Greenberg Traurig's Orlando office was opened in 1995 to meet the growing needs of the firm's central Florida clients wishing to do business nationally and internationally. Since the mid 1990s, the office has expanded significantly to nearly 40 attorneys and now represents a wide range of clients that require a broad spectrum of legal assistance.   Recent highlights includes several office attorneys being named or appointed to posts on the following:

• Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority Board
• International Drive Community Redevelopment Authority
• State of Florida Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties
• Seminole-Lake Mary Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
• University of Central Florida College of Health Sciences Board of Direct 

It's 2012 and what a way to ring in the New Year and make the presence of CFPA known by coming out into our community this upcoming year.  

One of the goals mentioned at the annual meeting on December 2, 2011, was for more community service involvement. Our first opportunity for 2012 is CFPA for Second Harvest Service Days. If you are not familiar with Second Harvest it is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight hunger in Central Florida.  

Second Harvest relies on volunteers to make the difference they are aiming for. This email is to advise of a great volunteer opportunity we want our members to get involved in. It is a great way to meet and get to know one another while serving our community.   We will be holding food drives through the year and more information as to drop off locations will be to come. The upcoming community service events will be for us to be Food Sorters at the Food Rescue Center located at 3533 Mercy Drive, Orlando, FL 32808.  

Family and friends are welcome to come volunteer too! However, volunteers need to be at least 10 years of age. This is a great opportunity for those students who need volunteer credit. Please let me know any students who will be volunteering ahead of time so I may ensure they receive proper credit.

We will have two volunteer opportunities: 

Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 1:00PM to 4:00PM (20 volunteers needed) and

Wednesday, March 21, 2012 from 6:00PM to 8:00PM (10 volunteers needed) 

So MARK YOUR CALENDAR and come on out for a few hours on either day or both days and make CFPA proud!  

If you have any questions please contact Antoinette Braga at Volunteers@cfpainc.org.  

You can find CFPA on these social networking sites:

Facebook

Linked In

Twitter  

Power of Attorney

Changes to Florida's Power of Attorney (PoA) laws went into effect on October 1, 2011. Please read CS/SB 670 for all of the changes and exceptions (e.g. powers granted by corporations).

A few changes will immediately impact real estate transactions in Florida. One change is that the Power of Attorney must be signed by the principal and two subscribing witnesses and be acknowledged by the principal before a notary. Previous Florida law required the power of attorney be executed with the same formalities as the document for which it were to be used. If a Power of Attorney were to be used for a deed, then two witnesses were required on the PoA because two witnesses are (still) required for deeds in Florida. If the power of attorney were to be used for a mortgage, then no witnesses were required on the PoA because no witnesses are required for a mortgage in Florida.

Now a Power of Attorney must have two witnesses and be notarized, regardless of the document type to be signed. There are a few exceptions, such as PoAs executed before October 1, 2011, PoAs properly executed in another state, and military powers of attorney that have their own rules.

Another recent change is that the authority granted must be specific. Powers of attorney that grant general powers (e.g. "all acts that the principal can do") are considered as not granting any authority at all.

And lastly I want to mention that "springing" powers of attorney are no longer viable. "Except as provided elsewhere, a power of attorney is ineffective if the power of attorney provides that it is to become effective at a future date or upon the occurrence of a future event or contingency." The exceptions are military powers of attorney and durable powers that were executed before October 1, 2011, but not exercisable before October 1, 2011 (i.e. the principal was not mentally incapacitated before that date).

If you are involved in creating, executing, implementing, or using powers of attorney for banking, health care, or real estate transactions, please read this law carefully.