Stuart Weissman

Stuart J. Weissman is a partner of Ratzan Weissman & Boldt. He focuses his practice on catastrophic negligence, medical malpractice, products liability, wrongful death, and commercial disputes. Mr. Weissman and RWB are frequently retained to handle cases throughout the state and the country. Beyond Florida, Mr. Weissman has handled cases in states including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Rhode Island, and Texas.

Stuart has obtained a multitude of six, seven, and even eight-figure settlements and verdicts. For example, alongside his partner, Stuart N. Ratzan, he obtained a $23 million verdict in a medical malpractice case in Charlotte County, Florida. The $23 million verdict in a medical malpractice lawsuit for a mother whose daughter was born with a severe brain injury is believed to be the largest civil jury verdict in the county’s history. For this achievement, the Daily Business Review recognized Mr. Ratzan and Mr. Weissman for their achievements by being finalists for the Daily Business Review annual Most Effective Lawyers recognition award.

Ret. Justice Raoul Cantero

Former Justice Raoul G. Cantero was appointed to the Court on July 10, 2002, by Governor Jeb Bush. He is the first Justice of Hispanic descent to sit on the Court. Before his appointment, he was a shareholder and head of the Appellate Division of the law firm of Adorno & Yoss in Miami.  He specialized in civil and criminal appeals at all levels, and also has extensive experience in commercial litigation. He has been Board-certified in appellate practice since 1995. After joining the Adorno firm in 1988, Justice Cantero handled more than 250 appeals and more than 100 oral arguments. He handled appeals in all five District Courts of Appeal of Florida and in the Florida Supreme Court, as well as several in the United States Circuit Courts of Appeal and in the United States Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Carlos Muniz

Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court on January 22, 2019. Prior to joining the Court, he served on the staff of Secretary Betsy DeVos as the presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed general counsel of the United States Department of Education. In addition to working as an attorney in the federal government and in private practice, Justice Muñiz had an extensive career in Florida state government. He served as the deputy attorney general and chief of staff to Attorney General Pam Bondi as deputy chief of staff and counsel in the Office of the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives; as general counsel of the Department of Financial Services; and as deputy general counsel to Governor Jeb Bush. After law school, he clerked for Judge José A. Cabranes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for Judge Thomas A. Flannery of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Justice Charles Canady

Justice Charles Canady was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor Charlie Crist and took office on September 8, 2008. From November 1984 to November 1990, Justice Canady served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives, and from January 1993 to January 2001, he served four terms in the United States House of Representatives.  Throughout his service in Congress, Justice Canady was a member of the House Judiciary Committee.  For three terms, from January 1995 to January 2001, Justice Canady was the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. Upon leaving Congress, Justice Canady became General Counsel to Governor Jeb Bush.  He was appointed to the Second District Court of Appeal for a term beginning November 20, 2002. He served as Florida's 54th Chief Justice from July 2010 through June 2012. He was elected by his colleagues to serve as Chief Justice for a second time starting July 1, 2018, and a third time starting July 1, 2020.      

Justice Jorge Labarga

Justice Jorge Labarga, began his legal career in 1979 as an Assistant Public Defender with the Public Defender's Office in West Palm Beach. In 1992 Justice Labarga participated in founding the law firm of Roth, Duncan & Labarga, P.A., in West Palm Beach, where he continued to specialize in personal injury litigation and criminal defense. Governor Lawton Chiles appointed Justice Labarga to the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, in and for Palm Beach County, in 1996. In that capacity he served in the family, civil and criminal divisions. He also served as the administrative judge of the civil division.

Justice John Couriel

John D. Couriel is the 90th Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Prior to his appointment, he was a partner at Kobre & Kim LLP, where he worked on cross-border disputes and investigations. He was previously an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, an attorney at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, and law clerk to Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and A.B. from Harvard College.

Justice Renatha Francis

Justice Renatha Francis, was appointed on august 5, 2022. She became the 92nd Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Previously, she was appointed seat for a six-year term in 2022. Justice Francis also served on the Circuit and County Courts in the 11th Judicial Circuit of Miami-Dade from 2017-19 by appointment to each by then-Governor Rick Scott. During her tenure on the bench, Justice Francis presided over large dockets, conducted numerous bench trials, and resolved hundreds of cases in family, civil, probate, and criminal law. She clerked at the First District Court of Appeal for 6 ½ years. Thereafter, she joined Shutts & Bowen, LLP, Of Counsel, in Miami-Dade, where she was a member of the Mass Litigation and Class Action Practice Group, representing large corporate clients. Justice Francis has been a member of several bar associations and has served as a panelist or participant at numerous conferences and is the first Jamaican-American to serve on the Florida Supreme Court.   

Justice Jamie Grosshans

Justice Jamie Grosshans, Justice Jamie R. Grosshans was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court on September 14, 2020. Previously she was appointed to the Fifth District Court of Appeal in 2018. Prior to her appointment to the appellate court, she served as an Orange County Court Judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida where she presided over criminal and civil matters. During law school, she clerked for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi. She has served on state court system advisory committees and has been involved in numerous activities with the Florida Bar and other legal organizations. Justice Grosshans regularly speaks to lawyers and law students on topics such as challenges in the practice of law, the role of judges, professionalism and respect in the legal profession, criminal law, and family law.

Brian Andrews

Mr. Andrews is a veteran public affairs and crisis communications consultant that helps clients find positive outcomes when the odds are stacked against them. The News Directors are involved in all aspects of managing the crisis and fixing the problems that led up to it. In addition, they perform candid assessments inside organizations so leadership is prepared for what's next. The company focuses on crisis management and strategic communications for local governments and multinational companies. From A-Z (active shooters to coronavirus to zika), the team have lived through it all. They use all available platforms and methods to reach target audiences with important factual information.

Prior to his life in crisis management and government affairs, he worked as both an investigative journalist and news executive. Based in Miami for most of his career in news, making a brief stop off in Latin America to run English language news operations for RCN, one of Colombia's largest private media groups. In addition to years in local TV in Miami and New York City, he has also served as a correspondent for national broadcast & cable networks, reporting from all over the world.

Katie Phang

Katie S. Phang is a trial attorney and media relations and crisis management consultant. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, family law, real estate litigation, hospitality litigation, and criminal defense & special investigations. Katie has been awarded the AV-Preeminent Rating in Litigation, Bankruptcy, Criminal Law, & Family Law, and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer and Top Lawyer in Corporate and Business Law for several years.  She recently authored and edited the 10th Edition of the “Florida Practitioner’s Guide: Civil Trial Preparation”.

Katie also provides strategic communications guidance through times of crisis. In addition, Katie also provides media training for television, radio, and digital media appearances through group or individualized sessions.

Katie serves as an Adjunct Professor of Litigation Skills at the University of Miami School of Law and is a recent Past-President of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.

Katie has provided legal analysis for network and cable news since 2005. Currently a Legal Contributor for NBC News/MSNBC, Katie leverages her significant trial experience to provide analysis and commentary on the latest legal issues across the globe.

Charise A. Morgan-Joseph

Charise A. Morgan-Joseph is a Trial Attorney with Zurich, N.A., representing and protecting the interest of the company's insured in all phases of litigation in complex liability matters. A former Administrative Law Judge for the Department of Labor in Atlanta, Georgia, Ms. Morgan-Joseph graduated from Florida International University with a B.A. in Political Science and English Literature. She attended Mercer University School of Law, earning a Juris Doctorate degree, Certificate in Legal Writing, and the CALI Award for Appellate Practice and Procedure. She is licensed to practice in Georgia and Florida.

Ms. Morgan-Joseph currently serves as the Vice President of the Miami-Dade Bar, on the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors, the Florida Bar Civil Procedure Rules Committee, and the Florida Bar Standing Committee on Professionalism. She is an avid world traveler, on a quest for adventure.

Amanda Oliver

As Senior Vice President and General Counsel for NASCAR, Amanda Oliver oversees day-to-day legal operations for the auto racing sanctioning body and leads a team of eight attorneys and 12 staff members. Amanda is responsible for all legal matters related to litigation, real estate, digital and privacy, sponsorships and marketing, gaming and esports, international broadcasts and production, as well as the legal needs of 15 racetrack facilities across the country.

Edith Osman 

Edith Osman’s practice includes business litigation, matrimonial law, and mediation. She has significant experience representing clients in dissolution of marriage proceedings, resolving complex family law disputes, post-divorce modifications and enforcement proceedings, child custody and time-sharing disputes, equitable distribution of marital assets, negotiating and drafting pre- and postnuptial agreements, and paternity actions. Edith is a trained collaborative professional who works with teams of neutral mental health and financial experts to resolve family law cases out of court. Edith is also a Florida Supreme Court certified civil mediator and a Florida Supreme Court certified family law mediator.

Judge Samantha Ruiz Cohen 

Samantha Ruiz-Cohen is a judge of the Florida 11th Circuit Court. Ruiz-Cohen began her legal career working in the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, where she became a Division Chief, supervisor and Office Training Director. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at Florida International University. Ruiz-Cohen won re-election for judge of the Florida 11th Circuit Court outright in the general election on November 8, 2022, after the primary and general election were canceled. She was elected to the circuit court on August 24, 2010, and was officially sworn in to office in February 2011. She was re-elected to a new six-year term in 2016.

Judge Jack Helinger

Jack Helinger is a judge of the Florida 6th Circuit Court. Helinger worked as a lawyer prior to his appointment to the circuit court in 2006. He is also a former prosecutor of the State Attorney's Office. Helinger won re-election for judge of the Florida 6th Circuit Court outright in the general election on November 8, 2022, after the primary and general election were canceled. Helinger was appointed to the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court by Gov. Charlie Crist on December 5, 2008.

Judge Hope Bristol

Judge Bristol was elected to the bench in the 17th Judicial Circuit in 2005 and was assigned to the Unified Family Division/Dependency Division. She was the Chairperson of the Dependency Division for over 8 years and is currently the Administrative Judge for all of the Unified Family Court Divisions. She created and presides over an Early Childhood Court division in her Circuit which has been very successful as well as the Dependency Drug Court division and the Juvenile Drug Court Division and she has been instrumental in involving the 17th Judicial Circuit with the Model Court Initiative.

 She began her career as an Assistant State Attorney in Broward County where she worked for ten years. She was assigned to the Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit for the majority of her time in that office. Prior to being elected to the bench, Judge Bristol had a private family law practice for five years. Judge Bristol was appointed by the Supreme Court of Florida to the Steering Committee on Children and Families, and now serves as the Chairperson for that committee.  She recently stepped down from her assignment as the Dependency Court Improvement Panel chairperson, where she provided tireless leadership for several years. She is also appointed by the Supreme Court of Florida as a Mentor Judge for new judges to the 17th Judicial Circuit.  Judge Bristol is also a faculty member of the Florida Judicial College and also serves as the Co-chair for the Florida Courts Opioid Initiative.   

Judge Wesley Tibbals

In March 2015, Governor Rick Scott appointed Judge Wesley Tibbals to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court, and he took the bench on May 8, 2015.  He is assigned to the Unified Family Court Division and, as of July 30, 2017, he is the administrative judge for the division.  Prior to this appointment, Judge Tibbals focused his career representing clients in both federal and state courts handling business disputes, contractual claims, products liability, and labor and employment issues.  In 2014, the Hillsborough County Bar Association recognized Judge Tibbals for his pro bono service with the Jimmy Kynes Award, the highest award for pro bono service in Hillsborough County.  Judge Tibbals earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida and is proud to be a Florida Gator.

Judge Diana Tennis

After earning her JD from the University of Florida, Judge Tennis has had a flourishing career in the legal system from her time as a Circuit Judge in Osceola County to now in 2023, the Administrative Circuit Judge of Domestic Relations. 

Jude Faccidomo

Jude is a former Assistant Public Defender with the Miami Dade Public Defender’s office and has extensive trial experience handling cases stemming from DUI to 1st degree murder. While at the Public Defender’s Office, Jude was recruited to join the firm of Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A. where he spent five years handling high profile and complex criminal litigation. In 2013, Jude and Mycki partnered to create Ratzan & Faccidomo- a boutique law firm that quickly became one of the most prominent criminal defense law firms in the tri-county area.

In May of 2012 Jude was elected President of the Miami chapter of FACDL, at the time making him that organization’s youngest president in history. Jude is a past chair of the Dade County Bar Association’s Criminal Court Committee and currently serves as co-chair of the Miami Dade Jury Trial Task force where he works with the circuit’s Chief judge to facilitate jury trials amidst the COVID 19 pandemic. Most notably, Jude is the current president of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for the State Florida, which is the largest voluntary criminal defense organization in Florida.

Judge Andrea Wolfson

On June 4, Governor Rick Scott announced the appointment of Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. She is a county court judge for Miami-Dade County and previously served as an Assistant State Attorney/Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, her master’s degree from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and her law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Wolfson fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Antonio Marin.

Judge Daliah Weiss

Judge Weiss is a Judge of the  Florida 15th Judicial circuit criminal division. With  17 years of experience as a prosecutor in various difficult cases, she presides over a large volume of personal injury protection (PIP) and foreclosure cases, as well as landlord tenant and other small claims disputes. Additionally, every week she presides over Domestic Violence Injunction Hearings, an area for which she is uniquely qualified. She is a former member of the Professionalism Committee of the Florida Bar and a current member of the South County Bar Association. Throughout her career, Judge Weiss always enjoyed mentoring young lawyers.

Judge Barbara Twine-Thomas

Judge Twine Thomas is a judge of the Florida 13th Circuit Court, and the recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Judicial Service Award. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida and her J.D. degree from the University of Florida and started her career as a lawyer in 1976. Throughout her career, Judge Twine Thomas has provided pro bono services to the individuals who sought help at the offices of the Hillsborough County NAACP. In recognition of these efforts, in 2003 Judge Twine Thomas was awarded the “Foot Solider in the Sands” Award at the NAACP national convention for a pro bono service to the local branch.

Gary Lesser

Gary S. Lesser is the President of The Florida Bar, after ten years of service on the Florida Bar Board of Governors. Gary was appointed Chair of Florida Bar Legislation three years in a row, and also served as Chair of the Professional Ethics Committee, and served on the Strategic Planning, Disciplinary Review, Communications and Board Review on Professional Ethics Committees. He was admitted to the Florida bar in 1992, after earning his J.D from the Miami University school of Law. 

