florida Directors Institute is sponsored and hosted by Hill Ward Henderson, Ernst & Young and the University of Tampa. It is co-hosted by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and the program is pending approval for NACD Certificate of Director Education credits. Sponsors for this year include TECO Energy, Korn Ferry International, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., RR Donnelley, AON, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, Central Florida Chapter of NIRI and The Florida Venture Forum.

TAMPA, FL - June 15, 2010 - The Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Group of Hill Ward Henderson will be hosting a webinar “Health Care Reform Overview: Compliance Strategies for Employers” on June 29, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. EST. Practice Group Leader Alton C. Ward will serve as Moderator, while Shareholder Kirsten L. Vignec and Senior Associate Melanie J. Hancock will serve as Presenters.
During the webinar, Employee Benefits attorneys will review the effects of the new health care reform law on group health and welfare plans. Presenters will address specific timelines for compliance, grandfathered plans, and steps employers should take to prepare for changes that will take effect immediately and through 2014.
To register for the webinar, go to the firm’s website at www.hwhlaw.com. Go to the Practices section and click to the Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits area for a direct registration link. Participation is free of charge.

TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2010 - Hill Ward Henderson will be hosting a special event for Bay Area business professionals on June 16th as one of the sponsors for the EnSights CxO Roundtable program. The featured topic will be “Employee Theft: How to Prevent it and What To Do if Your Company Becomes A Victim.” Shareholder Robert A. Shimberg will serve as Panel Moderator for the program.
Mr. Shimberg formerly served as an Economic Crimes Prosecutor with the State Attorneys’ Office and now has an active criminal law practice for Hill Ward Henderson. He will lead expert panel members in a discussion relating to insider theft and embezzlement. Panel members include: Wayne Chalu, Economic Crimes Division Chief with the Hillsborough County State Attorneys’ office; Matthew Harper, CISM, CISA, CISSP, Vice President with Sun Trust Bank; and Steve Oscher, CPA with Oscher Consulting, P.A.
The EnSights CXO Roundtable is a series of programs where noted industry experts will share their experiences regarding critical issues affecting the economy. EnSights member firms include: Tribridge, RTS, Aon, Tatum, SunTrust, ADP, Jones Lang LaSalle, Taylor White, Hill Ward Henderson and Grant Thornton.

TAMPA, FL - June 2, 2010 - Hill Ward Henderson Shareholder S. Katherine Frazier was recently honored by the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar at its annual convention held in Tampa. The Section presented its prestigious “Rising Star” award to Ms. Frazier for the outstanding work that she has performed during the 2009-2010 Bar year.
Ms. Frazier is a Shareholder in the firm’s Real Estate and Corporate Groups. Her practice focuses on various types of transactions in both the real property and business areas, including land acquisition and development, leasing, financing, general insurance, asset and stock sales, and general corporate and business law matters.

TAMPA, FL - June 1, 2010 - Qian (Bonita) Wang has joined the Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Group at Tampa law firm Hill Ward Henderson. As an Associate, her practice extends to the full scope of retirement and welfare employee benefits and executive compensation issues including designing, implementing and administration of profit sharing plans, ESOPs, executive deferred compensation arrangements, and health and welfare benefit plans. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Wang served in the benefits group at national law firm Bryan Cave, LLP in Atlanta.

TAMPA, FL - May 12, 2010 - Four Hill Ward Henderson attorneys, all alumni of Stetson University College of Law, recently participated in a special event to bid a fond farewell to a well loved and respected professor, J.J. Brown, upon his retirement. Shareholders Alton C. Ward (’82), John B. Grandoff, III (’85), Michael P. Brundage (’86) and Linda D. Hartley (’92) collectively honored Professor Brown with a plaque to commemorate their deep gratitude for his years of guidance and excellent teaching as his “Hill Ward Henderson progeny.”
Stetson University College of Law has educated outstanding lawyers, judges and community leaders for more than a century. Stetson is ranked first for trial advocacy and third for legal writing among law schools. The school’s main campus is located in Pinellas County, and its Tampa Law Center satellite campus is located less than one mile from downtown Tampa.

