After graduating with high honors from the University of Florida in 1975, Adele earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami, School of Law in 1978. Board certified by the Florida Bar in Real Estate Law, Adele concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial real estate and general business law, including commercial purchase/sale transactions, loan transactions, leasing, corporate and business transactions, joint ventures and title insurance issuance, claims and negotiations. Adele is also an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.
Adele is an authorized agent for Attorneys Title Insurance Fund, Inc., Chicago Title Insurance Company and First American Title Insurance Company. She not only is recognized as an expert in her field but is often called upon by her peers for her knowledge of the ethical practice of law and is the author of the Nova Law Journal “Ethics: 1993 Leading Cases and Significant Developments in Florida Law.” She has been a lecturer on the topic of ethics at seminars sponsored by the Florida Bar Professional Ethics Committee, First American Title Insurance Corporation, Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation, the South Florida Chapter of the American Corporate Counsel Association and the Broward County Bar Association. She has been honored to have been selected as a Leading Florida Attorney in the field of commercial real estate law and has been named as one of Florida Trend's Legal Elite and Florida "Super Lawyers". Adele has been selected for inclusion in the 2009 edition of "The Best Lawyers In America" for Real Estate Law.
Adele's service to the Bar and her community is extensive. The Florida Supreme Court appointed her to a seat on the Board of Directors for the Florida Bar Foundation and she will serve as its President from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. She is a past Chairman of Legal Aid Services of Broward County, Inc. and the founder of the Broward County Legal Aid Advisory Board. She is a former Chairman of the Florida Bar Grievance Committee, District 17D (1988), and a long standing member and former Chairman of the Florida Bar Professional Ethics Committee. Adele has been appointed to chair several State Bar Committees by the Florida Bar Presidents, including Ethics 2000 Review Committee (which concluded in 2005 when Adele argued the extensive revisions to the Rules of Professional Conduct before the Supreme Court of Florida); Unbundled Legal Services Special Committee II, the 2005-06 Annual Convention Committee and the Attorney-Client Privilege Task Force Committee, in which she served as Vice Chairperson. Adele also sits as a member of the Executive Council of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar and serves as Vice Chairman of the Pro Bono Committee and Co-Chairman of the Professionalism and Ethics Committee of that Section. She was Vice Chairman of the City of Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency and a former Director of the City of Hollywood Chamber of Commerce where she graduated from its Leadership Hollywood class of 1987. Adele is a former member of the Executive Advisory Council of Barry University’s Andreas School of Business and was an adjunct professor at that university. Adele is a member and former President of the Attorney’s Real Estate Council of Broward County, Inc. She is a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Home Society of Florida/Intercoastal Division and served on the State Board of Directors and the Foundation of the Society. In 1992, Adele was the recipient of the “Up and Comers” award for her accomplishments within the field of law. Adele received recognition by the City of Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in 1994 when she was awarded with its annual Athena Award. In 1995, Adele was honored when selected as an American Cancer Society’s Woman of the Year.
Adele can be reached by email at astone@atkinson-diner.com.