Congratulations to SBCF Administrative Assistant Jennifer Hopper, who last week celebrated her two-year work anniversary with the firm. Jennifer previously worked at ByDesign Technologies in Tampa as a Client Support Specialist. Happy work anniversary, Jennifer!

Alexander Caballero and Caroline Black Sikorske attended the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers National 2019 Annual Meeting last week in Chicago. Alex, who is on the national AAML Continuing Legal Education Committee, served as a CLE coordinator on Friday, Nov. 8. He introduced several great custodial-issues presentations by speakers who are among the best of the best in their fields from across the United States. The presentations were:

• “The Intersection of Mental Health and Custodial Issues” by Arnie T. Shienvold, Ph.D., Dawn R. Smith, Esq., and Andrea Plash, Esq.
• “The Intersection of Addiction and Custodial Issues” by Larry J. Braunstein, Esq., Jonathan Gould, Ph.D., and Jim Turnage; and
• “The Intersection of Alienation and Custodial Issues” by the Honorable Emily Miskel, Sol Rappaport, Ph.D., and Donald G. Tye, Esq.

Sessums Black is hiring an associate attorney. Please send resumes to recruiting@sessumsblack.com. All resumes and responses are confidential. The salary is competitive and benefits are commensurate with experience. One or more years of experience. Litigation experience preferred. Candidates must be organized, highly motivated, and have strong academic backgrounds.

It is a time of change here at Sessums Black, P.A. After being part of the SBCF family for 13 years, Sarah E. Kay, an associate at our firm and an excellent lawyer, has decided to start her own law firm, Kay Family Law PLLC, effective December 21, 2019. Sarah’s last day at SBCF is December 20. We are proud of Sarah’s desire to start her own firm and expand her family law practice to include the matters affecting families of special needs children, including special education law.  We wish her the best.

Congratulations to SBCF Managing Partner Alexander Caballero, who has been invited to be a presenter on Practice and Procedure at the 2020 Marital and Family Law Review Course hosted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers  – Florida Chapter and the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar. The continuing legal education event is scheduled for Jan. 31–Feb. 1, 2020, in Orlando. With more than 1,600 attendees, it is one of the largest CLE events in the Southeast. Alex served on The Florida Bar Marital and Family Law Board Certification Committee from 2012 to 2018, which prohibited him from being a review course presenter, and we are proud that he will be speaking for the second time at this preeminent CLE event. Alex is Florida Bar board certified in Marital and Family Law, is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, is named to the 2019 lists of Top 100 Florida and Top 50 Tampa Bay Super Lawyers and is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale Hubbell.

Last week, SBCF Attorney Sarah Kay attended the 15th Annual Conference of the Florida Chapter – Association of Family & Conciliation Courts and Office of The State Courts Administrator (FLAFCC and OSCA) in Orlando. The conference is the result of ongoing collaboration between family law attorneys, mental health professionals, court administrators, the judiciary, and guardians ad litem to provide educational and networking opportunities for professionals who regularly work with parties within the family court system. The goals are to reduce conflict and promote conciliation. Sarah is board certified by The Florida Bar in Marital and Family Law and is a Certified Family Law Mediator through the Florida Supreme Court.

We are pleased to announce that attorney Andrew D. Reder has been accepted for membership in the J. Clifford Cheatwood American Inn of Court, a local association of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals from all experience levels and backgrounds who share a passion for professional excellence. American Inns of Court are designed to improve the skills, professionalism and legal ethics of attorneys and members of the judiciary. The Inns help lawyers become more effective and ethical advocates through mentoring in their communities. J. Clifford Cheatwood was a former Chief Judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit and is one of the Inn’s founding members.

Did you know that SBCF attorney Sarah E. Kay was an exchange student in Ecuador her senior year in high school? That life-changing experience has inspired Sarah to be a long-term volunteer with her international exchange student organization, AFS Intercultural Programs. AFS promotes intercultural understandings and cultivates global citizenship through offering programs in more than 80 countries worldwide. AFS is a largely volunteer-driven organization with more than 4,400 volunteers in the U.S. and more than 50,000 throughout the globe. Since first volunteer roughly 19 years ago, Sarah has held a variety of roles in AFS Massachusetts and Florida. Her favorite, by far, has been serving as a host mother. Thank you, Sarah, for making a difference.