Tampa, FL – May 6, 2010 - Hill Ward Henderson Attorney Sherilee J. Williams was featured on WFLA-TV Channel 8 News this morning in a special segment that highlighted her work in a local Mentoring Program. As an active member of the George Edgecomb Bar Association (GEBA), Ms. Williams serves as chair of the Role Model Committee. The televised feature honored Ms. Williams for her commitment and diligent work through this mentoring program which positive impacts young people in the Bay Area community.
Ms. Williams is an Associate in the Litigation Group at Hill Ward Henderson. Her practice primarily involves the defense of products liability and personal injury claims for auto manufacturers, companies within the construction materials industry, retail stores and amusement parks.

	(From L to R) Founding Shareholders Ben Hill, Jim Robbins and Tom Henderson welcome past and present recipients of the Hill Ward Henderson Community Scholarship.

Tampa, FL – May 5, 2010 - Tampa law firm Hill Ward Henderson hosted a Community Scholarship Luncheon today to honor past and present recipients of the firm’s scholarship given annually to local graduating high school seniors. The program was started in 2006 to commemorate the firm’s 20th anniversary.

The firm’s 2010 Scholarship recipients are Taylor Phaneuf and Anisha Kesarwani. Miss Phaneuf will soon graduate from Plant High School and will attend the University of Florida to study business. The firm bestowed a $5,000 scholarship to her. Miss Kesarwani is a rising sophomore in the IB Program at Strawberry Crest High School who aspires to one day become a surgeon. The firm bestowed Florida Pre-Paid Tuition to her through the Hillsborough Education Foundation.

High school seniors from Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties may apply for the Hill Ward Henderson Scholarship by filling out the application provided on the firm’s website at www.hwhlaw.com and delivering it to their high school guidance counselor by March 1st of each year.

Tampa, FL – April 22, 2010 - Hill Ward Henderson Shareholder Lance V. Curry, III presented to attorneys across the country at the American Bar Association’s Annual Litigation Section Conference today in Washington, DC. His program was entitled “Appellate Review of Adverse Discovery Orders in Federal Court – A Mock Oral Argument based upon Mohawk Industries, Inc. v. Carpenter.”
Mr. Curry co-presented alongside Mr. Mark Harris from Proskauer Rose law firm in New York and Mr. Paul Mogin of Williams & Connelly law firm in Washington D.C. The trio participated in a panel discussion to review the impact of the Mohawk decision upon the mechanisms available to legal counsel seeking appellate review of adverse discovery orders.

TAMPA, FL - April 22, 2010 - R. Craig Mayfield, Shareholder, has been appointed by DRI (Defense Research Institute) to serve as Vice Chair of the Chemical and Toxic Torts Specialized Litigation Group. This new appointment is in addition to his role as Vice Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee for DRI. In this capacity, he serves on the National Steering Committee in a leadership role for the two largest independent DRI committees -- Young Lawyers and Products Liability.
DRI is the largest international membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation. DRI's mission includes improving the civil justice system and preserving the civil jury, while strengthening the skills, effectiveness and professionalism of defense lawyers. DRI boasts over 22,000 international members.

TAMPA, FL - March 25, 2010 - Alton C. Ward, shareholder at Hill Ward Henderson, has been named the “Employee Benefits Lawyer of the Year in Tampa” for 2010 by Best Lawyers in America. This prestigious honor recognizes Mr. Ward’s many years of experience in employee benefits law, as well as his excellence in professionalism and ethics.
In addition, Best Lawyers in America has honored the firm’s Employee Benefits group as the "Best Employee Benefits Practice" in Tampa, as well as in the State of Florida, for 2010. Mr. Ward serves as the firm’s practice group leader for this team of attorneys.
Best Lawyers in America is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Inclusion in Best Lawyers in based entirely on peer review. For 25 years, the top lawyers in the U.S. have helped make The Best Lawyers in America the leading legal referral guide by candidly evaluating the work of other top lawyers in the same specialties and geographic areas.

