Joseph E. Adams joined Becker & Poliakoff, P.A. in 1987. He concentrates his legal practice on the law of community associations, primarily representing condominium, cooperative and homeowners' associations, as well as country clubs, mobile home communities and amenities associations such as marinas and golf courses. He has been very active in community association legislation and rulemaking and has drafted several pieces of legislation affecting community associations that have been adopted by the Florida Legislature.
Mr. Adams has achieved an "AV" rating from Martindale–Hubbell, which "identifies a lawyer with very high to preeminent legal ability, [and] is a reflection of expertise, experience, integrity and overall professional excellence."
Mr. Adams is the author of a weekly newspaper column called "Community Life," that has appeared in the weekly Real Estate Section of the Fort Myers News-Press since 1996. His three law review articles were published by the Nova Law Review, Nova Southeastern University. In December 2008, he published "New Law Impacts Condominium Reconstruction after Casualty" in the Florida Community Association Journal.
Mr. Adams' writings involving community association law and operations include numerous newsletter and magazine articles, three published Law Review articles, and a Chapter in the Florida Bar handbook for attorneys. His writings have been cited by the Florida appellate courts and in the Florida Statutes Annotated as legal authority.
Mr. Adams has presented the annual seminar for Florida’s community association lawyers to the University of Miami School of Law’s Annual Cluster Housing Institute. He has also lectured at numerous other CLE programs for Florida attorneys, including as an active member of the Florida Bar Real Property Section, Committee on Condominiums and Planned Unit Developments. He regularly speaks at Firm seminars and for various industry groups and local organizations.
Activities & Memberships
Mr. Adams is a Member of the College of Community Association Lawyers. Membership in the College is reserved for attorneys throughout the United States who have focused their practice in the law of community associations for at least ten years, and have demonstrated leadership in the field through scholarly writings, legislative activities and other contributions to the industry. He has twice made continuing education presentations at the College’s Annual Meeting.
Florida's Speaker of the House of Representatives appointed Mr. Adams to serve on the Advisory Council on Condominiums in 2004. In 2005, he was elected as Chairman of the Advisory Council, and served on the Council through 2007.
Awards & Recognition
Florida Trend magazine has recognized Mr. Adams each year since 2004 among its Legal Elite in the area of Real Estate/Community Association Law thus making him a member of the Legal Elite Hall of Fame. Also, since 2005, he has annually been designated as a "Florida Super Lawyer," which names Florida's top 5% of lawyers as chosen by their peers. He was also rated "excellent" by Avvo Ratings, an online lawyer listing that rates and profiles attorneys. The rating is based on a mathematical model that considers the information in a lawyer's profile, including years in practice, disciplinary history, professional achievements and industry recognition.