The Jacksonville Bar Association had a full schedule at its latest lunch meeting Tuesday, including a memoriam for a recently deceased member, Oath of Admission and an update on the business of the Jacksonville Port Authority.
Former The JBA President Stephen Busey, who is treasurer of the board of the port, introduced port CEO Paul Anderson.
“He is off and running, and he is going to do great things for the economic force that JaxPort is going to bring to Jacksonville,” Busey said.
Anderson said that though the Panama Canal is receiving a lot of attention because of its expansion, the Suez Canal will be just as important to global trade.
“I know you’ve heard a lot about the Panama Canal, but I’m here to tell you, that there is also a huge impact on what we are doing here in Jacksonville and also the East Coast of the United States by the Suez Canal,” said Anderson.
“The Suez will drive growth on the East Coast of United States in new cargo because of the growth of India, the sub-Indian Continent, Vietnam and those emerging markets that really drive new cargo,” he said.
The JBA members also took time to remember Bill Maness, a member who recently died.
Attorney Charlie Towers and former The Florida Bar President Jim Rinaman talked about their former colleague.
Rinaman compared Maness’ character to that of John Adams who represented British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre.
“That was the kind of man Bill Maness was, he didn’t worry about the politics of the matter. He worried about the righteousness of the matter,” said Rinaman.
356-2466