TAMPA, FL - March 18, 2010 - Founding Shareholders Benjamin H. Hill, III and Thomas N. Henderson, III, were featured in the Executive Profile Series by Tampa Bay Business Journal in this week's issue of the weekly business publication. Both gentlemen helped found Tampa law firm Hill Ward Henderson in 1986, along with David E. Ward, Jr. and four others attorneys. Recently, the duo of Hill and Henderson have received quite a few side-by-side accolades. They were both named to the Top Ten Attorneys in the State by Florida Super Lawyers for 2010. They were both named as inaugural members of the Hall of Fame by Florida Trend's Legal Elite, an honor for professionals with distinguished careers within the legal profession. Both Mr. Hill and Mr. Henderson have been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, the oldest and most highly revered peer review publication in the legal industry, since its inception in 1994.

In the Tampa Bay Business Journal's Executive Profile, Mr. Hill and Mr. Henderson were both asked to answer the question, "What was your best business idea?" Mr. Hill reflected, "My best business idea was the establishment of a culture of rendering quality service in an efficient and respectful manner." Mr. Henderson shared, "My best business idea was recognizing early on that being truly prepared is essential to one's success and that you need to surround yourself with individuals who are smarter than you are."

TAMPA, FL - March 15, 2010 - The Hillsborough Chapter of the Paralegal Association of Florida has elected Kim Christmas, FRP and Samantha Wagner, FRP to board positions. Ms. Christmas will be serving as Communications Secretary and Ms. Wagner will be serving as a Board Director. Both serve as paralegals at Tampa law firm Hill Ward Henderson. The Paralegal Association of Florida is a professional organization comprised of 1,000 paralegals from around the state. The Hillsborough County chapter is one of ten chapters throughout Florida that provides professional development programs and continuing legal education for paralegals. Both Ms. Christmas and Ms. Wagner have earned the "FRP" designation which signifies their successful meeting of standards for education, work experience, and adherence to a code of ethics and standards for paralegal certification.

TAMPA, FL - March 9, 2010 - The sixth annual Florida Directors' Institute has been scheduled for December 13, 2010 to be held at The University of Tampa's Vaughn Center. This highly acclaimed, intensive, one-day program is designed exclusively for directors of public and large private companies. A limited number of registrations are also available to senior executives. Acceptance into the Institute is contingent upon meeting these qualifications. The 2010 Florida Directors' Institute is pending approval for National Association for Corporate Directors (NACD) Certificate of Director Education credits, and is expected to be approved for continuing legal education credit and CPA continuing professional education credit.
Shareholder David S. Felman of Hill Ward Henderson is the founder and principal organizer of The Florida Directors' Institute. In 2004, the Institute was launched as a collaborative program with the University of Tampa's Sykes College of Business and Ernst & Young LLP to provide professional development and education in board governance for directors of public companies. For registration information, please visit the following web site: http://www.ut.edu/centers/fdi.

TAMPA, FL - March 7, 2010 - The annual University of Tampa Fellows Forum will be held on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. A breakfast is being sponsored by Tampa law firm Hill Ward Henderson, which will begin at 7:15 .m. The annual University of Tampa Fellows Forum, the flagship event for the Board of Fellows, brings together a distinguished panel of business CEOs to share their perspectives with the Tampa Bay business community.
This year's program will include distinguished speakers Dr. Cecil B. Wilson from the American Medical Association, Ms. Elizabeth 'Liz' A. Smith from OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC, and Mr. Jonathan 'Jon' R. Baum of The Dreyfus Corporation. The University of Tampa Board of Fellows' mission is to strengthen the ties between the university and the local business community, serve as good will ambassadors within the community and to provide financial support for the University of Tampa.

