MEMBERS OF FIRM
Alberto R. Cardenas (P.A.) (Partner) admitted to bar, 1974, Florida; 1980, U.S. Supreme Court; 1992, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida. Education: Florida Atlantic University (B.S., 1969); Seton Hall University (J.D., 1974). Member, Seton Hall University Law Review, 1973. Named, Washington, D.C.'s Top Lobbyists, The Hill Newspaper. Selected, One of "The Best Lawyers in America," 2007-2008. Policy Coordinator, Office of the President-Elect, Department of Commerce, 1980-1981. Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business Affairs, 1981-1984; Board of Directors, Federal National Mortgage Association, 1985-1991; U.S. Senate Advisory Committee on International Trade, 1985-1986; President Bush's Commission on Trade Policy, 1991-1993; Director, Performing Arts Center Trust; Trustee, The Wolfsonian Foundation. Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida from January, 1999 through January, 2003; Vice Chairman, Republican Party of Florida. Former Trustee, Florida A&M University, 2003-2007. National Board Member, American Conservative Union. Member: The Florida Bar; American Bar Association. (Also at Tallahassee Advocacy and Washington, D.C. Offices). Reported Cases: DeGrandy v. Wetherell, 815 F.Supp. 1550 (N.D.Fla., Jul 17, 1992); Herrera v. City of Miami, 600 So.2d 561, 17 Fla. L. Weekly D792 (Fla.App. 3 Dist., Jun 23, 1992); Hyco Mfg Co. v. Rotex Intern. Corp., 355 So.2d 471 (Fla.App. 3 Dist., Feb 21, 1978); Cardenas v. Smathers, 351 So.2d 21 (Fla., June 30, 1977). Practice Areas: Administrative Law; Appellate Practice; Government Affairs; Land Use; Environmental Law.Email: Alberto R. Cardenas (P.A.)
John M. Catalano (Partner) born Las Vegas, Nevada; admitted to bar, 1997, Georgia; 2000, District of Columbia and U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; 2005, Florida. Education: Loyola Marymount University (B.A., 1994); Tulane University (J.D., 1997). Member, Tulane Law Review, Tulane Journal of International and Comparative Law. Member: The Florida Bar; State Bar of Georgia; District of Columbia Bar. Languages: Spanish and Italian. Practice Areas: Commercial Real Estate(70%); Business Law(15%); Real Estate Finance(15%).Email: John M. Catalano
Domingo "Bob" de la Fuente (Partner) admitted to bar, 1992, Illinois; 1993, Florida; 1998, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida. Education: Amherst College (B.A., 1989); Boston University (J.D., 1992). Assistant State Attorney, Miami-Dade County, 1993-1997. Member, Leviev Boymelgreen Developers, 2004-2006. Languages: French. Practice Areas: Land Use and Local Government Law(100%).Email: Domingo "Bob" de la Fuente
Joseph A. DeMaria (Partner) admitted to bar, 1983, New York and U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; 1986 U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; 1988, Florida and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida including Trial Bar; 1991, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. Education: St. Bonaventure University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1979); State University of New York at Buffalo (J.D., cum laude, 1982). Managing Editor, Buffalo Law Review, 1981-1982. Special Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, Miami Strike Force, 1985-1988. Recipient, Special Commendation for Outstanding Service to the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, 1987. Adjunct Faculty Member, Litigation Skills Program, University of Miami, School of Law, 1993. Instructor, National Institute of Trial Advocacy, 1996. Lecturer, National Business Institute: Advanced Construction Law; Financial White Collar Crime; Mediation. Selected, Best Lawyers in America (Commercial Litigation, Professional Malpractice, White Collar Criminal Defense, Construction), 2008. Florida Commissioner to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, 2005-2007. Named, Most Effective Lawyers in Miami-Dade County, International Law, 2007. Member: Dade County, American, New York and Federal Bar Associations; The Florida Bar. (Board Certified Business Litigation Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education). Reported Cases: Weininger v. Castro, 462 F. Supp. 2d 457 (S.D.N.Y. 2006); Harbaugh v. Greslin, 436 F. Supp. 2d 1315 (S.D. Fla. 2006); Epstein v. Precision Response Corporation, 883 So.2d 377 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004); Klein v. FPL Group, Inc., 2004 WL 302292 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 5, 2004); In Re John Alden Financial Corporation Securities Litigation, 249 F. Supp. 2d 1273 (S.D. Fla. 2003); Cheney v. Cyberguard Corp., 2000 WL 1140306 (S.D. Fla. July 31, 2000); Land O'Sun Realty, Ltd., et al. v. REWJB Gas Investments, et al., 685 So.2d 870 (Fla. 3d DCA 1996), app. dismissed, 710 So.2d 978 (Fla. 1998); State of Florida v. Manuel Diaz, 814 So.2d 466 (Fla. 3d DCA 2002); Banco Latino, S.A.C.A., et al., v. Gustavo Gomez Lopez, et al., 17 F. Supp. 2d 1327 (S.D. Fla. 1998); Special Purpose Accounts Receivable Cooperative Corp. v. Prime One Capital Company, L.C., 202 F. Supp. 2d 1339 (S.D. Fla. 2002); FDIC v. Gonzalez-Gorrondona, Jr., et al., 833 F. Supp. 1545 (S.D. Fla. 1993); In Re: Petition to Inspect and Copy Grand Jury Materials, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16482 (S.D. Fla. Sept. 11, 1992); U.S. v. William Alessi, et al., 921 F.2d 1523 (11th Cir. 1991); CFTC v. Sidoti, 178 F.3d 1132 (11th Cir. 1999). Practice Areas: Complex Commercial Litigation; Construction Litigation; Attorney Malpractice Defense; White Collar Criminal Defense.Email: Joseph A. DeMaria
Matias R. Dorta (P.A.) (Member) admitted to bar, 1988, Florida; U.S. District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; 1991, District of Columbia. Education: University of Miami (B.A., magna cum laude, 1985); Georgetown Law Center (J.D., cum laude, 1988). Associate Editor, The Tax Lawyer, 1987-1988. Chair, 2002-2003 and Member, Judicial Nominating Committee, Third District Court of Appeal of Florida. Member: The Florida Bar; Cuban-American Bar Association. Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Eminent Domain.Email: Matias R. Dorta (P.A.)
Santiago D. Echemendia (P.A.) (Chair: Land Use, Zoning and Local Government Law Group) admitted to bar, 1986, Florida. Education: Georgetown University (A.B., 1983; J.D., 1986); University of Miami (LL.M. in Real Property Land Development and Finance, 1995). Member: Dade County Housing Authority, 1996-1998; City of Miami Downtown Development Authority, 1996-1997; Dade County Planning Advisory Board, 1994-1996; South Florida Regional Planning Counsel, 1995-1997; Chairman, Steering Committee for Westchester Incorporation Feasibility Study; American Planning Association, 1994. Board Counsel, South Florida Water Management District. Governmental Liaison, Florida Department of Transportation, District VI. Finalist, Top Dealmaker in the Land Category, MDBR, 2007. Member: Dade County, American (Urban, State and Local Government Law Section) and Cuban-American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Environmental and Land Use Law Section; City, County and Local Government Law Section). Reported Cases: JC&C Enterprises v. City of Hialeah; Springmeyer v. Metropolitan Dade County; Hernandez v. Metropolitan Dade County; Kern v. Metropolitan Dade County; Cajon v. Metropolitan Dade County; Palmer Ranch v. Sarasota County; SRI Miami Venture v. The City of Miami; West Bay Plaza v. The City of Miami Beach; Brickell Village v. The City of Miami; Palm Springs General Hospital, Inc. v. City of Hialeah Gardens; Balani v. Miami-Dade County; Buquebus v. City of Naples; Chisholm Properties South Beach, Inc. v. City of Miami Beach and Ritz Plaza Hotel Corporation; Decoplage Condominium Association, Inc. v. The City of Miami Beach and Ritz Plaza Hotel Corporation; Fernandez v. Village of Pinecrest. Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Zoning; Land Use; Local Government Law; Appellate Practice; Competitive Bidding.Email: Santiago D. Echemendia (P.A.)
