Jay Brown is the Deputy Chair of the Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice Group at Akerman, LLP in Jacksonville, where he represents secured and unsecured creditors, committees, trustees, and debtors in bankruptcy, commercial litigation, and business law matters.

Our former Chair of the Business Law Section is a true believer in the importance of Rule 4-6.1 of The Florida Bar, and in his own professional commitment to providing legal services for the poor. In 2019, Jay fulfilled his pledge to our Section by providing over 30 hours of pro bono work, which involved participating in monthly legal clinics organized by Jacksonville Area Legal Aid ("JALA") where he assists pro se parties and provides full legal representation to a few clients. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit this year, Jay has continued to volunteer his services gratis through JALA by virtual and telephonic consults with pro se parties. Jay also advocates through leadership and other volunteer roles for all Florida attorneys to provide pro bono service and supports the Florida Bar Foundation in carrying out its missions.

Among the many pro bono clients that Jay has helped throughout his career was legal representation to a Jacksonville woman in a case he will never forget. To sum it up, a 24-year-old woman was shot by her husband during a brutal domestic violence dispute. Although her husband went to jail and the woman survived the shooting, she became paralyzed from the waist down.

Thank you, Jay, for making a significant difference in the legal community.

Blog: A Florida Employer’s Guide to Navigating Covid-19 in Phase III

By Deedee Bitran, Shutts & Bowen

On Friday, September 25, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida will enter Phase III of reopening which allows many businesses to operate at full capacity. Navigating workplace protocols in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic can be confusing and lead to significant litigation if employers are not making informed decisions. Consulting trusted employment law attorneys who understand and monitor the changes in the guidelines issued by the Center for Disease Control (“CDC”), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), and local laws has never been more critical.

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