FORT LAUDERDALE – Credibility, hard work and doing the research are some important for any up-and-coming attorney who aspires to a career in commercial litigation, a new attorney in a Fort Lauderdale practice said during a recent interview.
"Knowing that you have to work hard and then working hard is half the battle," Dorothy "Doris" Negrin, of counsel in McGlinchey Stafford's Fort Lauderdale office, said during a Florida Record email interview. "In commercial litigation, you have to understand the issues in the law. It's ever challenging and you have to keep up with it."
Negrin, a commercial litigator whose addition to McGlinchey Stafford was announced in a press release last month, said integrity and honesty are appreciated, in colleagues, on the bench and even opposing counsel across the table.
"I find the attorneys I respect the most are the attorneys I trust the most," she said. "I think a lawyer’s credibility is a very important part of that."
Described in the press release as a seasoned litigator who has represented corporate clients in state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels, Negrin also has excelled in cases involving arbitration and bankruptcy. She represents national and local businesses, financial institutions, and individuals in a variety of complex commercial and real estate matters, the press release said. These include contract disputes, lender disputes, title claims, liens, construction defects, consumer finance and banking.
Negrin received her J.D., cum laude, in 2003 from the University of Miami School of Law, where she was an Ann Wrenn-King Scholar and a James Weldon Johnson Fellow. She also holds a bachelor's in political science from Florida International University.
The same press release also announced the addition of Gabriel M. Hartsell as an associate in McGlinchey Stafford's Jacksonville office. Hartsell's practice focuses on the representation of commercial lenders and businesses involved in complex commercial litigation, real estate litigation, and financial services litigation, according to the press release. Licensed to practice law in Florida and Georgia, Hartsell's work includes business litigation and insurance defense matters for clients across both those states. He also has experience in contractual disputes, subrogation and indemnity prosecution; that in addition to litigation involving real property, banking, transportation, premises liability, professional liability, employers' liability, products liability, maritime personal injury, workers' compensation and insurance coverage.
Hartsell is a 2010 graduate of the Florida State University College of Law, where he received his J.D., cum laude, and received his International Law Certificate, magna cum laude. He received his bachelor's in psychology, magna cum laude, from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2007.
"We are happy to welcome Doris and Gabriel to the firm's Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville offices, respectively, and to our group of commercial litigators," Michael Ferachi, member and team leader of the firm's commercial litigation section, was quoted in the press release. "The continued growth of our Commercial Litigation practice group allows us to offer our clients increased depth of experience in several areas of law, and is a reflection of the firm's commitment to helping clients strategically address concerns, resolve disputes, and achieve their business and legal goals."
Since opening its first Florida office in 2010, McGlinchey Stafford has grown to 27 attorneys in the state, with 14 attorneys in its Fort Lauderdale office and 13 attorneys in its Jacksonville office, the press release said. The nationwide law firm includes 200 attorneys are based in 13 offices in Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Texas and Washington, D.C.
Commercial litigation is not for every attorney, Negrin told the Florida Record.
"Commercial Litigation is very complex," she said. "It requires someone who is willing to work hard and prepare."
That preparation includes long hours in research, to be aware of every detail, what is in the client's favor and what is not, Negrin said.
"You need to do a lot more than what normally is expected," she said. "You have to find and examine all the documents, come at it from every angle and prepare, prepare, prepare."
For a young attorney, that thorough preparation can mean the difference between nervousness and confidence in the courtroom, Negrin said.
"A young attorney needs to be very diligent, to work hard, research and prepare for every aspect of their case," she said. "I think preparation brings confidence, especially for the new and young attorney. That's something they don't necessarily have in the beginning."