Coral Gables Lawyers

Erick Santana is co-founding partner of Cecere Santana, PA.

He has been evaluating personal injury cases for over 20 years, and has successfully settled thousands of cases for his clients, in some instances collecting in excess of $1 million.

Prior to becoming an attorney, he was employed for seven years as an insurance adjuster for State Farm Insurance Co. As a result of his previous employment within State Farm, Mr. Santana knows first-hand what challenges clients face when dealing with insurance companies, which differentiates him from most personal injury attorneys in the area. He uses his expertise and knowledge to work...

A Miami-native, Oscar grew up and attended all academic training in South Florida. While in college, he obtained his Real Estate Sales Associate license and has been actively engaged in real estate transactions throughout South Florida since the age of 19. During his undergraduate degree, he created and opened his own Real Estate Brokerage company, Endeavor International Real Estate. It was through these labors that helped pay his way through law school. During his law school training, he worked for The Lasarte Law Firm where he worked over two years in the land use/zoning and governmental affairs field. It was...

Ms. Kurtz practices community association law, with a concentration in representing homeowners’ associations and condominium associations. In such practice, Ms. Kurtz routinely interprets community associations’ governing documents; provides legal advice to boards of directors as to day-to-day concerns and disputes; prepares and negotiates construction and vendor contracts on behalf of community associations; prepares meeting package documents for annual meetings and other community association meetings; attends owner, board and committee meetings; and drafts, interprets and amends community association governing documents.

Gary M. Mars joined the firm in 1991, developing a specialty in community association representation. Since then, his practice has evolved into full-service community association representation, including transactional work, covenant enforcement, drafting of opinion letters regarding the management and operation of the association, drafting amendments to governing documents, performing contract review and preparing meeting packages for board meetings and annual meetings. His representation also includes assisting clients with matters pertaining to construction defect negotiations and litigation, and turnover issues Mr. Mars has over 25 years of experience in assisting community associations in the pursuit of Chapter 558 claims and has...

Practicing since 2005, Nadia is an award-winning lawyer, with experience practicing in both New York and Florida, and a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator.

Awards:
AV Preeminent – Martindale Hubbell
Rising Stars – Super Lawyers
Top 10% in USA – Lawyers of Distinction
Client’s Choice – Avvo
Ten Best – Client Satisfaction – AIFLA
10 Best Attorneys – AIFLA
40 Under 40 – National Advocates
Top 100 – National Advocates

Harvey D. Friedman has over 50 years of experience helping and assisting clients in protecting their legal rights. He began practicing law in Florida in 1969, initially handling all types of legal matters. In 1976, he opened his own office in Miami Beach dedicated exclusively to all areas of personal injury-focusing primarily on serious injury accidents. Over the years Mr. Friedman has served in various leadership capacities on both public and religious organizations, including service as a past president of the Miami Beach Bar Association. He holds an AV Peer Review rating by Martindale-Hubbell-which is the highest rating for...

Alfonso “Alfie” Leon was born, raised, and educated in Miami. He is a two-time graduate from Florida International University where he received a B.A. in Sociology & Anthropology and attended FIU Law. During law school Mr. Leon served as member of the Board of Advocates, the Health Law & Policy Clinic, and received the Public Service Award upon graduating. After law school Mr. Leon served as a Chief Policy Advisor at the City of Miami overseeing legislation which impacted; land use, zoning, procurement, and quality of life decisions. Mr. Leon handles cases against insurance companies and focuses primarily on Personal...

Founded by Manuel Vazquez, a seasoned attorney with over 50 years of experience, Manuel Vazquez, PA, has deep roots in the South Florida legal community. Born in Havana, Cuba, Manny moved to the United States as a child refugee, sent to America by his parents to protect him from the Cuban Communist Revolution. Through hard work, honesty, and dedication, Manny developed a passion for the law, earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida in 1970. Over the decades, he has built a reputation for providing exceptional legal representation across all branches of the law. With a commitment to...

I am an attorney licensed in the State of Florida. I have been an attorney for two decades and graduated with honors from St. Thomas University School of Law where I was a member of the International Moot Court Team and a Judge in the Honor Council. I was an Associate Editor of the St. Thomas Law Review and an active member of the Hispanic American Law Society (HALS). I received the Book Award for best student in a subject in Constitutional Law, International Law, Comparative Law and Torts.

Melissa Paniagua was born in New York City and raised in Miami, Florida. In 2015, She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies with a Minor in Philisophy at Florida Gulf Coast University. After college, she moved back home to Miami and went on to obtain her Juris Doctor from St. Thomas University School of Law where she graduated Cum Laude.