Sessums Black participated again this year in the Christmas in July office challenge, a month-long, community-wide fundraiser by the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation to encourage businesses, civic organizations and individuals to collect toys for the kids of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. We’re proud to say we were the week-three winner of the#CIJOfficeChallenge and on July 26, partner Jennifer Ficarrotta and paralegal Frank Steinbeck, Jr. delivered 412 toys to the hospital. This year, the Christmas In July office challenge raised a record $130,000 in monetary donations and toys. The need is great. You can help through sponsorships, hosting toy drives or donating directly to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. Please call the foundation at (813) 872-0979 for more information.

Congratulations to SBCF partner Jennifer Ficarrotta, who on July 20 celebrated her eighth anniversary of working with the firm. Jennifer is board certified by The Florida Bar in Marital and Family Law and is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell. She is an accomplished litigator who also is trained in Interdisciplinary Collaborative Law and is an active member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Tampa Bay Collaborative Divorce Group. She has been named to the list of Florida Super Lawyers for the seventh consecutive year and devotes 100 percent of her practice to marital and family law. We are honored to have Jennifer as part of the SBCF team!

Congratulations to SBCF Managing Partner Alex Caballero, who is serving a three-year term on The Florida Bar Professional Ethics Committee. The committee is charged with answering ethics inquiries from members of the Bar concerning attorneys’ proposed conduct, and it publishes formal advisory opinions to guide Bar members in interpreting and applying the ethics rules. Thank you, Alex, for your volunteer service to the legal community.

Kudos to Sessums Black attorney Sarah E. Kay, who is serving as Co-Chair of the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar’s 2019 Trial Advocacy Workshop. The July 25 – 28 continuing legal education seminar allows family law attorneys to hone their trial skills as they prepare and present a case. Sarah is a member of the Family Law Section’s Executive Council. She is board certified by The Florida Bar in Marital and Family Law and is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator.

We are pleased to announce that today is the 20-year work anniversary for SBCF scheduling administrative assistant Nelva Aleman. Nelva started working with us in 1988 and has rejoined the firm several times over the years. She also has served as Executive Director of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – AAML – Florida Chapter, worked part-time at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Tampa and enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom. Nelva is an integral part of Sessums Black and we are extremely lucky to have her as part of the team. Congratulations, Nelva, and thank you for all that you do for the firm.

Please join us in congratulating Sessums Black Partner Alex Caballero, who on June 7, 2019, celebrated his 20-year work anniversary with the firm. After earning a Juris Doctor degree with high honors from Florida State University College of Law, Alex joined the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office where he became a Lead Trial Attorney. During his five-year tenure as an Assistant State Attorney, Alex tried numerous jury trials, including prosecuting in the Felony Domestic Violence Specialty Division. When he joined SBCF in 1999, he began devoting his practice 100% to marital and family law. Alex is board certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar and holds Matrimonial Law Arbitrator Certification by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale Hubbell, is a fellow of the AAML and is listed in Best Lawyers in America. Recently, he was named to the 2019 lists of Top 100 Florida and Top 50 Tampa Bay Super Lawyers.

Congratulations to Sessums Black attorney Andrew D. Reder, who recently was elected to be a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association’s 2019-20 Marital and Family Law Section Executive Council. We also would like to give a big shout-out to the other members who were elected to the council: Paul Maney, Kristi McCart, Jennifer Meister, Ellie Probasco, Angelica DelosReyes Roselló and Debbie Thomson. Thank you for your involvement in the section and for your volunteer service on behalf of HCBA.

Sessums Black is proud to have been a sponsor for the Hillsborough County Bar Association Foundation‘s May 2 Law & Liberty Dinner. Proceeds from this annual event have helped the foundation provide local legal-related charities with more than $825,000 in support and grants. SBCF managing partner Caroline Black Sikorske is a member of the foundation board. This year’s dinner featured Emmy Award-winning actor, author, director and producer Henry Winkler. Pictured here are SBCF attorney Sarah Kay; attorney Sterling Lovelady and his wife, Allison Rose Lovelady; and firm administrator Paul Kanjorski and his wife, Shannon. Congratulations to Hillsborough County Bar Association and the foundation on another successful dinner!

Sessums Black Managing Partner Caroline Black Sikorske attended the annual conference of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, held in Charleston, S.C. last weekend. Caroline is a diplomate of the ACFTL—a select group of 100 top U.S. family lawyers who practice sophisticated and complex family law matters.

Kudos to Sessums Black attorney Sarah E. Kay, who will speak on bias in the profession at the March 20 International Women’s Day Diversity & Inclusion event. “Advancement Unrestricted” is a luncheon and CLE program sponsored by the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers, the George Edgecomb Bar Association and the Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section. Sarah is the Immediate Past President of the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers. She is among the panelists for a discussion titled “Bias in the Profession: Overcoming Challenges to Advancement.”

