WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (June 14, 2018) – Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest and largest full-service business law firms, today announced that litigation attorney Mike Freed has been honored by the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division with the Michael K. Reese Quality of Life award.
The award recognizes the person and/or entity that, through humanitarian respect, advances balance and fulfillment in lawyers’ lives by redefining current work habits and schedules to provide more flexibility and a more meaningful existence. For purposes of the award, quality of life is defined as finding equilibrium between work, family and community involvement to maximize good health and minimize stress in one’s career.
The Florida Bar stated they “Found [Freed’s] focus on physical fitness and mental health in North Florida, including his work running to raise money and awareness for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, to be exceptional.”
In 2017, Freed launched “Freed to Run” where he ran six marathons in six days to benefit Jacksonville Area Legal Aid – a non-profit dedicated to providing free civil legal assistance to those who could not otherwise afford it. The inaugural event raised nearly $70,000, which was $30,000 more than the original goal of the project. Freed to Run is now in its second year and is scheduled to take place in December 2018 – this time as a relay-style event.
“The practice of law is amazingly rewarding but can also be a drain if one doesn’t focus on the full variety of components that make for a healthy life – I am honored to be seen as an attorney who makes an effort to find that balance,” stated Freed. “[Freed to Run] is a captivating initiative that I’m pleased to see is inspiring others.”
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