Wicker Smith Announces New Shareholders and Firm Partners
MIAMI – January 21, 2015 – Wicker Smith O’Hara McCoy and Ford P.A. is pleased to announce that attorney E. Holland “Holly” Howanitz has become a Shareholder in the firm and attorneys Teresita M. Baron, Lindsey E. Freeman, Jonathon S. Miller, and Patrick L. Mixson have been promoted to Partner effective immediately.
Jacksonville – Shareholder E. Holland “Holly” Howanitz has nearly a decade of experience handling defending claims in matters of general negligence, personal injury, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, insurance agent malpractice, and construction defect litigation. She is a Florida Super Lawyers “Rising Star” and is admitted to practice in the state of Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Ms. Howanitz is an active member of many organizations including the Jacksonville Women’s Lawyers Association, Florida Defense Lawyers Association, Junior League of Jacksonville, Defense Research Institute and is on the Board of Directors for the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation. Ms. Howanitz graduated from Oglethorpe University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts and then went on to earn a Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2004.
Miami – Partner Teresita M. Baron focuses her practice on medical malpractice defense, hospital general liability defense and nursing home defense. Through various clerkships, she also gained experience in other areas of practice including family law, insurance defense, wrongful death defense, nursing home defense, appellate practice, and criminal law. Ms. Baron earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Florida International University in 2003 and a Juris Doctor from St. Thomas in 2008. She is an active member of The Florida Bar, Dade County Bar Association, Cuban American Bar Association, Hispanic American Law Society and Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Orlando – Partner Lindsey E. Freeman focuses her practice on premises liability, medical malpractice, general liability defense and insurance coverage disputes. Ms. Freeman graduated cum laude from the University of Florida in 2004, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and then continued her education at the St. Thomas University School of Law, obtaining a Juris Doctor degree in 2007. Admitted to The Florida Bar in 2007, Ms. Freeman is an active member of The Florida Bar, Orange County Bar Association and Central Florida Medical Malpractice Claims Council, Inc.
Fort Lauderdale – Partner Jonathon S. Miller practices in the state and federal courts on both the trial and appellate levels, focusing on premises and security liability, condominium disputes, construction law, employment discrimination, landlord-tenant law and commercial litigation. Having clerked at the Fourth District Court of Appeal for two-years, Mr. Miller has also utilized his analytical, research and writing skills to repeatedly achieve fantastic results on dispositive legal issues in matters ranging from class action lawsuits to complex litigation and appeals in the state and federal courts. Mr. Miller received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2000, and went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Florida State University in 2003. Admitted to practice in the States of Florida and New Jersey, Mr. Miller is AV rated by Martindale and an active member of The Florida Bar, Broward County Bar Association and Palm Beach County Bar Association.
Orlando – Partner Patrick L. Mixson focuses his practice on medical malpractice, premises liability, professional liability, automotive, product liability, intellectual property, transportation law, and other civil litigation matters. Mr. Mixson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration in 2007 and a Juris Doctor in 2010 from the University of Florida. Admitted to The Florida Bar in 2010, Mr. Mixson is an active member of The Florida Bar and Orange County Bar Association.
“Wicker Smith strives to promote hard working individuals of excellent character and is very pleased to announce our new shareholders and partners to the Wicker Smith team. We look forward to the great accomplishments ahead”, said Dennis O’Hara, Managing Partner of Wicker Smith O’Hara McCoy and Ford P.A.
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About Wicker Smith
Founded in 1952, Wicker Smith O’Hara McCoy & Ford P.A., is a full-service trial firm deeply experienced in handling significant and complex litigation for a broad variety of clients, ranging from multinational corporations to individuals. With nearly 160 attorneys, Wicker Smith services its clients through a network of eight locations throughout Florida in Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Melbourne, Miami, Naples, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach. Wicker Smith is a member of the USLAW NETWORK, an alliance of more than 100 AV-rated, independent law firms and over 6,000 attorneys across the U.S. and Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. For more information, visit www.wickersmith.com.
