Sarasota FAWL

The Sarasota Chapter of the Florida Association For Women Lawyers, Inc. was established in 1984 and has approximately 60 members. Its purposes: to provide

04/24/2026

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for our Judicial Assistants' Appreciation Event on Thursday, April 16.

We loved gathering at Harvest House to celebrate the incredible judicial assistants who keep everything moving behind the scenes. Your dedication, professionalism, and hard work do not go unnoticed, and this evening was all about honoring you.
From meaningful conversations to new connections, it was such a special opportunity to come together in appreciation and community.

We’re so grateful for everyone who showed up to celebrate, support, and say thank you!

02/13/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our pottery event on Thursday, January 29, 2026! It was such a great evening of creativity, connection, and conversation - seeing new and familar faces network while getting hands-on with clay made the experience even more special.

We’re excited to keep the momentum going, so stay tuned for more unique events coming soon!

02/09/2026

Member Spotlight: Colleen Wapole, Esq.
Director
Colleen has her own firm focusing on family mediation and collaborative family law. She has always been dedicated to serving children and families. As an attorney, she has practiced family law, dependency law, and juvenile delinquency law. Ms. Wapole graduated from Stetson University College of Law. Prior to law school, Ms. Wapole was an educator focusing on English-language learners and holds a Ph.D. in linguistics from Northwestern University. She is proficient in Spanish. Besides being involved in voluntary bar organizations, Ms. Wapole also is on the board of the Sylvia Thomas Center for Adoptive and Foster Families.

02/04/2026

Member Spotlight: Dana Keane, Esq.
Director

Dana B. Keane is a sole practitioner with Keane & Keane, where she practices marital and family law. She received her B.A. with honors from Boston College and her J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She serves on the boards of the Sarasota Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers and the Sarasota Kiwanis Foundation. She chaired the Sarasota Kiwanis Foundation’s annual Veterans Day Breakfast from 2018-2020. She served on the board of the Sarasota County Bar Association from 2015-2023, serving as President from 2021-2022. Miss Keane served on the board of First Step of Sarasota (now known as Lightshare) from 2010 through 2020, serving as Vice Chair from 2017-2018 and Chair of the Board from 2018-2020. She has also served as a mentor at the Booker High School Law Academy through Faces of Accomplishment and on the board of her homeowners’ association.

01/28/2026

Member Spotlight: Elizete Velado, Esq.
Treasurer

A member of the Florida Bar since 2012, Elizete Velado currently represents plaintiffs in cases involving personal injury, premises liability, institutional child abuse or sexual abuse, and nursing home and medical neglect.

Before joining Mallard Perez in Sarasota, she spent a number of years focusing on legal research and writing in complex insurance bad faith and catastrophic injury cases at both the trial and appellate level. Since then, she has transitioned to a more active role in litigating these types of cases, and she is currently working towards board certification in Civil Trial Law.

Ms. Velado earned her J.D. with Honors from Florida State University College of Law. In law school, she worked as an editor for the FSU Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law and was recognized as an Outstanding Articles & Notes Editor. She has also been published in the FSU Journal of Transnational Law and Policy and has contributed to trade publications including the Florida Justice Association’s FJA Journal.

Ms. Velado is fluent in Portuguese and continues to improve her working knowledge of Spanish. In the past, she served as the Membership Director of Lee County’s FAWL chapter, and she looks forward to serving the Sarasota Chapter of FAWL. Currently, Ms. Velado is licensed to practice before all Florida state courts, the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

01/20/2026

Member Spotlight: Amanda Davy, Esq.
Vice President

Amanda Davy is a civil trial attorney at Mallard | Perez, PLLC, where she represents plaintiffs in serious injury, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, and auto accident cases. She is actively involved in the Sarasota legal community and currently serves as the vice president of FAWL. Amanda is passionate about mentorship and strengthening the legal community through leadership and service.

01/15/2026

Member Spotlight: Catherine Carson-Freymann, Esq.
President

Catherine Carson-Freymann is a Partner at Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP. She routinely is hired to handle high exposure matters including real estate disputes, catastrophic injuries, construction defects, and complex insurance coverage matters. She serves as Vice-Chair her firm’s Southeast Tort practice team and Vice-Chair of the Southeast Coverage practice team. Prior to practicing law, Ms. Carson-Freymann was a television reporter and anchor and is frequently asked to provide legal commentary on national stories.

Ms. Carson-Freymann earned her J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law where she was a member of Law Review. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Ohio University.

01/08/2026

Member Spotlight: Danielle Hixon, Esq.
Immediate Past President and Secretary

Danielle Hixon focuses her practice in the area of workers’ compensation defense and related matters. She assists employers and carriers throughout the claim process, from investigating the work place accident to defending litigated issues, responding to requests for different forms of benefits, and guiding the client towards successful claim resolution. Danielle represents local and regional employers and national insurers, providing the right counsel for each to effectively protect our clients.

01/07/2026

The new year invites reflection, gratitude, and renewed momentum.
We’re thankful for the connections and progress that continue to strengthen our chapter, and we look ahead with purpose - ready to build, lead, and serve together in the year ahead.

✨ Happy New Year from Sarasota FAWL! ✨

12/18/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined Sarasota SCBA and FAWL in celebrating the season at our Annual Holiday Party at Marina Jack on Thursday, December 11, 2025. The evening was filled with meaningful connections, lively conversation, and festive fun, complete with giveaways, a photo booth, and plenty of holiday cheer shared among colleagues and friends. We’re grateful to everyone who helped make it such a memorable night of connection and celebration.

11/27/2025

Giving Thanks & Kicking Off the Holiday Season 🍂✨

Today, we celebrate Thanksgiving — a meaningful moment to pause and reflect on gratitude, community, and the connections that strengthen us both personally and professionally.
As we welcome the start of the holiday season, we honor the spirit of togetherness, appreciation, and service that defines our chapter. It’s a time to acknowledge how far we’ve come and recognize the impact we continue to make within our legal community. ⚖️💛

Let’s close out this month feeling inspired, thankful, and ready to carry that momentum into the season ahead.

11/25/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Thankful Together Event, a collaboration between Sarasota and Manatee FAWL, held at Carrabba’s Italian Grill on November 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM! It was a wonderful evening filled with great food, wine tasting, raffles, and meaningful support for Step Up Suncoast. Your presence made the night truly special. We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect, celebrate, and look forward together.

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Sarasota, FL

Website

http://www.sarasotafawl.com/index.html

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