Lynn Maynard Gollin (Partner) admitted to bar, 1986, Florida; 1988, U.S. District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida; U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Florida. Education: State University of New York at Oswego (B.A., 1976); University of Miami (J.D., cum laude, 1986). Member, 1984-1986 and Reports Editor, 1985-1986, Inter-American Law Review. Co-author: "Recent Developments Regarding Conflict Issues and the Debtor, Attorney," published as material for the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, Chicago, Illinois, Fall, 1990. Law Clerk to Judge Sidney M. Weaver, Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of Florida, 1986-1988. Past Director, Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood, Florida. Member: The Florida Bar; American Bar Association (Member, Construction and Business Sections); Bankruptcy Bar Association of Southern Florida (Past President, 1995); American Bankruptcy Institute. Practice Areas: Bankruptcy and Receiverships; Creditor's Rights; Commercial Litigation; Construction Litigation.Email: Lynn Maynard Gollin
Stuart I. Grossman (Member) admitted to bar, 1999, Florida. Education: Muhlenberg College (B.A., 1996); University of Miami (J.D., cum laude, 1999). Phi Delta Phi. Articles and Comments Editor, University of Miami Inter-American Law Review, 1998-1999. Author: "What is an Insurer to Do?," Aviation Litigation Quarterly, 2001. Member: Dade County and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar. Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Aviation Litigation; Construction Litigation; Commercial Transactions; Entertainment Law.Email: Stuart I. Grossman
Lawrence A. Kellogg (P.A.) (Member) admitted to bar, 1981, Florida; U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida; 1982, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida; 1986, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: University of Illinois (B.A., 1977); Florida State University (J.D., with honors, 1981). Articles and Notes Editor, Florida State University Law Review, 1980. Author: "Finn or Kern? Does a Florida Dissolution Court Possess Authority to Compel Child Support of Healthy Majority-Age Children Who Are Attending College?" 9 Florida State University Law Review 107, 1981. Named as a finalist, One of the Most Effective Lawyers in Miami-Dade County, Bankruptcy, 2007. Member: Dade County and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar; Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida. Practice Areas: Complex Commercial Litigation; Banking Litigation; Probate Litigation; Bankruptcy and Receivership Litigation; Class Actions.Email: Lawrence A. Kellogg (P.A.)
Thomas R. Lehman (P.A.) (Managing Partner) admitted to bar, 1982, Florida; U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit; U.S. District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. Education: Middlebury College (B.A., 1974); University of Miami (J.D., magna cum laude, 1982). Member, Society of Wig and Robe. Federal Legislative Assistant to Gov. Hugh Carey, 1977. Executive Assistant to Commissioner of Energy of the State of New York, 1977-1979. Member, Board of Trustees, Dade County Public Health Trust, 1991-2002. Managing Partner, Tew Cardenas LLP, 1995. Member: The Florida Bar; American Bar Association; Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida; American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Senate Club Member); Greater Miami Jewish Federation (Pacesetter). Practice Areas: Business Law and Strategic Planning; Bankruptcy; Creditor's Rights; Law Firm Liquidations; Lender Liability; Receivership Litigation.Email: Thomas R. Lehman (P.A.)
David M. Levine (Member) admitted to bar, 1978, New York; 1981, Florida. Education: Wesleyan University (B.A., cum laude, 1971); Brooklyn Law School (J.D., 1974). Listed in: The Best Lawyers in America (Tenth Anniversary); Florida's Legal Elite; South Florida Legal Guide, as one of the leading bankruptcy and receivership attorneys. Appointed by the United States District Court as Federal Equity Receiver in five separate cases: United States Securities and Exchange Commission v. Viatical Capital, Inc., et al.; Comcoa, Ltd. and Thomas Berger; TransAmerica Wireless Systems, Inc.; Medco, Inc.; Sun State FX, Inc. Appointed, Conservator in the case of State of Florida Department of Insurance v. Future First Financial Group, involving over $200 million in investor funds. Former Lead Insolvency Counsel, Committees of creditors, Chapter 11 debtors, and bankruptcy trustees in many major cases, including In re Braniff, Inc. (Committee of Note Holders); In re Model Imperial, Inc., et al. (Committee of Unsecured Creditors); In re Bertram-Trojan, Inc. (Committee of Unsecured Creditors), In re ESM Government Securities, Inc. (Chapter 7 Trustee); In re Arrow Air, Inc. (Committee of Unsecured Creditors); In re SeaEscacpe Cruises, Ltd. (Committee of Unsecured Creditors); In re Chase & Sanborn Corporation, et al. (Chapter 11 debtors); In re Atlas Air, Inc., et al. (co-counsel for Wilmington Trust Company, as indenture trustee); and Pan American Airways Corp. (Micky Arison as principal shareholder and guarantor of bank debt). Assistant District Attorney, Kings County, New York, 1974-1978. Named as a finalist, One of the Most Effective Lawyers in Miami-Dade County, Bankruptcy, 2007. Member: The Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida. Practice Areas: Bankruptcy; Receiverships; Debtor and Creditor; Insolvency; Corporate Reorganization.Email: David M. Levine
Jezabel Llorente, Esq. (Partner) admitted to bar, 2001, Florida. Education: Florida International University (B.B.A., 1998); Florida State University (J.D., 2001). Order of the Coif. Member, Florida State University Law Review (Sub citer of the Year, 2000). Author: "Nothing Left of INDOPCO: Let's Keep It That Way!" 29 Florida State University Law Review 277. Member: U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida; U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. Reported Cases: Consolidated Energy, Inc. v. Robert Strumor and Apache Creek Investors, LLC, Fla. L. Weekly No. 4D04-2717 (February 22, 2006). Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Complex Commercial Litigation; Real Estate Litigation; Labor and Employment; Appellate Advocacy.Email: Jezabel Llorente, Esq.
