by Joao Bicalho
Staff Writer
No matter where she is, as a lawyer or as a minister, Cynthia Montgomery answers her call to public service by helping people. In fact, by helping them, Montgomery puts things into perspective by recognizing that people she deals with, on a daily basis, are valued human beings — no matter why or how she encounters them.
Her aspiration to become a lawyer was passed to her by her father, who is also an attorney. It was in a summer studies program in England that Montgomery first had the chance to work with a barrister, who took her under his wing. He let Montgomery go to court with him and also taught her a course in Comparative Institutional Law.
“I really became enamored with the law,” she said. “I loved law school and I love the practice of law and the stuff that we do.”
She has been a commercial real estate attorney with GrayRobinson since November 2007. She moved to Jacksonville in 2003 when she started at Akerman Sentertiff.
“One of my partners at Akerman Sentertiff came over to start the transactional department and wooed me over,” said Montgomery.
Throughout her career, Montgomery has represented a variety of different clients, from publicly traded companies to private clients in areas including acquisitions and dispositions, land development (including commercial, mixed use and residential), financing as far as lender and borrower representation and other various commercial real estate matters.
Montgomery notices a good number of women working in the real estate industry.
Four years ago, she started noticing that more of the male lawyers she worked with were much more receptive to treating her as an equal because they had daughters who were also working in the field, she said.
As a professional, she understands some of the issues facing the commercial real state industry.
“As the builders know, money is much tighter,” said Montgomery.
She also understands that banks are requiring additional equity contributions making the process harder.
“If you have money or loans with existing lenders, they are tightening up the requirements on you,” she said.
Originally from Sarasota, Montgomery got her degree from the University of Florida in 1989, but started her career in Orlando working for Akerman Senterfitt doing real estate law for three-and-a-half years.
When Montgomery realized she had another call to answer, she left law and went to seminary for two years.
After that, she went to work for Rogers & Hardin and worked full-time while in seminary. She got her master’s in divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2000.
Montgomery worked five more years for Rogers & Hardin before taking her position with GrayRobinson.
The call to become a minister came after practicing law for a while, she said. Montgomery understands that also being a minister helps her fill a gap in the legal world.
“It helps me see that at the end of the day what we do is simply what we do,” she said. “It is not that important in the big scheme of life.”
She preaches at Middleburg Presbyterian Church every other Sunday.
Montgomery believes that family and friends are of great importance in her life. She has been married to Jim, a physicist and a stay-at-home dad, for 12 years and they have three daughters.
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