The Sarasota Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (SRQ FAWL) has historically been led by an enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer Board of Directors and Officers.
Amanda Davy, Esq.
President
A member of the Florida Bar since 2012, Amanda Davy currently is associated with the Perez Law Firm. Before entering private practice, she served as General Counsel to the Sarasota Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller. Amanda also served as an assistant public defender in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit. Amanda is a graduate of Riverview High School where she earned an International Baccalaureate diploma. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the University of Florida in 2007, graduating summa cum laude, and was a member of the Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society and the Phi Kappa Phi International Honor Society. Amanda earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Miami School of Law where she was the director of the Wrongful Convictions Project and participated as an intern in the Center for Ethics and Public Service Professional Responsibility and Ethics Program.
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Cathi Carson-Freyman, Esq.
Immediate Past President
Catherine Carson-Freymann is a Partner at Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP. She routinely is hired to handle high exposure matters including real estate disputes, catastrophic injuries, construction defects, and complex insurance coverage matters. She serves as Vice-Chair her firm’s Southeast Tort practice team and Vice-Chair of the Southeast Coverage practice team. Prior to practicing law, Ms. Carson-Freymann was a television reporter and anchor and is frequently asked to provide legal commentary on national stories.
\n\n\n\nMs. Carson-Freymann earned her J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law where she was a member of Law Review. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Ohio University.
Elizete Velado, Esq.
Treasurer, Past President
A member of the Florida Bar since 2012, Elizete Velado is a sole practitioner representing plaintiffs in cases involving personal injury, premises liability, institutional child abuse or sexual abuse, and nursing home and medical neglect. Before joining her former firm, Mallard Perez, she spent a number of years focusing on legal research and writing in complex insurance bad faith and catastrophic injury cases at both the trial and appellate level. Since then, she has transitioned to a more active role in litigating these types of cases, and she is currently working towards board certification in Civil Trial Law. Ms. Velado earned her J.D. with Honors from Florida State University College of Law. In law school, she worked as an editor for the FSU Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law and was recognized as an Outstanding Articles & Notes Editor. She has also been published in the FSU Journal of Transnational Law and Policy and has contributed to trade publications including the Florida Justice Association’s FJA Journal. Ms. Velado is fluent in Portuguese and continues to improve her working knowledge of Spanish. In the past, she served as the Membership Director of Lee County’s FAWL chapter, and she looks forward to serving the Sarasota Chapter of FAWL. Currently, Ms. Velado is licensed to practice before all Florida state courts, the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Colleen Wapole, Esq.
Vice President
Colleen Wapole has her own firm dedicated to resolving family matters respectfully through mediation and collaborative law. As an attorney, she has practiced family law, dependency law, and juvenile delinquency law. Ms. Wapole graduated from Stetson University College of Law. Prior to law school, Ms. Wapole was an educator focusing on English-language learners and holds a Ph.D. in linguistics from Northwestern University. She is proficient in Spanish. Besides being involved in voluntary bar organizations, Ms. Wapole also is on the board of the Sylvia Thomas Center for Adoptive and Foster Families.
Elizabeth Downey, Esq.
Vice President
Biographical Information Coming Soon
Danielle Hixon, Esq.
Director, Past President
Danielle Hixon focuses her practice in the area of workers’ compensation defense and related matters. She assists employers and carriers throughout the claim process, from investigating the work place accident to defending litigated issues, responding to requests for different forms of benefits, and guiding the client towards successful claim resolution. Danielle represents local and regional employers and national insurers, providing the right counsel for each to effectively protect our clients.
Dana Keane, Esq.
Director
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Nerizza Miyamoto
Director
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Anneliese Sander, Esq.
Director
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