Sharon T. Sperling

I practice primarily in the area of bankruptcy law representing mostlydebtors and some creditors. I received my law degree from theUniversity of Florida College of Law with honors in December, 1987,where I was a member of the Law Review and served as Associate ArticlesEditor in 1987. I received my B.A. with high honors from FloridaAtlantic University. I majored in history, switching to that afterstudying theater for a few years and coming to the stunning realizationthat I needed to someday be able to support myself.

I’vepracticed law in the Gainesville area since 1988. I began practicing asan associate with the Law Office of Lansing J. Roy (1988-1989),representing debtors in Chapter 7, Chapter 13 and Chapter 11, thenworked as an associate with Scruggs & Carmichael, P.A. (1990-1991)representing institutional and individual creditors. I was a partner inSwanson & Sperling, P.A. until January, 2003, when I opened my ownoffice as a solo practitioner. I served as a Chapter 7 trustee from1992-1995.

I have been President of the Northern DistrictBankruptcy Bar Association, and active in the Florida BarBankruptcy/UCC Committee. I’m also active in local voluntary baractivities. I’ve held every office in the Eighth Judicial Circuit BarAssociation, serving as President in 1996-1997. I’ve been the treasurerof that association since 2001. I am an emeritus member of the James C.Adkins Inn of Court, having been treasurer for several years beforeserving as President in 2003-2004.

As a speaker, I’ve lecturedon bankruptcy topics for the National Business Institute and inseminars conducted by local bar associations. As a member of theNorthern District of Florida Bankruptcy Bar Association, I participatedin developing continuing education seminars for bankruptcy lawyers inNorthern Florida.

I was on the Girls Place of Alachua County board for six years, serving as Vice President for Program Developmentfor four years. As my second term on the that board was windingup, I joined with two other board members and some people from theGainesville area business community to form Healthy Learning Academy,a charter school for children in kindergarten through second grade. Theschool’s mission is to integrate physical activity and nutritionaleducation into the core curriculum. Our happy, enthusiastic studentshave achieved some of the highest standardized test scores in AlachuaCounty while enjoying plenty of opportunities to use their energeticbodies and minds.

I’ve lived in Gainesville since 1985. I grew up in the northeast and I root for the Florida Gators and the New York Mets so I know the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.