William T. McCauley (Partner) admitted to bar, 2000, Florida. Education: United States Military Academy (B.S., 1968); University of California at Los Angeles (M.A., 1974); University of Miami (J.D., 2000). University of Miami Law Review. Author, "Florida Absentee Voter Fraud," 54 University of Miami Law Review 625, April, 2000. [Col., Army, 1961-1964, 1968-1993]. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation.Email: William T. McCauley
Dennis A. Nowak (P.A.) (Member) admitted to bar, 1981, Florida. Education: John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York (B.A., summa cum laude, 1978); University of Miami (J.D., cum laude, 1981). Assistant State Attorney, 1981-1985. Adjunct Professor of Law: Shepard Broad Law Center, Nova University, 1989-1996. Member: The Florida Bar. Practice Areas: Litigation; Securities; RICO; Complex and Multi-District Litigation; Professional Liability; Fraud; Deceit; Torts.Email: Dennis A. Nowak (P.A.)
Jorge J. Perez (Partner) born Havana, Cuba, August 20, 1963; admitted to bar, 1988, Florida; 1989, U.S. District Courts, Southern and Northern Districts of Florida; U.S. Court of Appeal, Eleventh Circuit. Education: University of Miami (B.B.A., magna cum laude, 1984); University of Florida (J.D., with honors, 1988). Phi Kappa Phi; Golden Key Honor Society. Executive Articles Editor, Florida International Law Journal. Legal Research and Writing Instructor, University of Florida, 1986-1989. Assistant District Counsel, Department of Homeland Security, 1996-2003. Circuit Court Judge, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami, Florida, 2003-2007. Formerly with: Greenberg Traurig; Stroock, Stroock & Lavan; Akerman Senterfitt. Member: Federalist Society, Board of Directors, Miami Chapter (2000) Cuban American Bar Association; Federal Bar Association (1999). Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Business Litigation(60%); Receivership(30%); Arbitration(5%); Appellate Practice(5%).Email: Jorge J. Perez
Joseph L. Rebak (P.A.) (Member) admitted to bar, 1980, Florida; 1981, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida including Trial Bar; 1987, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. Education: Villanova University (B.A., cum laude, 1977); University of North Carolina (J.D., 1980). Member: Dade County and American (Member: Litigation Section; Corporate, Banking and Business Law Section; Commercial Financial Services Committee) Bar Associations. Reported Cases: State, Dept. of Ins. v. Blackburn, 633 So.2d 521 (Fla. 2d DCA 1994); Kelly v. State, Dept. of Ins., 597 So.2d 900 (Fla. 3d DCA 1992); Golden Door Jewelry Creations, Inc. v. Lloyds Underwriters, 888 F. Supp. 1150 (S.D. Fla. 1995); Golden Door Jewelry Creations, Inc. v. Lloyds Underwriters Non-Marine Ass'n, 865 F. Supp. 1516 (S.D. Fla. 1994); South Florida Growers Ass'n, Inc. v. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 554 F. Supp. 633 (S.D. Fla. 1982); In re Jalda, Inc., 38 B.R. 855 (Bankr. S.D. Fla. 1984); Capital Life Ins. Co. v. Gallagher. 839 F. Supp. 767 (D.Colo. 1993) Practice Areas: Complex Commercial Litigation; Banking Litigation.Email: Joseph L. Rebak (P.A.)
