Shutts & Bowen LLP is pleased to announce that Tampa partner Ella A. Shenhav was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of Bay Area Legal Services (BALS). Her term begins in February 2020. Ella’s appointment was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Hillsborough County Bar Association from the recommendation of BALS’ Review Committee, who noted her “demonstrated commitment to pro bono services.”
Ella finds herself well-equipped to join the volunteer leadership team of BALS, having contributed more than 100 hours of pro bono legal service last year alone. She will work with the organization as they fulfill their mission to provide free civil legal services to low-income Tampa Bay area residents. According to BALS, the Board provides financial and program oversight, as well as broad policy-making, while serving as ambassadors in the community.
Bay Area Legal Services (BALS) is a non-profit law firm creating pathways to justice through high-quality legal services, education and community partnerships. In 2018 alone the organization assisted nearly 17,000 individuals, families and community groups, 4,562 of which were senior clients, and 416 of which were domestic violence survivors obtaining injunctions, child custody, support and alimony.
About Ella A. Shenhav
Ella A. Shenhav is a partner in the Tampa office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where she is a member of the Business Litigation Practice Group and the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. Ella focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts as well as arbitration, including contract disputes, non-compete agreements, employment and real estate litigation, and False Claims Act (qui tam) actions. Ella’s legal abilities regularly earn her recognition from her peers, the judiciary and the community. She has been recognized by Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, by the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee for “Outstanding Pro Bono Service by a Young Lawyer” and has been featured as a Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star for three consecutive years. Ella is the Executive Director of Project H.E.L.P., a pro bono project which provides legal assistance to the homeless and indigent population.