Gary is the Firm’s Managing Partner and is one of Florida’s leading personal injury attorneys, handling a large number of high profile personal injury cases over the years, including automobile injury, wrongful/accidental death, premises liability, gun liability, negligent security, product injury, and other related injury cases. Gary has lectured at seminars all over Florida on the topics of personal injury and various ethics issues. He has been interviewed by local and national media regarding personal injury cases, important ethical/legal issues, and his service to the community.

Judge Milena Abreu

Judge Milena Abreu is a judge for the Miami Dade County Court in Florida. She was elected to the bench in 2018, prior to which she worked for the Death Penalty Unit at the Office of Criminal Conflict and civil regional counsel for the third region of Florida. Hon Judge Abreu earned her J.D from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law in 1998. She began her legal career with the Miami-Dade County Public Defender's office and later became a senior attorney. She then entered into private practice.                            

Judge Michael Bagge-Hernandez

Michael C. Baggé-Hernández serves as a County Court Judge in the Hillsborough County Court in Hillsborough County, Florida. He was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2019, and he was elected without opposition in 2022. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Baggé-Hernández served for 10 years as an Assistant United States Attorney, five (5) years in the District of Puerto Rico and five (5) years in the Middle District of Florida. During his time at the United States Attorney’s Office, he prosecuted many different types of cases, including transnational organized crime, crimes committed on the high seas, narcotics crime, crime related to the Immigration and Naturalization Acts, violent crime, white collar crime, fraud, and money laundering, among others.

Additionally, Judge Baggé-Hernández litigated civil and criminal asset forfeiture cases on behalf of the United States, and represented the United States in federal appellate court.  In 2018, the United States Department of Justice Organized Crime and Gang Section selected Judge Baggé-Hernández for a “first of its kind” detail as a Resident Legal Advisor to the United States Embassy in San Salvador, El Salvador. Prior to that, Judge Baggé-Hernández served as an Assistant State Attorney in Hillsborough County, Florida. As a native Spanish speaker, Judge Baggé-Hernández has participated in many trainings given by the US Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative, which involved  travelling  throughout Latin America and training, in Spanish, lawyers, law enforcement, judges, and law students whose countries are changing from the inquisitorial system to accusatorial system. Additionally, he has participated in various lectures, trainings, and talks to judges, law enforcement, law students, and lawyers, on a variety of law-related topics.

Sabrina Puglisi

Sabrina Puglisi is a Florida Board Certified Criminal Trial attorney since 2008. Prior to starting her own firm, Puglisi Law, in 2011, she has the unique experience of having worked for both the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office and the Federal Defender’s Office for the Southern District of Florida where she gained invaluable experience as a trial attorney handling hundreds of different cases from pre-trial to trial. She was admitted to the Florida bar in 2000 and practices Federal and State Criminal law Defense.

Abbigail Waxman

Abbie Waxman is the Assistant United States attorney from the US Department of Justice since Oct 2020. Prior to that, she worked as the assistant public defender at the Miami Dade Public Defender's office. She earned her J.D from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of law. She was recognized as the top Government and non-profit attorney by the Florida trend.

George Tragos

Attorney George E. Tragos is the founding partner at the Law Offices of Tragos, Sartes & Tragos. He has defended clients in numerous high-profile cases for more than 40 years. George is a board-certified criminal trial law attorney as well as a former state and federal prosecutor.

His legal abilities and experiences are exceptional, and his certification is the Florida Bar’s highest level of recognition. There are few attorneys in Florida who can match the knowledge and competence that George E. Tragos possesses.

Denis DeVlaming

Denis DeVlaming is a Board certified specialist in criminal trial Law. He has also been approved by the Florida Bar to give continuing legal education seminars on every aspect of Criminal Trial.  He graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 1972 with a Juris doctor degree. He accepted an appointment as a Florida Assistant State Attorney where he prosecuted in the Sixth Judicial Circuit from 1972 through 1975. Thereafter, he started his own law practice and has specialized in criminal defense ever since.

Michelle Suskauer

Michelle R. Suskauer is Immediate Past President of The Florida Bar and a criminal defense attorney at Dimond Kaplan & Rothstein, P.A., in West Palm Beach. Suskauer has been practicing in Palm Beach County since 1991, with a focus in criminal law in both state and federal courts. She is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized in the annual Florida Super Lawyers Magazine as one of Florida’s top criminal defense attorneys and by Florida Trend Magazine as one of Florida’s “Legal Elite” in its annual statewide poll of attorneys. Suskauer is actively involved in the leadership of numerous local and state legal organizations.   

She has served on The Florida Bar Board of Governors for the 15th Judicial Circuit since 2010. She is past chair of the BOG’s Disciplinary Review Committee, the Communications Committee and the 2013 Annual Convention of The Florida Bar Committee. She has served as Chair of board’s Strategic Planning Committee and the Executive Committee for the past four years. Suskauer is past-president of the Palm Beach County Bar Association and the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Palm Beach County Chapter, and she currently is president of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County.

Edith Osman

Edith Osman’s practice includes business litigation, matrimonial law, and mediation. She has significant experience representing clients in dissolution of marriage proceedings, resolving complex family law disputes, post-divorce modifications and enforcement proceedings, child custody and time-sharing disputes, equitable distribution of marital assets, negotiating and drafting pre- and postnuptial agreements, and paternity actions.

Edith is a trained collaborative professional who works with teams of neutral mental health and financial experts to resolve family law cases out of court. Edith is also a Florida Supreme Court certified civil mediator and a Florida Supreme Court certified family law mediator.

Dori Foster-Morales 

Dori Foster-Morales exclusively practices in the area of marital and family law. She is both Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by the Florida Bar and by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Family Law Trial Advocate. Additionally, she is also a Fellow in the American and International Academies of Matrimonial Lawyers, a Fellow and Member of the Florida Bar Foundation, a Fellow in the American Bar Foundation and a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Foundation. In 2017, Dori was awarded the Legal Luminaries award by the Dade County Bar Association as the Top Matrimonial and Family Lawyer in Miami-Dade County. 

Dori has been designated a top family lawyer by a variety of publications including Martindale Hubbell (AV Preeminent Rated), Super Lawyers, South Florida Legal Guide, Best Lawyers in America; and Florida Trend’s Legal Elite. She was also designated Women Extraordinaire Winner from Business Leader Magazine. Dori’s accolades are based on her vast experience in complex and high-profile family law matters. Moreover, her diverse legal background has contributed to her capacity as a family lawyer. She began her career at the United States Environmental Protection Agency where she worked both in Washington, DC and New York City. When she returned to her hometown, she worked as an Assistant State Attorney for the Miami Dade State Attorney’s Office where she tried 65 cases to verdict.

Marc Hurwitz 

Marc began government service with Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and continued in the U.S. Department of State’s Human Rights Bureau. He then worked in the White House for three years, where he served as the aide to the Deputy National Security Advisor. Marc went on to become a counter-terrorism officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and later worked for the government in multiple overseas posts, earning several commendations for meritorious service. In 2008, Marc opened Crossroads Investigations to sub-contract for retired CIA Chiefs of Stations with corporate due diligence contracts. Crossroads has since expanded into a full-service Private Investigation and Due Diligence firm, named by the Daily Business Review as the top Private Investigation Agency in South Florida for the past 7 consecutive years. Marc is a Florida Board Certified Investigator, a National Board Accredited Investigator, and a Certified International Investigator. And, he is accredited by the Stave & Thief Society as a Bourbon Steward.

Helen Wan

A little about me: I was born in California and raised in Virginia. I’m a graduate of Amherst College and the University of Virginia School of Law. Before becoming a writer, I practiced law in New York City for a lot of years. People ask whether my book is autobiographical. Well, like Ingrid (protagonist of THE PARTNER TRACK), I’m an Asian American woman, and I’m a lawyer. After law school I landed at a big firm in Manhattan, whose corporate culture felt utterly unknown and unknowable to me. I might as well have landed on the moon. What struck me most were the patterns I observed as to who was sinking and who was swimming, who sat where (and with whom) in the cafeteria, and why all of this seemed to be playing out this way.

Unlike Ingrid, who (this is not a spoiler!) battles it out for BigLaw partnership, I left BigLaw to join a media and entertainment firm, and later became Associate General Counsel at a large media and entertainment company. So while my book is decidedly fiction, it was very important to me to write as realistic, authentic, and unvarnished a portrayal of corporate life as possible — as experienced by a young woman of color trying to figure it all out.

Aaron Daniel

Aaron is a Board Certified Appellate Attorney who dedicates his entire practice to appeals and trial support.  Aaron has argued before all five Florida District Courts of Appeal, and regularly practices in the Federal Bankruptcy Courts, District Courts and the Circuit Courts of Appeals.  Aaron serves as Vice Chair of the Florida Bar's Appellate Court Rules Committee.

Aaron grew up abroad in Africa and Europe, returning to his birthplace of Atlanta, Georgia to complete high school and attend Emory University.  Aaron’s early experience abroad drew him to the international city of Miami, which he now calls home.  Aaron graduated from the University of Miami School of Law magna cum laude in 2012. Aaron is author of the legal research newsletter The Bitcoin Brief, which examines legal issues surrounding Bitcoin from an appellate attorney’s perspective.

Abbigail Webb

General Counsel for a multistate privately held automotive dealership enterprise, with a background in litigation in the areas of business, consumer finance, and banking law. Expertise in dispute resolution and enterprise risk reduction. Economic empowerment and financial literacy teacher. Bitcoin technology advocate. Licensed and admitted in: Florida; the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal; and United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida.

Artemis Malekpour

Artemis Malekpour is a partner in the litigation consulting firm of Malekpour & Ball.  With a background in psychology and psychiatric research, she specializes in focus groups, case strategy, damages and jury selection.  Artemis earned her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from UNC’s School of Public Health.  After several years of working in the Department of Psychiatry at UNC Hospitals, she went on to receive her law degree with honors from Duke University (though she still proudly bleeds Carolina blue). 

Artemis has consulted on a wide variety of cases across the country.  Through years of conducting jury research, observing deliberations and moderating discussions, she has a knack for identifying potential landmines, analyzing each case from the decisionmakers’ perspective.

David Ball

David Ball, Ph.D. (Durham, NC), a jury researcher who’s considered the nation’s most influential trial consultant, has guided criminal defense and civil plaintiff’s cases for 32 years. He’s written four best-selling advocacy books including David Ball on Damages and (with partner Artemis Malekpour and Courtney and Nick Rowley) Damages Evolving, teaches CLEs and public defenders’ offices coast to coast and for the JAG Corps at Camp Lejeune and Fort Bragg, and has taught for Federal District 1 judges. Trained in science, engineering, and research as well for the professional theater, he spent decades directing, writing, and producing for the professional stage, TV, and film.

His theater students hold Oscars, Obies, and Emmies in acting, directing, and writing, and his book Backwards & Forwards has long been the most widely used training text for theater and film. He received NCAJ’s Charles L. Becton trial-advocacy teaching award and taught students at such law schools as Duke (Senior Lecturer), UNC, Campbell (as Adjunct), Loyola (Los Angeles), and the University of Minnesota. He’s part of a research project into criminal juror decision-making funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and conducted by Duke University’s Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS). Drawing on the neurosciences and decades of his own research and testing, David’s Rule-Out Method of criminal advocacy has been creating prosecutorial dismay.

Scott Dimond

Scott M. Dimond represents companies and individuals in complex commercial and securities matters. Often described as a “lawyer’s lawyer,” Scott is frequently retained by general counsel and executives in sophisticated business disputes, and he advises national clients about the nuances of litigating in state and federal court in Florida as both lead and local counsel. A consistent record of successful results – including winning one of the top jury verdicts in Florida in 2021 in a matter in the Complex Business Division — has earned Scott a national reputation as a highly-skilled, intelligent, strategic, and aggressive advocate for clients across a range of industries, including real estate, finance, telecommunications, hospitality, law, construction, and healthcare.

Scott has particularly deep expertise in the securities sector, having represented both the industry and, now, investors and financial advisors. He regularly represents claimants in securities arbitration actions before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and represents financial advisors in matters against banks and broker-dealers. He also has extensive federal and state receivership experience, having been appointed by numerous federal courts as a Receiver for both the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and by state-court judges to act as a Receiver in matters pending in the Miami-Dade County Complex Business Division.

Alvin K. Brown

Alvin K. Brown is a National Security, Cybersecurity, and Compliance attorney serving the State of Florida. He provides legal counseling, investigation, compliance program development, risk mitigation, and crisis management services to clients in the legal, business, and government sectors.

Alvin K. Brown is an attorney and data protection and privacy consultant with over 20 years of Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) experience working on National Security, Cybersecurity, Data Protection, and Privacy matters.  During his career, Alvin has served in operations, management, policy, compliance, and legal positions at the Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, Office of Naval Intelligence, U.S Special Operations Command, U.S. Central Command, and U.S. Special Operations Command Central. Alvin earned a Juris Doctorate (JD) and Master of Law (LL.M) in International Law from Stetson University College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Interdisciplinary Social Science from the University of South Florida.

Elan Hersh

Elan Hersh is a Partner in Akerman’s Litigation Practice Group and leads Akerman’s eDiscovery Services team. Elan advises clients on electronic discovery (eDiscovery), information governance, litigation readiness and response, cross-border discovery issues, and data privacy. Elan leverages his unique knowledge of the technical and legal dimensions of eDiscovery to advise clients on defensible and cost-effective strategies for data preservation, collection, review, and production, with an emphasis on controlling the scope of discovery and implementing cost-shifting strategies. Elan represents clients in all aspects of eDiscovery throughout the country in both state and federal court, and represents foreign corporations who are defending lawsuits in the United States.

Corey Douglas

Before graduating from Barry University with his JD in 2018, Corey worked for various institutions like Acorn Legal Solutions, Advanced Discovery, Consilio LLC, and now as Director at ELIJAH.

Beau Blumberg

Robert (Beau) Blumberg was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Mr. Blumberg earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government at the College of William and Mary in Virginia in 2011 and School of Law in 2014. While at law school he served as a Senior Article Editor for the William and Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review. 

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He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

David Emas

Mr. Emas joined Falk Waas in 2019 and became a partner in 2021. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Emas served as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County where he tried approximately 30 jury trials. He handles claims involving auto, trucking and rideshare liability, general and premises liability and medical malpractice matters. Mr. Emas has been recognized as a Rising Star by Florida Super Lawyer Magazine.

