FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--William R. Clayton was sworn in as the 2013 President of the Fort Lauderdale Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Clayton is a shareholder in the Fort Lauderdale office of international law firm Greenberg Traurig P.A.
Clayton and the other incoming officers and directors were installed on Judges’ Night, one of ABOTAs largest events for the Fort Lauderdale legal community. Clayton succeeds attorney Diana Santa Maria who gave a year in review and presented a scholarship award to David Fry a law student at Nova Southeastern University, who wrote a winning essay on the Independence of the Judiciary. "I am proud of what our chapter was able to accomplish with the help of our dedicated Board and members,” said Santa Maria, outgoing 2012 President of the Fort Lauderdale Chapter. “ As the immediate past president I will continue to serve on the Board and to help William and our chapter move on to greater achievements.”
During the program, Eugene Pettis was selected as Trial Lawyer of the Year and The Honorable David Krathen was selected as Trial Judge of the Year. “Both of those awards are prestigious and coveted, and this is Judge Krathen’s second award for being Trial Judge of the Year," said Clayton. “Judges' Night was a huge success and was heavily attended this year."
In addition to Clayton, the following attorneys were installed as Officers of ABOTA’s Fort Lauderdale Chapter 2013 Board of Directors: Ronald F. Shapiro as President Elect; Adele Blackmore as Vice President; Charles Morehead III as Secretary; Mitchell A. Chester as Treasurer; and Diana Santa Maria as immediate Past President. Jeff Abers and William Clayton are the National ABOTA representatives and Jay Cohen is the FLABOTA representative.
The event was sponsored by the Daily Business Review, Greenberg Traurig P.A., CopyScan, Sabadell Bank, Universal Court Reporting, US Legal Support, Veritext Legal Solutions and law firms Ellsley Sobol, Keller Landsberg, Law Offices of William Riuggiero and Law Offices of Diana Santa Maria. Additional information is available on the Chapter’s website: www.abotafll.org
About ABOTA
ABOTA is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the 7th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution