Jones Foster Shareholder Robert W. Wilkins Serves as Featured Speaker at The Florida Bar’s 75th Annual Convention

Jones Foster Litigation Shareholder Robert W. Wilkins served as a featured speaker at The Florida Bar’s 75th Annual Convention, which was held from June 25-27, 2025, at The Boca Raton Hotel in Boca Raton, Florida. The conference gathered attorneys, judges, and legal professionals from across the state for a series of continuing legal education (CLE) programs, seminars, receptions, and networking opportunities.

As a member of The Florida Bar’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Law (CPL) Committee, Rob was among several distinguished panelists to present during the “Cybersecurity Seminar for Florida Attorneys: Ethics, Risk Management, and Incident Response,” a four-hour CLE that provided attorneys with practical cybersecurity knowledge, guidance on ethical obligations in protecting client data, and best practices for managing cyber risks. The program also introduced the CPL Committee’s model law firm incident response plan and featured interactive, hands-on training for responding to real-world cyber incidents.

Rob’s presentation, which took place during the first session of the three-part seminar, focused on the ethical and legal considerations of cybersecurity best practices, including:

• Confidentiality obligations
• Data breach notification laws applicable to law firms, such as FIPA, NY SHIELD Act, among others
• Attorney-client privilege risks in cyber incidents

The Cybersecurity and Privacy Law Committee plays a vital role in helping attorneys statewide by facilitating the awareness of and addressing emerging cybersecurity threats. The committee works to develop best practices and provide updated resources and educational seminars to support Florida Bar members in protecting sensitive client and firm data.

Rob will continue his leadership on the committee in the upcoming Bar year through his appointment as chair of the Planning Subcommittee, where he will organize webinars, develop summer programming for the 2026 Florida Bar Convention, and coordinate additional opportunities for outreach and education to promote cybersecurity education and preparedness.

Jones Foster was also proud to sponsor The Florida Bar Convention’s annual Judicial Luncheon and the Federal Judicial Roundtable. Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muniz delivered the keynote address at this year’s Judicial Luncheon, emphasizing the judiciary’s commitment to making the best possible use of increased court resources, including the addition of 39 new judges, and prioritizing technology upgrades. The Federal Judicial Roundtable is the signature event of The Florida Bar’s Federal Court Practice Committee, on which Litigation Shareholder Joanne M. O’Connor serves as vice chair. The convention wrapped with the installation of Florida Bar President Rosalyn Sia Baker-Barnes.

Rob Wilkins is co-chair of Jones Foster's Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice group and a Florida Bar Board Certified attorney in Business Litigation. With more than 35 years of experience as a trial lawyer, Rob represents clients in complex business litigation matters and has substantial experience in defending and prosecuting all types of business litigation issues, including construction litigation, shareholder and partnership disputes, employment and noncompete matters, civil RICO, securities, intellectual property, and commercial real estate landlord/tenant matters.

Rob also has a deep understanding of technology-related legal issues, including eDiscovery, cybersecurity, and data privacy. He advises businesses and law firms on data breach regulations and reporting requirements, comprehensive incident response plans, HIPAA and HITECH privacy compliance, and other state and federal data privacy rules and regulations, including consumer protection rules such as the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA), and represents clients in litigation matters that may result from a data breach or other security incident.