John Morgan

Morgan was born on March 31, 1956, in Lexington, Kentucky, the eldest of five children, to Ramon Morgan and Patricia Morgan. When Morgan was fourteen years old, his family moved to Winter Park, Florida. Morgan began working in various jobs at an early age, as his family struggled financially. In 1974, he entered the University of Florida, where he earned a bachelor's degree in arts in 1978. He took an 18-month hiatus selling ads to pay for his studies at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. He received his Juris Doctor in 1982. While at university, he was the elected president of the Florida Blue Key society. Morgan met his wife, Ultima Degnan, while studying law. They were married in May 1982. Morgan and Ultima Ann Degnan have four children.

After graduating from law school in 1982, Morgan began his legal career at the law firm of Billings, Morgan (no relation) and Cunningham in Orlando. He left in 1985 to co-found the law firm Griffin, Morgan & Linder, a partnership that lasted three more years. According to Florida Trend, the partners differed in their views on marketing, in particular, Morgan insisted on advertising on television, which at the time was a controversial practice for lawyers.

The firm bills itself as "America's Largest Injury Law Firm." Morgan & Morgan is headquartered in Orlando. As of 2022, the law firm had over 3,000 employees, including 800 lawyers in 49 states. In 2018, the firm received over two million phone calls and signed up 500 new cases each day. That year, the firm collected $1.5 billion in settlements and spent $130 million nationwide on advertising. Morgan was one of the first lawyers to advertise in phone books and television commercials.

Jaime Vining

A Florida Bar-certified Intellectual Property attorney, Jaime counsels clients on the acquisition of new trademarks; conducts clearance investigations; files and prosecutes trademark applications in state, federal, and international jurisdictions; renders availability and infringement opinions; provides defense of related proceedings, such as oppositions and cancellations of registrations; files domain name enforcement actions under ICANN's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP); and provides legal advice regarding trademarks and related unfair competition issues. She has also acted as an expert witness in a variety of trademark disputes. Respected by her peers, Jaime has been named a “Top Up and Comer” and “Rising Star” by Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, South Florida Legal Guide and Florida’s Super Lawyer Magazine. Jaime is AV-rated by Martindale- Hubbell and was named among the “Top 20 Professionals Under 40” by Brickell Magazine and "40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers of South Florida" by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In addition, in 2016, she was honored by the Florida Bar with the Lynn Futch Most Productive Young Lawyer Award, which annually recognizes a young attorney who has worked most diligently in Bar activities and law-related public activities and has an excellent reputation for legal abilities and integrity.

Rosa Jimenez 

Rosa Jimenez, Intellectual Property Specialist, Travel + Leisure Co.

At Travel + Leisure Co., Rosa Jimenez is responsible for the management and protection of the company’s global intellectual property portfolio, trademark clearance and registration, trademark enforcement and protection, as well as intellectual property due diligence arising from corporate transactions.   Prior to joining Travel + Leisure Co., Rosa was the Intellectual Property Manager of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc., where she managed trademark and copyright matters of 11 amusement parks across the U.S. She has over 23 years of experience as a trademark professional.

Ms. Jimenez holds a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and a Masters of Legal Studies from Arizona State University. She was born in Puerto Rico and speaks English and Spanish.

Ernie Rubi 

Ernie Rubi is a Board Certified Intellectual Property lawyer serving as Associate Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Royal Caribbean Group, where he oversees all intellectual property aspects for the cruise operator and its joint venture partners, globally. In addition to his IP responsibilities, Ernie and his team are also responsible for globally managing commercial litigation, entertainment, marketing, IT, Digital and Artificial Intelligence legal matters. In 2021 Ernie received the General Counsel Impact award from the Daily Business Review. Before joining Royal Caribbean Group, Ernie’s private practice experience focused on IP and commercial litigation, as well as IP prosecution. While in private practice he was ranked by SuperLawyers. He graduated cum laude from FIU College of Law, where he attended part-time while working as a Chief Network Engineer of a global internet exchange point.

Susan Crane

Susan L. Crane is Group Vice President, Legal – IP, Brands & Marketing at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc., where she heads the Intellectual Property practice.  Wyndham is the world’s largest franchisor of hotels and is the owner of such well-known brands as WYNDHAM, RAMADA, HOWARD JOHNSON, DAYS INN, SUPER 8 and LA QUINTA.  Susan’s advises the company on all aspects of trademark, copyright, domain name, marketing, social media and patent issues.  Susan has been with Wyndham and its predecessors, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation and Cendant Corporation, since 2000.

Judge Roy Altman

On April 4, 2019, Judge Altman was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. At 36, he became the youngest federal district court judge in the country—and the youngest federal judge ever appointed in the Southern District of Florida.

Judge Altman received a BA from Columbia University, where he played quarterback on the football team and pitched for the baseball team—earning All-Ivy honors. Judge Altman received his JD from the Yale Law School, where he was projects editor of the Yale Law Journal. After law school, the Judge clerked on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals for the Honorable Stanley Marcus.

Judge Altman then became a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami, where he twice received the Director of the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys’ Award for Superior Performance by a federal prosecutor. In 2013, Judge Altman was named “Federal Prosecutor of the Year” by the Miami-Dade Chiefs of Police and the Law Enforcement Officers’ Charitable Foundation. In 2014, Judge Altman became a partner at the Miami law firm of Podhurst Orseck, where he represented the victims of airplane crashes and bank fraud conspiracies.

David Tenner

David Tenner is an arbitrator, a mediator, and a special master appointed by state and federal trial courts. His trial practice focused on the representation of businesses and individuals in both state and federal court and in arbitrations. He tried complex business, intellectual property, and tort cases to both judges and juries. He also tried complex claims in both domestic and international arbitrations. He represented a broad range of clients; from Fortune 500 companies to closely-held businesses to individuals.

David has been listed in Best Lawyers in America (Arbitration, Mediation, and Commercial Litigation) from 2017 to 2022, becoming one of a handful of attorneys listed in all three fields.  Mr. Tenner has been recognized by his peers on the Colorado Super Lawyers list in the area of business litigation from 2009 to 2011 and from 2012 to 2022, where he is listed in the area of alternative dispute resolution. He received his AV rating from Martindale Hubbell in March 1993, becoming Denver’s youngest AV-rated attorney.

Caitlin Ward
Caitlin Ward is a Product Marketing Manager at DISCO. Prior to joining DISCO, Caitlin practiced commercial litigation with a focus on healthcare and medical device litigation, as well as class action defense, at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips before transitioning to a trial firm where she represented clients in the fields of finance, energy, insurance, manufacturing, and law in a wide range of litigation matters, including white collar investigations, intellectual property, product liability, and malpractice. Caitlin earned her J.D. from the University of San Francisco, where she was the articles editor for the Intellectual Property Law Journal.

Theresa Conduah

Theresa Conduah is a partner in the Intellectual Property practice group of Haynes and Boone, LLP and chair of its CBD and Hemp industry group.  Theresa counsels both Fortune 500 and startup clients on scaling IP portfolios, brand protection, and licensing matters. Theresa is also a registered patent attorney and focuses her practice on design patents.  Prior to returning to private practice, she served as in-house IP counsel at leading brands, including United Airlines, Toyota, and dosist (a cannabis brand). Theresa is a frequent speaker on intellectual property and diversity in the law.

Prior to attending Fordham Law School, Theresa worked for a clinical research organization and received her Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University and her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.

Daniel Shapiro

After graduating from Cardozo School of Law, Daniel found a thriving career in the field from Roc Nation to Veda Farms and now currently working as Vice President of Corporate Counsel for less than a year.

Gregory Pizarro Jr.

Gregory Pizarro, Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Glenhouse Strategies. He is an Army veteran, international human rights activist, public speaker, political operative, and youth advocate. He brings in a decade of experience in management and consulting, helping corporations, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and elected officials reach their goals around the globe.

Prior to Glenhouse, he was a Global Information Security Executive at Bank of America, managing GIS' business operations to include the integration of risk concepts into strategic planning, risk identification, and mitigation efforts. Additionally, Gregory served in a multitude of roles in the US Army, including Chief of Internal Controls, Chief of Financial Policy, Plans, and Operations, and as an adviser to a Commanding General at Fort Hood. Today, Gregory continues to serve in the US Army Reserve as a Senior Adviser to the Comptroller.

John Blair

The City Manager is appointed by the Mayor and approved by the governing body. The City Manager coordinates the implementation of the governing body policy decisions and the initiation of all intergovernmental operations of the City. The City Manager is responsible for directing the various departments and providing guidance in the implementation of the mandates of the governing body.

Travis Luther
Travis Scott Luther is the Founder of Luther Media, LLC whose companies have included TrialLine , ValetAds, Queen Anne Pillow Company, and Law Father. He is also the former frontman of the band Ultra Find. Luther has parlayed his marketing and storytelling expertise into a successful writing career. Forbes.com called Luther a “Retirement Abroad Authority” with the release of The Fun Side of the Wall, an Amazon #1 new release. He is also the host of the Travis Luther Travis Luther Podcast.

Luther is a former Entrepreneur in Residence for the University of Colorado Denver and a former Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at MSU Denver’s College of Business. He is also the President-Elect of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Colorado and served as the 2019 National Chair for EO’s Global Student Entrepreneurship Awards (GSEA) Program (which resulted in the Disney+/NatGeo Documentary Own the Room).

He currently sits on the MSU Denver Alumni Board of Directors and MSU Denver Foundation Board. Luther formally served on the Executive Board of Scholars Unlimited, a Denver non-profit focused on improving child literacy among low-income and at-risk grade school children, where he founded and endowed their children’s computer coding program, CodeSpire. He is a frequent lecturer and author and his insights have been featured in major publications, including the Wall Street Journal. In his free time he plays guitar and enjoys international travel. Click a link here to learn more about Travis Luther’s speaking, music, writing, and entrepreneurship.

Mary Caroline Cravatta

Mary Caroline (“M.C.”) Cravatta is an associate and litigation attorney with Foley & Lardner LLP. M.C. is based in the Orlando office where she is a member of the Labor & Employment Practice Group.

M.C.’s practice represents management clients in connection with a wide variety of complex labor and employment matters. As a litigator, she practices in both state and federal court and regularly handles matters involving employment and civil rights issues arising under federal statutes (including Title VII, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act), equivalent state statutes, and common law causes of action. Additionally, M.C. litigates and counsels employers and other corporate clients regarding restrictive covenant law and related considerations. She handles both single-plaintiff lawsuits and complex, multi-plaintiff litigation, including class and collective actions.

M.C. understands that labor and employment issues involve real people and real business concerns. She enjoys collaborating with her clients to create effective and creative solutions that not only address their legal obligations and responsibilities, but also serve the best interests of their organizations as a whole.

Lauren Allen

Lauren M. Allen is an Associate in the Miami office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where she is a member of the Class Action & Mass Litigation Practice Group.

Lauren focuses her practice in personal injury protection litigation matters, specializing in the interpretation and application of automobile insurance policies.

Prior to joining the firm, Lauren focused her practice on international commercial and civil litigation in both state and federal courts.  During law school, Lauren interned for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and The Honorable John F. McCabe of the District of Columbia Superior Court. Additionally, she was a student attorney for the Civil Advocacy Clinic and a member of the Mock Trial Honor Society.

Erin Weinstock

Erin Weinstock focuses her practice in the areas of construction and casualty litigation. She represents contractors, developers, and design professionals in construction defect claims and disputes. Erin also represents clients in personal injury and premises liability matters.

While in law school, Erin worked as a legal intern for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

Nikki Weisburd

Nikki Weisburd, Esq., is the Senior Child Advocacy Attorney and Pro Bono Coordinator with Dade Legal Aid’s Child Advocacy Project in partnership with the GAL program and supported by funding from The Florida Bar Foundation.  A seasoned veteran, she oversees cases, recruitment, and mentors dozens of attorneys for over 20 years advocating for greater access to justice for foster youth in need.

Karen Ladis

Karen Ladis, Esq. Executive Director of Dade Legal Aid has served as a moderator and panelist on pro bono and dependency for decades. In her role as director she oversees all aspects of the program.

Dana Viggiano

Dana Viggiano, Esq.,  is an attorney who handles GAL cases serving as the eyes and ears of the court for all children in dependency for nearly 15 years. Her unique perspective brings forth many years of experience serving both in and outside of the Children’s courthouse.

Kristen Feuer

Kristen Feuer, Esq., is an Attorney ad Litem representing older foster youth who are medically fragile and aging out of dependency. A former GAL attorney she provides a unique perspective on how to talk to foster kids.

Judge Zachary James

Judge Zachary James serves in the criminal Division and has also served in Domestic Violence Court. A graduate of University of Miami School of Law; he is a co-chair of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Pro Bono committee. When in private practice, he handled numerous child advocacy pro bono cases for Dade Legal Aid’s Child advocacy project and continues to support its mission.

Judge Angelica D. Zayas

Judge Angelica D. Zayas is a Circuit court judge in the GRACE Court. A graduate of University of Miami School of Law, Cum Laude, she sits in the GRACE Court.

Stephanie Grosman

Stephanie Grosman, Esq., a former board member of the MDB and YLS board, helps to recruit, train and supervise pro bono attorneys who accept GAL appointments in family law and unified family court. She brings over 15 years of collaborating and experience and works on special projects.

Retired Hon. Joseph P. Farina, retired Chief Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit, is a highly regarded active and effective settlement neutral who managed the resolution of countless complex matters as a Judge for over thirty years. As a full time mediator, arbitrator, special magistrate, neutral evaluator and neutral umpire at JAMS, Mr. Farina has quickly distinguished himself as a knowledgeable and efficient neutral who works diligently every step of the way toward helping parties arrive at the best possible outcome to their dispute. Named by Dade County Bar Association Legal Luminary Mediation Award as "Best Mediator," Mr. Farina served as a Circuit Judge in the Circuit Civil Division of the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County, Florida prior to joining JAMS. From 1995 to 2009, he served for 14 years as Chief Judge, supervising the full operations of the Miami-Dade Court system, which is comprised of 123 judges, 15 general magistrates, 20 traffic hearing officers, and more than 500 administrative court staff serving in 10 courthouses. Mr. Farina has been recognized by many national, state, and local organizations for his leadership, professionalism, and accomplishments. During his more than 30 years on the bench, Mr. Farina was consistently rated one of the top judges in bar association polls.

