Sarasota Attorney Becomes First Female Leader of National Law Firm  

“Any time a woman pushes past boundaries, more are sure to follow, and I’m humbled to be part of that legacy.” ~ Jennifer Compton

SARASOTA, FL. — Sarasota Attorney Jennifer B. Compton will become the first woman to lead the Shumaker Law Firm—a national firm with offices in Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The announcement comes after the Shumaker Management Committee voted to promote Jennifer to Chair and Jaime Austrich to Vice Chair of the Management Committee.

“On behalf of Shumaker, we are honored to have Jennie and Jaime lead the firm and are confident they will help achieve our goal of making a difference for our clients, in our communities, and to our culture,” said Thomas P. Dillon, previous Shumaker Management Committee Chair. “Both are experienced, talented leaders committed to building a firm focused on client service.”

Before becoming Chair, Jennifer served as Vice Chair of the Management Committee for the past two consecutive years, in addition to serving as the Managing Partner of the Sarasota office. For more than 25 years, Jennifer has focused her practice on employment law counseling and litigation.

“It is a privilege to have the opportunity to use my years of experience to give back to our teams at Shumaker nationwide,” Jennifer said. “While I may be the first woman to serve in this position, I most certainly won’t be the last. Any time a woman pushes past boundaries, more are sure to follow, and I’m humbled to be part of that legacy.”

In addition to her legal work, Jennifer is committed to supporting Sarasota, the community where she grew up. As a founding member of the Sarasota Bayfront Planning Organization and Chair of The Bay Park Conservancy Board, Jennifer is helping to create a world class 54-acre park on the Sarasota Bayfront that is open and accessible to all— a project seen by many as the single largest undertaking to impact the Sarasota community in the next 50 to 100 years.  Jennifer’s commitment to the business community extends beyond Shumaker as a founding director and Vice Chair of Gulfside Bank, Sarasota’s only locally owned community bank.

“Jennie is a true pioneer, both at work and in the community, and I’m excited to serve alongside her as Vice Chair of the Management Committee,” Jaime said. “Together, we will execute Shumaker’s strategic priorities, including our long-term growth strategy and enhance client service in the process.”

Jaime served as Chair of Shumaker’s Tampa litigation department for over a decade before being elected to serve on the firm-wide Management Committee. This marks his second consecutive year on the Management Committee.

The firm is led by the Management Committee, which is comprised of seven partners, as well as the Chief Operating and Chief Financial Officers.

ABOUT SHUMAKER: Founded in 1925, the Shumaker team of more than 300 lawyers and advisors is a premier provider of legal and legislative solutions, focused on being a positive and impactful difference maker for our clients and in the communities we serve. Shumaker has offices in Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and South Carolina.