Adams and Reese Jacksonville Office Partner in Charge Leslie Wickes received the Jacksonville Business Journal’s “Women of Influence” award at a luncheon held today as the publication recognized the top women business leaders, professionals and executives of Northeast Florida at the Hyatt Regency in Jacksonville. This was the 11th year the publication held the Women of Influence awards.
Honorees were chosen based on industry leadership, mentoring of other women, lifetime achievements and community involvement.
This past April, Wickes was elected Partner in Charge of the Adams and Reese Jacksonville office. The firm has 16 Partners in Charge, one for each of its offices across the southern United States and Washington DC. Adams and Reese launched its Jacksonville office in March 2013 when Adams and Reese merged with Volpe, Bajalia, Wickes, Rogerson & Wachs (VBWR) to continue Adams and Reese’s growth across the state of Florida, adding Jacksonville as its fifth Florida location.
Practicing law since 1993, Wickes focuses primarily in the area of business litigation, and has particular experience in the formation, licensure, regulation and purchase/sale of insurance companies and insurance-related entities, including retail and wholesale brokers, claims administrators, managing general agencies and service providers. She regularly litigates claims arising out of the failure of insurance companies, claims involving coverage and reinsurance matters and disputes over agent commission, profit sharing, failure to procure and unfair competition. Wickes also has experience litigating trademark and copyright infringement disputes and regularly advises her clients on licensing issues.
Wickes has been named by Florida Trend magazine among Florida's “Legal Elite,” and is listed in Florida Super Lawyers® - Business Litigation.
Wickes is past president of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association, member of the Women Business Owners of Florida, and the 4th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee. In the community, she has served on the Board of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of North Florida.
Below are all 27 honorees for Jacksonville Business Journal's "Women of Influence":
Aimee Ballantyne, Bank of America
Ann Bittinger, The Bittinger Law Firm
Karen Brown, EY
Rose Conry, StaffTime
Laura Ferrante, Paul Davis Restoration Inc.
Mary Fisher, Fisher Design
Cynthia Haines, WRH Realty Services, Inc.
Judy Hicks, Re/MAX Coastal Real Estate
Kim Jackson, Winn-Dixie/Bi-Lo Holdings
Mia Jones, City of Jacksonville
Lisa King, Langton Associates
Jill Langford Dame, Leadership Jacksonville
Nelly Mauras, Nemours Children’s Clinic
Snowden McFall, Brightwork Advertising and Training, Fired Up! Professional Speaking
Jeanne Miller, Jacksonville Civic Council
Megha Parekh, Jacksonville Jaguars
Renee Parenteau, Renee Parenteau Photography / Renee Parenteau Hair & Makeup
Amanda Parker-Baggett, Rogers Towers
Elizabeth Paulson, Junior Achievement
Robin Peters, Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation
Ellen Raftery, FIS
Amy Ruth, Incepture
Linda Sherrer, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services
Carrie Smith, Franklin Street
Jamie Thomas, The LBA Group
Nicole Thomas, Baptist Health
Leslie Wickes, Adams and Reese