Stephanie M. Martin joined Adams and Reese in 2010 following the firm's expansion into Florida. She has been practicing law in Florida since 2006 and concentrates her practice on civil, commercial, and real estate litigation.
Stephanie has experience litigating a variety of cases in both state and federal courts, including real estate disputes, contractual disputes, residential and commercial foreclosures, asset recovery and collections matters, residential and commercial landlord-tenant matters, community association claims, and some bankruptcy cases. Stephanie is experienced in all stages of the litigation process. She has extensive experience drafting pleadings, motions, and discovery; has conducted depositions; has argued numerous routine motions; has lead and participated in mediations, arbitrations, and negotiations; has served both as lead counsel and second chair in various evidentiary hearings and trials; and has participated in the appeals process.
Stephanie is a member of the Florida and Illinois Bars and is licensed to practice before the United States District Courts for the Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of Florida, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
Her significant contributions include:
Representing a variety of large banking institutions in recovering assets through real estate and non-real estate collateral foreclosure actions and individual lawsuits against borrowers and guarantors.
Assisting community associations, including condominium and homeowners' associations, in favorably addressing violations of their restrictive covenants and deed restrictions during the requisite, pre-trial, dispute resolution processes set forth by law.
Representing a mobile homeowners’ association in protecting its legal rights and the legal rights of its members during the transition in ownership of its lands, and obtaining a favorable settlement for its members, which settlement included monetary relief and additional time for its members to find suitable, alternative housing.
Actively participating in and seeking out pro bono assignments, averaging approximately between 50 and 100 hours each year.
Participating in a variety of pro bono seminars and representation opportunities.
While completing her J.D. at the University of Notre Dame Law School, Stephanie was selected to join the Law School Moot Court Appellate and Trial Teams, and was chosen to serve on the editorial staff for the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy. She also spent a summer studying international law at Notre Dame’s offshore campus in London, England.
Stephanie earned her Honors B.A., magna cum laude, from Marquette University in 2003. At Marquette, she was a member of the Academic Honors Program, Pre-Law Scholars Program, mock trial team, Alpha Sigma Nu Honors Society, and Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society.
In the community, Stephanie is active in civic, religious, and charitable organizations throughout the Tampa Bay area, including the Diocese of St. Petersburg and Nativity Catholic Church. She was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Inc, which provides life and shelter ministries, strategic alliances, advocacy and a broad array of social services to residents of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties.
Since 2010, Stephanie has donated more than 200 hours of her time to pro bono work, focusing her pro bono efforts on serving victims of domestic violence through the Florida Bar’s Appellate Practice Section and the Community Law Program of St. Petersburg’s Domestic Violence Panel. In 2012, she was recognized for her commitment to pro bono work by the Supreme Court of Florida, the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar, and the Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association at an awards ceremony hosted by the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida in Tampa, Florida.
In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family, watching Notre Dame football, traveling, reading, visiting Disney World, and ballroom and Latin dancing.
Stephanie deeply respects and admires her husband, her mother, Jesus Christ, Susan B. Anthony, Justice Antonin Scalia, Senator John McCain, and all who have devoted their lives to serving God through the priesthood or religious life.
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