TAMPA, FL – Three Tampa attorneys will step into legal leadership roles in a trio of rapidly evolving industries that power large portions of the U.S. economy. Shumaker has named David Singer Chair of the firm’s Real Estate, Construction and Development Business Sector; Ernie Marquart Chair of the Transportation and Distribution Business Sector and Steven Berman Chair of the Financial Institutions and Insurance Business Sector.

As partners in Shumaker’s Tampa office, the three attorneys will guide the legal work in their business sectors for the entire nationwide firm of more than 270 lawyers and advisors.

“We’ve elevated these three tremendous people as we expand Shumaker’s premier position in these business sectors,” Shumaker Chairman Tom Dillon said. “These sectors of the American economy are shifting daily, and David, Ernie, and Steve have the skills and proven records to stay out in front on behalf of our clients.”

David Singer helps clients explore development opportunities and bring their real estate, construction, and development goals to fruition. As part of his broad practice, David represents clients before government agencies on a wide range of growth and planning issues, policy proposals, and election law. In the community, David serves on the Board of Directors for the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, Tampa Theater, and Tampa Innovation Partnership.

Ernie Marquart has practiced at Shumaker for over 30 years and is a past managing partner of the Tampa office. Ernie’s transportation and distribution clients include transportation services providers and intermediaries. In addition to his transportation work, Ernie represents clients in the health care, manufacturing, and retail sectors, among others. Ernie’s recent community service activities include serving on the Board of Trustees for Tampa’s Academy of the Holy Names.

Widely recognized for his solutions-oriented approach, Steven Berman focuses his practice on business bankruptcy litigation, representing creditors, investors, distressed debt lenders, trustees, committees, and business entities litigating disputes in bankruptcy court. Steve serves on the Board of Directors for the American Bankruptcy Institute and the American Board of Certification and provides pro bono bankruptcy and insolvency services and training for U.S. Navy service members.

• The U.S. real estate industry ranked No. 1 as the industry with the largest GDP in Q1 2021, at more than $4 trillion. That is up 3.4 percent from Q1 2020, reflecting in part the massive rebound in housing market activity across the country over the last 12 months.
• Nearly 6.6 million Americans are now employed in the booming finance and insurance sector, an increase of 13.3 percent over the past 10 years.
• Supply chain struggles and logistics lockdowns have put a worldwide spotlight on massive changes in the transportation sector—one example: the time to ship a newly made toy from China to the U.S. shot up more than 650 percent during the pandemic, going from 21 days to 159 days.

“By organizing into business sector teams, and then positioning top-flight lawyers as leaders like David, Ernie, and Steve, we can bring our entire range of experiences from across our 10 offices to bear on every issue any client encounters,” said Shumaker Management Committee Co-Chair Jennifer Compton. “We’re here to make sure our clients succeed, and naming these new leaders is key to that success.”