JD Adjunct Faculty
Gerald Backman is a retired partner of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP., where he spent his entire career starting in 1961 when he served as the firm's first summer associate. Backman received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania in 1959 and his LL.B. from Harvard University Law School three years later. Backman is a recognized authority on federal securities laws. In addition to serving as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami School of Law, he has also taught courses at Fordham Law School in New York. Backman is co-author of Audit Committees: Regulation and Practice, along with Anne Marie Salan of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Backman teaches Introduction to the Deal Workshop, a practice skills course that introduces students to business and legal issues common to commercial transactions.
E-mail: GBack16@aol.com
For more information, please see Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.
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John M. Barkett has been a partner with Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP. since 2000. Prior to that, Barkett spent 25 years as a litigator with two other firms. In that time, Barkett served many different roles, including commercial litigator, independent investigator, environmental litigator, environmental counselor, arbitrator and mediator. Barkett has been named to the National Law Journal's Best Lawyer's in America list since 2005. He has received numerous awards and has given speeches on topics such as e-discovery, e-disclosure, environmental law, terrorism, ethics and arbitration. In addition, Barkett has been published more than 35 times, most recently on his work in e-discovery. Barkett received his J.D. from Yale University in 1975 after graduating summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame. In addition to serving as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami School of Law, Barkett has also served as a pro bono hearing officer for the Dade County School Board for 18 years. Barkett teaches Electronic Discovery, a workshop that focuses on e-discovery rules and cases as well as Environmental Litigation and Policy.
E-mail: JBarkett@shb.com
For more information, please see John Barkett's biography at Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP.
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Ralph Bekkevold has been a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. in Miami since 2004. Prior to entering the legal profession, Bekkevold served as vice president of corporate banking with a major national bank. Bekkevold's practice areas include real estate, finance, banking and general corporate transactions. In addition to his legal work, Bekkevold is a Section Chair at the United Way and a Trustee Member of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. He also volunteers at various schools and organizations across South Florida. Bekkevold is a cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law. He also holds an M.B.A. with distinction from Adelphi University as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Rutgers University. He has been listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America. Bekkevold teaches Real Estate Transactions, a course that covers basic real estate purchase and sale transactions.
E-mail: BekkevoldR@GTLaw.com
For more information, please see Ralph Bekkevold's biography at Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
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Alison Bernstein is a solo practitioner, working as a mediator. Ms. Bernstein's practice includes family, civil and federal cases. She previously worked at as a Miami-Dade County Mediator where she was responsible for family and circuit court mediation and training new mediators. Ms. Bernstein received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin in 1977 and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami in 1980. Ms. Bernstein was previously the President of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers in Miami Dade County. She has also been selected as the top 500 Judges/Mediators in America by LAWDRAGON in 2006. Ms. Bernstein teaches Family Mediation Workshop, a workshop that introduces students to the theory and practice of family mediation. In addition, the course provides exposure to cutting edge areas of family law including collaborative family law, assisted reproductive technology cases, cultural competency, and international family law.
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Roy Black is a partner at Black, Srebnick, Kornspan & Stumpf, P.A. With more than 35 years of trial experience, he has handled hundreds of cases throughout the United States in the areas of criminal defense and civil litigation. Prior to his private practice, Black served five years as a public defender in Miami-Dade County representing hundreds of indigent defendants in felony and capital cases. Black has taught advanced criminal evidence at the University of Miami School of Law for more than 30 years. Black has been awarded the Dade County Bar Association's Criminal Justice Award and has been named to the Best Lawyers in America list since 1987. He holds Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Miami. Black teaches Criminal Evidence, a workshop that uses mock trials to teach tactics and strategies of the rules of evidence.
E-mail: RBlack@RoyBlack.com
For more information, please see Roy Black's biography at Black, Srebnick, Kornspan & Stumpf, P.A.
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Michael J. Ciaccio
Michael Ciaccio, Special Gaming Counsel in the Boca Raton office of Proskauer Rose LLP., has represented commercial and Native American owned enterprises in the acquisition, development and operation of commercial and Native American owned casinos. Ciaccio also has experience in real estate and hospitality, representing sellers, purchasers, lenders, landlords and tenants in various transactions. Ciaccio formerly served as Vice President and General Counsel of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority in Uncasville, Connecticut. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law, where he served as the Associate Editor of the Inter-American Law Review. Ciaccio also holds a Bachelor of Science from Florida State University. Ciaccio teaches Gaming Law, a course on the legal issues associated with state, commercial and Indian gaming enterprises.