While in law school, Ms. Paniagua was a Moot Court board member, part time law clerk at a family law firm and a judicial intern for the Honorable Daryl Trawick, former Circuit Court Judge in the Family...

Michelle has concentrated in the area of plaintiffs’ civil trial practice since the beginning of her legal career. Her experience includes land-based and admiralty/maritime personal injury, wrongful death, and class action litigation. Michelle works closely with her clients and will always take the time to address their concerns and provide an honest assessment of their cases.

Michelle was co-lead counsel in a jury trial in Broward County resulting in one of the top 100 personal injury verdicts in Florida in the year 2017. She is fluent in Spanish.

Brandon Stein is a Florida based trial attorney born in Queens, New York, and was raised in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Being the son of an accountant that owns a large firm in New Jersey, owning and operating a business is something that was engrained within Brandon Stein from a very young age.

As owner and founder of SteinLaw, Brandon Stein focuses his practice on personal injury, wrongful death, car accident and slip and fall litigation, as well as a variety of other civil litigation areas. While SteinLaw is based out of Florida, Attorney Stein handles cases all around the country.

Being...

Jude M. Faccidomo is a founding partner and managing partner at Ratzan & Faccidomo, a Miami law firm providing misdemeanor and felony defense of Florida and federal criminal charges as well as representation of lawyers and other professionals in administrative license revocation and disciplinary hearings. As a former Assistant Public Defender in the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s office, Mr. Faccidomo gained extensive, invaluable experience handling jury trials involving a wide range of criminal matters. Mr. Faccidomo completed his undergraduate degree at Bard College in New York and earned his Juris Doctor law degree from Saint Thomas University School of Law in Miami....

Mr. Mermell has been the senior partner for the past twenty years in a firm that specializes in the representation of injured workers; Mr. Mermell has handled the claims of over 2,000 injured workers during the past 27 years; Mr. Mermell has tried numerous cases before the Office of Administrative Law Judges and has successfully handled appeals to the Benefits Review Board and the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit; Mr. Mermell was trained by Donald D. Gillis, Esquire, who had over 35 years of experience in handling DBA/Longshoremen’s claims; Mr. Mermell has been Florida Bar Board...

Montesino Law is a law firm dedicated exclusively to helping businesses. It was founded by an attorney who, prior to attending law school, worked in finance and accounting roles for large publicly traded companies.

Lindsey is a skilled and knowledgeable Real Estate, Construction and Business Law Attorney. Her practice areas include construction litigation, community association disputes and general commercial litigation matters. Lindsey represents clients such as general contractors, architects, community associations, subcontractors, real estate developers, investors, landlords and lenders in both business and real estate litigation. She is passionate about law and dedicated to diligent advocacy for her clients, both in and out of court. Lindsey earned her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Florida, Illinois, the U.S....

Thomas R. Spencer is an experienced lawyer and arbitrator. Spencer practices business law, international private business law, formation of businesses, contracts, litigation, representation of entities and persons before governments, internal investigations, ethics issues, and election law. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London.

Marc A. Smiley concentrates his practice in the areas of community association representation, community association litigation and construction defect litigation. He provides a full range of legal services to the firm’s community association clients including, but not limited to, providing advice and guidance on general matters relating to associations, assisting with the transition of developer to unit owner control, amendment drafting and administering association elections as well as counseling associations’ boards of directors on contracts, corporate governance, covenant enforcement, resolution of disputes and issues with unit owners, developers, contractors, service providers, and other vendors. Mr. Smiley enjoys advising clients on...

Louise R. Caro is a Partner in the firm and is the Managing Attorney for our Miami, Florida office. Her practice focuses on plaintiff’s mass tort litigation, concentrating on helping people harmed by exposure to hazardous soil, water and air contaminants. She has represented clients harmed by a multitude of environmental pollutants and toxins such as arsenic, lead, and dioxin, in soils and public water supply wells.

The Law Office of Aliette H. Carolan, PA is located in Coral Gables, FL. We focus on Complex Matrimonial & Family Law, Mediation services and Reproductive Law. Aliette Hernandez Carolan, Esq. is certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Family Law Mediator since 2009. She was nominated as a Rising Star by the reputable Super Lawyers 2014 and as a Super Lawyer in the 2015 publication. We make sure that you have access to the legal, financial and emotional resources that you need. We listen to you, return phone calls promptly, keep you prepared...