Retired Hon. Melvia Green is an accomplished former jurist with over 20 years of progressive judicial experience at both the trial and appellate court levels. As a state trial judge for seven years, she served as the fact-finder in over 500 bench trials and presided over 375 jury trials of claims involving admiralty; breach of contract and complex commercial; insurance; business and property torts; consumer law; healthcare; construction; franchise; partnership disputes; trade secrets; privacy law; maritime; RICO; class actions;

foreclosures; commercial and residential landlord/tenant disputes; professional malpractice; employment; product liability; transportation; injunctions; 1983 actions; securities; and anti-compete actions.  As a state appellate judge for over 14 years, Judge Green extensively reviewed and evaluated trial court and administrative decisions for legal correctness and authored over 1,000 published legal opinions. As a result, she has acquired in-depth knowledge of various substantive and procedural areas of the law. Prior to judicial career, Judge Green served as a senior litigation attorney representing corporate clients in complex commercial, securities and tort actions before state and federal courts and arbitration proceedings.

Retired Hon. Cristina Pereyra-Alvarez, retired Judge 11th Judicial Circuit, joins the JAMS panel after an exemplary career as a lawyer, judge, and legal journalist.  Mrs. Pereyra-Alvarez's extensive knowledge of the law and rich cultural background positions her to serve as an effective and informed mediator and arbitrator. Born in Tampa, Florida, Mrs. Pereyra-Alvarez grew up in Mexico where she earned her first law degree from Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City. Upon returning to the United States, she earned a second law degree from the University of Miami School of Law.  After a distinguished career as an assistant public defender in the 11th Judicial Circuit, Mrs. Pereyra-Alvarez became a Miami-Dade County Court Judge in the 11th Judicial Circuit.  In 2005, she was appointed as a Circuit Court Judge by former Governor Jeb Bush. In 2007, Mrs. Pereyra-Alvarez retired from the bench to preside on the first national Spanish language court reality program “Veredicto Final” (Final Verdict).  In 2011, she became Univision’s in-house legal correspondent. Mrs. Pereyra-Alvarez is fluent in Spanish.

Ronald Ravikoff, Esq. has been a JAMS neutral since 2012 and has been on the American Healthcare Lawyers Association panel of neutrals since 2014. He is a Certified Florida Mediator and a member of the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators. Mr. Ravikoff has years of experience in mediation, arbitration, complex litigation, and dispute counseling. His dispute resolution practice focuses on complex commercial matters with a particular emphasis on matters involving healthcare, parallel civil and criminal proceedings including False Claims Act matters, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters, antitrust and trade regulation, class actions, financial institution litigation, securities litigation and regulatory proceedings, and trade secrets matters. He is a retired senior litigation partner of Akerman Senterfitt. Prior to Akerman, he was the Managing Partner of the Miami office of Zuckerman Spaeder for over 25 years. Mr. Ravikoff has handled numerous ADR matters both as an advocate and neutral – as an attorney, mediator, arbitrator and hearing neutral. He has distinguished himself for helping parties to successfully work through complex disputes without the need for litigation.

Patricia H. Thompson, Esq. arbitrates and mediates with JAMS Miami, concentrating her practice in complex, commercial litigation disputes as well as construction, employment, financial insurance and international business matters. Ms. Thompson is regularly listed by The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers, The International Who's Who of Construction and Business Lawyers, and similar Florida publications ranking attorneys in her areas of practice concentration. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the American College of Construction Lawyers. Before joining JAMS in 2017, Ms. Thompson enjoyed a successful career for 40 years as trial lawyer and arbitrator. She has long been active in the ABA, chairing the Fidelity and Surety Law Committee of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section and co-chairing the Construction Litigation Committee of the Litigation Section. She is a frequent author and lecturer for both ABA sections, the Forum on Construction, and the Florida Bar Association.

Retired Hon. John W. Thornton, Jr., retired Judge 11th Judicial Circuit, joined JAMS after serving for more than 12 years in the civil, criminal and circuit court appellate divisions. Mr. Thornton headed the complex business litigation division for five years, including four years as the International Commercial Arbitration Division judge. He has presided over more than 100 jury trials. During his time on the bench, Mr. Thornton handled a range of complex matters involving commercial and contractual disputes, class actions, insurance, real estate, construction, health care, professional malpractice, personal injury and complex business law. Before his appointment to the circuit court in 2007, Mr. Thornton was in private practice, where he was a founding partner of Thornton & Rothman, P.A., a Miami-based defense firm, where he represented individual and institutional clients, including the University of Miami and the Archdiocese of Miami. One of Florida’s first board-certified criminal trial lawyers, he tried to verdict more than 100 jury trials. Prior to establishing the firm, Mr. Thornton served as an assistant state attorney, including as a division chief, for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

Allen Bonner

South Florida Appeals, P.A., based in Miami, Florida, is a solo appellate practice headed by attorney Allen Bonner.  Allen handles appeals and assists lawyers in civil cases of all sorts, including personal injury, wrongful death, product defect, commercial contract, class actions, and insurance and bad faith disputes. He is licensed to practice law in Florida, Georgia, and the District of Columbia. Allen was formerly a trial lawyer at the Miami public defender's office, an associate at Ver Ploeg & Lumpkin (now Ver Ploeg & Marino), and a partner at Colson Hicks Eidson, where he led the appellate division. 

Before becoming a lawyer, Allen graduated from Brown University magna cum laude and from Columbia University’s School of Law as a Harlen Fisk Stone Scholar, Charles Evans Hughes Fellow, and Jacob Berger Fellow. He also studied at Oxford University, England. Allen co-chairs the Miami Dade Bar Association’s Appellate Courts Committee and the Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section’s webinar programming. He has been published in the University of Miami Law Review, the ABA Appellate Practice Journal, and on the ABA’s “Sound Advice” podcast series.

Judge Bronwyn Miller

Judge Bronwyn C. Miller currently serves as a judge on the Third District Court of Appeal. She received her Juris Doctor cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law and Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College at Columbia University. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she was a prosecutor at the Miami-Dade County Office of the State Attorney from 1997-2005.  Judge Miller was a Division Chief in the Felony Unit and Training Director.  She also served as an adjunct professor at Florida International University.

Judge Miller has received the Alan R. Schwartz Professional Excellence Award, the Judge Steve Levine Award, the Miami-Dade Commission on the Status of Women in the Company of Women “Outstanding Woman in Government” Award, Millennium Movers “Celebration of Urban Professional Women” Mover and Shaker Award, the Women Who Rock Award, The Conference of County Judges Leadership Award, the South Florida Hispanic Chamber Community Service Award, and the Equal Justice Leadership Award.  She has been recognized by the Florida Senate for her work with the Miami-Dade County Grand Jury.

Judge Stephanie Williams Ray

Judge Ray graduated with honors from Florida State University College of Law in 1995. She began her legal career as an associate attorney at Ausley & McMullen, P.A. in Tallahassee, Florida where she gained experience in litigating complex commercial cases under the guidance of Senior Partner Dubose Ausley. In 2000, she accepted a position as the Associate/Assistant Dean at Florida State university College of Law. For the next eight years she worked with Dean Donald J. Weidner who taught her the leadership skills and work ethic that have provided the basis for her great professionalism and personal integrity today. These two special mentors, Duby Ausley and Don Weidner, were invited to speak at Judge Ray’s recent investiture.

Judge Ed Artau

Artau, of West Palm Beach, is the son of Cuban Americans whose family fled from Cuba to the United States to escape tyranny and pursue liberty. Artau has been a Judge for the Fifteenth Circuit since 2014 and previously served as the General Counsel for the South Florida Water Management District. He received his bachelor’s degree from Nova Southeastern University and his law degree from Georgetown University.

Chief Judge Brian D. Lambert 

Before he became a judge, Lambert had about 20 years of experience as a private practice attorney. In that time, he argued 25-30 jury trials, 40-50 non-jury trials, and 1 case for administrative bodies (government agencies) to completion. He spent the first 10 years mainly specializing in civil and probate cases, along with some criminal and domestic relations. After that he created his own firm, where he mostly worked in insurance defense, with some construction litigation.

Chief Judge Meredith L. Sasso

Judge Sasso was raised in Tallahassee, Florida. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 2005 and her law degree from the University of Florida in 2008, where she was a member of the Justice Campbell Thornal Moot Court Board. Judge Sasso began her career in private practice, representing clients in large loss general liability, auto negligence, and complex commercial claims in state and federal courts at trial and on appeal. She also served as a guardian ad litem, representing abused or neglected children. In August of 2016, Judge Sasso joined the Office of the General Counsel to Governor Rick Scott where she ultimately served as Chief Deputy General Counsel. In this role, she represented the Governor in litigation before the Florida Supreme Court, the First District Court of Appeal, and state and federal trial courts, among other duties. Judge Meredith L. Sasso joined the Fifth District Court of Appeal in January 2019, after being appointed by Governor Rick Scott.

Jose Lemus

Jose Lemus is a seasoned entrepreneur and Bitcoin expert, known for his innovative contributions to the digital currency industry. As the Co-founder and CEO of IBEX, he has been instrumental in developing a fast, secure, and user-friendly platform that empowers individuals worldwide to receive Bitcoin payments with ease.

Today, Jose is committed to expanding IBEX's global reach by offering cutting-edge technology and seamless experiences to enterprises seeking to integrate cross-border, cross-currency payments, and micropayments into their products and services. IBEX provides LaaS (Lightning as a Service) infrastructure to clients worldwide, empowering them to deliver the benefits of Bitcoin and other digital currencies to their customers. By doing so, IBEX strives to extend financial services to the unbanked and underbanked, creating a more inclusive global economy.

Juan Gomez

Co-Founder of Lightsats, Juan is a part of Bitcoin class of '21 and an Affiliate Marketer for the past 10+ years with an immense interest in building some products on the lightning network. Born in Colombia, raised in Canada, and now based out of Miami.

Judge Jennifer D. Bailey 

Judge Jennifer D. Bailey has been a circuit court judge in Miami, Florida, the fourth largest state court jurisdiction in the country, for 30 years. She is the Administrative Judge for the 25-judge Circuit Civil Division, and handles a docket of Complex Business Litigation cases, and previously served in the Family and Criminal Divisions. During the pandemic, she served as leader of the Pandemic Digital Workgroup setting up Virtual Courtrooms for Miami’s state courts, managed the first hybrid jury trial in July 2020, and served on the Conference of Chief Justices/Conference of State Court Administrators’ Pandemic Rapid Response Team, Civil Courts and Technology subcommittees.

Judge Bailey serves on the Board of Governors of Directors of the National Center for State Courts and on the Board of Advisors for the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) and the NCSC Institute for Court Management. She is an executive committee member of the Florida Commission on Trial Court Performance and Accountability where she chaired the Data Quality Workgroup. She serves on the Workgroup on Improved Resolution of Civil Cases and the Court Statistics and Workload Committee of Florida’s Judicial Management Council.

Judge James Nutt

Judge Nutt was appointed as a Judge on Florida's 15th Judicial Circuit by Governor Rick Scott in December 2017. He previously served for 23 years as Counsel and the Litigation Practice Group Leader for the South Florida Water Management District. Early in his career he owned James E. Nutt, P.A. and worked with Searcy Denney, the Broward State Attorney and Broward County Attorney's Offices.

Judge Nutt received his bachelor's degree from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia in 1980 and earned both Masters in Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate degrees from Nova Southeastern University, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1990.

Judge Nutt stays active with the Palm Beach County Bar Association, Inns of Court and tries to support many other legal organizations.

He was born in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, moved to Coral Springs, Florida, in 1973 and spent much of his youth with his grandparents in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. He is married to Cheryl Kempf.

Eugene K. Pettis 

Eugene K. Pettis is the Co-Founder and Senior Partner of Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm, residing in the Fort Lauderdale office. For 37 years, Eugene has represented an impressive number of individual clients in civil trial matters and has also represented many corporate and public sector clients. He handles a range of complex cases, with a primary focus on representing plaintiffs in the areas of medical malpractice, personal injury and commercial litigation. 

Eugene has the historic and laudable designation as the first African American President of The Florida Bar. In his role at the helm of The Florida Bar, which governs nearly 100,000 attorneys, he provided visionary leadership and brought a passion for giving back to his profession and his community. Eugene spearheaded an assortment of initiatives while President, including the conceptualization of the still active William Reece Smith Leadership Academy, a multi-session training program designed to help a diverse and inclusive group of lawyers become better leaders. He has two daughters, the oldest a litigation attorney in Orlando and the youngest recently received her doctoral degree in child psychology.

Jerry Hamilton

Jerry is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. He has been nationally recognized as one of the Top Ten Defense Lawyers in the United States by one of the largest insurance companies in the world. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only trial honorary society composed of less than one half percent of lawyers in The United States. He has been selected as one of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® for 2018— this is by invitation only and is reserved to identify the nation’s most exceptional trial attorneys in high value, high stakes legal matters.

Jerry is also Board Certified in Maritime Law, has been recognized as a “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics every year since 2006 and is named as one of Florida’s “Legal Elite” by Florida Trend. In 2016, he was selected by the Dade County Bar Association as one of Miami’s top 10 trial lawyers to present in its annual Super Lawyers CLE Mock Trial and also received the Anthony G. Marshall Award as Hospitality Lawyer of the Year. In 2017, he was a finalist for the Council on Litigation Management’s (CLM) Professional Outside Counsel of the Year Award and also nominated by his peers in the Dade County Bar Association as a Legal Luminary.

John J. Uustal

Celebrity trial lawyer, John Uustal, is a founding partner of the Kelley | Uustal law firm in Fort Lauderdale. Uustal leads a team of elite trial lawyers, who have won some of the largest verdicts in the country. He limits his own practice to a small number of “cases that can’t be won for families that can’t afford to lose.” He has taken on some of the most complex and difficult legal cases of our time. His successes have resulted in safer fuel tanks, safer seatbelts, safer medical care, and safer equipment for firefighters. That success has earned him some powerful enemies. A car company promised to bankrupt him, he was attacked and maligned by Big Tobacco, and he was threatened in Argentina after antagonizing government officials who had been complicit in Argentina’s dirty war. He has won every case he has tried against tobacco companies. He has won every one of his cases involving keyless ignition defects. He has been named Product Liability Lawyer of the Year by America’s Best Lawyers, awarded the Most Effective Lawyer for Product Liability by the Daily Business Review, and has been interviewed and chronicled by national newspapers and television news programs.

