About 18 months ago, attorney Lanny Russell decided that, after 38 years at the law firm where he started his career, he wanted to slow down his practice, so he left Smith Hulsey & Busey to work with two colleagues and friends who had a boutique litigation firm.
Russell returned to his home firm in April.
“I thought I wanted to de-intensify my practice and I had an opportunity to work with two great friends, Mike Tanner and Tom Bishop. I learned that with the clients I have, I need the group of support that’s available at Smith Hulsey & Busey — nonlitigation areas like real estate and transactional work,” he said.
“Lanny has a wide circle of clients who need work like contracts and mergers and acquisitions. All we do is litigation,” said Thomas Bishop of Bishop & Mills, formerly Tanner & Bishop.
“He’s going back to his home of nearly four decades with our blessings. We loved practicing and working with Lanny and we’ll continue to work together,” he said.
“Lanny is a proven experienced and creative counselor who historically has attracted and maintained unusually loyal clients. Lanny is also a good friend, and we have enthusiastically welcomed his return to our professional family,” said Stephen Busey, chairman of Smith Hulsey & Busey.
Coker Law partner Daniel Iracki was inducted as a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers last month at the organization’s annual meeting in London.
The group comprises members from nearly 40 countries and limits its U.S. membership to 500 trial and appellate practice attorneys from the plaintiffs’ and defense sides in civil and criminal law.
There are 64 fellows in Florida and six who practice in the 4th Circuit, including Iracki.
At 37, Iracki said he’s the second-youngest fellow in the U.S. and the youngest in Florida.
The Chester Bedell American Inn of Court is accepting applications for membership for the 2019-20 Inn year. The application deadline is May 17.
Members may serve as pupils (students at accredited law schools), associates (lawyers with less than five years’ experience), barristers (lawyers with more than five and up to 15 years’ experience), or masters (more than 15 years’ experience).
The term for pupils and associates is one year. The term for barristers is three years. There is no term limit for masters.
Applications are available on the Inn’s website under membership on the home page.
The American Inns of Court seek to inspire the legal community to advance the rule of law by achieving the highest level of professionalism through example, education and mentoring.
For more information, contact Membership Chair Courtney Grimm at [email protected] or (904) 269-6303.
Assistant State Attorney Nicole Saunders, formerly of the County Division in Clay County, was promoted to the Circuit Division.
She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Jacksonville University and her law degree from the University of Florida.
Assistant State Attorneys LaTesha Campbell and Vanessa Wheeler-Sanchez were selected to join Class VII of The Florida Bar’s Leadership Academy.
As statewide fellows, they will participate in leadership classes, participate in volunteer projects and interact with local and national Bar leaders.
Campbell is a County Court Division chief. Wheeler-Sanchez is a Juvenile Division chief.