TAMPA, FL - March 3, 2010 - Hill Ward Henderson Attorney Nathan Hatcher of the Litigation Group has been coaching a trial advocacy team for Stetson University College of Law over the past year. On February 28th in Kansas City, his team won the Regional Competition of the American Association for Justice National Student Trial Advocacy. The team included Olesea Collins, Cornelius Demps, Renee Faired and Colby Hearn. Demps also received the award for best advocate. The team’s next stop will be New Orleans, Louisiana, where they will compete in the national AAJ competition. Mr. Hatcher is an alumnus from Stetson University College of Law, graduating in 2008. His practice emphasis includes products liability defense. Stetson University College of Law is Florida's first law school. It has educated lawyers for more than a century. The law school is located in the Gulfport/St. Petersburg area with a law center in downtown Tampa.

TAMPA, FL - March 1, 2010 - Hill Ward Henderson Attorneys B. Ben Dachepalli and Michael P. Brundage will be serving as guest speakers at the Tampa Bay Chapter's Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) meeting to be held on March 25, 2010. Both gentlemen are Shareholders at the firm. Mr. Dachepalli and Mr. Brundage will be presenting the "Impact of Bankruptcy on Construction Projects." CFMA is the only non-profit organization dedicated to serving the financial professional within the construction industry. Established in 1981, CFMA now boasts over 7,000 members and 87 chapters in major cities across the U.S. Members of the Tampa Bay chapter represent all types of contractors, including generals and subcontractors as well as developers, construction managers, architects, engineers, principals and material and equipment suppliers.

TAMPA, FL - February 24, 2010 - Gary Swisher, Director of Finance and Accounting for Hill Ward Henderson, has been elected to serve as President of the Suncoast Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA). He will resume office on April 1, 2010. Established in 1981, ALA boasts over 10,000 members nationwide and is comprised of professionals involved in the management of various sized law firms, corporate legal departments and governmental legal agencies. Its mission is to harness collective talents and abilities of professional administrators in support of the legal community and the community at large.

TAMPA, FL - February 15, 2010 - C. Howard Hunter, Shareholder at Hill Ward Henderson, has been elected and sworn in to serve as the new President for the Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He is a member of the Litigation Group and he serves as leader for the firm's Healthcare Litigation team. The primary mission of ABOTA is the preservation of the civil jury trial process. The Tampa Bay Chapter is part of the national organization which boasts over 6,300 members across the country. ABOTA is an invitation-only association. Its members have tried at least ten civil jury trials to conclusion, as well as possess additional litigation experience and exhibit the principles of courtroom civility, integrity and professionalism.

TAMPA, FL - February 11, 2010 - Gina K. Grimes, Shareholder at Hill Ward Henderson, has been appointed as a member of the Hillsborough County 2010-2011 Charter Review Board. As a requirement of the Hillsborough County Home Rule Charter, The Charter Review Board convenes every five years to review the Charter and propose necessary changes and revisions. The Charter outlines the details and structure for the organization of Hillsborough County's government and entities.

TAMPA, FL - February 9, 2010 - Hill Ward Henderson hosted a seminar today for clients and colleagues in the automotive industry titled "Pro-Active Employment Law Practices." Rosalind K. Bak, Shareholder, presented "Investigating Employee Complaints of Discrimination and Harassment" which explored investigations and appropriate remedial measures. She shared best practices for managing employees following investigations to avoid whistle-blower retaliation claims. S. Gordon Hill, Shareholder, presented "Best Practices for Employee Terminations & Other Discipline" which highlighted how putting best practices into place can help place "bullet proof" terminations and other disciplinary actions. He discussed exit meetings and the use of severance agreements. The seminar was very well attended and additional future seminars are being planned. Those within the automotive industry desiring to be added to our invitation list may contact Kim Brannan at kbrannan@hwhlaw.com.