Most recently, he secured an $82.6 million verdict on behalf of hip hop superstar Flo Rida, and was featured in newspapers across the country as well as in People Magazine, on Fox and Friends, and CNBC’s Squawk Box.

Julie Braman Kane

Julie Braman Kane has decades of experience successfully representing plaintiffs in high- stakes litigation. A partner of Colson Hicks Eidson since 1999, she has secured multimillion- dollar verdicts and settlements, including a $38 million verdict in a medical malpractice and drug negligence case. An AV-rated trial lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, a Chambers USA Recognised Practitioner, and Top Twenty Women in Law award recipient, Julie focuses her practice on representing plaintiffs in lawsuits when harmed by the negligence of other individuals or corporations. Her practice includes significant personal injury work, commercial litigation, multidistrict litigation and class action work including data breach litigation.

She currently serves as Lead and Liaison counsel in the In Re: Monat Hair Products Multidistrict Litigation, as Liaison counsel for the In Re: Mednax Data Breach MDL on the Executive Committee for Allergan Biocel MDL and on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the In Re: 21st Century Oncology Customer Data Security Breach Litigation. She is committed to personal attention and works closely with each of her clients to inform and involve them in every step of their case, assuring they receive the highest quality representation possible. HONORS AND EXPERIENCEA champion of civil justice, Julie is a recent past President of the American Association for Justice (AAJ), the world’s largest trial bar and leading defender of civil justice.

Sean Brown

Shawn Brown is an attorney in Tampa, Florida. Mr. Brown is Board Certified in Condominium & Planned Development Law by The Florida Bar. Prior to joining Kaye, Bender, Rembaum, P.L, Shawn was a partner in the Tampa law firm of Frazier & Brown, Attorneys at Law and the law firm of Redding & Brown, PLLC. Shawn was also a partner in the St. Petersburg firm of Lang & Brown, P.A. Mr. Brown is a graduate of Stetson University and Stetson University College of Law. Mr. Brown was a recipient of the United States Senator Max Cleland scholarship and served as an intern to United States Senator Connie Mack in his Washington D.C. office while attending American University. Mr. Brown is a former co-Vice Chair of the Condominium & Planned Development Committee and currently a co-Vice Chair of the Real Property Litigation Committee.  He is also a member of the Problem Studies Committee and Title Insurance Committee of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar.

Mr. Brown is the co-Chair of the Real Property Litigation Committee’s Task Force on the Florida Rules of Procedure. He is also a member of the legislative subcommittees for the Condominium & Planned Development Committee, Real Property Litigation Committee, and  Real Property Finance & Lending.  These legislative subcommittees are tasked with reviewing and providing comments and edits to the legislation affecting community associations each legislative session.  Mr. Brown is also a member of The Florida Bar’s Condominium & Planned Development Certification Committee.  As a member of this Committee, he is tasked with reviewing and approving applications of attorneys seeking to become board certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law and in drafting the examination for attorneys who seek to become board certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law . Mr. Brown also served as a member of the Auxiliary Committee reviewing and editing different chapters in the 4th Edition of the Florida Condominium and Community Association Law published by The Florida Bar.

Jonathan Goldstein

Jonathan S. Goldstein is a Martindale Hubbell “AV” rated partner at Haber Law. His practice areas include Condominium and Homeowners Association (HOA) law, commercial litigation and construction litigation. Mr. Goldstein is Board Certified in the area of Condominium and Planned Development Law, a distinction bestowed upon a select group of attorneys recognized as being specialists in this practice area by the Florida Bar. Mr. Goldstein has represented community associations in all facets of general representation and collections, including but not limited to turnover and construction-related disputes, covenant enforcement, amendment drafting, meeting attendance, arbitration before the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobiles Homes, lien foreclosures, and corporate governance. He also handles various types of commercial, real estate, landlord and tenant, and construction litigation matters.

Jonathan has been included as a “Rising Star” in the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Florida editions of Super Lawyer’s Magazine, and as an “Up and Comer” in the 2010 edition of Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite” publication. In addition, Jonathan is recognized by “Best Lawyers in America” 2023 for his work in Community Association Law. He has also been a lecturer and panelist for attorney continuing legal education credit. Mr. Goldstein is a member of the Florida Bar, the Florida Bar Real Property Probate & Trust Law Section Condominium and Planned Development Committee, and also serves as a founding co-chair of the Dade County Bar Association Condominium Law Committee. He is also a charitable contributor at the Young Founder level for the Mount Sinai Medical Center Foundation.

Michael Gelfand

MICHAEL J. GELFAND, dual Florida Bar Board Certified, in Real Estate Law and in Condominium and Planned Development Law, is also a Certified Circuit and County Civil Court Mediator, a Homeowners’ Association Mediator, an Arbitrator, and a Parliamentarian. Emphasizing a community association law practice, counseling associations and owners how to set legitimate goals and how to effectively achieve those goals, Michael is the senior partner of Gelfand & Arpe, P.A., located in West Palm Beach.

Michael was elected to and continues to serve on The Florida Bar’s Board of Governors after chairing the Bar’s Professional Ethics Committee. He also serves on the Condominium Law and Policy Life Safety Advisory Task Force.

Mr. Gelfand served as Chair of The Florida Bar’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, the Bar’s largest substantive law section with over 10,000 members. He served as the Section’s Real Property Division Director, chaired its Legislative Review Committee, chaired its Condominium and Planned Development Committee, and leads its long-range strategic planning initiative. He also chaired the Palm Beach County Bar’s Community Association Law Continuing Legal Education Committee.

Serving many terms as Special Master for the City of Boca Raton and chairing the City’s Builders Board of Adjustment and Appeals, he received a City Proclamation for “interpretation and application, and his overall professionalism and dedication to the City.” A gubernatorial appointee to the Fifteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, he co-owned ARC Mediation, Palm Beach County’s largest mediation and arbitration firm.

Eric Ostroff

Eric Ostroff, Meland Budwick, P.A.’s Managing Partner, focuses his practice on business litigation and intellectual property litigation. Chambers USA describes him as having “a razor-sharp mind and gets to the heart of the issue without wasting time.” He is also described as an “outstanding attorney” who “wins praise for his extensive experience in commercial disputes, with a notable expertise in trade secrets cases.” Eric is the only attorney included in Chambers USA’s rankings of Florida commercial litigators and intellectual property lawyers. Businesses and individuals trust Eric to protect their interests in courts and arbitrations throughout Florida and across the country, often in bet-the-company cases. He regularly litigates a broad range of business disputes, including cases involving breaches of contract, business torts, officer/director fiduciary duties, business defamation, civil conspiracy, unfair competition, false advertising, real estate, and deceptive and unfair trade practices. He also represents plaintiffs and defendants in trademark and copyright infringement actions. Eric is an experienced trial lawyer who has tried many cases to verdict, before judges, juries, and arbitration panels.

Stuart Ratzan

Stuart Ratzan’s extensive experience in handling catastrophic brain injury and medical malpractice cases throughout the United States, and successfully obtaining multiple multi-million dollar judgments and settlements on behalf of his clients and their families, have earned him the highest recognition by his peers and the most respected national legal publications. Stuart Ratzan is a Cum Laude graduate of Amherst College in Amherst, MA. In 1991 he graduated Cum Laude from the University of Miami School of Law and was admitted to the Florida Bar.

After years of successful practice with a prestigious Miami law firm, he established his own practice in 2001. As founder and shareholder of Ratzan Weissman & Boldt, not only does he aggressively pursue multi-million dollar judgments and settlements on behalf of his clients to help offset a lifetime of treatments and medical expenses, but also Mr. Ratzan is well aware of the significance of bringing cases of negligence to trial. Jury verdicts provide incentives for public safety and good medical care, to which Stuart ardently asserts we are all entitled.

With a knack for thinking on his feet and showing pure authenticity in every case, Stuart Ratzan extends the boundaries and traditional means of courtroom techniques. For this, he often makes national headlines. As lead trial lawyer, he successfully argued on behalf of the family of a Florida wife and mother whose 1996 lung cancer death resulted in a $42.5 million verdict against cigarette companies R.J. Reynolds and Phillip Morris; and in another trial in which he represented a brain-injured baby in a $23.2 million verdict against a major Florida hospital chain; and, in yet another trial, he represented a whistleblower in a $2.8 million verdict against a major Florida hospital.

Ken Turkel

Ken is a trial attorney with a national practice focusing on the prosecution and defense of complex business and civil litigation matters, as well as media and privacy rights litigation. Ken also represents clients in the sports and entertainment industries, both in the conventional legal arena and with respect to their licensing and endorsement deals.

Carmen Vizcaino

With the experience of over 50 jury trials under her belt, Carmen Maria Vizcaino is a member of the Florida Bar, the Bar for the Southern District of Florida, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.  Her practice of over 20 years has included litigation in the areas of Criminal, Family and USDA Snap litigation. 

Carmen began her career by litigating landmark cases such as the State v. Hardy decision which extended Gideon’s right to counsel to jailed defendants in misdemeanor cases. In her over twenty years of practice Carmen  has litigated high-profile cases in both State and Federal Courts in South Florida routinely dealing with not merely the legal aspects of a case but also the public relations fallout from a case.  Carmen has worked on several national security cases in New York, Virginia and Florida and has litigated one of the first cases to arise under the then newly enacted Patriot Act.  Carmen also handles death penalty and sexual violent predator civil commitment cases, both are handled by only a select few Miami attorneys.  

Michael Ufferman

Michael Ufferman received his Bachelor of Arts from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and received his Juris Doctorate from the Florida State University College of Law (serving on the law review and graduating magna cum laude). After he graduated from law school, Michael clerked for five years for Justice Major B. Harding at the Florida Supreme Court. Michael has been in private practice since 2002 and is a board-certified criminal appellate lawyer (2006-present). 

Michael currently serves on The Florida Bar Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration Committee and The Florida Bar Criminal Law Section Executive Council.  He previously served on The Florida Bar Criminal Law Certification Committee from 2015-2021 and as chair of the Committee from 2019-2020.  Michael also previously served on The Florida Bar Appellate Court Rules Committee from 2007-2013 and as chair of the Committee from 2012-2013.  Michael was on the board of directors of the Innocence Project of Florida from 2007-2014.  Michael served as President of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL) from 2015-2016. Michael is the author of the Florida Criminal Practice and Procedure treatise, 2022 ed. (Vol. 22, Florida Practice Series). 

Judge Kathleen Williams

Kathleen Williams is a former prosecutor and a former criminal defense attorney who has been a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida since August 2011. After law school, Judge Williams worked briefly in private practice and then worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida handling complex prosecutions of drug cartels. She then joined Morgan Lewis & Bockius as an associate handling white-collar criminal defense matters.

Williams later served as Chief Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Southern District of Florida and later took the helm as the Federal Public Defender for the Southern District of Florida where she managed and directed the work of 48 Assistant Federal Defenders, 16 investigators, and more than 50 support staff. In 1999, at the request of the chief judge of the Eleventh Circuit, Williams became the Acting Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Florida while continuing to serve as the Defender for the Southern District of Florida.

Judge Timothy Corrigan

Timothy J. Corrigan (born February 21, 1956) is the Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. On November 2, 2020, United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan assumed the duties of Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Judge Corrigan, who is stationed in Jacksonville, succeeds Judge Steven D. Merryday of the Tampa Division, who served as Chief Judge from August 1, 2015 to November 1, 2020.

Judge Corrigan has embraced this new opportunity to serve the judiciary and the people of the United States. One of Judge Corrigan's primary initiatives as Chief Judge is to expand the Court's communications with members of the bar and the public. In doing so, Judge Corrigan hopes to promote public awareness of the Court's role in the community, keep members of the bar up to date on Court matters, and generally increase the Court's accessibility to the public.

Judge Kent Wetherell

Judge T. Kent Wetherell II graduated with his JD from Florida State University in 1995 and started into private practice with Hopping, Green, Sams & Smith until he excelled professionally to become a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Florida.

Daniel Smith

Daniel Salomon Smith is the Founding Member of Salomon Smith PLLC.  Prior to starting the firm, Mr. Smith worked at a nationwide law firm based in South Florida, representing the interests of Fortune 500 companies (including insurance companies), international businesses, publicly traded companies, government entities, community associations, as well as a variety of other employers, small business, and individuals.

More recently, Mr. Smith’s practice shifted its focus towards the representation of real estate developers and investors (large and small), joint venturers, and the injured.  Mr. Smith was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida. Before returning home to South Florida, Mr. Smith attended business school at both the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He then earned a merit scholarship to attend law school at the University of Florida. Mr. Smith is a cost-effective and business-minded pragmatist focused on a “lean and keen” business model to best achieve results for his clients.

David Levin

David is a shareholder in Baker Donelson's Fort Lauderdale office and has developed substantial experience successfully representing a broad range of private and institutional clients in state and federal court, and has tried cases throughout the state, including to jury verdict as a first chair. He has developed particular experience in property and general liability litigation, defending both insurers and insureds in all aspects of the claim and litigation process, as well as advising on coverage matters.

David recently obtained two defense verdicts, one for an insurance carrier and another for a policyholder. He regularly defends financial institutions in consumer protection claims, and prosecutes and defends complex commercial and residential foreclosures. David has become a trusted advisor to insurance and banking professionals, providing guidance and recommendations in pre- and post-suit matters, and has served as an expert witness in various capacities.

David has represented insurance underwriters and third-party administrators, adjusters, insureds, medical providers, product manufacturers, motor carriers and other transportation-related companies, property and business owners, as well as private professionals in all phases of commercial and tort litigation. He also has experience in construction litigation and complex business litigation across many different industries.

Ron Haynes

Ron was born in Nashville, Tennessee but has called Tampa his home since 1972. He was admitted to the bar in 1998 in Florida and has been dedicated to helping the citizens of Florida with their insurance claims ever since. Ron was inspired to help people with their insurance claims by his father who was an all-lines adjuster and eventually a public adjuster for many years. He started his career with Wilson and Terrana P.A. in Tampa handling residential and commercial claims for building damage including but not limited to sinkhole, hurricane, fire, lightning strikes, theft, collapse, water damage, vandalism and any other issue that causes damage to buildings that was covered by an insurance policy. He opened his own practice in 2004 continuing to represent the citizens of Florida with insurance claims in both state and federal court until joining Christopher Logori and Associates in 2018.

