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Partner's Perspective: What Do You Want for Your Future?
- Jimerson Birr Wins Platinum Readers' Choice Award from Florida Community Association Journal
- Register Now for the Construction Industry Webinar: Critical Construction Contract Provisions for Trade Subcontractors
- Join JB at the Inaugural Boss of the Sauce Festival in Downtown Jacksonville This April
- Curiosities, Ruminations and Various Eccentricities of Firm Biz
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PARTNER'S PERSPECTIVE
James O. "Joby" Birr - What Do You Want for Your Future?
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I recently celebrated another trip around the sun. For me, birthdays are always a time of reflection; both in looking back at the time passed and forward to the future. Birthdays are special days in my family, and when one passes, I like to pause and think about how our histories help define what we want our future to be.
We all recognize that time is precious. This concept is ever-present on a birthday, whether it’s my birthday, or one of a family member or close friend. On my birthday, I think about all that I have experienced in my life. I look at my children and imagine what they will accomplish. I see my mom and dad and appreciate what they have taught me and continue to teach me over the last 40 plus years. This is the part that really hits home for me: my father.
As a father of two young children, I feel an immense sense of commitment to help them become anything they want to be in this world -- just like my father and my mother inspired in me at a young age. My father has been a practicing attorney in Florida for more than 50 years, and his dedication to both his career and his family have left a mark that I hope to match. My own two children are growing up quickly and seeing them become these unique individuals makes me remember my childhood and how my activities were driving factors in the life that I would eventually build.
My son, James, is now ten years old, and he is a chess competitor with a knack for karate. In fact, he’s known in the karate dojo as “James Bond.” His extracurricular activities are teaching him about patience, mental toughness, and physical awareness.
My daughter, Blair, is eight, and she is a true athlete. She also enjoys karate, and is known as "Viper" in the dojo, but her passion lies in her soccer. Her soccer team is extremely competitive, and, with every game, I see her growing as an individual, strong competitor, and an athlete. Through hard work and commitment to excellence, she has become a skilled player both on offense and defense. When I look at my kids and what motivates them, I think back to my early days as well.
As a child, I was passionate about sports, particularly baseball and basketball. It was through my years playing those sports and learning to balance school work with these activities that I found a true direction. I went on to play baseball in college before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. When my athletic career ended, I focused on another arena that required me to use all the tools I learned over the years when I began my law career.
From my perspective, all of this goes to show that with every day that passes — and with each new year and birthday celebrated — we are on a continuous journey of discovery and reflection. If done concurrently, you can almost guarantee you will not miss the great opportunities that present themselves and that you will be driven to live a life of meaning and continuous learning.
Sports have played a critical role in my own life, and I see this in my children as well. Athletics teach you so much about yourself and how to handle each day in a well-rounded, balanced way. Seeing my children become little adults, in what feels like the blink of an eye, demonstrates that a birthday has much more meaning than simply a day we all grow a year older. Birthdays offer us an opportunity to look back on what got us to where we are today, while imagining how we will make our tomorrows all that we want them to be.
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James O. "Joby" Birr
Partner
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Jimerson Birr Wins Platinum Readers' Choice Award from Florida Community Associations Journal |
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For the second year in a row, Jimerson Birr has earned a Platinum Readers' Choice Award from the Florida Community Association Journal magazine for its exemplary service to the community associations industry. The award recognizes the invaluable contributions being made by community association service providers.
The firm first won a Gold Award in 2019 and most recently, a Platinum in 2020 for excellence in the legal services provided through our Community Associations Industry team.
This is the magazine’s eighth year releasing its annual Readers' Choice Award honorees throughout the state of Florida. The recipients represent the top-tier providers who exhibit proficiency, fairness and integrity to the community associations they serve.
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Register Now: Critical Construction Contract Provisions for Trade Subcontractors |
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Construction project contracts have varied nuances and needs depending on the specific project and the scope of work to be performed. Some can be satisfied in concise, short proposals while others require more detailed sections. For good general contractors and subcontractors alike, understanding key contract provisions is critical.