I was born in Havana, Cuba and was raised in Miami, Florida. In 2005, I graduated from Florida International University with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Political Science. Thereafter, I had the privilege to work alongside two prominent attorneys who practice probate, maritime, and personal injury law. That experience inspired me to continue my studies and pursue my lifelong dream of becoming an attorney. In 2010, I entered the Corporate MBA program at Florida International University and graduated in the fall of 2011. I received my Juris Doctor Degree from Florida International University College of Law...

Leysi Jimenez practices in the areas of Immigration, Family Law, Foreclosure, and Criminal Justice. Ms. Jimenez obtained a Bachelor of Science Magna Cum Laude in Criminal Justice at the Florida International University, and also a Juris Doctor Cum Laude at the Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center. She has been representing clients at mediation, temporary hearings, and trials. Ms. Jimenez has also managed and prepared cases, attended court hearings, and drafted motions to reopen cases. She speaks fluent Spanish.

Ivan Abrams is the founding partner of Abrams Justice.

Ivan is a natural storyteller, problem solver, and—most importantly—a lion in the courtroom. Ivan has extensive litigation experience, having served as lead counsel in more than 40 jury trials and hundreds of evidentiary motions.

Ivan loves nothing more than standing up to large insurance companies that seek to bully his clients who have been seriously injured after traumatic accidents. Ivan takes the time to get to know each client personally, as well as their families, so that he can fully understand the impact an accident has had on their lives. Only then can...

Ernest L. Chang is an experienced Criminal Defense Trial Lawyer, having practiced exclusively in the field of Criminal Defense since his admission to the Florida Bar in 1990. Mr. Chang obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida and his Juris Doctor degree in law from Nova Southeastern University. Mr. Chang has also appeared pro hac vice, in other jurisdictions, most recently in the State of Arizona. Past experiences include prosecuting Felony trials as a Certified Legal Intern with the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office, Former Public Defender with the 18th Judicial Circuit and Criminal Defense with...

Jaime’s practice focuses primarily on trademark, copyright, entertainment and internet law. Jaime counsels clients on the acquisition of new trademarks, conducts clearance investigations and renders availability and infringement opinions, and provides legal advice regarding trademarks and related unfair competition issues. Jaime is experienced in the filing and prosecution of trademark applications at the state, federal and international levels, as well as the defense of related proceedings such as oppositions and cancellations of registrations. Jaime also assists clients in developing global IP portfolios and policies to secure, maintain and enforce trademark rights. Since 2009, Jaime has been named a...

David Markel is a personal injury attorney whose practice consists of representing plaintiffs in serious, catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. Mr. Markel focuses on auto, truck, and motor vehicle accidents, cruise ship accidents, maritime and marine related injuries, negligent security, premises liability, victims of crime, and other complex litigation.

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Mr. Markel graduated from Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove where he was an All Dade County football player and AP Scholar. Mr. Markel attended Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he continued his football career and graduated with a degree in History...

Co-founder William R. Trueba, Jr.’s practice centers on the domestic and international enforcement of intellectual property rights. Will is also a U.S. Registered Patent Attorney, with a background in electrical engineering. He has represented clients in patent infringement lawsuits involving various technologies, including fertilizers, highway construction equipment, software, lasers, marine equipment, HVAC systems, nutritional supplements, pharmaceuticals, pet products, baby products, hunting equipment, motion detectors, super capacitors, farming methods and others. He has also represented clients in the enforcement of copyrights involving motion pictures, music, artwork, photographs, software, and jewelry among others. Will has also assisted clients with...

Gregory E. Gudin is the Principal and Managing Partner of The Buckeye Law Group. He is responsible for the firm’s personal injury practice throughout Ohio. Greg has extensive litigation experience and has been involved in personal injury litigation since 2005. He has obtained numerous jury verdicts in favor of his clients, performed hundreds of depositions, litigated thousands of injury lawsuits, and has collected millions of dollars on behalf of his clients. Greg has dedicated his practice to the representation of those injured by the neglect of others, including wrongful death, medical malpractice, product liability, workers compensation, motor vehicle accidents, slip...

Roberto C. Blanch has been a member of Siegfried Rivera since 2001 and concentrates his practice in community association law. He represents condominium and homeowners associations throughout Florida, handling a broad range of legal issues pertaining to the operation and management of community associations. Mr. Blanch handles all aspects of community association law including, but not limited to, covenant enforcement, interpretation of governing documents, vendor contract negotiation and drafting, amending governing documents, preparing for and attending board and membership meetings, elections and recalls, collections, fair housing issues, and insurance claims. He also assists associations who are undertaking the turnover process,...