The Florida Bar President Sia Baker-Barnes to present awards at Legal Aid Gala
What: Annual Legal Aid Gala
Featuring: Sia Baker-Barnes, President, The Florida Bar
Dan Freyberg, Pro Bono Attorney of the Year
When: April 17, 2026
Where: Suntree Country Club
It is with great pleasure that Brevard County Legal Aid welcomes Florida Bar President Sia Baker-Barnes as our special guest speaker for this Brevard County Legal Aid’s 38th Annual Pro Bono Awards and Recognition Gala which will take place on Friday, April 17th at Suntree Country Club in Melbourne. Ms. Baker Barnes will present awards to Brevard attorneys for their outstanding pro bono service in 2025. Daniel Freyberg will be recognized as Attorney of the Year.
As the first Black woman president of The Florida Bar, Baker-Barnes is no stranger to breaking barriers. She was also the first Black woman president of the Palm Beach County Bar Association. Exceeding hundreds of cases and well over $100 million awarded to clients in favorable judgments over the past 25 years, a partner at Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley in West Palm Beach for more than a decade, board certified as a civil trial lawyer, and having co-founded the Palm Beach County Sheree Davis Cunningham Black Women Lawyer’s Association, Baker-Barnes’ success record is impressive by any measure, and she has earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues. Her vision of the Bar emphasizes the importance of crating a profession where all lawyers feel seen, supported, and heard. “We’re not just opening doors,” she said at her installation speech last June, “we’re saving a seat at the table for all of us. A seat for the new lawyer unsure of where they belong. A seat for the seasoned practitioner with ideas still to share. A seat for every attorney who wonders if their voice still matters. Because it does.”
Brevard County Legal Aid is proud to recognize Daniel Freyberg, Esq. as this year’s Pro Bono Attorney of the Year in honor of his outstanding service, professionalism, and dedication to equal access to justice.
Mr. Freyberg has devoted his career to serving families and children in need. Before becoming an attorney, he spent 17 years working in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court system in Virginia, where he served in multiple roles including intake officer, juvenile magistrate, probation officer, and family crisis counselor. In 1997, after graduating with distinction from Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, he began practicing family law in Brevard County, Florida, where he has represented countless individuals navigating complex family matters.
In recognition of his experience and professionalism, Mr. Freyberg was appointed by the court to serve as a General Magistrate for both Dependency and Family Law divisions, a role he fulfilled with distinction for two and a half years, assisting the court in resolving complex and sensitive matters affecting families and children.
Throughout his career, Mr. Freyberg has remained deeply committed to the well-being of families and children. He is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator and Dependency Mediator, a trained Collaborative Law practitioner, and has served for many years as a Guardian Ad Litem, advocating for the best interests of children.
His dedication to public service continues through his extraordinary volunteer work with Brevard County Legal Aid. Mr. Freyberg has contributed more than 120 hours of pro bono service in recent years, providing legal guidance and representation to individuals who would otherwise be unable to access legal help. He also generously volunteers his time conducting free legal clinics at the legal aid office, helping community members better understand their rights and options. One pro bono program which is especially close to Dan’s heart involves providing assistance to the residents of Clear Pond Estates, a low-income neighborhood in Cocoa where Dan regularly provides advice on a wide range of legal issues including family law, housing, and consumer protection.
Mr. Freyberg’s decades of service, both in the courtroom and through volunteer work, reflect the very spirit of pro bono service: using one’s knowledge, experience, and compassion to make justice accessible to all.
Brevard County Legal Aid is deeply grateful for his commitment and proud to honor Daniel Freyberg for his remarkable contributions to our community.
Other award winners include “Outstanding Pro Bono Service Awards” to Greg Jean-Denis, Rachel Jozen, Kevin Mawn, William McQuade, Bonnie Rhoden, Amy Romaine, Deborah Smith, Jerald Stubbs, and Nicholas Vidoni.
Shuster, Saben & Estevez is Platinum Sponsor for the event. Gold Sponsors are: Allender & Allender, PA, Andrew Pickett Law, PLLC, Brevard Bar Foundation, Brevard County Bar Association, Faro & Crowder, P.A., Michael and Roma Kahn, Michael Kahn P.A., Nance Cacciatore, and Vicaryous Law Firm.
Silver Sponsors are: Alpizar Law, Douglas R. Beam, P.A., Charles Roberts Mediation, Douglas R. Beam, PA, Ethan Babb Law Firm, Jacobus Fielding, Robert and Shelley Johnson, Law Firm of Lacey Rezanka, and The Honorable J. Preston and Betts Silvernail.
For more information please call BCLA at (321) 631-2500 ext. 511
