About Carole Hawkins
Carole Hawkins is full-time freelance journalist who has written more than 2,000 articles on business and public policy for The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Business Journal and other regional newspapers. She has received awards from the Georgia Press Association and the Florida Press Club for business and feature writing.
Articles written by Carole Hawkins
Defending the Disabled
Edward Dabdoub on using the power of law for goodThe case that stands out for Eddie Dabdoub felt personal. After the 2013 birth of her daughter, Julissa Bradshaw suffered a stroke so disabling, she couldn’t hold the baby. Her life insurance company denied her long-term disability benefits on the basis that her pregnancy was a preexisting condition that contributed to the stroke. The trial court ruled in favor of the insurance company. The case caught the attention of Dabdoub, managing partner at Dabdoub Law Firm in Miami, where he focuses …
‘Who I Am’
How Kessia Cericola battled grief and built a career repping people with stories like hersKessia Cericola’s first child died in her arms on April 22, 2016, three days after she was born. In a single moment, the legal career Cericola had worked so hard to rebuild after immigrating from Brazil didn’t matter. “I died with her, everything about me just died. The strong lawyer persona, the way I dressed, the way I looked, my hair, everything about me felt like it was old and it didn’t work anymore,” Cericola says. “I struggled with PTSD and had suicidal thoughts.” She …
You Say ‘Emoji’ …
The generation gap works to advantage for father-daughter team Dan Ross and Margo PillischerMargo Pillischer introduces her senior law partner as Dan. After hours, she’ll be switching up a letter and calling him Dad. “We’re very professional, but it’s impossible to fully separate our family relationship from the fact that we’re lawyers working in the same firm,” Pillischer says. Like many parents, Dan Ross occasionally finds himself on the receiving end of his child’s humor. “Sometimes,” he says with a laugh, “if I’m talking too long, she’ll send me a text …
When Success is Symbiotic
Andre and Lauren Dayani found their synergy in partnering upAndre and Lauren Dayani compare their law partnership to the symbiotic relationship between the goby fish and the pistol shrimp. The goby can’t dig, so the shrimp creates a burrow where they both sleep at night. The shrimp has poor eyesight, so the goby keeps an eye out for predators. “Each of them has their own talents, and when they work together, they can really thrive,” Lauren says. This is the key ingredient behind the husband-and-wife team of Dayani Law Firm, a Seattle-based …
Does ‘France’ Belong to the French?
And other domain-name disputes handled by David LudwigDoes the French government own the word “France?” This was the question at the heart of a domain-name lawsuit that came David Ludwig’s way in 2018. His client, a dual French-American citizen, had operated France.com since 1994. The site sold tours to popular French destinations and other travel services. Then, six years ago, France decided it wanted the name. A French court ordered France.com to turn over its domain to the French government, or agree to lease or license it. “The domain …
When Should I Seek Legal Help for Sexual Harassment?
It may start with an off-color joke, a crude “compliment,” or worse. Workplace sexual harassment is humiliating. It’s also illegal. How companies react to situations involving sexual harassment complaints can vary widely, says Jeanne Christensen, a partner at Wigdor LLP who represents workers in employment cases. It can depend on corporate culture, the amount of influence of the harasser, the tenure of the harassed employee, and the level to which things have escalated. But one common …
Performing Arts
Litigator Jennifer Tomsen first learned how to win over an audience on the ballet stageStraight out of high school, Jennifer Tomsen took to the stage with one of the nation’s oldest regional ballet companies: Ohio’s Dayton Ballet. For five years she toured and performed in Dayton, including roles in Swan Lake and other full-length productions. Tomsen was 4 years old when she started ballet classes. From the beginning, she was hooked. “I had long legs, strong feet and a long neck, so I had the look of a ballerina,” she says. “And I loved the discipline of it. I loved …
The Hard Sell
Stuart Singer fought a 17-year battle to guarantee health care for Florida’s poorest childrenStuart Singer spent 17 years of his life making sure Florida’s neediest kids have access to health care. “It shouldn’t have been a hard sell to provide children with adequate medical and dental care,” Singer says. But it wasn’t exactly an easy sell, either. Back in 2005, Florida’s Medicaid program paid so little to doctors and dentists that it created a shortage of medical providers willing to serve the 2 million Florida children who depend on the program. That’s when Singer came …
‘You Can Either Be Bitter or Be Better’
Ashley Pack’s devotion to her son informs her legal practice, and vice-versaTo be a lawyer is to advocate. But for Ashley Pack, her son’s struggle with a rare genetic disorder has brought personal insight into what that means. Alex was born with a chromosomal abnormality identified in only a handful of people in the world. The neurological damage left him with motor difficulties; he will need 24-hour care for the rest of his life. “If you met him, you’d only understand maybe 30% to 40% of what he’s saying. But he still has needs and wants and desires like all …
Adopting Your Stepchildren in New York
If you marry someone with children and help raise them, it already feels like you’re their parent. But should you make it official and adopt them? Adopting stepchildren is a big decision, but it’s often a very happy one, says Elizabeth A. Douglas, owner of the Douglas Family Law Group in White Plains. Why Stepchild Adoption is a Great Option “The vast majority of stepparents adopt in order to close the loop within the family unit,” Douglas says. “They’ve spent a long time, …
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