E-mail: MCiaccio@Proskauer.com
For more information, please see Michael Ciaccio's biography at Proskauer Rose LLP.
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Kendall Coffey
Kendall Coffey is currently a partner at Coffey Burlington in Miami, concentrating on complex litigation at trial and appellate levels in both federal and state courts. He has authored numerous legal works and has been a guest Legal Analyst on national news networks such as CNBC, CNN, FOX, Headline News, MSNBC and Telemundo. Since graduating first in his class at the University of Florida School of Law, Coffey has served in several roles, including founding member of Coffey, Aragon, Martin & Burlington and former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He has taken part in several high-profile cases, including the Elian Gonzalez case and the 2000 presidential recount litigation.
E-mail: KCoffey@CoffeyBurlington.com
For more information, please see Kendall Coffey's biography at Coffey Burlington.
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Jonathan D. Colan is an Assistant United States Attorney in the Appellate Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. Previously, he was an associate at Adorno & Zeder, P.A. in Miami and also served as a judicial intern for Magistrate Judge William C. Turnoff. Colan is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Miami Law Review. He also holds an A.B. in Politics from Princeton University. Mr. Colan teaches Issues in Appellate Law, a seminar that explores the standards of review and concepts of finality underlying appellate law and examine how these doctrines impact the practice of appellate law and the evolving role of appellate courts.
E-mail: Jonathan.Colan@USDOJ.gov
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Hon. A. Jay Cristol is Chief Judge Emeritus of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Miami. He spent 18 years as a Naval aviator before joining the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, where he graduated with distinction from Naval Justice School. Judge Cristol then served as a lawyer for another twenty years, with duties that included teaching law of war and serving as the administrative officer for the summer Naval Reserve law courses. In civilian life, Judge Cristol became a lawyer and practiced civil law. He served as Special Assistant Attorney General of Florida and, after 25 years of law practice, he left his position as senior partner in a firm he founded to accept an appointment to the federal bench. Judge Cristol earned a Ph.D. from the University of Miami Graduate School of International Studies through his research of the Liberty Incident – an attack on the USS Liberty that occurred during the Six Day War in 1967. Judge Cristol's research later led to a book about the incident. Judge Cristol teaches Reorganization in Bankruptcy, a seminar that studies principal issues raised by Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.
E-mail: A_JAY_CRISTOL@FLSB.USCOURT.GOV
For more information, please see Hon. A. Jay Cristol's author biography
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Josias Dewey
Josias "Joe" Dewey practices in the area of real estate finance, commercial leasing and the acquisition and sale of real estate assets. He regularly represents commercial banks, life insurance companies and other financial institutions in commercial lending and restructuring transactions, including construction and permanent financing of office buildings, mixed-use developments, hotels and condominiums. Dewey has substantial experience in syndicated and A/B note structured construction lending, representing both lead lenders and participant lenders. Dewey also has extensive experience representing landlords and tenants in Florida and nationally for a variety of purposes; including general office, retail and industrial space. Dewey regularly represents developers in the acquisition, sale and development of commercial properties. Dewey teaches Real Estate Transactions, a course that covers basic real estate purchase and sale transactions from broker agreements and the negotiation and drafting of contracts through closing the transaction.
For more information, please see Josias Dewey's bio at Holland and Knight.
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Judge Ronald Dresnick is a Circuit Court Judge in Miami-Dade County. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 1966. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts from American University. Judge Dresnick was formerly an Assistant Miami-Dade County Public Defender and is also a founding partner of Baily, Gerstein, Rashkind & Dresnick, P.A. Judge Dresnick teaches Advanced Evidence, a workshop designed to build on the foundation acquired in the basic Evidence course and to facilitate thinking about evidence in a trial setting.
E-mail: RDresnick@Jud11.FLCourts.org
For more information, please see Judge Ronald Dresnick's biography at the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida website.
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Dorothy F. Easley
Dorothy Easley is a former research forest geneticist who turned appellate lawyer after returning from her work in Colombia. She is the founder of Easley Appellate Practice P.L.L.C., an appellate law firm that focuses on complex and multi-jurisdictional matters. Her practice areas include appellate, business, criminal, employment, family and health care law. Easley is a 1994 graduate of the University of Miami School of Law. She is the Vice Chair of the Florida Bar Appellate Court Rules Committee and has been named a Florida Super Lawyer as well as a recipient of a Legal Elite award.
E-mail: EasleyAppellate@gmail.com
For more information, please see Dorothy Easley's biography at Easley Appellate Practice, P.L.L.C.
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Charles F. Elsesser, Jr.
Charles F. Elsesser Jr. is the senior litigation attorney at Florida Legal Services in Miami, where he principally represents community organizations in complex and class action litigation in federal court involving housing and disaster-related issues, as well as naturalization and public benefits. Elsesser is also a longtime board member of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). Elsesser earned his Juris Doctor from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. In 2005, he authored a disaster recovery manual for legal services practitioners and flew to the Gulf Coast to train legal services lawyers in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina. He was awarded the Kutak-Dodds Prize in 2008. This National Legal Aid and Defender Association award honors an equal justice advocate who "has contributed in a significant way to the enhancement of the human dignity and quality of life of those persons unable to afford legal representation."
E-mail: Charles@FloridaLegal.org
For more information, please see Charles F. Elsesser, Jr.'s biography at Florida Legal Services.
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Alaina Fotiu-Wojtowicz practices at the civil trial firm Michael S. Olin P.A.. Ms. Fotiu-Wojtowicz focuses her practice on commercial and personal injury trials and dispute resolution. Ms. Fotiu-Wojtowicz served as a law clerk to the Honorable William P. Dimitrouleas, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Ms. Fotiu-Wojtowicz obtained her J.D. degree cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School. There she worked with the Voting Rights Initiative to create a research report in favor of the reauthorization of portions of the Voting Rights Act in 2007. Ms. Fotiu-Wojtowicz received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from Oberlin College, where she also captained the varsity women's tennis team. Ms. Fotiu-Wojtowicz teaches Elements with Dean White and also teaches Voting Rights and Election Law.
E-mail: afotiu@law.miami.edu
For more information, please see Ms. Fotiu-Wojtowicz's biography at the Michael S. Olin P.A. website.
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James Gailey has been a criminal defense lawyer and civil trial lawyer for 30 years. He practices in the areas of narcotics, white collar crime, money laundering, mortgage fraud, and healthcare fraud. Gailey is a former federal prosecutor and former federal public defender in the Southern District of Florida. As a prosecutor, Mr. Gailey received an Attorney General's Commendation as well as a Department of Justice Special Achievement Award. He has also been recognized internationally for his trial skills and has been involved in training programs for criminal defense lawyers in Europe who are involved in criminal defense of war crimes before the international tribunal. Mr. Gailey teaches Trial Competition Workshop with Terrence Anderson.
E-mail: jgailey@gailey-law.com
For more information, please see James Gailey's biography.
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Anna Giuffredit-Zaldivar has worked as an associate for Morgan Lewis & Bockius. While at Morgan Lewis & Bockius, Giuffredit-Zaldiar's work involved the supervision and coordination of corporate and financing work on behalf of US corporate clients throughout Central and South America as well as drafting and reviewing corporate documents required for the restructuring of operations of U.S. and European multinational companies doing business in Latin America. Giuffredit-Zaldivar received her Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) at Universidad Católica Andres Bellow in Caracas, Venezuela. She went on to get an LL.M. in International and U.S. Law at the University of Illinois and a J.D. at the University of Miami. Giuffredit-Zaldivar teaches International Sales.
E-mail: azaldivar@law.miami.edu
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Murray Greenberg is Of Counsel to Stearns Weaver, a position he has held since 2009. Prior to that, Greenberg worked at the Miami-Dade County Attorney's Office first as an Assistant County Attorney, then as a First Assistant County Attorney and most recently as the County Attorney from 2005-2007. Greenberg is also a mediator certified by the Florida Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Greenberg received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania after receiving his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. He teaches State and Local Government Law Workshop and State and Local Taxation Workshop.
E-mail: greenberg_m@bellsouth.net
For more information, please see Murray Greenberg's bio at Stearns Weaver Miller.
