WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (July 24, 2014) – Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest and largest full-service business law firms, is pleased to announce litigator Preethi Sekharan was recently sworn in as the new president of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers – Martin County Chapter.
Preethi Sekharan will lead the Martin County FAWL in 2014-15. She is an attorney in Gunster’s Stuart office and focuses her practice on commercial litigation, including intellectual property and trade secret disputes, probate and trust litigation, as well as noncompete, contract and commercial landlord/tenant disputes.
The Florida Association for Women Lawyers seeks to actively promote gender equality in the legal profession, judiciary and community at large.
The installation ceremony was held at the Martin County Courthouse in Stuart on Thursday, July 17, 2014. Judge Elizabeth Metzger of the 19th Circuit Court officiated. A reception afterward was sponsored by First Citizens Bank and Gunster.
The new board of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers – Martin County Chapter was sworn in by Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Metzger on Thursday, July 17, 2014, at the Martin County Courthouse in Stuart. Pictured, left to right: Carrie Stradley Lavargna (Treasurer), Peggy Wood, Jane S. Hunston, Jennifer L. Williamson (Secretary), Linda L. Weiksnar, Preethi Sekharan (President), Jennifer A. Waters, Heather Wallace-Bridwell (Vice President). Photo courtesy of Olga Hamilton of Legal Consulting Services & Martin County Lifestyle Magazine.
Statewide FAWL President Robin Bresky attended and spoke at the ceremony. She cited impressive gender breakdown statistics, including the fact that women represent 36 percent of all attorneys practicing in Florida. Sekharan elaborated on Bresky’s comments, noting Martin County’s own impressive statistics:
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35 percent of attorneys living and practicing in Martin County are women (almost the same as the state average of 36 percent) |
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7 women serve as judges in the 19th Circuit Court, which covers Martin County |
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8 women have led the Martin County Bar Association as its president |
2014-15 FAWL – Martin County Chapter Board of Directors
Officers:
- President: Preethi Sekharan (Gunster)
- Vice President: Heather Wallace-Bridwell (Peterson Bernard)
- Treasurer: Carrie Stradley Lavargna (Carrie Lavargna P.A.)
- Secretary: Jennifer L. Williamson (Crary Buchanan)
Board members:
- Jane S. Hunston (Jane S. Hunston, P.A.)
- Rose Schneider (Rose Schneider, P.A.) – not pictured above
- Jennifer A. Waters (Fox, Wackeen, Dungey)
- Linda L. Weiksnar (Crary Buchanan)
- Peggy Wood (McCarthy, Summers, Bobko, Wood, Norman, Bass)
- Nina Ferraro (The Ferraro Law Group) – not pictured above
- Leslie Kroeger (Cohen Milstein) – not pictured above
Gunster is a strong supporter of the advancement of women in law.
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About Gunster
Gunster, Florida’s law firm for business, provides full-service legal counsel to leading organizations and individuals from its 11 offices statewide. Established in 1925, the firm has expanded, diversified and evolved, but always with a singular focus: Florida and its clients’ stake in it. A magnet for business-savvy attorneys who embrace collaboration for the greatest advantage of clients, Gunster’s growth has not been at the expense of personalized service but because of it. The firm serves clients from its offices in Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, Stuart, Tallahassee, Tampa, The Florida Keys, Vero Beach and its headquarters in West Palm Beach. With more than 160 attorneys and 200 committed support staff, Gunster is ranked among the National Law Journal’s list of the 350 largest law firms. More information about its practice areas, offices and insider’s view newsletters is available at www.gunster.com.
Contact:
Jenni Garrison
Director of Marketing & Communications
561-804-4350
[email protected]
