Clark Partington

Inspired by our stellar group of attorneys this #InternationalWomensDay!

Each week for the past five months, Jason Peterson, a trial lawyer at Clark Partington, has dedicated his time to coaching students on the Gulf Breeze Middle School Mock Trial team. Along with GBMS teachers Mike Rodgerson (6th grade Science) and Christina Cornelius (6th grade Language Arts), Jason helped prepare the team for a competitive district-wide Mock Trial competition, which took place earlier this week and resulted in a victory as their team secured first place in the district! Each October, Florida Southern College provides middle schools across the state with a mock case, either civil or criminal, to prepare for trial simulation; and when this year’s case was released, Mr. Rodgerson, who also serves as the Mock Trial Club sponsor, approached Jason to ask for his help. Without hesitation, Jason eagerly agreed to share his time and talents, and his involvement in the program has been particularly meaningful, as he is a Gulf Breeze Middle School alum himself. “It has been an absolute pleasure working with such talented and driven kids,” said Peterson. “While we may have some budding lawyers in the group, the skills they learn through Mock Trial will transfer to any career they choose.” Clark Partington is proud to have attorneys like Jason who invest in their communities and help shape the future leaders of tomorrow. …And a special Your Honor-able mention: When the competition’s judge fell ill at the 11th hour, litigation attorney and certified mediator Scott Remington—son of the retired Honorable Thomas Remington—stepped in to serve. Thank you, Scott!

“?????????????? ???? ?????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ??????????????.” Marcus Aurelius Earlier this week, the Appellate Practice Section of The Florida Bar held its annual retreat in the Eternal City—Rome. Representing Clark Partington was our appellate attorney, Bailey Howard, who shared these snapshots upon request. A highlight of the retreat included an exclusive tour of la Corte Suprema di Cassazione—Italy’s Supreme Court—housed in the majestic Palace of Justice, just a stone’s throw from Vatican City. Attendees also had the opportunity to hear from three justices of the court’s criminal division on the intricacies of the Italian appellate system. Of course, no visit to Rome would be complete without a little sightseeing and the obligatory photo op at the iconic Fontana di Trevi. Bailey, we hope you tossed a coin over your shoulder for all of us! #WhenInRome #AllRoadsLeadToRome #CiVediamoRoma

Today, the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association hosted its Probate & Estate Symposium at Gulf Coast Kid's House in Pensacola. This Continuing Legal Education (CLE) event brought together legal professionals to discuss key topics in Trusts and Estates. Clark Partington was well represented, with our own Richard Sherrill, a Florida Board Certified Wills, Trusts & Estates attorney, serving as emcee, and Scott Remington, business litigation attorney and certified mediator, presenting a session on Guardianship and Litigation. We were proud to collaborate with our legal community to provide this comprehensive educational resource to fellow attorneys.

“?????????????? ???????????? ??????????, ?????? ?????????????? ???? ?????????? ??????????, ?????? ?????????????? ???? ?????????? ?????????????? ???? ?????????????? ????????????.” John C. Maxwell Clark Partington proudly congratulates attorneys Douglas Alan Bates and Scott Remington on being named to the Inweekly Power List! Their dedication to leadership, mentorship, and service makes a lasting impact. Cheers to all the 2025 Power List honorees—thank you for making a difference in our Northwest Florida community! https://lnkd.in/guhgVf39 ?????????????? ??. ?????????? ???? ?? ?????????????????????? ?????? ???? ?????????? ???????????????? ???? ?????? ????????’?? ?????????????????? ????????????. ?????? ???????????????? ???? ?????????????? ???? ???????????????????? ?????? ???????? ???????????? ????????????????????, ???????? ?? ?????????? ?????????? ???? ???????????????????? ?????? ??????????????????’ ???????????? ??????????. ???? ?????? ?????????????? ???????????????????? ??????????????, ???????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????, ?????? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????????? ???????????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ????????????; ?????? ?????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ???? ?? ???????????? ???? ?????? 35???? ?????????? ???? ?????? ???????????????? ?????????????? ???? ????????????????????. ?????????? ??. ?????????????????? ???? ?? ?????????????????????? ?????? ???? ?????????? ???????????????? ???? ?????? ????????’?? ?????????????????? ????????????. ?????? ???????????????? ???? ?????????????? ???? ???????????????????? ?????? ???????? ???????????? ????????????????????, ?????????????? ?????????? ??????????????????, ?????? ?????????? ??????. ?????????? ???????? ?????????????????? ???????????? ???? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ???????? ??????????, ??????. ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????????????????? ???????? ????????????.

