Class of 2017

View your classmates' news and accomplishments by selecting your graduation year! The most recent class notes entries appear first on each page. If you have anything that you would like to include as a class note, you may submit a class note online or contact Becky Shepherd.

Jordan Wilhelm was elevated to shareholder at Radey Law Firm in Tallahassee. Wilhelm practices in the areas of labor and employment law, commercial litigation, and administrative law.. Posted 3.10.23

 

David M. Choo has joined Goldberg Segalla LLP in the firm’s Retail and Hospitality group in Orlando. Choo focuses his practice on counseling and defending clients in the retail and hospitality industries in a variety of civil matters. He manages all aspects of claims handling and litigation, including motions, depositions, mediation, arbitration, and trial. He draws on a broad base of experience including negotiating business contracts for construction industry clients and litigating a range of professional liability and first-party insurance matters. Posted 4.10.23

 

Bennett B. Secrest has joinedthe national law firm of Adams and Reese as an associate in the Atlanta office. An emerging attorney in corporate services and transactions, Secrest advises corporate officers, founding teams, start-ups, and businesses in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast on governance, operations strategy and structuring, M&A, real estate purchase and leasing, asset protection, and contract management. Posted 3.10.23

 

Kandace Rudd is now a partner at Waldoch & McConnaughhay, P.A. in Tallahassee and chair of the Medicaid Committee for the Elder Law Section of The Florida Bar. She practices in the areas of guardianship, public benefits, planning for and responding to issues arising from aging and capacity, trust administration, and probate. Posted 8.29.22

 

Travis Voyles has relocated to Richmond, Virginia, and accepted a position as the deputy secretary of Natural and Historic Resources for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Posted 3.10.22

Stephen K. Varnell has joined the litigation team in the Tallahassee office of GrayRobinson. Varnell focuses his practice on general civil litigation in state and federal court and represents clients at the trial and appellate court levels. He previously served as a law clerk to Judge Allen C. Winsor for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, for Justice Robert J. Luck for the Supreme Court of Florida, and for Judge Allen C. Winsor for the First District Court of Appeal. Posted 9.29.21
 

Jamie R. Tasker was named to the “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” list for the first time in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Posted 8.25.21

 

Patrick Bickford has joined Ausley McMullen in Tallahassee. He specializes in construction litigation with a primary focus on federal administrative litigation. His practice includes collections, lien foreclosure, transactions, regulatory compliance, corporate, employment, workers' compensation, state and federal administrative, federal appeals, licensing and insurance. Prior to joining Ausley McMullen, Bickford was an associate at Cotney Construction Law in Tallahassee and Rissman, Barrett, Hurt, Donahue, McLain & Mangan in Orlando. Posted 5.20.21

Lazaro Fields has been appointed to the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Board of Governors by Florida House Speaker Jose Olivia. Posted 11.5.20

Matthew A. Margolis is now an associate at Shapiro, Blasi, Wasserman & Hermann in Boca Raton. He focuses his practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation, government law and construction law. Posted 9.23.20

 

Vanessa Arrieta has been selected for the Elder Justice Program, a two-year equal justice works fellowship program aimed at improving the national response to elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. Arrieta will help older victims of crime through direct legal services, outreach and education to support the socially and economically vulnerable seniors in the rural areas of Palm Beach and Hendry Counties. Posted 9.9.20

 

Harrison R. Dubosar is an attorney at Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman P.L. in Boca Raton. He focuses his practice on commercial litigation and appellate work. The DuBosar Law Group, where Dubosar formerly practiced, joined Weiss Serota Helfman Beirman and Cole in June. Posted 6.22.20

Dylan "Bailey" Howard has accepted a federal judicial clerkship with Judge Mark Walker of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida. Posted 4.17.19

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Amanda Qadri is now an associate at Kelly Kronenberg, a diverse business law firm in Miami. She assists in handling matters related to first party insurance defense, property and casualty claims, and complex commercial constructions disputes. Posted 12.20.18

 

Travis A. Voyles is now the director of oversight at the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He manages all oversight matters within Congress, including Congressional hearings, briefings and investigations. Posted 12.19.18

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Robert S. Byther completed the Direct Commission Course for the U.S. Army JAG Corps at Fort Benning, GA. He attended with fellow FSU Law alum Faudia “Anisah” Bacchus ('10). Posted 2.19.18

Photo: (L-R) Robert S. Byther and Faudia “Anisah” Bacchus

 

Tabitha R. Herrera is now an assistant attorney general at the Office of the Florida Attorney General. Posted 2.8.18

Charles R. LeCocq won first place in the 2016-17 Animal Law Writing Competition, co-sponsored by The Florida Bar, Pets Ad Litem and the FSU Law Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. He is an associate at Kanner & Pintaluga in their Boca Raton office. Posted 2.5.18

Keith Pridgen is now a legislative coordinator at United Conservative Party Caucus in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Posted 10.9.17

Catherine Ann Lockhart is now an assistant state attorney at the State Attorney's Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Posted 9.6.17