In this free webinar led by three partners from our Construction Industry Team, including two AV-rated Preeminent and Florida Bar Board-Certified Construction attorneys and a licensed general contractor/attorney, participants will learn strategies for effectively utilizing key contract provisions to safeguard their projects and their bottom lines.
Critical Construction Contract Provisions:
What Subcontractors Should Know to Protect Their Bottom Lines
Virtual Webinar
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
MEET THE PRESENTERS
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James O. "Joby" Birr
Partner
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Austin B. Calhoun
Partner
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Join us at The Boss of the Sauce BBQ Festival April 8-10 |
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We are just a few days away from the inaugural Boss of the Sauce BBQ Festival. From April 8-10, 2021, Downtown Jacksonville's River Front Plaza will be the home of this three-day event that will celebrate the growing barbeque culture, and highlight talented BBQ chefs, local craft beer and bourbon distillers. Live performances from top-rated county music talent are planned, and of course, the barbeque cook-off competition.
The Boss of the Sauce BBQ Festival
Downtown Jacksonville River Front Plaza
April 8-10, 2021
The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, Visit Jacksonville, Downtown Jacksonville, City of Jacksonville, and more that 50 community leaders have joined together as partners for this year's festival. Jimerson Birr managing partner, Charles B. Jimerson, is serving as a committee member and the firm is a dedicated sponsor.
The competition has been sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, the largest association of its kind, making this event the first ever World Championship Qualifying BBQ Competition to be held in Northeast Florida. Registration is now open for teams to sign up to compete.
General access tickets will be provided free of cost. For more information about the festival or to learn how you and your organization can be involved, visit The Boss of the Sauce's website today.
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Jimerson Birr Legal Blogs |
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Are you keeping up with the latest information in business and law? Jimerson Birr publishes weekly blog posts covering topics from construction law, real estate development, sales and leasing law, banking and financial services law, community association law, and everything in between. Click here to subscribe today and stay up-to-date on the latest legal news from the industries we serve:
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Banking & Financial Services Industry Legal Blog |
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How to Foreclose on Mortgaged Land in Different Counties
In Florida, foreclosure actions must be brought in the county where the land is located. This is typically referred to as the “local action rule.” However, lenders often wonder where they should file the foreclosure action if the loan is secured by mortgaged land situated in different counties. Luckily, the Florida legislature answered this question by creating Section 702.04 of the Florida Statutes, which created an exception to the local action rule for mortgaged land in different counties...
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Construction Industry Legal Blog |
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Pandemic-Related Rising Materials Costs: How Contractors Can Avoid Losses and Protect Themselves
The coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic (or perhaps the resulting monetary policy) has caused materials costs to skyrocket. In the past year, as of early February 2021, steel prices are up about 27%; copper prices are up about 37%; rubber prices are up about 62%; lumber prices are up about 113%; and although oil prices are only up 7%, they have soared 476% above the lows reached in April 2020.
What can a contractor stuck in a fixed price contract or a contractor worried about price volatility do about these rising and volatile materials costs? This article sets out to explain just that. In particular, this article considers contractual provisions that may provide contractors with relief: (1) force majeure clauses, (2) escalator clauses, and (3) clauses requiring the counterparty to provide the materials...
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Community Associations Industry Legal Blog |
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FDEP’s Assumption of the Federal Clean Water Act Section 404 Program: What It Means for Florida’s Regulated Community
On December 22, 2020, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) delegated to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) the authority to issue Section 404 federal Clean Water Act (CWA) permits for dredge and fill activities in certain waters within Florida. The state’s assumption of responsibility over Section 404, if it survives current federal court challenges by environmentalists, could have wide-ranging implications for those in the regulated community...
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Government Entities Industry Legal Blog |
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What Do The Florida Supreme Court Changes To Florida’s Summary Judgment Mean For the Business Community?
