Carlton Fields Lawyer is New Florida Bar President

Tampa, Fla. – June 22, 2012 – Carlton Fields Tampa Shareholder Gwynne A. Young took her oath of office today, becoming the 64th president of The Florida Bar. She is now the fifth woman and fifth Carlton Fields lawyer to lead the nation’s third largest Bar.
 
Young secured the presidency in 2010 when she won the first three-way race since 1983. Her election to the Bar’s highest post follows almost a decade of service to the Bar. Since 2003, Young has served on the Bar’s Board of Governors representing the 13th circuit and she has held many Bar leadership roles including chairing both the Budget and Program Evaluation Committees.
 
“As a long-time member of the Bar and having served on its various committees and groups, my experiences have provided me with the broad knowledge of the work of the Bar and the many issues confronting it and the legal practice, especially during the economic downturn,” said Young. “I’m thrilled to lead the Bar, its members and the communities we serve.”
 
“Gwynne will provide visionary leadership for The Florida Bar,” said Gary L. Sasso, Carlton Fields’ President and CEO. “We are facing difficult issues at this time concerning the independence of the judiciary, funding shortfalls for the courts and legal services for underserved citizens, and evolving needs of the legal profession. Gwynne is the right person to deal with these issues.”

Young’s objectives as president include expanding legal opportunities for minorities and women, ensuring adequate funding for the courts and for legal services to the poor, and educating Bar members and the public about judicial merit retention.
 
Prior to joining Carlton Fields, Young served as the first female assistant state attorney in the Hillsborough State’s Attorney’s Office. She joined the firm in 1977 and became a shareholder in 1982. Her practice focuses on representing insurers in insurance coverage matters, real property litigation, probate and trust litigation, and other business disputes.
 
With a long-standing commitment to diversity and civic and professional leadership, Young is now the firm’s fifth lawyer serving as The Florida Bar’s president. She joins past presidents Edith Osman, Leonard Gilbert, Jim Urban and Wm. Reece Smith, Jr.
 
About Carlton Fields: Carlton Fields is a leading provider of legal and consultative services to a broad spectrum of business clients ranging from multi-national Fortune 100 companies to start-ups. With locations in major business centers in the Southeast, Carlton Fields offers to its clients more than 300 attorneys and government consultants.