Robin J. Rubens (Partner) admitted to bar, 1992, Florida; 1993, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida; U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Florida; 2006, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; 2008, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. Education: The American University (B.A., 1988); University of Miami (M.A., 1990); Nova University (J.D., 1992). Alpha Lambda Delta; Phi Delta Phi; Mortar Board. Participant, Moot Court. Recipient: Dean's List; Florida Bar Award for International Business; Book Award for International Business Transactions. Member, Nova University Law Review. Co-authored, "The Status of ERISA Plan Benefits in Bankruptcy After Patterson v. Shumate," 17 Nova Law Review 427, Fall 1992; Contributed extensively to the Receivership Manual for the Florida Judiciary; Co-authored materials for continuing education seminars in West Palm Beach, Florida regarding debtor and creditor issues, fraudulent transfers and proceedings supplementary; Co-authored, "Elimination of Conflict Rule is Congress's Gift to Wall Street," 44 Bankruptcy Court Decisions, Issue 16, Page A1, May 10, 2005. Law Clerk to: Chief Bankruptcy Judge Sidney M. Weaver, Southern District of Florida, 1992-1993; Bankruptcy Judge Paul G. Hyman, Jr., Southern District of Florida, 1993-1995. Member: The Florida Bar; Bankruptcy Bar Association, Southern District of Florida; American Bankruptcy Institute. Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Business Bankruptcy; Commercial Litigation.Email: Robin J. Rubens
Jeffrey C. Schneider (P.A.) (Member) admitted to bar, 1992, Florida; 1995, U.S. District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida; 1994, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Florida State University (B.S., Economics and Political Science, 1988); University of Florida Law School (J.D., with honors, 1991). Named one of Florida's Legal Elite, representing the top 1.6% of the 54,000 Florida Bar members who practice in the state, Florida Trend Magazine, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Named as one of the Most Effective lawyers in Miami-Dade County in 2005 in the area of Class Action Litigation for obtaining a $105 million victory representing a 100% recovery to the members of the class. Finalist, One of the Most Effective Lawyers, Bankruptcy/Receivership Litigation, Miami-Dade County, 2007. Listed in Florida Super Lawyers, 2006 and 2007, representing the top 5% of Florida attorneys. Senior Articles Editor, The Florida Law Review, 1991-1992. Recipient: Achievement Award in Scholarship, Alumni Council. Recognized as one of the top Up-and-Coming Attorneys in South Florida, 2003 South Florida Legal Guide. Author: "Recently Enacted Federal Legislation Providing Moral Rights to Visual Artists," The Florida Law Review, Vol. 43, No. 1, January, 1991. Speaker, Florida Receiver's Forum, June 2000. Lead Counsel to equity receivers in the cases of Securities and Exchange Commission v. Medco, Inc and Mark Blacher; Federal Trade Commission v. Bridgeport & Associates, Inc., et al.; Federal Trade Commission v. Ameritel Payphone Distributors, Inc., et. al; and Securities and Exchange Commission v. SunState Fx, Inc., et al., all pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Member: Miami-Dade County (Past Member, Board of Directors, Young Lawyers Section) and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Receivership Litigation; Fraud Litigation; Bankruptcy Litigation; Health Care Litigation.Email: Jeffrey C. Schneider (P.A.)
