Cyndy Trimmer and Zach Lever were elected partners at Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow.
Trimmer joined the law firm in 2016 and practices real estate, land use, zoning and government law.
She also provides legal counsel in real estate transactions such as leasing, acquisition, financing and development of commercial and residential property.
Trimmer is a member of the Jacksonville Bar Association board of governors, president-elect of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association and a volunteer at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
Lever joined Driver McAfee in 2015. He specializes in commercial real estate law transactions such as acquisitions and dispositions, development, leasing, joint ventures and financing.
The Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association on Jan. 9 heard from two state leaders who explained the policies pertaining to the state Legislature followed by the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
The presenters were FAWL President Kyleen Hinkle and Regina Kardash, the state association’s legislative director.
Hinkle said FAWL is dedicated to promoting the administration of justice and of women in the profession.
Members of the association contributed to the effort that resulted in the state Supreme Court adopting in December a parental leave rule that for civil cases and under certain conditions would require a judge to grant a lead attorney’s request for leave for the adoption or birth of a child.
That was consistent with the state association’s legislative policy to focus on issues that affect women and children, Hinkle said.
“It’s important to us as an organization to be nonpartisan,” and “We usually endorse rather than fight,” Kardash said.
Kardash also said the organization tends to avoid taking positions on specific bills, but instead endorses policies adopted by the board of directors based on feedback from local women lawyers associations throughout the state.
Some of the policies currently endorsed include prohibition of civil rights discrimination arising from pregnancy and support of anti-human trafficking legislation and improvement of services, such as criminal record expungement for victims who were forced to commit crimes by their traffickers.
The association also is in favor of the Legislature making lactation rooms for nursing mothers a requirement in all public buildings.
“We hope to next year draft a bill and find a sponsor,” Kardash said.
