July 16, 2012

Katherine (Kathi) Giddings, shareholder in Akerman Senterfitt's Tallahassee office and a member of the firm's Litigation Practice Group, has been named among the Top 250 Women in Litigation by Benchmark Litigation, a Legal Media Group (LMG) publication. Giddings was one of only six women from Florida who made the list, which honors 250 female litigators in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia for their achievements in the field. The attorneys were selected from their respective states' rosters of local litigation stars in the 2012 edition of Benchmark Litigation, LMG's peer-reviewed parent publication.

"“Kathi's exceptional track record in appellate law continues to bring her well-deserved recognition," said James Miller, chair of Akerman's National Litigation Practice Group. "We are delighted with the accolades that our attorneys continue to receive from both peers and clients alike."

Earlier this year, Giddings was one of five Akerman attorneys named among the Top 50 Women Florida Super Lawyers; no other law firm in the state had more. Akerman shareholders Kimberly Ashby, Karen Buesing, Susan Eisenberg, and Margaret Mathews were also recognized.

Giddings is a Board Certified appellate lawyer and former Florida Supreme Court law clerk who specializes in appellate practice with an emphasis in general civil and administrative appeals. She is a former chair of the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration Committee. The Rules of Judicial Administration govern administrative matters in all Florida appellate and trial courts. She is also a past chair of Florida's Appellate Court Rules Committee, served as a steering committee member for the 2003, 2006, and 2009 editions of The Florida Bar's Florida Appellate Practice CLE Manual, and recently completed a four-year term on the First District Court of Appeals Judicial Nominating Commission via appointment by the governor of Florida.

The Akerman Litigation Practice Group is recognized nationally by U.S. News - Best Lawyers in the Commercial Litigation category and as a national tier one law firm for International Arbitration. The team has vast experience in a wide range of civil and criminal litigation, including actions involving banking, securities, healthcare, insurance, real estate, and construction.

About Akerman Senterfitt
Akerman is a leading transactions and trial law firm known for its core strengths in middle market M&A, within the financial services and real estate industries, and for a diverse Latin America practice. With more than 500 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 19 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the U.S. by The National Law Journal NLJ 250 (2012). Akerman also is ranked among the top 100 law firms for diversity by MultiCultural Law magazine (2012) and recognized as the Law Firm of the Year for Diversity – South by Benchmark Litigation (2012). More information can be found at akerman.com or twitter.com/akerman_law.