Sessums Black is a proud sponsor of the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation 2019 Heroes Ball, and firm Shareholder Jennifer A. Ficarrotta is serving as co-chair of the Heroes Ball Patron Party. The ball is an annual black-tie event to benefit St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and raise support for and awareness of the care available there. The event is Saturday, April 13 at the Hilton Downtown Tampa and will honor 2019 Community Hero Dr. Kiran Patel, a distinguished cardiologist and philanthropist. Donations to St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation support community health improvements, capital improvements, life-saving medical technology and program enhancements.

We’re proud that the attorneys and staff of Sessums Black, P.A. are involved in numerous community organizations. Kudos to attorney Andrew D. Reder for his membership in Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay, a young-professional leadership program of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay works to impact the business community across the region by providing professional development, networking and community outreach opportunities for young professionals, as well as impacting public policy affecting the Tampa Bay business community. The program’s mission is to support and cultivate emerging leaders by providing access to business resources, educational opportunities and community partnerships in an effort to enhance the Greater Tampa Area.

How many boxes will you help us fill? Sessums Black, P.A.is hosting its annual holiday donation drive to benefit Meals On Wheels of Tampa. Founding partner Stephen Sessums is a long-time Meals on Wheels volunteer and SBCF is proud to support this worthy organization. We are accepting donations between now and Dec. 3 to help show love for our community’s seniors and homebound. Please mail or drop off your donations during our normal business hours Monday – Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Meals on Wheels will pack all donated items into holiday gift bags and deliver them on Saturday, Dec. 15 to more than 800 of Tampa’s homebound.

The Florida Bar board certification program encourages its certified lawyers to take photos with the board certification flag when they travel. Sessums Black, P.A. attorney Sarah E. Kay is holding the flag in this photo taken at Puerta Maya in Cozumel, Mexico, on a recent cruise with her family. Sarah and SBCF partners Caroline Black Sikorske, Alexander Caballero and Jennifer Ficarrotta are board certified by The Florida Bar in Marital & Family Law—a distinction earned by only 279 Florida Bar members. Learn more about Florida Bar board certification at this link.

Congratulations and thank you to Paralegal Lorri L. Rowell, who on Oct. 14 celebrated five years of superior service with Sessums Black, P.A. Lorri joined the firm in 2013, bringing with her more than two decades of paralegal experience. Happy anniversary, Lorri!

Congratulations to Lenore Hood, who this week is celebrating two years of excellent service as the Word Processor at Sessums Black, P.A. Lenore joined the SBCF family in 2016 with more than six years of experience as a legal secretary at the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s office. Happy anniversary, Lenore!

Please help our firm support Eric Piburn’s Peanut Butter Drive to help fight childhood hunger! Eric is on a mission to raise 2,000 cases of peanut butter to donate to our hungry neighbors in Tampa Bay. Feeding Tampa Bay statistics say Florida is fourth in the nation for family hunger and many at-risk students won’t eat at all between lunch on Friday and breakfast Monday morning. We can make a difference. Drop off or mail peanut butter to our office by Sept. 27—and we’ll deliver the donations to Feeding Tampa Bay. Thank you for your support of this important community project.

Sessums Black P.A.
307 S. Magnolia Avenue (please use the back door)
Tampa, FL 33606
(813) 251-9200

Congratulations to certified paralegal Michele C. Tawzer, who on Sept. 13, 2018, celebrated 14 years of outstanding service with Sessums Black, P.A. Michele joined the SBCF family in 2004, bringing with her more than a decade of paralegal experience in marital and family law. Michele is a Certified Paralegal through the National Association of Legal Assistants and a Florida Registered Paralegal through The Florida Bar. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of South Florida in 1999. She is an active member of the Tampa Bay Paralegal Association, Inc. whose mission includes setting the standard of excellence for the paralegal profession through its work on regulations, ethics and education. Michelle has more than 20 years of family law litigation experience and devotes 100 percent of her practice to the area of marital and family law.

Paralegal Frank Steinbeck, Jr. on August 21, 2018, celebrated six years of outstanding service with Sessums Black, P.A. Frank joined the SBCF family in 2012, with more than five years of family law paralegal experience. Frank earned an Associate of Arts degree from Pasco-Hernando State College in 2012 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies through South University, an ABA-Approved Paralegal Education Program, in 2014. He is a Florida Registered Paralegal through The Florida Bar.