Ron has focused his practice on property insurance claims ever since and handled hundreds of losses, claims, and lawsuits in an effort to protect people and to do his best to make sure they receive what they deserve in both state and federal court across the state of Florida. Ron has assisted people through all aspects of the claims process from the submission of the claim, through examinations under oath, through the appraisal process if it is demanded, through mediation and ultimately through trial. Ron is also a Florida Civil Court mediator and has mediated many claims for the Florida Department of Financial Services when individuals have problems with their homeowner’s insurance claims.

Matthew Lavisky

Matthew J. Lavisky is a Partner in the Tampa office. He focuses the majority of his practice on the defense of bad faith and other extra-contractual matters, first-party property claims, and insurance coverage disputes. Matt represents insurers in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout Florida and in other states.

Matt is active in defense organizations. He serves as the President Elect for the Florida Defense Lawyers Association and was honored with the President’s Award in 2019 and the James A. Dixon Young Lawyer of the Year Award in 2013. Matt was the chair of the first annual Florida Insurance Network Symposium sponsored by FDLA. He also served for six years as chair of the editorial board for the Trial Advocate Quarterly, FDLA’s legal journal. Matt has presented at FDLA conferences and webinars.

He also is involved in the Defense Research Institute. In 2019, Matt received the G. Duffield Smith Outstanding Publication Award. He currently serves as the chair of Bad Faith Substantive Law Group, has published in For the Defense, and presented at the Insurance Coverage Practice Symposium.  He is the Vice-Chair of DRI’s 2023 Insurance Coverage and Claims Institute. Matt is an AV peer-rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell and recognized in Best Lawyers. He also is a graduate of the 2014 International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy held at Stanford University.

Aaron Warner

Aaron Warner has extensive experience in civil litigation, where he has gained a reputation as a professional and aggressive attorney who advocates for his clients in the strongest way possible. Aaron has recovered millions of dollars for his deserving clients throughout the State of Florida.

Mr. Warner began his career gaining valuable legal experience at a civil litigation firm practicing in a variety of areas of law, which included representing businesses, insurance companies and their insureds in personal injury and property damage cases. He has spent the majority of his career helping those who have suffered injuries due to the negligence of others, while also assisting homeowners and companies resolve claim disputes with their insurance carriers.

Born and raised in South Florida, Mr. Warner is a graduate from the University of Central Florida, having received a B.S. in Legal Studies. Upon graduation from the University of Central Florida, Mr. Warner attended the University of Miami School of Law and obtained his Juris Doctorate degree.

Elizabeth Hughes

Elizabeth Hughes focuses her practice on fiduciary litigation, including litigation arising from estates, trusts and guardianships. Elizabeth has not only represented clients in related matters but has served and continues to serve as court appointed counsel, ad litem, estate curator, and guardian in Florida probate, trust, and guardianship matters. She has experience litigating and resolving will and trust contests, fiduciary fee disputes, determination of heir disputes, disputes over appointment of fiduciaries, removal of fiduciaries, surcharge actions, elective share disputes, and breaches of fiduciary obligations. She regularly assists individuals and clients serving as fiduciaries in reforming and construing wills and trusts, determining rights in wills and trusts, modifying trusts, as well as terminating trusts.

Elizabeth advises clients in all guardianship and mental health litigation proceedings including disputes over incapacity and appointments as guardian. Elizabeth has almost a decade of experience handling contested emergency temporary guardianship proceedings for clients as well as experience with adversary elderly exploitation injunction matters in Florida. With a degree in Health Science and Rehabilitative Services, she brings unique knowledge to her representation of both professional and non-professional guardians throughout guardianship administration and restoration proceedings. She has experience representing both petitioners and respondents in Florida Marchman Act proceedings, and has also served as private counsel for alleged incapacitated persons, as well as wards.

Samah Abukhodeir

Samah (“Sam”) T. Abukhodeir was born and raised in Lake Wales, Florida. Following high school, Ms. Abukhodeir moved to Tallahassee, Florida, to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a Minor in Arabic and Child Development at Florida State University. Ms. Abukhodeir obtained her Juris Doctor from Florida International University College of Law, where she was on the Dean’s List and earned two CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in Islamic/Sharia Law and Judicial Externship.

While in law school, Ms. Abukhodeir worked as a Graduate Assistant to Law Professor Cyra Choudhury and was a judicial intern for the Honorable Marisa Tinkler Mendez, Circuit Court Judge in the Criminal Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade, Florida, and the Honorable Maria M. Korvick, Circuit Court Judge in the Probate Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade, Florida.

Anthony Dieguez

Anthony graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 1972. Anthony has over 45 years of experience in a wide variety of legal areas. He is licensed to practice both in Florida and in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Anthony is the founder of the Miami Lakes Bar Association.

Cady Huss

Ten years into my legal practice, I decided I wanted to do things different. I wanted to create a firm focused on problem solving and dispute resolution. A firm where clients and lawyers’ mental health and wellness come first. A place where young lawyers can be coached in the creation of balanced and fulfilled lives. I believe in learning and growing every day. I am constantly trying to evolve the practice of law from one of competition to one of respect for one another and our clients. I believe that our role as lawyers is first and foremost, to counsel.

I am a former Chair of the Florida Probate Rules Committee, a member of the Executive Council of the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, and a Vice-Chair of the Probate and Trust Litigation Committee. I regularly write and speak on matters related to estate and trust administration and litigation, as well as collaboration, mediation, and better business practices. I am an Adjunct Professor at Stetson College of Law and a member of the Pinellas Fellowship of Women Lawyers. I am a graduate of CoachU and seeking my International Coaching Federation accreditation for career coaching.

Alice Sum

Alice Sum is a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission in its Miami Regional office.  Prior to joining the SEC, Alice was in private practice for twenty years, handling complex business litigation.  Alice is a member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors representing the 11th Circuit and serves on the 17th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, nominated by the Bar and appointed by the Governor.  Alice is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Dade County Bar Association.  

Lilly Ann Sanchez 

A shareholder of The LS Law Firm, Lilly Ann Sanchez is a former federal prosecutor and a trial attorney with more than 30 years of experience. Before forming the firm, Ms. Sanchez was Chair of Fowler White Burnett’s White Collar Criminal Defense Group. She handles the full range of white-collar offenses and has significant experience in securities fraud, money laundering, antitrust, public corruption, and health care fraud.

From her past work in the public sector, Ms. Sanchez brings to her practice an exceptional background of trial law and administrative experience. She also provides insight into trial strategy and negotiation tactics. Before joining Fowler White Burnett, Ms. Sanchez worked as Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Section of the United States Attorney’s Office in Miami. Prior to that post, she served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida and the District of Columbia

Susan Aprill

Susan Aprill's practice encompasses a wide range of civil litigation matters with particular emphasis in recent years on business disputes and employment matters, including claims by independent contractors against employers. Susan is called upon by clients to craft arguments and develop strategies that benefit both legal and business interests.

Susan has practiced civil litigation since 1982, including general commercial, employment, consumer and probate litigation. In the past decade, she has served as court-appointed receiver for businesses, including a medical billing service, mobile home parks, and a luxury rental property in foreclosure. She has also served as a court-appointed arbitrator on a panel deciding a complicated medical practice break-up, and has been appointed a special master and mediator in various matters. She recently prevailed in an international arbitration saving her clients in a "bet the company" suit challenging their right to pursue a contract previously enjoyed by a former business affiliate. She has recently represented libel plaintiffs against television and print media defendants.

Sarah Zabel

Sarah Zabel (former Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge) is the owner of MAZE Resolutions PA. A full service alternative dispute resolutions firm. Services includes; civil and family mediation, arbitration, special magistrate, private judge, neutral umpire, co-mediation, nonbinding arbitration, pre-suit mediation, and elder law. She served on the Miami-Dade Circuit Court Bench for nearly 16 years. Sarah Zabel served in the Civil Division, Family Division, Juvenile Division, Criminal Division and Eleventh Judicial Circuit Appellate Panel.

Before the Bench she was in Private Practice. Her practice included civil, family and employment litigation. She also was an assistant state attorney with the child support enforcement office. She is a graduate of Nova Law. Her Bachelor of Science Degree in Communication is from Florida State University. She was treasurer, secretary and Past President of Miami-Dade FAWL. Her professional activities include; Dade County Board Member for the Miami-Dade Commission for Women, Member of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce Mentor for the Women of Tomorrow, an organization for at high risk school girls, Member of Miami-Dade FAWL on Leadership, and the Committee Member of the Florida Bar Committee on Professionalism.

Sarah Zabel established Miami Shine which is now a statewide youth advocacy group for youth who are transitioning out of the Foster Care System. She Created a Pro Bono Pilot Project for pro se litigants in the Family Division where pro se litigants would be represented by lawyers through the Collaborative Law Process.

Sashi Bach

Sashi represents clients in high-stakes commercial disputes and professional malpractice matters, leveraging her deep understanding of her clients’ legal and business issues to deliver successful outcomes in and out of court. Sashi has experience in numerous areas, including professional malpractice, corporate governance, derivative shareholder actions, class actions, commercial real estate disputes, and fraud. She brings a unique perspective that comes from representing both plaintiffs and defendants through all stages of litigation, from pre-filing dispute resolution through appeal.

For over a decade, Sashi has defended one of the largest law firms in the world in its legal malpractice and legal ethics matters, obtaining case-ending summary judgment rulings in multiple cases. Sashi is committed to pro bono work, having contributed to the decades-long case on behalf Florida’s children on Medicaid, which “may have changed more lives than any U.S. litigation of the past decade” (Lawdragon, 2016) and resulted in improved access to medical and dental care for a class of 2 million Florida children. Sashi is co-administrative partner for the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office where she has worked for more than 20 years. Prior to joining the firm, Sashi served as an Assistant County Attorney at the Miami-Dade County Attorney's Office, where she represented Miami-Dade County in civil litigation.

Heloiza Correa

Heloiza A. Correa, P.A. was established in 2016 by its founding partner Heloiza A. Correa, Esq., a University of Miami School of Law Alumni, in order to provide quality legal and litigation services to its clients.  Heloiza A. Correa began her legal career at the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor in March 2010.  During her tenure as a prosecutor, Heloiza A. Correa received multiple promotions and recognitions, including an award by MADD for her work with next of kin of victims of drunk driving cases. 

After three and a half years of proudly serving her community, Heloiza A. Correa gained extensive litigation experience, handling matters from its inception through jury verdicts.  As a prosecutor, she successfully tried a wide range of cases, from misdemeanors to serious felonies, including first degree murder cases resulting in 32 jury trials to verdict and over 60 bench trials. Her ability to handle a large case load and provide quality representation to the people of the State of Florida proved to be an asset after she transitioned into civil litigation.

Now in her own firm, Heloiza A. Correa’s experience and work philosophy allows her clients to receive quality work at all points of their legal representation: from demand letters to trials. With Heloiza A. Correa, P.A., clients do not have to worry about switching attorneys if their matters are not resolved prior to trial. Heloiza A. Correa’s ability to connect to her clients and understand their situations comes together with comfort and experience in the courtroom gives our clients the upmost confidence in their legal representation.

Sara Kay

Sarah E. Kay, Esq., BCS assists Florida’s families in the Tampa Bay area through guardian ad litem services, as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator, and as a Collaborative Attorney through her firm Kay Family Law PLLC in Tampa.  Sarah assists solo and small firms providing contract research, writing, and consulting services.  Speaking, writing, and consulting on family law matters, particularly ones involving persons with disabilities or special needs, are among Sarah’s passions.

The multiple advanced degrees and certifications Sarah has earned reflect her love of life-long learning.  Sarah’s Board Certification in Marital & Family Law by The Florida Bar reflects her specialized knowledge, skills, and proficiency in that area and her professionalism and ethics in practice.  She is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (“AAML”), a selective organization founded to provide leadership that promotes the highest degree of professionalism and excellence in the practice of family law.   Additionally, Sarah holds a Master in Education from Worcester State University in Massachusetts, a Master in Business Administration from Stetson University, a Certificate in Special Education Advocacy from William & Mary Law School, and a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude from Stetson University College of Law.

Neisen Kasdin

Neisen Kasdin serves as co-office managing partner of Akerman’s Miami office. A former mayor of Miami Beach and leader in the revitalization of South Beach, he brings extensive civic experience to his work on urban revitalization and the development of complex, large-scale, multi-use projects.

Respected as a leader in urban development, he served as vice chair of the board of directors for the Miami Downtown Development Authority and was responsible for leading the creation of Miami’s Downtown Master Plan. Many of his clients’ projects – from Brickell City Centre to Miami’s Design District and the Faena District – have been groundbreaking, transforming Miami’s urban spaces with a blend of retail, office, and residential properties. In addition to large-scale projects, Neisen has represented clients in developments in emerging Miami neighborhoods such as Little Haiti and Wynwood.

Neisen is recognized by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 as a leading land use and zoning lawyer in Florida. Clients value his attention to detail and thorough knowledge of building codes and government agencies, as well as his deep understanding of what a neighborhood needs, what is achievable, and what challenges may arise in the future.

Jarrett Bingemann

Jarrett Bingemann represents residential homebuilders, master planned community developers, commercial property owners, and institutional investors on all aspects of the evaluation, acquisition, sale, and development of properties throughout Florida and the Southeastern United States.

In addition, Jarrett has experience concerning the evaluation, remediation, and the institutional closure of former golf courses and environmentally impacted properties throughout Florida.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University.

Frank Silva

Frank Silva is responsible for all of Shoma Group’s legal matters, including acquisition, financing, development, and disposition of residential and commercial real estate. An experienced legal practitioner, Mr. Silva provides invaluable guidance throughout Shoma Group’s affiliated companies.

Prior to joining Shoma, Mr. Silva was a Shareholder at Akerman Senterfitt. The primary focus of his practice was commercial litigation, construction defect litigation and class action litigation. His additional practice areas included mass torts, medical liability litigation, condominium and homeowner association matters, professional liability claims, and alternative dispute resolution. 21st Century Schools Bond Advisory Committee for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and the Advisory Board for St. Thomas School of Law. Mr. Silva holds the highest possible Martindale-Hubbell rating – AV Preeminent – in both legal ability and ethical standards, reflecting the confidential opinions of members of the Florida Bar and Judiciary.

