Tag: Bay

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Christine Howard Named Among Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 2023 BusinessWoman of the Year Honorees

Christine Howard Named Among Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 2023 BusinessWoman of the Year Honorees

Fisher Phillips, just one of the country’s preeminent labor and work regulation companies symbolizing companies, is happy to announce that Christine Howard has been recognized amid the Tampa Company Journal’s 2023 BusinessWoman of the Yr Award recipients. Christine is 1 of 30 girls honored this yr and was selected from around 200 nominees. In accordance to the Tampa Bay Small business Journal, “This award functions some of the most dynamic and influential businesswomen in Tampa Bay.”

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award,” Christine explained. “As a co-founder of Fisher Phillips’ Women’s Initiative and Management Council (WILC), this honor is specifically inspiring and a testomony to how influential ladies are in the legal marketplace and company neighborhood. Making certain that management, mentorship, and development options exist and instilling a experience of pleasure in our attorneys and staff drives me to continue on to provide my colleagues and customers below at the agency and across Tampa’s company group.”

Christine is the first female member of Fisher Phillips’ Management Committee and a partner in the firm’s Tampa office. She focuses her exercise on the protection of employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation grievances wage and hour litigation and staff go away-linked problems, as properly as advising and counseling companies in these and other employment relevant regions. She has routinely been recognized for her function in the work regulation arena, which include most a short while ago currently being honored by The Greatest Attorneys in America, Law firm of the Year – Litigation – Labor and Employment for 2022, and Chambers United states of america for Labor & Work in 2021 and 2022.

When talking about what drives her to thrive, Christine shares that her intention is to make Fisher Phillips an even superior spot to do the job while also providing the finest services to shoppers. “This motivation not only served me expand as a lawyer but also as a colleague and good friend to numerous at Fisher Phillips and throughout Tampa’s enterprise group.”

She instructed the Tampa Bay Organization Journal that her finest piece of tips for younger ladies starting up their occupations is to glimpse for the best in men and women and to be receptive and open up-minded in direction of individuals you could possibly not hope to serve as a mentor or sponsor. “You may be amazed at who can play a important part in your professional progress.”

To read Christine’s entire profile pay a visit to The Tampa Bay Company Journal (subscription demanded).

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Bay County’s newest Circuit Court judge, Jessie Scott Wood, is excited to meet people, solve problems

Bay County’s newest Circuit Court judge, Jessie Scott Wood, is excited to meet people, solve problems

BAY Metropolis, MI — Donning the austere black robes for the initial time and with a gavel in her hand, legal professional Jessie Scott Wood is now formally Bay County’s latest Circuit Court docket judge.

Wood on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 29, appeared in the Bay County Fee Chambers to get her oath of business. The oath was administered by her outgoing predecessor, Choose Harry P. Gill, as a single of his last acts ahead of ending his tenure Thursday evening.

“It’s looking to me like you’re after my job,” Gill joked. “And I’m glad.”

The oath accomplished, Wood’s brother and regulation associate Daniel MacPhail Wooden draped the robes about Wood’s shoulders. Gill then presented Wood with a wooden gavel, describing it as a symbol of her office.

Wood was elected to the place in November, having run unopposed.

“I appreciate so much the supportive and lovely faces I see in this article today,” Wooden explained to her colleagues and loved types collected for the occasion. “I definitely am gracious. I am crammed with gratitude. I’m concerned, but I’m also actually searching ahead to the problem of currently being a choose. I’m just stuffed with a large amount of pleasure right now and I want you all to know that.”

She thanked her campaign committee, spouse and children, and partner, who was unable to show up at due to an health issues. Also in attendance in their robes ended up Bay County Probate Judge Jan A. Miner and U.S. District Justice of the peace Decide Patricia T. Morris, longtime mates of Wooden.

“We’re definitely glad for you,” Miner instructed Wood.

“It’s these a joyful working day, Jessie,” additional Morris. “I hope you discover it is the most effective job ever.”

Gill then lauded his successor’s authorized acumen and character.

“You have the temperament, the disposition, the talent, the knowledge to use your discretion in a way that will only be useful,” he stated. “I’m delighted that you’re next me in this position.”

Wood has worked as an attorney in Bay County for just about 30 many years, with family members regulation currently being her practice’s concentration for the last two a long time.

Speaking to MLive instantly immediately after getting sworn in, Wood claimed she’s psyched to tackle the family regulation facet of Circuit Court, which also handles felony and civil issues.

“I’m just quite psyched to meet the folks of Bay County and to truly trouble fix,” she stated. “That’s what I have carried out pretty very well in non-public apply — come across a way to resolve difficulties. I’m seriously hunting forward to that.”

In 2010, Wooden was voted “Favorite Household Lawyer” by Good Lakes Bay Journal. She has also served as a board member and president of the Bay County Bar Association and has represented the county in the Condition Bar Agent Assembly.

Wooden is a Bay Town indigenous who graduated from Western Large College in 1982. She then attended Delta Faculty ahead of transferring to the University of Michigan, where she gained her bachelor’s diploma in 1986. Subsequent graduation, Wooden labored as a merchandising manager for Hudson’s Office Retail store in Novi, but she could not long resist the get in touch with of the law, a contact that commenced a long time earlier.

When Wooden was in significant college, she served as a runner in the law practice of her late father, James Scott Wooden, who practiced in Bay City for more than 50 yrs. Wood’s large faculty knowledge showed her why her father loved the legal profession. Wooden reported she identified herself drawn to the customer call as perfectly as to the camaraderie of the Bay County attorneys, judges, and courthouse workers.

In 1992, Wood graduated at the top rated of her class at the Detroit Faculty of Law. As university student director of the Moot Court docket Crew in her senior yr, she was picked as Most effective Oralist for her presentation in the Cardozo Moot Courtroom national competition. She also was named Remarkable Woman Regulation Graduate by the American Affiliation of Women Legal professionals.

Though attending law university, Wood clerked for the Detroit firm of Honigman Miller, which led to a career offer. However, Wooden returned to Bay County to do the job with her father for 10 several years till he died in 2003 at age 83.

For the very last 25 a long time, Wood and her brother have practiced alongside one another as homeowners-associates of The Wood Law Firm, 721 Washington Ave. in downtown Bay Metropolis.

Examine much more:

‘I’m grateful to the people today of Bay County for putting me in this career,’ says retiring Decide Harry Gill

Legal professional Jessie Scott Wooden announces candidacy for Bay County judgeship as Harry Gill readies for retirement