Thomas G. Schultz (Partner) admitted to bar, 1965, Florida; 1997, Colorado; U.S. District Court, Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit; U.S. Court of the Armed Forces. Education: Florida State University (B.S., 1962); University of Florida (J.D., 1965). Listed, The Best Lawyers in America. Named, Finalist, One of the Most Effective Lawyers in Miami-Dade County, Bankruptcy, 2007. Recognized, One of Florida's Top Lawyers by "South Florida Legal Guide," 2004, 2005, 2006 Editions. Co-Author: "Annotated Florida Rules of Civil Procedure Forms Book," (West, 1985 with supplements); "Florida Civil Procedure Forms," Annotated Reference-DeFoor & Schultz, West Group, 1989; "Civil Procedure: 1993 Survey of Florida Law," Law Review Article, 1993; "Florida Civil Procedure Forms," Annotated Reference-DeFoor & Schultz, West Group, 1989. Chapter Author: "Remedies," Practice Under Florida Usury Law; "Scope and Standards of Review," Lawyers Cooperative Federal Practice Guide. Adjunct Professor, Litigation Skills, University of Miami School of Law, 1982. Commissioner, Senator Bob Graham's Judicial Nominating Commission. Chairman: Southern District Conference of the Commission; Federal Judicial Nominating Commission throughout Florida for U.S. Senator Connie Mack. Chair, Federal Judicial Bar and Community Liaison Committee. Ad Hoc Panel Member, Florida Supreme Court Judicial Qualifications Commission. Member: The Florida Bar (Former Member and Chairman, Third District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission; Pro Bono General Counsel, Boys and Girls Club of Miami; Board Member and Member, Executive Committee; Member and Chairman: Grievance Committee, Eleventh Judicial Circuit; Judicial Nominating Procedures Committee; Member: Three-Person Drafting Sub-Committee, Civil Procedures Rules Committee; Rules of Judicial Administration Committee); University of Miami Eugene P. Spellman American Inn of Court (Board Member; Member, Executive Committee); American Law Institute; Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism; American Arbitration Association Panel of Arbitrators. Fellow: American College of Trial Lawyers. [Chief Defense Counsel, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Fourth Army].Email: Thomas G. Schultz
Brian P. Tague (P.A.) (Partner) admitted to bar, 1972, Florida. Education: Auburn University; University of Florida (B.A., with high honors, 1969; J.D., with honors, 1972). Phi Beta Kappa; Phi Kappa Phi; Order of the Coif; Phi Delta Phi. Listed: Best Lawyers in America; Chambers and Partners (Top Tier); Elite Lawyers in South Florida. Member: Dade County and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar; Urban Land Institute. (Board Certified Real Estate Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education). Practice Areas: Real Estate Development Law; Finance Law; Commercial Leasing.Email: Brian P. Tague (P.A.)
C. Thomas Tew (P.A.) (Member) admitted to bar, 1966, Florida. Education: Dartmouth College (B.A., 1962); University of Miami (J.D., cum laude, 1966). Editor-in-Chief, University of Miami Law Review, 1965-1966. Chairman, National Conference of Law Reviews, 1966. Author: "Electronic Discovery Misconduct in Litigation: Letting the Punishment Fit the Crime," 61 U. Miami L. Rev. 289 (2007); "Industrial Bond Financing and the Florida Public Purpose Doctrine," University of Miami Law Review 171, 1966; "March 6, 1994 Report of Investigation into the Sales Practices of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company." Co-Author: "Funded Programs: Troublesome Securities," 25 University of Miami Law Review 94, 1970, reprinted in Securities Law Review, 1972. Bankruptcy Trustee, ESM Government Securities, Inc., 1985-1995. Member: The Florida Bar; American Bar Association. [Lt. Cmdr., USNR, 1968-1979 JAG]. Practice Areas: Securities; Commercial Litigation; Insurance; Corporate Finance; Mergers and Acquisition.Email: C. Thomas Tew (P.A.)
Jeffrey Tew (P.A.) (Member) admitted to bar, 1969, Florida. Education: Dartmouth College (B.A., 1966); University of Miami (J.D., cum laude, 1969). Member, University of Miami Law Review, 1966-1969. Author: "Rights, Responsibilities and Authority of Shareholders," Florida Basic Corporate Practice, The Florida Bar, 1977; "Defending SEC Investigations," The Florida Bar Journal, Vol. 4, April, 1984; "Practice in Securities and Exchange Commission Investigatory and Quasi-Judicial Proceedings," University of Miami Law Review, Vol. 27, No. 1-2, 1974. Member: The Florida Bar; American Bar Association (Member: Committee on Federal Regulation of Securities; Subcommittee on Civil Litigation and SEC Enforcement Matters). Practice Areas: Securities Litigation; Securities Arbitration; Corporate Litigation; Shareholder Derivative Actions; Banking Litigation; Class Actions; White Collar Criminal Defense; Intellectual Property Litigation; Products Liability.Email: Jeffrey Tew (P.A.)
