2020 Annual Recognition Awards Biographies
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (August 25, 2020) – Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LAS) and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA) are pleased to announce the recipients of their 2020 Annual Recognition Awards. The awards were presented during a series of on-line virtual events August 18 – 20 through the organization’s Facebook pages at Facebook.com/CoasToCoastLegalAid and Facebook.com/LegalAidBroward.
Attorney of the Year Award
Honoring Edward O’Sheehan, Esq. – Partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Shutts & Bowen LLP.
Presented by LAS and CCLA
Edward J. O’Sheehan, Esq. is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where he is a member of the Business Litigation Practice Group and Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee.
Mr. O’Sheehan has a long-standing and extensive involvement with our legal aid programs. He has mentored our attorneys, testified for attorney fee cases, handled pro bono cases, and is actively involved with the Mission United Veterans Pro Bono Project. He works hard to advance our mission and programs through his active engagement on the Board of Directors. O’Sheehan also has provided pro-bono work for the Office of the Public Guardian in Broward County for over fifteen years.
Ed has over 20 years of litigation experience in consumer finance litigation, creditors’ rights and bankruptcy, condominium and homeowner association litigation, probate and guardianship litigation, insurance matters, and tax appeals. Ed also provides representation for clients in matters involving the The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
A former active-duty U.S. Marine, Ed continues to serve as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) Officer as the Staff Judge Advocate for the Florida Army National Guard. He served 15 months in Afghanistan as part of a deployment with the 53rd Infantry Brigade of the Florida Army National Guard and handled court martials and other military legal cases. He also volunteers in his local community as an Assistant Scoutmaster in Sea Scout Ship 621 in Hollywood. O’Sheehan earned a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law, where he served as the Articles and Comments Editor of the Inter-American Law Review and was a member of the Moot Court Board.
Law Firm of the Year Award
Honoring Kelley Kronenberg Attorneys at Law – Accepted by Jeff Wank, Esq.
Presented by LAS and CCLA
The Law Firm of the Year Award is presented to a firm that has shown their overall commitment to the work that we do and the clients we serve. The Law Firm of the Year award honors a firm that has a long history of supporting LAS and CCLA. Kelley Kronenberg, Attorneys at Law demonstrates a commitment to justice at every level. Attorneys are encouraged to volunteer their time as pro bono attorneys as well as serving on the Board of Directors and assisting with fundraising events.
Charitable giving and community service have been at the core of Kelley Kronenberg’s values since the firm began four decades ago, including serving as a longtime supporter of LAS and CCLA. The firm has supported the organizations’ programs and is a proud sustaining member of the League of Justice. The firm also has encouraged and supported its own staff in taking on leadership roles and volunteer opportunities. Firm Partners Alison Smith and Jeffrey Wank are past Board Chairs. Jeff currently is an active member of the Board of Directors, recently serving as emcee for the Bridge to Justice Breakfast and For The Public Good events. Additionally, firm Partner Louis Reinstein was named Legal Aid Service of Broward County’s Attorney of the Month in April 2016 and continues to handle pro bono cases and volunteer for the Advice and Counsel Hotline. In early 2019, Kelley Kronenberg lawyers Jeremy Mishali, Thomas Arnst, Anthony Moreland, Aaron Neifeld, Jazlyn Juda Ouimet, and Alison Trejo staffed the “legal hotline” for Legal Aid Service of Broward County, providing legal advice and guidance to callers for an entire month.
As noted by Heath Eskalyo, Principal Partner, Chief Financial Officer and head of the firm’s philanthropic efforts, “Legal Aid programs provide a truly valuable service to individuals in need, both in our area and beyond. We are proud to support the work of these important organizations.” Known primarily as a Defense law firm, Kelley Kronenberg has broken the mold by welcoming Justice for Kids, a leading Child Advocacy Plaintiff group, to the firm. This division is one of the largest practices in the U.S. devoted solely to protecting abused, disabled and catastrophically injured children. The Justice for Kids Division collaborates with all of Kelley Kronenberg’s eleven offices throughout Florida and Chicago. The Division is led by Howard Talenfeld, Stacie Schmerling and Justin Grosz. The team encompasses decades of experience and a network of some of the country’s most knowledgeable children’s rights/injury law attorneys.