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Eric Gressman has been an Assistant County Attorney in Miami-Dade County since 1981. His practice areas include torts and medical malpractice. Gressman earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan. He also holds a Masters in Public Policy as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Mr. Gressman teaches the Advanced Legal Writing Workshop, which is designed to expose students to the high standards required in researching, writing, and arguing in federal court.
E-mail: EKG@miamidade.gov
For more information, please see Eric Gressman's biography at the Miami-Dade County Attorney's Office website.
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Stephen K. Harper serves as co-coordinator of the Capital Litigation Unit in the Miami-Dade, Florida Public Defender's Office. He is primarily responsible for the gathering and presentation of mitigation evidence in capital cases. From 1989 - 1995, he served as the Chief of the Juvenile Division. In 2002, he took a two-year leave of absence to coordinate the Juvenile Death Penalty Initiative, a project ending with his oversight of the drafting and filing of amicus briefs in Roper v Simmons.
In 1998, he received the American Bar Association's Livingston Hall Juvenile Justice Award for "outstanding dedication and advocacy on behalf of delinquent youth." In 2005, he received the Southern Center for Human Rights' Frederick Douglass Award for "his demonstrated brilliance and tenacity in defense of human rights in the criminal justice system." Harper teaches the course Juvenile Justice Workshop.
E-mail: sharper@pdmiami.com
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Since 2007, Jennifer Hill has worked as a Skadden Fellow in the Workplace Justice Project at the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center. While at FIAC, Hill started a project focused on helping low-wage service workers vindicate their rights through litigation in conjunction with community organizing efforts of the Wage Theft Coalition. Prior to this, Hill spent time working for the AFL-CIO, SEIU, Southern Migrant Legal Services, American Center for International Labor Solidarity, International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers Trade Federation, and the United Electrical Workers Union. Hill received her Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. She also holds a Masters in Women's Studies from George Washington University. Ms. Hill teaches a Wage Theft and Immigrant Worker's Rights, a workshop that covers a wide range of situations in which workers are not paid for their work or are paid less than the legally-required wage.
E-mail: JHill@FIACFla.org
For more information, please see Jennifer Hill's biography at the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center website.
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Milton Hirsch is a judge of the Eleventh Circuit of Florida. Formerly he was a Florida Criminal Defense Attorney with Milton Hirsch, P.L.L.C. Prior to that he was with the Office of the State Attorney in Miami-Dade County, where he rose to assistant chief of narcotics prosecution. Hirsch has a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. He is a past president of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Miami chapter, and was named in The Best Lawyers in America. In 2004, Hirsch's novel, The Shadow of Justice, won the first-place award presented by the Midwest Independent Publishers Association in the mystery/suspense category. Hirsch teaches Florida Criminal Procedure and the Law of Exoneration of the Innocent.
E-mail: Milton.Hirsch@gmail.com
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Mark R. Houck is the managing shareholder of Houck and Anderson. He received his B.A. from Vanderbilt University in 1976 and his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 1979. Houck specializes in maritime and admiralty law. He is an active member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, the Fort Lauderdale Mariners Club, the American Boat and Yacht Council, the Maritime Industries Association of South Florida, the Defense Research Institute and he serves on the board of directors of the Seafarers House. Houck teaches Maritime Insurance Seminar and Workshop.
For more information, please Mark Houck's bio at Houck and Anderson.
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Paul Huck has been with Colson Hicks Eidson since 2008 and prior to that was General Counsel to Florida Governor Charlie Crist. He has an extensive legal career in both the private and public sectors. After clerking for the Honorable Stanley Marcus, United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of Florida, he practiced from 1993 through 2002 at a Miami litigation boutique specializing in complex commercial litigation. During that time, he represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases arising out of business torts, shareholder disputes, and violations of the federal securities and antitrust laws. Prior to his tenure as the Governor's General Counsel, Mr. Huck served as the Deputy Attorney General for the State of Florida. At the Attorney General's office, Mr. Huck was involved in the prosecution of a wide variety of civil enforcement and criminal matters in the healthcare, telecommunications, and pharmaceutical industries, among others. At Miami Law Mr. Huck co-teaches Professional Responsibility.
E-mail: paul@colson.com
For more information, please see Paul Huck Jr.'s biography at Colson Hicks Eidson.
