Invest: Tampa Bay

Page 50

Evolution: The legal landscape is evolving, with new laws on the books related to texting and taxes, and marijuana still front and center The legal sector in Tampa Bay enjoyed a busy year in 2019 that continued into the new decade, although COVID-19 slowed down activity in the first months of 2020, as in all segments of the economy. Lawyers in the region, which hosts Florida’s oldest law school and one of the state’s oldest firms, are tackling some of the toughest legal issues of the day, including the ongoing tension arising from Florida’s attempts to regulate its medical marijuana industry and marijuana’s ongoing illegality under federal law, as well as the thorny issue of gun control in a state that has endured numerous highprofile mass shootings in recent years. Lawyers are also continuing to grapple with the evolution of the tax landscape under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, both as far as their own tax liability is concerned in addition to that of their clients. Firms and individual attorneys are still understanding how they are taxed under the Act, while the Opportunity Zones legislation continues to offer a fascinating prospect for real estate lawyers and their clients, albeit a difficult one to really get off the ground.In addition to navigating new legislation, attorneys in the Tampa region are advancing initiatives to enhance diversity and inclusion within the region’s legal market, following and building on earlier efforts by the Florida Bar. 48 | Invest: Tampa Bay 2020 | LEGAL

History The history of legal practice and legal services in Tampa Bay is long, and is intertwined with the history of Tampa Bay – and the State of Florida – in general. Tampa is home to the state’s first law school, Stetson University College of Law, which opened its doors on Oct. 2, 1900, to a class of five students. Today, the law school has grown in terms of people and prestige, with a student body of over 1,000 and some of the nation’s highest ranked LL.M. programs in advocacy, elder law and international law. Predating Stetson’s establishment is the founding of Florida’s oldest law firm, Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen (MFM), opened by Hugh Macfarlane in Tampa in 1884. Chester Ferguson joined upon graduating law school in 1930. The firm also has a Clearwater office, founded by J. Tweed McMullen in 1946, that merged with the Tampa office in 1993. The Clearwater office has been heavily involved in the development of the Pinellas County community, both before and after the merger. The firm and its partners were instrumental in helping to develop the West Tampa cigar industry as well as expanding the Florida state university system. There is also a rich history of charitable donation that has helped to fund the performing arts and other cultural landmarks throughout the region. ( )


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Interview: Brian Kornfeld

6min
pages 153-155

Interview: Roger Germann

7min
pages 150-152

Roundtable: Tampa Bay Sports

7min
pages 156-160

Market voices: Destinations

4min
pages 148-149

Interview: Tim Jarrett, General

5min
pages 146-147

Interview: Santiago Corrada

2min
page 145

Where to? Tourism in Tampa

2min
page 144

Interview: Robert Bishop, Dean

7min
pages 140-143

Interview: Steven Currall

10min
pages 135-138

Rise up: Tampa Bay’s

2min
page 134

Interview: Randy Avent

3min
page 139

Roundtable: Care concerns

12min
pages 128-133

Interview: Phillip Dingle

6min
pages 126-127

Interview: John Couris, CEO

6min
pages 121-123

Interview: Mike Schultz

4min
pages 124-125

Hub attraction: Tampa Bay has

2min
page 120

Interview: David Call, Florida

3min
pages 117-119

Market voices: Good advice

2min
page 116

Roundtable: Key attractions

15min
pages 110-115

Interview: Tim Schar, Tampa

5min
pages 107-108

Interview: Rita Lowman

2min
page 109

Interview: Jorge Gonzalez

7min
pages 102-105

Interview: Jim Daly, Regional

2min
page 106

Interview: Gregory Kadet

7min
pages 99-101

Bankable: A tax-friendly

1min
page 98

Interview: Beth Alden

2min
page 94

Interview: David Green

7min
pages 95-97

Interview: Paul Anderson, CEO

2min
page 93

Interview: Joe Waggoner, CEO

9min
pages 90-92

Hard at work: The region is

2min
page 88

Interview: David Gwynn

2min
page 89

Interview: Catherine Stempien

6min
pages 84-87

Interview: Nancy Tower

2min
page 82

Interview: Gary Godsey

4min
pages 71-73

Interview: Todd Fultz, Managing

11min
pages 76-79

Interview: T.J. Szelistowski

2min
page 83

Demanding times: Tampa Bay

2min
page 81

Strong fundamentals: As cranes

5min
pages 74-75

Interview: Mark Metheny

3min
page 70

Market voices: Growth factors

1min
page 80

Roundtable: Commercial Real Estate

5min
pages 68-69

Interview: Alan Higbee

5min
pages 55-56

Interview: Nicholas Haines

7min
pages 65-67

Building value: The temperature

2min
page 60

Interview: Leroy Moore, COO

5min
pages 61-62

Market voices: Transformation

5min
pages 63-64

Market voices: Advantages

4min
pages 57-59

Interview: Bill Schifino, Tampa

3min
page 54

Interview: Douglas Wright

5min
pages 51-52

Interview: Hala Sandridge

3min
page 53

Evolution: The legal landscape

2min
page 50

Flourishing: The city of

1min
page 36

Market voices: Developing Clearwater

11min
pages 40-44

Interview: Scott Perry, CEO

9min
pages 45-49

Interview: Frank Hibbard

6min
pages 37-39

Roundtable: Female leaders in the Bay

5min
pages 32-35

Interview: Sandra Murman

2min
page 13

Market voices: St. Petersburg

1min
page 26

Interview: Kenneth Welch

13min
pages 27-31

Interview: John Flanagan, CEO

2min
page 25

Powerhouse: Looming concerns

1min
page 12

Interview: Lynda Remund

3min
pages 18-19

Roundtable: What is needed to sustain growth?

12min
pages 20-24

Interview: Craig Richard

9min
pages 14-17
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