Emilio T. Gonzales, senior managing director of Tew Cardenas' global and government affairs practice in Miami and Washington, D.C., has been nominated by President Bush as director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services at the Department of Homeland Security. Gonzales is the former director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the National Security Council and a former diplomat in El Salvador and Mexico...
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael B. Chavies has stepped down from the bench after 13 years to join Akerman Senterfitt's Miami office. He'll try commercial cases for public companies and will be a key part of the firm's diversity and recruitment programs...
Orlando real estate lawyer Michael J. Grindstaff of Shutts & Bowen has been appointed statewide chairman of the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission. Grindstaff succeeds former U.S. Attorney Roberto "Bobby" Martinez, a partner with Colson Hicks Eidson. Grindstaff's first order of business will be to help choose a successor to Marcos D. Jimenez, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District this summer to return to private practice with Kenny Nachwalter of Miami...
Justin Sayfie, founding shareholder at Blosser & Sayfie and former adviser and speech writer for Gov. Jeb Bush, has been appointed chairman of the JNC's Southern District Conference. Sayfie continues to post his popular review of Florida news each morning at sayfiereview.com.