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Paul Huck Sr. is Senior Judge at the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida and was appointed to the bench in 2000 by President Clinton. He is admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit and the U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit. Prior to being a judge he practiced as a trial lawyer with an emphasis on commercial litigation for more than 35 years at several Florida firms. Most recently he was a Shareholder/Attorney with Proenza, White, Huck & Roberts and then with Kozyak, Tropin & Throckmorton. Judge Huck Sr. has served in various academic positions including as an Adjunct Professor for Miami Law's Litigation Skills Program and at the National Advocacy Center, the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. He attended the University of Florida School of Law and graduated with honors. He is a member of the Order of the Coif and received the highest score on the Florida Bar Examination in the year he sat for the exam. At Miami Law he co-teaches Professional Responsibility.
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Judge Adalberto Jordan was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in February 2012 to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Prior to that, he was a United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of Florida since 1999, and before that, Judge Jordan was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. While at the U.S. Attorney's office he was the Chief of the Appellate Division and Counsel on Legal Policy from 1998-1999. From 1988-1989, Judge Jordan was a law clerk to the Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor for the United States Supreme Court. Judge Jordan received his J.D. summa cum laude from the University of Miami in 1987 after graduating magna cum laude from the University of Miami with a B.A. in Politics and Public Affairs. Judge Jordan teaches Federal Courts, a course that will examine the role of federal courts in the American governmental structure.
E-mail: ADALBERTO_JORDAN@flsd.uscourts.gov
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Michael R. Karcher is a member of the law firm of Karcher, Canning & Karcher in Fort Lauderdale. He practices in the areas of admiralty and maritime law, specializing in recreational yachts, marine environmental law and insurance issues. Karcher is a member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute and has served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the Florida Department of Natural Resources. He is the current chairman of the Miami Marine Arbitration Council, the past President of the Marine Council, and continues as the Program and Seminar Chairman. He has lectured at seminars for the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, the Florida Yacht Brokers Association and various boating groups in South Florida. Karcher teaches Admiralty, a course that studies the problems of the maritime industry, including admiralty jurisdiction in the federal system and rights of seamen and maritime workers. He also teaches a course on Maritime Personal Injury and a seminar on Marine Ecology and Law.
E-mail: MRK@ukandk.com
For more information, please see Michael Karcher's profile at the Miami Marine Council website.
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Tom Korge is a partner of Korge & Korge in Coral Gables, Florida. Mr. Korge represents clients in domestic and international transactions, including complex real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and in related state and federal tax and estate planning and tax controversies. Mr. Korge also represents individuals, businesses, and government in complex litigation and related appeals.
Mr. Korge is a former attorney-advisor at the United States Tax Court and has practiced law for over 30 years, the last 20 years in South Florida. He received his J.D. in 1974 and L.L.M. (Taxation) in 1976 from the University of Florida after graduating with a B.B.A. from the University of Florida in 1971. Mr. Korge teaches Federal Income Tax I.
E-mail: tkorge@korgelaw.com
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Steven R. Kozlowski is the founding member of the Kozlowski Law Firm, P.A. He is a frequent guest speaker and panelist on a variety of legal issues including business, art and entertainment law. Kozlowski graduated cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law and is admitted to practice in the State of Florida as well as the United States District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. Kozlowski teaches Cutting Edge Issues in Art and Entertainment Law, a course that covers a variety of current and emerging topics in the Art and Entertainment arena, such as reality entertainment; podcasting; web blogging; mobile entertainment devices; independent film; new forms of infringement; and video gaming issues.
E-mail: Steven@KLFPA.com
For more information, please see Steven Kozlowski's biography at Kozlowski Law Firm, P.A.
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Robert Kuntz is an attorney with Devine Goodman Rasco & Wells, P.A. He has represented commercial clients in a wide range of industries including aviation, shipping, trucking, construction, lending, manufacturing, and gaming. Mr. Kuntz also has experience in representing and counseling corporate and individual clients in the full range of white-collar criminal defense and compliance matters. He also practiced with the national firm of Holland & Knight LLP for six years and is admitted to practice in all courts of Florida, the United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida and the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Kuntz is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law and teaches Professional Responsibility.
E-mail: rkuntz@devinegoodman.com
For more information, please see Robert Kuntz's biography at Devine Goodman Rasco & Wells, P.A.