TAMPA, FL - February 1, 2010 - Desiree D. Noisette, Attorney at Hill Ward Henderson, was recently featured on the cover of The Florida Bar News. Ms. Noisette serves as a member of the new Green Buildings Subcommittee of the Construction Committee of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar. As a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professional, she has been part of the driving force behind helping launch the statewide organization's cutting edge green initiative through this new subcommittee. This group's mission is to serve as a resource for lawyers who practice in real property, environmental and land use law. As the group seeks to educate and provide information, Ms. Noisette created an e-magazine/blog, found at www.Floridagreenbuildinglaw.com, that has received over 2,000 hits since its inception last year.

TAMPA, FL - January 28, 2010 - Lisa D. Murfield, MBA, SPHR, Human Resources Manager at Hill Ward Henderson, has been elected as the 2010 President of HR Tampa. With over 600 members in the Tampa Bay area, HR Tampa is a professional human resource organization. HR Tampa's mission is to create opportunity for the exchange of ideas on issues challenging human resource professionals, and to encourage discussion leading to better methods and relationships, and to advance the profession and the personal development of professionals.

TAMPA, FL - January 18, 2010 - David S. Felman, Shareholder at Hill Ward Henderson, will be serving as a panelist and speaker at the upcoming Florida Venture Capital Conference to be held in Orlando on February 2-3, 2010. Mr. Felman leads the Corporate & Tax Group for the firm, with a practice emphasis in venture capital and private equity. He serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for Florida Venture Forum, Inc., a premier statewide support group for venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. The Forum provides networking and education for entrepreneurs seeking sources of venture capital.

TAMPA, FL - January 9, 2010 - The Real Estate Group of Hill Ward Henderson was featured in today's issue of Tampa Bay Business Journal. The publication highlighted the firm's representation of CFL Pizza, LLC in a deal close to $35 million to acquire 91 area Pizza Hut restaurants in Orlando. The deal took nearly a year to coordinate and closed in December. The time spent coordinating the deal was partly due to the complexity of the real estate involved with 23 of the restaurants being fee properties and 68 being leases. Hill Ward Henderson Attorneys Steve Hudoba and Tom Goeglein worked on behalf of the firm's Real Estate Group in representing CFL in the transaction.
"Despite many points of contact and a mountain of regulatory work handled in part by the firm's established paralegals, things went smoothly," said Mr. Hudoba. "That was a nice change from the lease concessions and defaults that have been out there in the market."

TAMPA, FL - January 7, 2010 - Charles W. “Chad” Callahan, III and Lance V. Curry, III have recently been elected as Shareholders at Hill Ward Henderson. Mr. Callahan practices in the firm’s Trusts & Estates Group, and his practice includes Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Administration, Family Business Succession Planning and Asset Protection. Mr. Curry serves in the firm’s Litigation Group, and his practice includes Appellate, Commercial Litigation, Professional Liability, and Securities and Shareholder Litigation.

TAMPA, FL - January 6, 2010 - David T. Knight, Shareholder, has been appointed by the Hillsborough County Bar Association to serve on the Board of Directors of Bay Area Legal Services, Inc. Mr. Knight is a Board Certified Attorney by the Florida Bar in Civil Trial, Business Litigation and Antitrust & Trade Regulation Law. Bay Area Legal Services is the only non-profit legal aid organization delivering civil legal services to low-income families in Hillsborough and Pasco Counties.

TAMPA, FL - January 1, 2010 - Mark M. Wall, Shareholder, has been appointed by the Supreme Court of Florida to serve as a member of the Committee on Standard Jury Instructions - Contract and Business Cases. As a member of the firm's Litigation Group, Mr. Wall will be serving the citizens of Florida as he seeks to improve understanding and clarity for juries throughout our state while serving on this significant committee.