We are saddened to announce that our colleague, Jim Foster, a shareholder in Akerman Senterfitt's Orlando office passed away on March 16, 2013. A highly regarded member of the firm's Litigation and Bankruptcy & Reorganization Practice Groups, Jim was known as an outstanding litigator and a valued resource to many at Akerman and in the community.
Jim's distinguished career spanned 40 years. After graduating cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 1972, Jim clerked for the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal and went on to build a successful private practice. Jim joined Akerman in 1997 as a partner in the Orlando office where he further developed his reputation as a tenacious commercial trial attorney with significant experience in complex litigation, creditor's rights, and inventory-finance litigation. He served as lead counsel for several Fortune 500 companies across the United States in matters involving a wide range of complex business disputes. However, Jim was perhaps best known for his passion for the practice of law.
"Jim loved being a lawyer and was deeply committed to his clients and his colleagues," said Charles Brumback, Office Managing Shareholder of Akerman’s Orlando office. "We will forever be grateful for his friendship, his keen insights and his mentoring of so many of our lawyers in the firm. From young associates to seasoned veterans, Jim's door was always open and many sought his trusted advice and guidance. Our clients and the firm benefited not only from Jim's superb acumen, but also from his uncompromising integrity, warmth, and generosity of spirit. He will be greatly missed."
Among his many leadership roles, Jim was a past member of the Board of Directors of the Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association. He also served as a board member of the University of Miami Law Review and was a member of the Southern District Bankruptcy Bar Association, the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association, the Central Florida Bankruptcy Bar Association, the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, and the American Bankruptcy Institute.
The firm will pay tribute to Jim and his work with a donation to The Florida Bar Foundation's Children's Legal Services Grant program. Our contribution will help support the many legal aid organizations who work with children denied special education services required by law. It is a fitting tribute to Jim, his willingness to help others and his passion for the law, and another expression of Jim's lasting legacy to our firm and the communities we serve.