Bryan T. West (Partner) admitted to bar, 1993, New York and U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; 1996, Florida; 1997, U.S. District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida; 2000, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; 2001, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Education: Princeton University (B.A., 1989); Duke University (J.D., 1992). Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; International Arbitration.Email: Bryan T. West
ASSOCIATES
Jessica Frank (Associate) born Baltimore, Maryland; admitted to bar, 2008, Florida. Education: University of Florida (B.A., 2003); University of Miami (J.D., 2008). Article and Comments Editor, University of Miami Law Review, 2007-2008.Email: Jessica Frank
Amanda Star Frazer (Associate) admitted to bar, 2007, Florida. Education: Bucknell University (B.A., 1998); University of Miami (J.D., 2007). Languages: French and Spanish.Email: Amanda Star Frazer
Brett M. Halsey (Associate) admitted to bar, 2005, Florida. Education: Cornell University (B.S., 1993); University of Miami (J.D., 1999). Member, Ho-Nun-Du-Kah Honor Society. Member, Inter-American Law Review, University of Miami. Named as a finalist, One of the Most Effective Lawyers in Miami-Dade County, International Law, 2007. Member: The Florida Bar. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Construction Litigation.Email: Brett M. Halsey
Maria Priovolos-Gonzalez (Associate) admitted to bar, 2005, Florida. Education: University of Florida (B.S. in Zoology, 2001); University of Florida, Levin College of Law (J.D., 2004). Languages: Greek.Email: Maria Priovolos-Gonzalez
Amanda Quirke (Associate) admitted to bar, 2006, Florida. Education: University of Dayton (B.A., Chemical Engineering, 2000); Florida State University (J.D., magna cum laude, 2006). Beverly Stuart McLean Scholar, 2005. Member, Florida State University Law Review. Member: The Florida Bar. Practice Areas: Local Government/Land use(75%); Environmental Law(25%).
Patrick J. Rengstl (Associate) admitted to bar, 2002, Florida. Education: University of Miami (B.S., Psychology, 1998); Florida State University (J.D., 2002). Member, Moot Court. Writing and Research Editor, Florida State University Law Review. Member: The Florida Bar. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Securities Litigation; Aviation Litigation; Receivership Litigation.Email: Patrick J. Rengstl
Maria N. Vernace (Associate) admitted to bar, 2004, Florida. Education: Smith College (B.A., 1996); Nova Southeastern University (J.D., 2004). Recipient, Book Award in Family Law, 2003. Named as a finalist, One of the Most Effective Lawyers in Miami-Dade County, International Law, 2007. Member: The Florida Bar.Email: Maria N. Vernace
OF COUNSEL
Kathy Adams Gibbs (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1985, Florida; U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida including Trial Bar; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Education: University of Florida (B.A., 1982; J.D., with honors, 1985). Recipient of the Outstanding Law Review Board Membership Scholarship. Named by the American Bar Association as a recipient of the "Award of Special Recognition", 1992. Member: University of Florida Law Review, 1984-1985; Trial Team, 1985. Author: "International Extradition: Bounty Hunting and the American Bail Bondsman," ASILS Intl. L. J., 1985. Adjunct Professor of Law, Insurance Law, Nova Law School, 1989-1990. Member, Boys and Girls Club Committee 100. Director, Vizcaya La Lega. Member, United Way Leadership Circle. Teaching Fellow, Advanced Legal Research and Writing Program at the University of Florida. Partners for Professionalism Committee, Community Involvement, The Vizcayans, (Board of Directors, 2001-2007). Chair: The Vizcayan Picnic Community Event; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami (Committee of 100, Steering Committee Member, 2000-2004; Educate Tomorrow, 2005; Big Impact Breakfast Host Committee); La Lega del Vizcaya (2006-2007); Evening Under the Stars (2004); United Way Leadership Circle (1990). Kathy Adams Gibbs carries the highest legal ability rating in Martindale-Hubbell. Member: Dade County Bar Association (Member, Young Lawyers Section, Board of Directors, 1987-1989; Secretary, 1990; Treasurer, 1991; President-elect, 1992; President, 1992-1993; The Florida Bar) (Student Education and Admissions Committee, 1986-1989; Member, Board of Governors, YLD, 1993-1995). Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Insurance; Insurance Agency Errors and Omissions; Securities Fraud; Accountant Malpractice; Estates and Trust Litigation; Constitutional Law.Email: Kathy Adams Gibbs
Karen Levine (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1982, Florida. Education: George Mason University (B.A., with highest distinction, 1977); University of Miami (J.D., cum laude, 1981). Member: The Florida Bar. Practice Areas: General Practice.Email: Karen Levine