LaBelle Maritime Lawyers

Senior Partner at Guy Yudin & Foster, LLP. 20 years legal experience in the areas of real estate law, riparian rights, business law; business litigation, environmental law, marinas, boatyards, yacht brokers, boat builders, and other maritime matters. Routinely prosecutes administrative actions before the Division of Administrative Hearings. Also experienced with civil appeals, property damage claims, insurance coverage, small claims, collections, construction law and mechanics liens. Admitted to practice in 1994 in the State of Florida and the District of Columbia. Practicing in Stuart, Florida since 1995. J.D. Quinnipiac College School...

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...

Raul G. Delgado II is personal injury attorney who is a lifelong resident of Miami, Florida. Mr. Delgado’s practice focuses exclusively on the representation of injured passengers and crew members who were hurt on cruise ships around the world, in addition to those who are the victims of catastrophic injury or wrongful death involving auto, truck, motor vehicle accidents, recreational boating, negligent security, premises liability, and victims of crime. He is a member of the Florida Bar’s Admiralty Law Committee which is responsible for studying developments in this niche area of the law and informing members of the Bar of...

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.

Todd Passman has practiced law since 1998 and is admitted to the Florida Bar as well as the Georgia Bar.

He was born and raised in Fort Pierce, Florida, where he graduated from Fort Pierce Westwood High School in 1991. On graduating, Todd was awarded both a Florida Undergraduate Scholars Scholarship and a Florida State University Academic Scholars Scholarship. He attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida and graduated in 1995 with a degree in accounting. While attending Florida State, Todd Passman studied abroad in London, England as part of Florida State University’s International Program. Finally, Todd attended the very prestigious...

David is the managing attorney of BRILL & RINALDI, The Law Firm. He is also co-counsel with the Miami-based law firm of Crewmember & Maritime Advocacy Center, P.A. David began his legal career in the Office of the State Attorney in and for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami, first serving as a Certified Legal Intern and then for over three years as an Assistant State Attorney. He tried six jury trials as an Intern. He tried dozens of bench proceedings and approximately two dozen jury trials as an Assistant State Attorney. After his departure...

Michael W. Wallace is a trusted personal injury attorney who represents injured clients throughout the State of Florida, including injuries arising from Auto Accidents, Premise Liability (Slip & Fall and Trip & Fall), and Wrongful Death cases.

Mr. Wallace is a south Florida native. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Studies from the University of Central Florida (located in Orlando) in 2009. He then returned to south Florida where he attended and graduated from St. Thomas University, School of Law, in December 2012. While at St. Thomas, Mr. Wallace held the position of Articles Editor...

Patrick W. Harland, Jr. is a seasoned litigator and personal injury attorney having tried cases in both Florida State and Federal Court.

Upon graduating from Stetson University College of Law in 1999, Mr. Harland focused his law practice on defending insurance companies as well as some of the nation’s largest nursing home chains in liability suits relating to patient care. Mr. Harland also defended physicians in correctional healthcare cases brought by inmates alleging civil rights violations due to inadequate healthcare.

Today, Mr. Harland uses that defense background to the advantage of St. Petersburg clients who have been injured by the negligence of...

Heather Smith is a seasoned litigation attorney who handles cruise ship passenger and crew member personal injury claims, as well as personal injury claims against hotels. Mrs. Smith has a wealth of litigation experience, as she worked as an attorney at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office for over a decade. She has tried more than a dozen cases to verdict and has taken thousands of depositions. She also worked briefly at an insurance defense firm. Her lengthy experience gives us an advantage in all of our maritime cases as she is ready willing and able to take on the toughest cases...

I founded Waterway Black P.A. with a vision - to partner with my clients, not just in their most recent matter but with their ultimate business goals in mind. WBPA offers big firm quality and experience, with small firm efficiency, service and value. We provide clients with constant access to our attorneys and staff and keep clients informed throughout the pendency of every matter we handle. I represent companies and individuals in all aspects of civil litigation throughout Florida, including business litigation, shareholder disputes, entity dissolution, insurance litigation, product liability, railroad defense, transportation, and coordinating counsel/litigation management.

Jeremy Dover has an intense drive that has allowed him to hone and refine his broad litigation skill set. His general area of practice is Civil Litigation, with a focus on both Personal Injury Protection and Personal Injury Lawsuits. Jeremy is an ethical scholar that focuses on finding new, ingenious arguments and strategies to help in his zealous advocacy for all his clients, and he will never settle for less than any of his clients justly deserve. Jeremy worked throughout his time at UM, including holding positions at multiple law offices, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, Lawyers to the Rescue Non-Profit...

