Personnel note: Shumaker adds seven new lawyers in continued expansion

Shumaker, one of the state’s most prominent legal services providers, is adding seven lawyers to its team, including six new associates and one staff attorney.

In an announcement Tuesday, firm leaders said the new additions were meant to bolster services and reinforce the firm’s commitment to top-notch counsel for clients.

The new additions include Michael C. Bilirakis, Matthew D. Hohman, Charles H. King, Hope J. Luther, Joshua A. Magnussen, Francis Morency and Thomas L. Rockhill.

The new hires will work in various practice areas, including corporate, tax and transactions; real estate and development; labor, employment and benefits; and litigation and disputes law. 

“Our firm is delighted to welcome these talented individuals to our team,” Shumaker Management Committee Chair Jennifer Compton said. “Their unique backgrounds, combined with their focus in different areas of law, align perfectly with our commitment to providing comprehensive legal services that cater to our clients’ diverse needs.”

Bilirakis is the son of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and the grandson of former U.S. Rep. Mike Bilirakis. He earned an undergraduate degree in international economics from Georgetown University and his law degree from the University of Florida. He has clerked in several law firms in the Tampa Bay area. He joins Shumaker as an associate in the firm’s Tampa office and will also serve as a policy analyst. 

Hohman will serve as an associate in Shumaker’s real estate and development service line. He previously served as a Shumaker associate, but also gathered experience through an externship with Ohio Supreme Court Justice Patrick F. Fischer and in the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. He studied international law abroad in Japan during his undergraduate studies at the University of Akron and received his law degree from Ohio State University where he served as managing editor of the Ohio State Law Journal and as vice president of community relations for the Moritz Health Law Society. 

King will be an associate in Shumaker’s corporate, tax and transactions service line in the firm’s Tampa office. He previously worked as a paralegal in a Washington D.C.-based firm where he researched, compiled data and arranged depositions and meetings on issues related to civil litigation, labor and antitrust matters. King previously interned with former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and in the law firm of Minter Ellison in Australia. He also interned with the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and with Shumaker as a summer associate. King earned his law degree from William & Mary School of Law.

Luther has been brought on as an associate in the firm’s labor, employment and benefits service line where she will focus on employee benefits, single and multi-employer retirement plans and health and welfare plans. Luther earned her law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law where she was an associate editor for the school’s Law Review. She completed a legal externship with Judge Jack Zouhary in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, as well as in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Lucas County Prosecutors Office. She served as a summer associate for Shumaker in its Toledo office. 

Magnussen will serve as a staff attorney and member of the labor, employment and benefits service line. He earned his law degree from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law where he served as a student advisory board member for the Program of Law and Leadership. He was also an editor for the Ohio State Technology Law Journal and a member of the Business Law Society and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. While in law school, Magnussen worked at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and for one of the Big Four accounting firms. 

Morency has been brought on as an associate in the firm’s litigation and disputes service line where he will focus his practice on Chapter 7, Chapter 13, Chapter 11 and Subchapter V bankruptcy cases. Morency earned his law degree from the Washington and Lee University School of Law where he served as managing editor of the school’s Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice and as a Burks Legal Writing Scholar. He held internships with the Bankruptcy Division of the U.S. Southern District Court of Florida, the Botetourt Circuit Court, NextEra Energy and with Shumaker as a summer associate. He also served as a student attorney for a small business start-up practicum. Before turning to the law, Morency worked as a middle school civics and law studies teacher in Miami. 

Rockhill was tapped as an associate focusing on corporate law where he focuses on corporate formation, transactions, drafting, compliance and related concerns. He earned his law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law where he served as executive editor for the school’s Law Review. Prior to earning his law degree, Rockhill was an officer in the U.S. Army. 

Shumaker was founded in 1925 and now employs a team of more than 300 lawyers and advisors who deliver legal and legislative solutions to clients with a mission to provide a positive and impactful difference for both clients and communities.