Each year the Florida Legislature proposes amendments to various sections of the Florida Statutes, and some of those proposed amendments involve community association governance. Florida Governor DeSantis recently signed several proposed bills into law that took effect on July 1, 2020, and some of which address Florida’s community associations options for regulating issues involving emotional support animals, fireworks and law enforcement vehicles. Community associations throughout Florida must be aware of these new legislative changes for 2020 and ensure its operations moving forward are in compliance with any new Florida laws...
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Real Estate Development, Sales & Leasing Industry Legal Blog |
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Five Key Commercial Lease Provisions for Commercial Tenants
A business owner may enter into a commercial lease for purposes of renting space to operate its business activities. Unlike residential leases, a commercial lease should not be a one-size-fits-all lease. Under Florida law, non-residential tenancies (commercial tenancies) are governed by Sections 83.001-82.251 of the Florida Statutes. Business owners, or tenants, may be able to negotiate many of the provisions of their commercial lease with the landlord, and make it more customizable to fit their business objectives. While some of the commercial lease provisions contain typical, boilerplate language, there are some provisions that commercial tenants should carefully review and negotiate in their favor...
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Curiosities, Ruminations and Various Eccentricities of Firm Biz |
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Jimerson Birr Joins the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Man and Woman of the Year Award |
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Jimerson Birr recently partnered with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a donor for the 2021 Man and Woman of the Year campaign. The LLS mission is to “cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.” Through their three pillars—research, access, and advocacy—the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society continues to provide funding and education to fulfill their core goals.
The Man and Woman of the Year campaign serves as a philanthropic competition across the United States where mission-focused candidates are nominated for the award. Each community selects one man and one woman who exemplify both a commitment to the organization and a dedication to ongoing fundraising.
This event has continued to be a driving force in spreading awareness, encouraging community engagement, and highlighting the contributions by participants who share a passion for the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's work. Jimerson Birr is proud to join this campaign alongside one of our community partners, VyStar Credit Union.
The Jacksonville Man and Woman of the Year will be announced during a virtual celebration on May 20, 2021. You can learn more about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and how you can become involved today.
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March JB FOR ME Highlight Reel |
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The University of Florida NCAA game became a real nail-biter for some of our team that bleed orange and blue. |
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Our client services director, Judy, proudly displaying her breakfast spread complete with homemade pancakes. |
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In last month’s newsletter, we introduced you to our refreshed firm culture initiative: JB FOR ME. Our firm culture is comprised of employees who are Fulfilled, Opportunistic, Refreshed, Mindful and Empowered. We are a group that likes to work hard and play hard. Each month, we organize a variety of firmwide events and activities for our team to enjoy.
We kicked off the month with National Pancake Day, and our break room was transformed into an in-house dining experience as a few of our team members, led by our client services director, served quite the breakfast spread complete with multiple homemade pancake varieties, fresh fruit, bacon and more.
After a long day at work, we celebrated National Play Outside Day for a fun (but competitive) cornhole tournament along with a few snacks and beverages to turn this into an active happy hour to remember. The duo of Charlie Jimerson and Christine Gipson came out victorious after fighting their way to the championship after a tough loss in an early round.
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The Jimerson Birr team enjoyed a picturesque evening on the lawn as part of National Play Outside Day. |
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The month-long college stadium puzzle competition ignited some friendly rivalries, and Team 2 beat everyone to the finish line. |
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As a team, you know we enjoy the spirit of competition, and this month, we turned it up a notch. Our mental challenges started off with splitting into teams to assemble 1,000 piece puzzles to stimulate the creative spirit. Whether someone needed a few minutes away from their desk or even a new way to enjoy lunch, the puzzle competition was a hit. Team 2 finished in record time with Team 1 close behind. As for teams 3 and 4, well, not much progress to report. From there, it was TPC Pick 'Em time and we all placed wage-free bets on The Players Championship golf tournament. Soon after, we reached deep into our basketball knowledge to kick-start Bracket Buster Friday. Once all NCAA tournament brackets were in, each of our conference rooms hosted March Madness watch parties as the games streamed and people snacked on wings.
At JB, we are serious about maintaining a collegial and accommodating workplace. That means, special benefits and perks like these to make sure we all get the chance to put some play in our day.
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