If you need a fun case to cite on a statutory-retroactivity question, In re Seven Barrels of Wine, 83 So. 627 (Fla. 1920) is my gift to you. The case concerned—as the caption says—seven barrels of wine. How they came to be involved in a court case is a bit of a doozy, so hold onto your hats. In the early 1900s, the Italian steamship Luchiano Manara used to call regularly at Pensacola. Italian law required each crew member to receive a certain amount of wine per day, so the ship regularly bought wine in bulk. In 1918, the captain ordered twenty-seven barrels of wine from a chandler in Pensacola, and picked up twenty barrels, leaving the other seven—amounting to about 300 gallons—on hold for the next time the ship stopped in. In the meantime, Prohibition came into effect, and Florida adopted a statute banning the possession “of any alcoholic or intoxicating liquors or beverages.” The statute became effective on January 1, 1919. The Escambia County Sheriff seized the wine, and ordered it destroyed. The chandler argued that he had lawfully acquired the wine before the statute came into effect, and had not had an opportunity to lawfully dispose of it since then (i.e., by giving it to the ship). The Supreme Court of Florida reasoned that statutes generally are not applied retroactively, and that unlike property that caused a nuisance the wine wasn’t hurting anybody by just sitting there until the Luchiano Manara came to pick it up. Wine, the court said, “may be used for lawful purposes” and, having been lawfully acquired without notice that possessing it would eventually become illegal, it should not have been seized. Alluded to, but not extensively discussed, in the opinion is the prior case in which the chandler tried to have the Prohibition statute declared unconstitutional. Marasso v. Van Pelt, 81 So. 529 (Fla. 1919). That case is a similarly wild ride, not least for its extensive discussion of property rights and the dissent’s likening of Prohibition to a Communist plot. But that’s a tale for another time.

Clark Partington is always proud to serve as the “Warm-Up” Sponsor for the 5k portion of the Double Bridge Run, A Pensacola Sports Event. First and foremost - Huge thanks to Starbucks Gulf Breeze for keeping our runners fueled with hot coffee! Your generosity is always greatly appreciated. We also couldn’t do it without our amazing volunteers and participants – THANK YOU!!! We are especially proud of our lightning-fast, resilient trio of 15K finishers including Jo Anne Donatella, Charles James, Richard Sherrill and just as proud of our 5K runners/walkers for crossing the finish line strong! Then… there’s CP paralegal Denise Myrick, who once again stole the show! Last year, Denise got the crowd moving with the Cupid Shuffle, and this year, she turned up the energy with a “Wobble” warm-up! Finally, a very special thank you to attorney Douglas Alan Bates for his leadership as outgoing Pensacola Sports chairman, and congratulations to Will Moore, newly installed chairman and husband of our amazing estate planning paralegal Cayla Moore!

Congratulations to our client, David Finkelstein, and his team at Pensacola Marine Center! Last night, their commercial development project, The Barn, was named “Rehab-Repurpose Development of the Year” at NAIOP NWFL's Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony. Selected by NAIOP judges for its creativity, innovation, community impact, and success in overcoming challenges, The Barn is a standout achievement in commercial development. Located at 700 S. Myrick Street in Pensacola, The Barn endeavors to be the Emerald Coast’s largest & most innovative dry boat storage, holding up to 550 boats & meeting the needs of modern vessels. Clark Partington attorneys Charles James, Jud Brandt, Megan Fry, Troupe Brewer (Incoming President-Elect), & Will Dunaway were proud to be among those in attendance to celebrate this well-deserved recognition. To learn more about The Barn, visit: https://lnkd.in/dGNXJ3W6 Congratulations to all 2025 NAIOP NWFL award winners! ?? Enhancement Award – Bruce Beach Park Phase 1&2 ?? Eastern Panhandle – ECP – Fixed Based Operator: Southern Sky Aviation ?? Deal of the Year – DeeDee Davis and John Griffing: NAI Pensacola ?? Rehab-Repurpose Development of the Year – “The Barn” Boat Dry Storage ?? New Development – Henderson Health Center at Baptist Hospital

Our Florida teachers are amazing! Today I had the opportunity to present financial literacy topics to 100+ teachers in Orlando, Florida. It was an honor to interact with, and learn from, middle and high school teachers from across Florida at the Teachers Law Symposium. Thank you to all our wonderful teachers! And, many thanks to the Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar for putting together the Symposium, and for inviting me back again this year. Thank you to all of my colleagues in The Florida Bar Business Law Section for the years and years of tireless efforts to bring financial literacy education to our Florida schools! Your hard work is already making a substantial impact. If you, or someone you know, is teaching financial literacy, send me a message or tag them in the comments. Please share your thoughts so we can improve the experience for students and teachers. Real world front line stories from the classroom are the best! #financialliteracy #teachers #florida The Florida Bar Manuel Farach

Whether you’re a Florida property owner, renter, developer, or even a tourist/vacation renter, it is important that you understand your rights regarding your property. That’s why our resident “dirt lawyer” William J. Dunaway developed this 2025 Florida Property Rights Guide. From zoning laws and land use regulations to the legal requirements for property easements and more, this guide provides a helpful overview of Florida property rights and how to approach common issues and misunderstandings. For more complex questions and issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to Will for professional assistance.