Recognizing the importance of the firm’s relationship to the communities in which it does business, Kelley Kronenberg implemented Kelley Kronenberg Cares, a community involvement program that provides attorneys, staff and their families with opportunities to work together to benefit charitable organizations in their local communities. The firm’s leaders truly believe that they cannot expect to be successful doing business in an unhealthy community and that it is the responsibility of the firm and its employees to do something positive to make a difference.
Led by a representative in each office, Kelley Kronenberg Cares underscores the firm’s commitment to shaping its community. The goal is to be an exemplary corporate citizen, promote positive changes in their offices and local communities, and to inspire others to support philanthropy and achieve genuine results. Past initiatives have included school supplies drives, food and clothing donation drives, a donation of 120 turkeys to 120 children in need in South Florida last Thanksgiving and adopting more than 50 children during the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree donation drive.
Spirit of Justice Award
Honoring Anthony Adelson, Esq. – Founder and managing attorney of the Adelson Law Firm
Presented by LAS and CCLA
The Spirit of Justice Award was created in 2014 to recognize those who embody the “spirit” of the work done by CCLA and LAS and to commemorate the 40th and 10th anniversaries of each respectively.
Anthony S. Adelson, Esq. is the founder and managing attorney of the Adelson Law Firm. His practice includes community association representation, real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, commercial litigation, debtor’s and creditor’s rights, bankruptcy, estate planning, and probate.
Adelson has a career-long association with Legal Aid, starting with an internship which led to a full-time position as an attorney. When he left the organization, he didn’t leave behind his passion to protect the most vulnerable members of our community. He has taken numerous pro bono cases through Broward Lawyers Care, the pro bono project at Legal Aid. He also has served as co-counsel with Legal Aid attorneys on class action lawsuits filed to protect the housing rights of senior citizens and low-income families in Broward County.
Adelson attended University of Florida, Florida International University, and Nova Southeastern School of Law. He has been a member in good standing of The Florida Bar since 1994, and is a member of the Federal Bar for the Southern District of Florida, and admitted to practice in Bankruptcy.
Commitment to Justice Award
Honoring Juliette Lippman, Esq. – Partner at Birnbaum, Lippman, & Gregoire, PLLC
Presented by CCLA
The Commitment to Justice Award was established by Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA) in 2011. The award honors members of the community whose work reflects and embodies the mission of CCLA to improve the lives of low-income persons in our community through advocacy, education, representation and empowerment.
Juliette Lippman, Esq. is a partner at Birnbaum, Lippman, & Gregoire, PLLC, a U.S. News and World Report Top Law Firm. Ms. Lippman practices exclusively in the area of marital and family law and is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator. Lippman has been an advocate for legal aid programs for years, and most recently as the President of the Florida Bar Foundation. On our local level she has taken pro bono cases, trained and mentored attorneys, participated in our Holiday Adopt a family program, and served on fundraising and special event committees. She continually brings resources to bear that improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
“Pro bono work means taking the initiative to help our fellow citizens. When I became a lawyer I made a commitment to play and active, positive role in the community in which I work and live. Our justice system is an exemplary system when all citizens are well-represented.” Juliette Lippman.
The firm is involved with the MISSION UNITED Veterans Pro Bono Project. When it became apparent that there was a need for mentors in family law, Juliette stepped up. They took it upon themselves to volunteer as mentors and also by recruiting family law attorneys to serve as mentors. The also generously hosted training courses for the volunteers. She received the Florida Bar Association, Family Law Chair’s Special Award of Merit presented in recognition of outstanding service, dedication and loyalty to the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar Association (2009-2010) and the Broward County Bar Association Joseph J. Carter Professionalism Award for exhibiting the highest degree of professionalism in terms of respect for the law and preservation of decorum and integrity of the legal system (2009).
