Quintela named to lead the Bar’s Lawyer Regulation Department
Quintela named to lead the Bar’s Lawyer Regulation Department
Adria E. Quintela was named director of the Lawyer Regulation Department, which oversees the Bar’s extensive grievance process, and two other staffers were named to head Bar branch offices.
Quintela succeeds Ken Marvin, who has retired.
Alan Pascal will lead the Ft. Lauderdale branch, replacing Quintela, and Sheila Tuma moved up to direct the Tampa branch, succeeding Susan Bloemendall, who retired after more than 30 years of Bar service.
John Berry, director of the Bar’s Legal Division, said Quintela has developed an “extraordinary reputation” in leading The Florida Bar’s Ft. Lauderdale Branch Office.
“Adria is known for her great knowledge, intelligence, hard work, and team-building qualities,” Berry said. “Even in the most contested and difficult matters, folks on all sides will feel they got the very best work and the fairest of analysis.”
Quintela, who has been with the Bar for 18 years, said she has seen the lawyer regulation system work at many levels.
“I started out as Bar counsel and saw the many checks and balances in place to ensure a fair and proper investigation of any grievance,” Quintela said. “As chief branch discipline counsel, I became very aware of the great resources the Bar has — primarily its people. We have a wealth of experience and talent in our organization, and those individuals ensure that the system works as efficiently and as well as possible.”
Quintela earned her J.D. from Northwestern Law School in 1991, after graduating magna cum laude from the University of Miami with a degree in business management and administration. She worked as an associate at two private law firms — handling commercial litigation, trial work, real estate work, and employment litigation — before coming to the Bar in 1996.
In 2005, she became chief branch disciplinary counsel of the Ft. Lauderdale office, and was named to succeed Marvin when he retired at the end of 2013. Quintela is also a frequent lecturer at various bar organization events.
Pascal received his law degree from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center in 1992, after receiving his B.A. from Loyola University. He worked as an assistant state attorney in the 19th Circuit and then ran his own firm for nine years, focusing on federal and state criminal defense trial and appeals.
In 2005, he joined the Ft. Lauderdale branch office as a senior Bar counsel and at the end of 2013 was picked to succeed Quintela. He is active in pro bono work, chairing the 17th Circuit Pro Bono Committee. He is a frequent volunteer for the Broward County Legal Aid Hotline and chairs the Broward County Bar’s Legislative Affairs Committee.
“Alan brings a wealth of broad experience in understanding and seeing the various perspectives of regulatory work,” Berry said. “Importantly, he not only takes his Florida Bar work seriously, but he also brings that same passion for service to community involvement demonstrated by his recent service as president of the Broward County Hispanic Bar Association. Alan is both well-liked and respected by all who come in contact with him.”
Tuma succeeds Susan Bloemendaal, who retired, as head of the Bar’s Tampa branch office.
Tuma received her law degree in 1989 from the Chicago-Kent College of Law after earning her B.A. in criminal justice from Saint Xavier College. Tuma worked for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Illinois Supreme Court, investigating and prosecuting allegations of attorney misconduct.
In 2000, Tuma was admitted to practice in Florida and went to work at the Bar’s Orlando branch office as a senior attorney, before being named as chief Tampa branch counsel last year. She also teaches at the Bar’s Ethics School and puts on advertising rules workshops throughout Florida.
“We are so pleased to be able to provide a longtime, dedicated attorney the chance to take her leadership skills to a new level,” Berry said. “She has handled some of the most difficult and important cases The Florida Bar has ever prosecuted. She was the lead and coordinating prosecutor on many of the mortgage fraud and loan modification cases, which were complicated and very difficult.”
Berry said Tuma has the ability to mesh the skills of dealing with the big picture and details of extremely complex cases.
“No one will outwork her or care more deeply about her responsibility both to the public and the legal profession,” Berry said.
