Shutts & Bowen Bolsters Real Estate, Litigation and IP Practice Groups with Three New Partners in the Tampa Office

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Shutts & Bowen LLP's growing Tampa office has added partners Deborah A. Getzoff, Woodrow "Woody" H. Pollack and Fred Werdine, bringing a diverse range of legal experience to the Real Estate, Business Litigation and Intellectual Property practice groups.

"Adding these partners, who have very different backgrounds, is a testament to the growth of Shutts' business client base throughout the region," said Alan Higbee, Managing Partner of the Tampa office. "They enhance their individual practice areas and the firm overall."

Deborah A. Getzoff, a partner in Real Estate practice group, brings more than 35 years of environmental and administrative law experience in both private and public sectors. She served for 11 years as Director of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Southwest District Office and had previously been the agency's deputy general counsel for permitting. Getzoff has extensive experience representing developers, hotels, beach communities and condominiums in state and federal permitting for land development projects, beach and coastal construction/protection projects, and marinas. She is a graduate of the University of Florida Levin College of Law and holds a bachelor's degree from Indiana University.

"Environmental resource and permitting requirements are complex and constantly evolving, so strong teamwork with clients, consultants and government agencies is essential for good project results," said Getzoff. "I am proud to be joining Shutts and its talented statewide team of attorneys."

Woodrow "Woody" H. Pollack, who is one of only 138 lawyers in Florida that is board certified in intellectual property law the Florida Bar, focuses his practice on litigating complex patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret disputes. A member of the firm's Intellectual Property practice group, Pollack received a Master of Science in computer science from Stanford University, and his law degree from Stetson College of Law.

"Prior to practicing law, I was a software engineer in Silicon Valley. Today that practical experience goes a long way in representing clients in a variety of technology cases, including database encryption, antivirus software, medical devices and mechanical processes," said Pollack. "I'm very excited to be able to bring my skills to such a respected firm as Shutts."

Fred S. Werdine, a member of the Business Litigation practice group, has more than 30 years of experience in property rights litigation, assisting property owners and business owners on eminent domain, condemnation and inverse condemnation matters.  A graduate of the University of Florida Levin College of Law, Werdine holds a Bachelor of Science in finance and real estate from the University of Tennessee.

"When the government seeks to take a private citizen's property it can be a daunting battle on a number of fronts," said Werdine. "I'm happy to be joining Shutts and to be able to work with such a skilled and versatile team of attorneys."

About Shutts & Bowen LLP
Shutts & Bowen, established in 1910, is a full-service business law firm with more than 280 lawyers in offices in Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa, and West Palm Beach. Learn more about Shutts & Bowen at www.shutts.com.

SOURCE Shutts & Bowen LLP