James Hannon is a native of Miami, Florida and a founding shareholder of the law firm, Hannon Legal Group. The firm began on Brickell Avenue in the heart of Miami's financial district and relocated to central downtown Dadeland. The Firm specializes in serious personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, negligent security, dialysis errors, pharmacy errors, premises liability, defective products, crime victim's rights, cruise line negligence and insurance claims.

Mr. Hannon holds an AV Preeminent Rating - the highest rating for legal skill and ethics - in the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory and has been repeatedly recognized as one of the "Best Lawyers...

Ricardo V. Alsina is an active trial attorney and maritime lawyer at Lipcon, Margulies, Alsina & Winkleman, P.A. Mr. Alsina has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1991 and has earned a Martindale-Hubbell rating of AV – the highest rating for legal ability and professional and ethical standards in the industry. He focuses his practice on maritime related matters including cruise ship personal injury, cruise ship rape matters and wrongful death claims. He is also experienced in handling a number of personal injury areas including aviation disasters, automobile accidents, medical malpractice and class action civil lawsuits.

Elizabeth Irazabal is a litigation attorney handling cruise ship passenger personal injury claims and crewmember claims as well as non-maritime personal injury claims. She is dedicated to providing exceptional service and representation to the firm’s clients throughout all stages of the litigation process. “When clients call for our help, they seek answers and guidance. My driving passion is to be the voice for our clients to help them feel whole again.” Elizabeth was born and raised in Miami, Florida and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies. While completing her...

Matthew Kish is an attorney with substantial experience in all aspects of bankruptcy, real estate, and commercial law. Matthew has practiced law in California and Florida and he has a proven ability to find sound solutions to complex legal, commercial, and financial concerns. Originally from Philadelphia, he is an avid surfer and outdoorsman.

I have been representing people who need help ever since I graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 1997. I am a member of good standing of the Florida Bar, the Washington DC Bar, the Federal Southern District of Florida Bar, the Rhode Island Bar, the Dade County Bar Association, a board member of the Miami-Dade Justice Association, and a member of the Italian American Chamber of Commerce in Miami. I handle cases all over Florida in both the Federal and State Court.

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...

Jacqueline Garcell is a senior partner and active trial attorney in maritime law for Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. She routinely handles passengers’ personal injury, sexual assault and wrongful death claims, as well as non-maritime personal injury claims. Ms. Garcell is the fastest attorney to ever make partner at the firm, having been promoted to the partner position after being with us for a decade. Ms. Garcell has helped settle hundreds of cases on behalf of both cruise ship passengers and crew members. She achieved one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in Florida in 2017 — this rare and...

A native Miamian, Marc earned his undergraduate degree from American University in Washington D.C. graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. He attended law school at Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, FL. While in law school, Marc earned the William F. Blews Pro Bono Service Award and studied abroad at Nankai University located in Tianjin, China. The semester abroad allowed Marc to have a wider outlook on life and appreciate cultural differences which has come in handy when working with clients. After graduating from law school, Marc has practiced in state courts throughout Florida and...

Originally from Boston, Mr. Lawlor received his B.A. from Barry University in Miami and his law degree from Nova Southeastern University in 1994. After several years of trying cases at local litigation firms in South Florida, Mr. Lawlor opened his own practice in 1996, and, in 1998, eventually began what is now the Law Firm of Lawlor, White & Murphey. Mr. Lawlor has a wide and varied legal background, including personal injury litigation, business litigation, criminal defense trial work and matrimonial law. His areas of focus are complex personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death cases. John...

Stefanie Black is a litigation attorney handling passengers’ personal injury claims and crewmember cases as well as non-maritime personal injury claims. She has experience in maritime personal injury litigation as well as cargo claims against ocean carriers in federal court. Ms. Black enjoys state and federal court practice with a history of countless successful trials. She is passionate about providing exceptional representation to the firm’s clients throughout all stages of the litigation process. Stefanie obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Barry University School of Law and graduated in the top 18% of her class. While in law school, she received the...

