Marks Gray Shareholder, Giselle Carson, was honored as the 2013 Lawyer of the Year at the April 25th Jacksonville Bar Association (JBA) Law Day luncheon. A committee of past recipients chose her in recognition of her determined dedication and tireless efforts in the advancement of our community. She is the fourth woman to receive the award joining Audrey Moran (1998), Circuit Court Judge Karen Cole (2004), and Cindy Laquidara (2010).
Ms. Carson was in the United Kingdom after completing the London Marathon when she learned of the award. She creatively recorded her acceptance speech outside a red telephone booth famous in the city and uploaded it to ‘YouTube’. She expressed her appreciation to the JBA, to the partners and staff at Marks Gray, and to the many attorneys who positively contribute to the Northeast Florida community.
Mr. Shad Kahn, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars and keynote speaker at the luncheon, smiled brightly when Ms. Carson said that “the London fans were ready to welcome the Jaguars” as they played in the London Games.
Ms. Carson is AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell. She practices in the areas of U.S. and global immigration and naturalization, business law and civil litigation.She is an active member of several professional and community organizations including the Florida Bar, the JBA (Board member since 2006) and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). In 2006, she chaired the JBA Law Day Committee and received the sought-after American Bar Association’s Outstanding Law Day Award. She is the International Chair of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce and served as its General Counsel from 2010 to 2012. She is a member of Leadership Jacksonville (Class of 2005; Board 2008-2010) and the First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (President, 2008-2009).
She is a frequent lecturer and author on immigration topics including immigration compliance, E-Verify, employment verification, business visas and employment-based immigration.