Paul Bances

Paul has worked for PayPal for the past 3 years and is currently the Vice President of Global Market Development in the Blockchain, Crypto & Digital Currencies department. With over 20 years of experience in Legal Financial Services and a JD from Boston University School of Law, Mr. Bances is a first rate expert in the field.

Jennifer Guy

After she received her JD from George Mason University (Antonin Scalia Law School), Jennifer has worked for many powerhouses like Verizon, McGuireWoods LLP, and even the US District Court. She has worked for Hilton’s legal team for the past six years and is currently the Senior Counsel of Dispute Resolution in Virginia.  

Amber Kornreich

Amber Kornreich is a Partner at Kornreich & Associates practicing exclusively Family Law. Recognized as the Lynn Futch Most Productive Young Lawyer of the Year in 2018 by The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, she is a passionate lawyer and leader in the Miami-Dade Bar and in local philanthropy, including as an Officer of the Miami-Dade Florida Association for Women Lawyers, as a Director of the Dade County Bar Association, and as Immediate Past President of The First Family Law American Inn of Court.

Amber is passionate about promoting the professional practice of Family Law and advancing thought leadership. She previously served as Secretary of the Florida Bar Family Law Section’s Publications Committee, was a Guest Editor of the Family Law Section Commentator, and has published numerous articles on professionalism, ethics, and technology, including: The Walls Really Do Have Ears: Guarding the Attorney-Client Privilege While Working at Your Smarthome, Revisiting the Code of Professionalism and Civility: Professionalism in the Virtual Age, Kindness and Professionalism, and Family Law in the Metaverse.

Brittany Bonner

Brittany Bonner is a Partner at Filler Rodriguez, LLP where she focuses the majority of her practice on divorce and child custody cases. Prior to joining Filler Rodriguez, Brittany was a Division Chief in the Dependency Division of the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel in Miami, Florida, where she represented parents who have had their children removed for allegations of abuse, abandonment, and neglect. Brittany began her career practicing criminal defense in state and federal courts, both as an Assistant Public Defender at the Miami Public Defender’s Office and in private practice, where she has tried more than 40 criminal cases to verdict.

Brittany graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. She was also a Dean’s Merit Scholar at the University of Miami School of Law, where she received her law degree in 2008. At the University of Miami, Brittany received recognition for her achievements in Litigation Skills and Advanced Evidence. Brittany is licensed to practice law in Florida, New York, and Georgia. She has been recognized as one of South Florida’s 40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Judge Victoria del Pino

Gerald Kornreich

Gerald “Jerry” Kornreich is the Founder and Senior Partner of Kornreich & Associates and has practiced Family Law for over 45 years. He is the first and only lawyer in Miami-Dade County to have been Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Marital and Family Law eight consecutive times. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), National Board of Trial Advocates (NBTA) Certified, and has received numerous awards for professionalism, excellence in advocacy, and public service. He is a Past President of The First Family Law American Inn of Court. Mr. Kornreich has handled thousands of Family Law Cases including taking over 200 cases to trial. He has practiced family law since 1975 and has represented high profile business leaders, physicians, attorneys, CEOs, celebrities, entertainers, professional athletes, supermodels, financial advisors, accountants, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and their spouses.

Mr. Kornreich is known for his reputation for professionalism, civility, and pro bono service. He was the Recipient of the Tobias Simon Award, the highest pro bono award given in Florida, presented at The Florida Supreme Court. He has received the Judge Richard Yale Feder Professionalism Award; the Richard Milstein Excellence Award from the Dade County Bar Association; The Florida Bar “Sand Beneath my Feet” Professionalism Award; the Judge Theodore Klein Award, one of the highest honors bestowed by The Miami-Dade Florida Association for Women Lawyers; The Ray Pearson Guardian Ad Litem Award; the “W” Award by the YWCA; and Dade Legal Aid’s Extraordinary Service Award. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, South Florida Legal Elite, and is AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Catherine Rodriguez

Catherine M. Rodriguez is a founding partner of Filler Rodriguez, LLP in Miami Beach, Florida. Ms. Rodriguez practices exclusively in the areas of marital and family law. Prior to dedicating her practice to family law Ms. Rodriguez acquired extensive trial experience as a commercial litigator representing numerous businesses and parties in complex business lawsuits. She has tried numerous jury trials and bench trials. In 2000, she worked with the legal team that personally represented President George W. Bush in Bush V. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 (2000), the United States Supreme Court decision that settled a recount dispute in Florida’s 2000 presidential election. In 1998, as a former Broward County prosecutor and County attorney, she brandished a tough new zoning ordinance that ordered seven sex businesses out of the county.

In 2021, Ms. Rodriguez was admitted as a Fellow to the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). The AAML is an organization of the most dedicated and professional family law lawyers who are recognized by both the bench and the bar as the leaders in the field. The AAML has a stringent vetting process to admit Fellows which includes peer reviews, judicial references, written testing and verbal panel test.

Adam Finkel

Before entering into private practice, Adam spent almost six years working for the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office.  Mr. Finkel was a member of the Gang Unit and was asked to serve in the county’s specialized Gun Violence Unit, as the lead attorney prosecuting hundreds of violent criminals.  In order to investigate crime and prepare for trial, Mr. Finkel worked closely with local law enforcement, as well as Federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Department of Homeland Security.  Though obtaining many guilty verdicts and prevailing at trial against some of the county’s most heinous gang members, Finkel also worked within the community to help troubled youths enroll in college.

Inspired by his experience at the State Attorney’s Office, Adam became involved with Empowered Youth, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of inner-city, at-risk youth. The program serves young men between the ages of 12 and 21, most of whom have been referred to us by the Department of Juvenile Justice. Finkel was a Dean’s List student at Syracuse University, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations and a minor in Political Science.  He earned his juris doctorate from Brooklyn Law School with an academic achievement scholarship.  During law school, he appeared in Kings County, New York Criminal Court as a student Assistant District Attorney, was a judicial intern for a New York State Supreme Court justice, and served as a law clerk for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Mike Haggard

Compassionate, empathetic and a fervent advocate for victims of crime, Michael Haggard has dedicated his career to the pursuit of justice on behalf of his clients in the courtroom securing unprecedented awards and as an activist who continuously lobbies for permanent solutions and change through local, statewide and federal legislation. Specializing in pool drowning, negligent security, wrongful death, unsafe premises and products liability, Haggard has established himself as a powerful force in the legal community as the Managing Partner for The Haggard Law Firm.

Ultimately, Haggard hopes to give victims the tools and resources to help rebuild their lives. By convincing a judge or jury to hold those responsible accountable he gives victims and their families a sense of justice and comfort that another family won’t have to go through this same tragedy. Devoted to his clients, Haggard has received numerous awards for his time and dedication earning him recognition as one of the most highly regarded personal injury attorneys in the country. In 2017 he was awarded the Florida Justice Association’s highest honor, the Perry Nichols Award, and was named Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers of America. He has also been honored to receive the Advocate of Justice Award from the National Crime Victims Bar Association received the Lifetime Achievement selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys®, has been twice named a Most Effective Lawyer by the Daily Business Review, is a member of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and is annually recognized as a Florida Trend Legal Elite Lawyer, a Florida Top 100 Super Lawyer,  and one of the Best Lawyers in America.

Daniel T. Murdock

Daniel T. Murdock is an associate in Dechert’s privacy and cybersecurity practice group. Mr. Murdock helps clients address a range of privacy and cybersecurity concerns, including security breach incident response, investigations, product counseling and litigation. Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. Murdock was an attorney in the Boston office of an international law firm and a law clerk for the Honorable D. Brooks Smith, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. 

Hilary Bonaccorsi

Ms. Bonaccorsi has extensive experience assisting clients in the asset management industry. She advises U.S. registered investment advisers on their obligations under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the SEC’s privacy and information security regulations, and provides strategic advice to asset managers regarding how to evaluate their obligations under state and federal law. She also works closely with clients to develop compliance programs related to the development and purchasing of alternative data sets and the risks related to web scraping.

Ms. Bonaccorsi counsels clients across sectors on their obligations under the California Consumer Privacy Act, FTC and state consumer privacy laws, the EU General Data Protection Regulation and CAN-SPAM. She is well-versed in complex privacy issues arising in the ad-tech and fin-tech industries and has worked hand-in-hand with clients to develop and implement comprehensive global privacy programs. She works with Dechert’s global data privacy practice to deliver time-sensitive advice to clients regarding how to comply with breach notification laws in the wake of data breaches. Ms. Bonaccorsi also conducts privacy due diligence in connection with commercial transactions.

Jessie Torres

Jessie G. Torres is a Partner in Berger Singerman’s Miami office and a member of the Dispute Resolution team and the firm's Director of eDiscovery and Litigation Support. Jessie is a proven, creative eDiscovery professional with nearly seven years of eDiscovery and managed review experience; he has led multiple eDiscovery projects relating to document review. Jessie has managed teams of attorneys working on multiple eDiscovery projects, where he coached attorneys, trained review managers, and interacted with clients daily. Also, Jessie has performed deposition preparation, budget planning and general department management; he is a Relativity Certified User and is fluent in Spanish.

Anely Nunez

Anely Nunez is an Analytics and Review Attorney at Zenith Talent, supporting Google. She has been a board member of WiE Miami Chapter since its inception and has spent the past eight years practicing eDiscovery with a focus on analytics and review workflows. As an attorney with significant experience managing high-volume, eDiscovery cases and document review projects she has helped clients manage their reviews efficiently and effectively. She currently serves as the Social Media Director of the WiE Miami Chapter and is CEDS-certified, a Brainspace Certified Analyst, and Relativity Analytics Specialist.

Emily Bartkowicz

With over 17 years working for Akerman LLP, Emily has expert level experience in various roles that helped develop her skills as a current Litigation Support Manager.

Vanessa Singh Johannes

Vanessa Singh Johannes is an experienced trial attorney whose practice focuses on complex criminal and civil matters. For a decade, she served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, trying dozens of federal jury trials and handling appellate matters before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. In private practice, she has represented clients in a variety of white collar matters involving fraud, antitrust, and environmental issues.

In her distinguished career as a federal prosecutor, Vanessa investigated, indicted, and tried cases involving crimes such as fraud and money laundering, espionage, arms trafficking, child exploitation, human trafficking, and violent crimes. She also handled investigations into affirmative civil rights violations. Vanessa has deep working knowledge and experience with all phases of government investigations — from grand jury inquiries to weekslong jury trials. During her tenure in the Miami U.S. Attorney’s Office, Vanessa served in the Special Prosecutions, Civil Rights, Major Crimes, and Appellate units. More recently, she also served as the district’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, assisting federal agents and child exploitation prosecutors with training and case preparedness, as well as investigating and intaking all of the child exploitation cases in Miami. Vanessa earned the prestigious Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in 2018 for her work prosecuting Christopher Glenn, a U.S. citizen and Department of Defense contractor, who committed cyber espionage, theft of classified materials, and sex trafficking of minors in Honduras. 

Christopher Lomax

Chris is the Managing Attorney at Lomax Legal. He began his career with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice over a decade ago, and soon established a stellar reputation for taking on and winning complex, difficult cases in jurisdictions across the nation. Chris investigated and successfully prosecuted law enforcement officers who violated people’s Constitutional rights, as well as individuals who committed hate crimes and human trafficking offenses. Before long, Chris was handling high profile cases of national importance, tirelessly pursuing and securing justice on behalf of the American people.

Following his tenure with the Department of Justice, Chris made the strategic decision to pursue a clerkship with Chief Judge Carl E. Stewart of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. As a federal appellate law clerk, Chris was immersed in a rigorous intellectual experience that provided him an invaluable and unparalleled opportunity to sharpen his skills as a uniquely versatile advocate.

This additional training catapulted Chris to the next phase of his career, where he focused his practice on complex civil litigation at Jones Day, a prestigious law firm that consistently ranks as one of the top 10 law firms in the world. His work at Jones Day included representing Fortune 500 corporations in high stakes complex litigation and white collar investigations, and earning the trust of clients across industries. In addition to his full-time legal practice, Chris serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law and is on the teaching faculty for Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop.

Charlton Copeland

Charlton Copeland joined the faculty in 2007. He teaches Civil Procedure I and II, Federal Courts, Administrative Law, and the Regulatory State. In addition, he has served as the Faculty Coordinator of the Florida Supreme Court Internship Program, and the Law School’s Washington, DC Externship Program, where he teaches Federal Policy Making: Legislation, Regulation and Litigation. He is a 2015 recipient of the Richard Hausler Golden Apple Award for the faculty member contributing the most to the student body both academically and through his or her extracurricular activities.

His scholarship has focused primarily on the ways in which federalism as a constitutional and political structure is mediated in: the relationship between federal and state courts, the jurisprudence of remedies for state violations of federal law, and the relationship between state and federal implementation of federal policy.  In addition, he has written about the intersection between law and theology as they relate to religion’s role in American democracy and the framing of liberationist critiques of same sex marriage.  He is a recipient of the 2013 Dukeminier Award and the Michael Cunningham Prize, from the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School, for the best law review articles published on sexual orientation and gender identity law issues in the previous year.  His current scholarly interests explore the relationship between race and American political institutions and structures, particularly how attention to race and American political institutions informs federal courts jurisprudence, and the implications of federalism’s survival of the demise of formal racial apartheid in America.  He is also interested in the ways in which federalism shape the development of American public policy, particularly health policy.

Paul Huck Jr.

Paul Huck's practice focuses on business litigation, regulatory advice, and government investigations. He has an extensive legal career working in the private and public sectors. He has represented entities and individuals in trials and appeals before state and federal courts in complex commercial litigation and cases of constitutional significance.

From 2007 to 2008, Paul served as general counsel to the governor of Florida and was the principal legal advisor to the governor on a host of constitutional, legislative, and statutory issues affecting the executive branch. He also supervised the major litigation being prosecuted or defended by the governor's executive agencies, including cases arising in the environmental, transportation, and health care arenas. Additionally, Paul engaged in extensive sovereign-to-sovereign negotiations and dispute resolution proceedings, including the negotiation of a gaming compact entered into between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the dispute among Florida, Georgia, and Alabama regarding the allocation of water rights among those three states. Paul also served as the deputy attorney general for Florida, where he was involved in the prosecution of a wide variety of civil enforcement and criminal matters in the health care, telecommunications, and pharmaceutical industries, among others.