I have practiced in the area of Personal injury and Wrongful Death for my entire legal career. This includes automobile accidents, slip and falls or any other type of injury matter. I started my career litigating injury lawsuits for the defense which included some of the largest insurance companies in the country. However, I felt my skills could better benefit the injured Plaintiff, so I "switched sides". I devote my entire practice to the area of Personal injury and Wrongful Death claims and litigation.

Eric T. Halsey is a native Floridian who joined Sheftall & Torres as an associate in April 2006, after serving as a law clerk in the firm's civil trial and appellate practice since January 2004. Mr. Halsey practices in the areas of commercial and tort litigation, including personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, breach of contract, judgment collection, and defamation. First as a law clerk and now as an associate, Mr. Halsey has worked extensively with the firm's partners on some of Sheftall & Torres' most successful cases, including a $10 million wrongful death settlement in 2005 and a $6...

Karen Grossman has over 35 years’ experience as a maritime attorney, and as a trial attorney handles cruise passengers’ and crewmembers’ personal injury claims, including shipboard medical malpractice, slip and falls, and serious injuries. She is particularly skilled at representing victims of sexual assault with sensitivity and discretion. Ms. Grossman worked for many years representing all major cruise lines and has a unique understanding of the challenges associated with living and vacationing on a cruise ship. She now focuses her career on representing persons injured on cruise ships and devotes her time to getting top results for passengers and crew...

Robert N. Hogan, II is a partner with the Law Firm of Hogan & Chapman, P.L.

My job is to produce solutions to my clients' problems. I am known for leaving no stone unturned when representing my clients in court. I am a lawyer warrior for my clients and I outwork opposing attorneys. From my first attorney position out of law school, I have been a litigator. I have fought for my clients' rights in court, arbitrations and at mediations. A U.S. Army Ranger veteran, my experience in a special forces military unit developed and tested my leadership skills, and taught me to react smartly and quickly under pressure, but most importantly for clients. Today, I...

Eliana Aklepi is a litigation attorney handling passenger personal injury, sexual assault, and crewmember cases. Eliana prioritizes working closely with clients, ensuring their stories are heard. Eliana’s undergraduate degree from Drexel University allowed her to work with artists, helping them avoid exploitative contracts. This work sparked her desire to fight corporations with abusive labor practices. Eliana received her law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. In law school, she focused her studies on international law and labor. Her interest in maritime law stems from her work in Cardozo Law School’s Human Rights and Atrocity Prevention Clinic, the only...

Alex Perez is an active litigator licensed to practice law in all Florida Federal and State Courts, including Appellate Courts. Mr. Perez also routinely handles International Arbitrations pending in countries all over the world. Mr. Perez has secured millions of dollars for his clients. Mr. Perez primarily represents passengers injured on cruise ships, crewmembers injured on cruise ships, cargo vessels, oil tankers and other commercial sea going vessels, and handles a variety of recreational marine cases involving yachts, pleasure boats and jet skis. Before starting his practice, Mr. Perez attended Tulane University Law School where he pursued a course of study in...

Amir Ghaeenzadeh graduated from the University of South Florida, with honors, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Public Health in 2009. He then attended Florida Coastal School of Law, where he graduated Cum Laude, and is admitted to practice law in Florida and the District of Columbia. Mr. Ghaeenzadeh passionately represents injured clients, and has the knowledge as he formally worked as an insurance defense attorney. He also represents corporations. Mr. Amir Ghaeenzadeh has considerable experience dealing with automobile and trucking negligence, and premise liability (malls, hotels, restaurants, venues, etc.) resulting in catastrophic injuries...

Marvin Simon Schulman, Esq., has represented the rights of victims, consumers, and investors, for almost 40 years, specializing in complex litigation and serious personal injury and malpractice cases. Attorney Marvin Simon Schulman, Esq., has been acknowledged as having earned and received the highest rating (AV) conferred by Martindale Hubbell. This is the most respected directory of lawyers and law firms in the United States, reflecting the confidential opinions of his peer attorneys and Judges, as a leading Florida litigation attorney.

Eric Morales is a knowledgeable cruise ship and boating injury lawyer. He represents passengers and crewmembers injured on cruise ships, shipping vessels, yachts, and personal watercraft and has helped Plaintiffs recover millions of dollars during his career. Mr. Morales practices with the firm of Lipcon, Margulies, Alsina & Winkleman, P.A., the premier Plaintiff's maritime personal injury firm in the country. Learn more at www.lipcon.com or www.yacht-injury.com