Russell E. Carlisle Advocacy Award
Honoring Chad Van Horn, Esq. – Founder of Van Horn Law Group, P.A.
Presented by LAS
The Russell E. Carlisle Advocacy Award is presented annually to an advocate whose actions exemplify a personal and professional commitment to making justice available to the poor and disadvantaged. The Russell E. Carlisle Advocacy Award is given annually to an advocate whose actions exemplify a personal and professional commitment to making justice available to the poor and disadvantaged. The Award was named after its first (1998) recipient, Mr. Carlisle himself. He is a lifelong champion of the rights of the poor and disadvantaged and was the first chairperson of the LAS Board of Directors in 1974.
Chad Van Horn, Esq., founder of Van Horn Law Group, P.A., is a relentless advocate for people facing financial crisis and has taken on 103 pro bono cases through the Mission United Veterans Pro Bono Project and the Broward Lawyers Care Pro Bono Project at Legal Aid since 2012. Helping people, especially those facing hardship, is a way of life for Van Horn that extends far beyond his law practice into all of his community and civic efforts. He applies his resources and network to helping others through a combination of spirited entrepreneurship, dedicated philanthropy and legal expertise.
Mr. Van Horn is not afraid of the more difficult cases and treats each of his pro bono clients with the same level of attention and respect that he gives to his paying clients. Due to his zealous advocacy, he is able to help our low-income veterans and other community members escape the physical and emotional burdens of bankruptcy. He provides hope when many of them have already given up, and provides a holistic approach to practicing law that is invaluable to pro bono clients, especially veterans who often have several legal issues.
Van Horn has been a member of the Mission United Legal Committee since 2016 and served as co-chair from 2017-2018, helping all veterans in need by steering the Committee’s mission with his leadership. He gives generously to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County serving as a board member since 2013, sponsoring and participating in the organization’s events and as a Big Brother mentor to Desmond since 2012, a life-changing experience for both Big and Little Brother. He currently is board chair.
In addition, Van Horn helps children in need by consistently supporting the OJ McDuffie Foundation and provides scholarship funding to Broward College students in need. Van Horn co-chaired the Veterans Pro Bono Project Legal Committee for multiple years. Plus, his firm has been a consistent sponsor of Legal Aid Service’s For the Public Good gala where Van Horn volunteered to serve as emcee.
Jacquelyn and Bruce Rogow Employee of the Year Award
Honoring Corrine Lincoln, Esq. – Information Systems Manager, Senior Attorney at Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida
Presented by CCLA
Corrine Lincoln, Esq. is Information Systems Manager and Senior Attorney at Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. Corrine litigates in the area of consumer law and foreclosure defense, providing comprehensive legal advice, representation, and counseling to low-income senior citizens.
Corrine is a passionate advocate for her clients, showing compassion and understanding while providing expert legal advocacy for seniors she represents. She shows the same dedication to her fellow team members, volunteering to assist with special projects from fundraisers to major infrastructure modernizations. Most recently, Corrine has been project managing an IT initiative to create an Internet based client application tool which will change the way we serve clients. Corrine’s work in this area is recognized on a statewide basis where she leads and serves as a resource for other legal aid programs. The importance of this project has increased exponentially with our remote workforce and social distancing. Corrine’s innovative spirit and unparalleled work ethic endear her to all. She is leading Coast to Coast into the future with the development of innovative technology tools to assist our staff in the more efficient service to our clients.
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CCLA is a Legal Services Corporation (LSC) grantee. CCLA is required to notify donors that our funds may not be used in any manner inconsistent with the Legal Services Corporation Act or Section 504 of Public Law 104-134. The LSC Act and regulations may be viewed at www.lsc.gov. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.