• The Jacksonville Port Authority is holding its “State of the Port Address” Thursday. Several senior directors as well as Port Authority Executive Director Rick Ferrin will lead a panel discussion for the Propeller Club-Port of Jacksonville. The event is open to the public, it’s $25 (that includes lunch) and requires advance registration. Call the Propeller Club at 993-0032 for more.
• The Florida Bar Foundation has announced its 2006-07 grant awards and one of this year’s will benefit Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. Boston University School of Law student Ariel Patterson will be doing a consumer law fellowship with JALA.
• Kristy Bend of Circuit Court Judge Karen Cole’s office found a lapel pin in Cole’s office last week and suspects an attorney may have lost it. If you think it’s yours, call Bend at 630-2583.
• Attorneys Gregory Lawrence and M. Scott Thomas have moved their firm to offices in Riverplace Tower. The firm will continue its focus on personal injury, commercial litigation and employment and non-compete litigation.
• Rogers Towers attorney Stephen Kelly has become registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Kelly practices in the area of intellectual property law, including patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret and related matters. He’s also the third Rogers Towers attorney to become registered to practice before the office.
• Speaking of Rogers Towers, attorney Ellen Avery-Smith has joined the firm as a shareholder and practices in the areas of land use, environmental and real estate law. Before joining Rogers Towers, Avery-Smith was with Foley & Lardner and The St. Joe Company. Attorneys Sarah Crass, Cristine Russell and Margaret Weatherbee have also become shareholders with the firm.
• There is a new Chef de Cuisine at the Ocean Grill at Amelia Island Plantation. James King is a graduate of the International Culinary Academy in Pittsburgh and worked at the Four Seasons Hotel at Silicon Valley, the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach and the Boca Raton Resort and Club before joining the staff at Amelia Island.
• Public Defender Bill White has designated attorney Lisa Steely from his office to serve as his representative on the Jacksonville Juvenile Justice Comprehensive Strategy Steering Committee.
• Correction. In a Feb. 8 story we incorrectly identified the owner of the Aetna Building. The South Shore Group owns the building and Aetna is a major tenant.