Daily Record Financial News &
Monday, February 19, 2018
Vol. 105, No. 066 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
LAW FIRM TAKES NEW DIRECTION
Web.com forecast for 2018 hits stock Company downgraded and analyst calls outlook disappointing. Web.com Group Inc. reported fourth-quarter results basically in line with analysts’ forecasts. However, investors didn’t like the company’s projections for 2018. The company’s stock dropped as much as $4.40 to $17.20 on Feb. 9, its lowest level in 14 months, after the earnings report. B. Riley FBR analyst Sameet Sinha said in a research note after the report that Web.com’s forecast for 2018 was disappointing. “We are downgrading Web. com from Buy to Neutral as fiscal year ’18 outlook implies 0.5 percent year-to-year revenue growth while our thesis called for mid-single-digit growth as well as incremental investments,” wrote Sinha, the only analyst who changed his rating on the company after the report. Web.com doesn’t provide projections on net income. But Sinha said the company’s first-quarter guidance of $185.5 million in revenue and $41.5 million in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) was lower than his estimate of $188.2 million in revenue and $49.3 million in EBITDA.
Photo by Max Marbut
Elizabeth Lopez of Smith Hulsey & Busey says she will help the firm’s team of 30 attorneys learn how to improve their communications skills, look for growth opportunities and use social media, particularly LinkedIn.
Elizabeth Lopez helping guide Smith Hulsey & Busey into its next century.
By Max Marbut Associate Editor Elizabeth Lopez says her job at one of Jacksonville’s longest established law firms is “evolving.” She’s guiding Smith Hulsey & Busey in a new direction as the firm marks 100 years of providing legal counsel and service in Jacksonville.
“I’m here to help determine the strategic changes the firm needs to make – and implement them,” Lopez said. She’ll be helping the firm’s team of about 30 attorneys in the areas of business development planning, including coaching and training, internal communications and identifying potential growth opportunities, such as new Lopez
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Michael Freed: The legal profession is at crossroads Current state of lawyer health cannot support profession dependent on public trust. By Michael Freed Special to the Daily Record
Special to the Daily Record
Michael Freed is Jacksonville’s representative in the ABA House of Delegates.
The American Bar Association House of Delegates recently held its midyear meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. The House approved nearly three dozen resolutions on topics ranging from criminal sentencing, civil rights, discrimination, access to courts and lawyer wellness. Here are summaries of sig-
nificant positions on which the House voted that should be of interest to the Jacksonville legal community: LAWYER WELL-BEING
The ABA has been engaged in research examining aspects of well-being regarding law students and lawyers. According to an ABA report published in August, “The research has quantified an alarming rate of alco-
hol and other substance use and mental health concerns, coupled with deficient help-seeking behaviors.” House Resolution 105 urges all courts, Bar associations and other stakeholders to be guided by the report. Findings include: n We are at a crossroads. To maintain public confidence in the profession, to meet the need for innovation in how we deliver legal services, to increase access
to justice and to reduce the level of toxicity that has allowed mental health and substance use disorders to fester among our colleagues, we have to act now. Change will require a wide-eyed and candid assessment of our members’ state of being, accompanied by courageous commitment to re-envisioning what it means to live the life of a lawyer. Freed
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The Marbut Report: Constitution revision ‘crunch time’ Hank Coxe, others to share with JBA how process to revise state constitution is proceeding. Public
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