Adams and Reese Special Counsel Barry Spivey, of the firm's Sarasota office, will serve as vice-chair of the Legislative Review Committee of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar. In that role, he is in charge of the Section's response to legislation introduced in Florida in the areas of trusts and the administration of estates, and of responding to legislator's requests for information concerning legislation proposed by the Section in those areas.
Recently, Spivey was also appointed chair of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) Choice of Law and Situs Subcommittee, which is charged with presenting a program to the Fiduciary Litigation Committee at the ACTEC meeting at Coronado Island, CA, in October 2011.
Spivey has been practicing law since 1971, practicing almost exclusively in the area of estate planning, the administration of trusts and estates, and related litigation, including appeals. He is board certified by The Florida Bar in the area of Wills, Trusts and Estates and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). His practice involves the planning and administration of estates; preparation of trusts, wills and other estate planning documents; and related gift and estate tax issues.
He is often a resource for other attorneys because of his speaking engagements and has published articles on estate and trust matters. In addition, he represents clients frequently in the litigation of estate and trust matters at both the trial and appellate levels.
His litigation experience is broad-based, extending from complex tax issues to family disputes leading to will and trust contests.
Spivey has been recognized in Best Lawyers® 2006-2010, in Florida Super Lawyers® 2007-2009, and in Florida Trend's Legal Elite 2009.
His professional service in the legal community includes: former president of the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council; two terms as a Director of the Sarasota County Bar Association and as Chairman of its Estate Planning and Probate Section; former member of the Florida Bar Probate and Guardianship Rules Committee; and former vice-chair of the Estate and Gift Tax Planning Committee of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar.
In the community, Spivey has been on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County for four 3-year terms. He is currently on its Governance Committee, its Audit Committee, and its Arts and Culture Focus Group. The Foundation is an organization that helps nonprofit organizations help the citizens of Sarasota County.
Adams and Reese is a multidisciplinary law firm with offices strategically located throughout the southern United States and Washington, DC. American Lawyer includes Adams and Reese on its distinguished list of the nation's top law firms - "The Am Law 200". The National Law Journal also includes the firm on the "NLJ 250" list of the nation's largest law firms.