NOVEMBER 26, 2018 – Icard Merrill Shareholder Michael J. Furen has received The Argus Foundation’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award. Furen and posthumous honoree Gil Waters were recognized for being trailblazers and helping to shape the community.
Since 2002, The Argus Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award has honored business people of Sarasota who have made valuable contributions to the community throughout their lives.
A Florida native, Furen has put his legal fingerprints on some of the most defining developments of Sarasota County that include Palmer Ranch, Sarasota Quay, The Colony, and the Sarasota Interstate Park of Commerce (now known as University Town Center).
Mike has spent 52 years at Icard Merrill helping to build the firm into one of the best in the area while providing pro bono services and financial assistance to those less fortunate. He has always given back to the community. He served on the board of The Argus Foundation for 14 years, and on the board of ‘Score for a Child,’ which provided equipment for disabled children. He also served on the board and became vice president of Josh Provides Epilepsy Assistance Foundation, which provides assistance to victims of epilepsy and their families.
Waters, who passed away in January, was a visionary in business, helping to find and start the Gulf Coast Builder’s Exchange and FCCI Insurance. He was also known for his efforts in helping to build the John Ringling Causeway.
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Icard Merrill is a full-service law firm based in Sarasota, Florida, delivering innovative and effective legal solutions through dedicated and caring professionals. Icard Merrill offers clients more than 65 years of comprehensive legal experience in multiple practice areas, including business and corporate, construction, bankruptcy, employment, estate planning, family law, government and administrative, intellectual property, litigation, mobile home and manufactured housing, real estate and land use, securities arbitration and litigation, tax, and mediation services. The cornerstone of Icard Merrill is an enduring commitment to excellence, integrity, teamwork, and the community.
The Argus Foundation is a non-profit organization established in Sarasota in 1983 that seeks to bring together business leaders from diverse industries and leverage their talents and experience to benefit the community and facilitate communications between the public and private sector. The organization currently has more than 170 members from 50 different industries.