At the start of his career, Paul practiced at a Miami litigation boutique law firm from 1993 to 2002, where he concentrated on complex commercial litigation. During that time, he represented a wide range of clients on business torts, shareholder disputes, and violations of the federal securities and antitrust laws.

Thomas Icard

Tom Icard focuses his nationally recognized practice on construction related matters, from review of contract documents to claims negotiation and complex, multi-party litigation (Best Lawyers in America Sarasota metro area “Construction Lawyer of the Year” in 2016, 2018 and 2021). He is also regularly engaged as a neutral in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings in construction cases and in a broad range of other civil disputes (2012 Best Lawyers in America, Tampa metro area “Mediation Lawyer of the Year”).

Tom is a Diplomate of the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators, as well as a member (by invitation) of the Florida Circuit Civil Mediator Society and the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. He has served as a single arbitrator and as the chief arbitrator on a panel of three in matters involving major property damage claims, insurance coverage, securities and other business disputes. He also has experience as a court appointed Special Master in federal proceedings.

Chief Judge Laurel Isicoff

CURRENT POSITION

U.S. Bankruptcy Court - Miami, FL 33128 USA

CLASS: XVII (2006)

CIRCUIT: ELEVENTH

EDUCATION

Barnard College, New York, New York, B.A., cum laude (1978)

New York University School of Law (1979-80)

University of Miami School of Law, J.D., cum laude (1982)

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

Shareholder, Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton (1992-06)

Associate, Squire Sanders & Dempsey (1984-91)

Judicial Clerk, Hon. Daniel S. Pearson, Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal (1982-84)

AFFILIATIONS

The Florida Bar (1982)

American Bankruptcy Institute (2001)

Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida, Past President (1985)

Dade County Bar Association (1984)

Florida Association of Women Lawyers, Former Director (1984)

Cuban American Bar Association (2002)

Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association (2004)

University of Miami, Iron Arrow Honor Society (2002)

11th Circuit Court of Appeals (1992)

Southern District of Florida (1984)

Middle District of Florida (1985)

National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges

PUBLICATIONS

"Clogging and Workouts A Brief Overview," The Florida Bar Business Section 1997

"Consensual Use of Cash Collateral, A Practical View," Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute 2004

"Surrender, Redeem or Reaffirm- A Brief Overview of the Chapter 7 Requirements," Behind the Bench, Vol. 13, Issue 2 June 2006

"Securitized Residential Loans in Bankruptcy," Franklin and Nealon Co-author (with Charles W. Throckmorton)

"Mortgage and Asset Backed Securities Litigation Handbook," West 2009

"Credit Card Transfers, Preferences or Protected: Survey of a Failed Challenge," 5 Fla. Int'l. U. L. Rev. 123 2009 Author with Terry Ryan

AWARDS

Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida, Second Annual President's Pro Bono Award (2001)

University of Miami Law Women Honoree, Women Who Make a Difference: "Spirit of Service" (2002)

Listed in Best Lawyers in America, (2002-06)

South Florida Legal Guide Published by Florida Media Affiliates, Voted one of the Top Lawyers in South Florida (Bankruptcy) (2004-06)

Voted one of Florida's Trends, Florida's Legal Elite (Bankruptcy) (2005)

Listed in Chambers USA Client's Guide Chambers & Partners Bankruptcy, America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2005)

Recipient of Trail Blazer Award, Committee of One Hundred (2006),

Recipient of Mattie Belle Davis Award, Florida Association of Women Lawyers (Miami-Dade Chapter), (2006)

Recipient of Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award, Jewish Museum of Florida, (2010)

Recipient of the Devorah Award, Miami Jewish Legal Society, (2011)

Chief Judge Caryl E. Delano

The Honorable Caryl E. Delano was appointed as a bankruptcy judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, on June 25, 2008.

She graduated from the University of South Florida, B.A., cum laude, in English in 1976. She attended Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis and Emory University School of Law, receiving her J.D. from Indiana University in 1979.

Judge Delano practiced before the state and federal courts of California for 14 years. In 1994, she returned to her hometown of Tampa, where she most recently practiced law with the firm of Addison & Delano, P.A. She concentrated her practice on bankruptcy and commercial litigation. She is a member of The Florida Bar, The State Bar of California, the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Federal Bar Association, the Hillsborough County Bar Association, and the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association.

Judge Delano was appointed by the United States Circuit Court for the Eleventh Circuit, which appoints all bankruptcy judges in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.

Judge Delano graduated from Tampa Catholic High School in 1973. She and her husband have three children.

Chief Judge Karen K. Specie

Judge Specie was appointed to the bench on July 25, 2012. She serves as the Chief, and only, bankruptcy judge for the Northern District of Florida, presiding over cases in Tallahassee, Gainesville, Panama City and Pensacola.

Judge Specie began her legal career with a law firm on the 28th Floor of the RCA building in mid-town Manhattan, New York, representing creditors in commercial litigation and bankruptcy. From there she relocated to Tampa, where she practiced with then Fowler, White, Boggs, et. al.  She since has practiced solo and as a shareholder with firms in Gainesville; just prior to taking the bench, Judge Specie was Of Counsel to Akerman LLP as part of its Bankruptcy and Reorganization practice group in Jacksonville, Florida. While in private practice, Judge Specie focused on commercial litigation and commercial and consumer bankruptcy cases throughout Florida and the Southeast.

Judge Specie has taught Bankruptcy and Secured Transactions as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she still teaches Advanced Bankruptcy. She has served as a Chapter 7 Panel Trustee for the Northern District of Florida; is a founder of the Federal Bar Association for North Central Florida; and has been a member of the Bankruptcy/UCC Committee of the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar since the early 1990s.

Judge Specie currently serves on the Executive Council of the Florida Bar Business Law Section, is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, and is a member of ABI, INSOL, IWIRC, and NCBJ. In 2018, Judge Specie chaired the committee that organized and presented the Bankruptcy Roundtable at the Eleventh Circuit Judicial Conference.

In addition to traveling throughout the Northern District to perform her judicial duties, Judge Specie routinely speaks at CLE programs for various organizations such as The Florida Bar, the Alabama Bar Association, the Jacksonville Bankruptcy Bar Association, and the Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Bar Association. Judge Specie received her B.A. from the University of South Florida and her J.D. from Florida State University College of Law.  Judge Specie’s interests include family, travel and horses.  She and her husband of 38 years have raised three children who are all enjoying their own careers and are very much enjoying their relatively new roles as grandparents.

Dain de Souza

Dain is an experienced litigator whose practice focuses, among other things, on business disputes, commercial and corporate litigation, and special situations. He also has significant experience handling a full range of bankruptcy, regulatory and investigation, and distressed situation disputes, transactions, and restructuring matters—leveraging deal-side and courtroom experience to achieve client objectives.

As a veteran trial and appellate litigator, Dain has successfully handled litigation proceedings at every level—representing clients in matters in state and federal trial and bankruptcy courts through the US Supreme Court. Dain also has substantial experience representing debtors, creditors, lenders, and other parties in all aspects of complex chapter 11 reorganizations and litigation.

With his background in special situations, Dain helps clients find practical solutions to legal and business risks. In connection, he also handles internal investigations, regulatory and enforcement proceedings, and compliance matters, including with respect to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, financial services laws and regulations, and distribution, logistics, and data management. 

Prior to joining the firm, Dain practiced for years with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Delaware and Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in South Florida. He also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Christopher S. Sontchi in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Dain is admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the US District Court for the District of Delaware.

Miranda Soto

Miranda Soto is Florida Bar Board Certified in Civil Trial Law and has tried approximately 70 cases to verdict. She specializes in high-stakes litigation and complex commercial cases on behalf of private equity, hedge funds, high-end insurance companies, law firms and other sophisticated businesses in cases involving commercial and business disputes, professional and legal malpractice claims, product liability, complex fraud matters, public policy matters, cases of first impression, high-stakes personal injury cases, franchisee/franchisor litigation, trust and estate litigation and premises liability at the state and federal levels. Miranda also handles tobacco, addiction and smoking-related injury litigation. Additionally, she has a strong reputation as a lawyers’ lawyer and often serves as a consultant on legal and accounting malpractice claims.

Understanding her clients’ business is at the core of Miranda’s solution-based approach. She knows that learning the ins and outs of her clients’ business is crucial in order to provide the best legal advice possible. As legal issues often extend to the company as a whole, Miranda focuses on minimizing disruptions to the business that can and do arise from legal challenges. Her goal is to leverage all possible opportunities for a quick resolution.

Todd Michaels

Todd Michaels Esq, a lifelong Miami-Dade resident, joined The Haggard Law Firm in 2009. In May 2014, he was named a partner. Todd handles a wide array of the firm’s cases involving wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury, representing clients who were injured through the negligence of others. His practice primarily involves negligent security throughout the State of Florida and nationwide.  Todd has been a frequent speaker on various aspects of negligent security law to different legal and security industry groups and has had articles relating to negligent security cases published.  In addition to his negligent security work, Todd also handles rideshare (Uber/Lift) liability, premises liability, aviation, pool drowning, auto accident and other injury cases.

Todd was lead counsel in the negligent security case of Snell vs. Family Food Saver. The trial resulted in a verdict of $5.7 million for the Snell family. It was the largest premises liability verdict in the State of Florida that year. Michaels has been twice named Most Effective Lawyer by the Daily Business Review and has been named several times to the Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers lists, including the Top 100 Super Lawyers. among several other annual honors. In 2019 he was recognized as a BRONZE EAGLE Award Winner by the Florida Justice Association The prestigious honor is bestowed to those who have shown an extraordinary contribution to the FJA EAGLE Program. Michaels is also an FJA Board Member, Fellow, and  Executive Committee Member, among other positions.

Eric Rosen

Eric began his legal career as a prosecutor at the Office of the State Attorney in Broward County, Florida, where he tried dozens of jury trials and countless bench trials to verdict. Mr. Rosen left public service to pursue his passion for helping people who have suffered due to someone else’s misconduct. Mr. Rosen then rose through the ranks to become a partner at a prominent South Florida personal injury and wrongful death firm. For over a decade, Eric dedicated his practice to catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. After unparalleled success, Mr. Rosen pursued his dream of opening his own law firm and established Rosen Injury Law, P.A., As a Fort Lauderdale accident lawyer, he expanded his practice to not only include catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, but to also help those who have suffered a range of injuries that may not be life threatening, but still result in serious pain, inconvenience and loss of enjoyment of life.

In addition to his law school education and his career in both public and private practice, Eric is also a graduate of the renowned Trial Lawyers College established by Gerry Spence; one of the country’s premiere trial schools. This is an intensive three-and-a-half-week trial skills program held in Dubois, Wyoming, by top litigators and trial instructors from around the country. While there, Eric immersed himself in new trial techniques for jury selection, opening statement, direct and cross examination, and closing arguments. He incorporates those skills to this day.

Carter Andersen

Carter Andersen focuses his practice on helping people achieve success and solve problems. Mr. Andersen has extensive experience handling complex civil litigation matters. He regularly handles business, commercial and contract disputes, real estate disputes, employment litigation, professional malpractice matters, and other litigation matters. Mr. Andersen has assisted numerous clients with business transactions, including commercial finance, secured lending, and mergers and acquisitions.  Mr. Andersen also has extensive experience in complex public financings within Florida and represents parties to bond validation lawsuits. Mr. Andersen is certified as a Mediator by the Florida Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Before joining Bush Ross, he practiced commercial litigation, antitrust litigation, and white-collar criminal defense with Jones Day in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Andersen was elected to serve on the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar, is a Past President of the Hillsborough County Bar Association and served for twelve years on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida (after being appointed three separate times by Florida Governors). Mr. Andersen is a member of Christ the King Catholic Church, has served as a volunteer at Academy Prep Center of Tampa, and served on the Board for Tampa Bay Little League. He also served as the President of the Christ the King Catholic School Dads Club from 2008 to 2010 and on the School Advisory Board for Christ the King Catholic School from 2012 to 2015.

Dennis Kainen

Dennis G. Kainen has been with Weisberg Kainen Mark, PL for over twenty-five years. He is A-V rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and has been listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. In addition to maintaining a very active law practice, Mr. Kainen has managed to be involved in professional, civic, and charitable activities locally, state-wide, and nationally. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Kainen was an assistant federal public defender for the Southern District of Florida from 1982 to 1985.

Colin Giuseppe Cox

Colin Giuseppe Cox is an associate in the International Practice Group of Haynes and Boone and is licensed to practice in both Florida and Texas. His practice focuses on a variety of international corporate matters and cross-border projects, including cross-border investments, financing, project development, and negotiations. He regularly assists clients in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and capital market transactions, and he has particular experience with projects involving Latin America and Europe. Colin has lived and worked extensively in both regions and speaks French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Additionally, Colin also represents clients before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and assists them in assessing whether CFIUS has jurisdiction over their transactions.

Colin’s practice covers a large range of industries, and he has extensive legal and business experience in the real estate, banking, capital markets, energy, aviation, hospitality and CBD/hemp sectors. He has represented clients for a variety of foreign markets, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Rebeca Sanchez-Roig

Rebeca Sánchez-Roig is  the managing partner of Sánchez-Roig Law, P.A. She is a former Deputy Chief Counsel who spent 17 years as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  Ms. Sánchez-Roig represented the United States government in removal proceedings including political asylum, adjustment of status, cancellation of removal, human smuggling, terrorism, persecutors, Russian organized crime, sexual predators, drug traffickers, and other special interest cases. 

Ms. Sánchez-Roig managed federal court cases, including habeas corpus litigation, petitions for review, and federal torts actions.  She served as liaison between the United States Attorney’s Office, Office of Immigration Litigation, Agency programs, and federal operational units.  Ms. Sánchez-Roig was also the designated Presidential Pardon attorney responsible for rendering the Agency’s position on requests for pardons submitted by criminal non-citizens under the Executive Pardon Program. She was a senior litigator on special interest cases requiring extensive trial preparation, and a member of numerous national committees. During her time in government, Ms. Sánchez-Roig was the recipient of copious awards including the DHS Assistant Secretary’s Outstanding Achievement in Diversity Management Award in 2008, for extraordinary performance of duties and achievement of special accomplishments.

Ms. Sánchez-Roig regularly advises criminal defense attorneys in negotiations, motions to vacate, and pre-trial on the immigration consequences of criminal charges and convictions. She is experienced in immigration through international adoptions and has served as a Victim’s Rights Advocate for victims of crimes in Florida.