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Ira Kurzban received his J.D. and M.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Kurzban is a partner in the law firm of Kurzban, Kurzban, Weinger, Tetzeli & Pratt, P.A., of Miami, Florida. He is a past-national President and former General Counsel of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He has been named by the National Law Journal as one of the top twenty immigration lawyers in the United States, by Human Resource Executive as one of the 10 most powerful employment attorneys in the U.S, and has been listed for two decades in the Best Lawyers In America for his work in immigration law. In 1986 Mr. Kurzban was selected by Newsweek Magazine in their commemorative issue on the hundredth anniversary of the Statue of Liberty as one of 100 American heroes for his work on behalf of immigrants. Mr. Kurzban teaches Advanced Immigration Seminar.
E-mail: ira@kkwtlaw.com
For more information, please see Ira Kurzban's bio at Kurzban, Kurzban, Weinger, Tetzeli & Pratt, P.A.
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Jairo E. Lanao is in-house counsel for Nationwide Mutual Automobile Insurance Company in Plantation, Florida, where he works as a trial attorney in personal injury. He has an LL.B. from Los Andes University in Bogotá, Colombia as well as a J.D. and an LL.M. in Comparative Law from the University of Miami School of Law. He was formerly employed as an assistant public defender at the Office of the Public Defender of Miami Dade County and as in-house counsel for the Inter American Press Association advocating freedom of the press throughout the Americas. Lanao teaches a seminar in the Spanish language geared to providing a competitive edge to students in the area of writing and preparing contracts in Latin America. He has taught Press Freedom in the Americas, a seminar that studied some of the most current legal issues relating to the freedom of the press in the Western Hemisphere and applicable solutions by various national and local laws.
E-mail: lanaoj@nationwide.com
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Dexter Lehtinen is a partner at Tew Cardenas LLP focusing his practice on representing clients in local, state and federal civil and criminal investigations with an emphasis on commercial, financial and accounting fraud investigations and litigation, including criminal investigations arising out of corporate and bank failures, securities, RICO, money laundering and customs violations. Mr. Lehtinen also handles environmental and land-use matters, having won a leading Clean Water Act case in the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Lehtinen is a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, former Organized Crime Strike Force prosecutor in Miami and former Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles. He is also a former State Senator in the Florida Senate and State Representative of the Florida House of Representatives, during which time he authored four major Florida Constitutional Amendments. He earned an M.B.A. and an M.A. from Columbia University and was a Nathan Abbott Scholar at Stanford University Law School. Lehtinen teaches Florida Constitutional Law.
For more information, please see Dexter Lehtinen's bio at Tew Cardenas LLP.
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Howard B. Lenard served as the city attorney of North Miami Beach since 1980 and is currently the general counsel for the Miami-Dade County League of Cities. In 2003, Lenard was honored for his contribution to the cause of equitable treatment for Haitian immigrants. In 2007, he was awarded the prestigious Paul S. Buchman Award by the Florida Municipal Attorneys Association, which recognizes a city attorney who has done outstanding legal work and made a lasting contribution to his or her field at the municipal level. Two years later, he was granted the status of City Attorney Emeritus, a role that allows him to act as senior legal advisor and good will ambassador for the City of North Miami Beach. Lenard has 30 years of municipal law practice experience. His public service includes his role as president of the Florida Municipal Attorneys Association and appointment by late-Gov. Lawton Chiles to the governor's statewide Commission on Local Government. He has also served as compliance officer in numerous high-profile countywide and statewide campaigns and as litigation counsel in a number of contested election issues.
E-mail: HBL.MuniLaw@gmail.com
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Adam M. Moskowitz is the managing partner at Kozyak Tropin &Throckmorton. He concentrates his practice on class action matters and complex litigation. Mr. Moskowitz has been an adjunct professor in Class Action Litigation at the University of Miami School of Law for almost ten years and is experienced in all forms of class action claims, including RICO, antitrust, deceptive and unfair trade practices, and breach of contracts. He frequently leads Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton's participation in multi-state class action litigation that involves teams of law firms from around the nation.
E-mail: amm@kttlaw.com
For more information, please see Adam Moskowitz's bio at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton.
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William "Toby" Muir has been with Dunwody White & Landon, P.A. since 1994. Previously he was with the firm Mershon, Sawyer, Johnston, Dunwody & Cole from 1993-1994, and prior to that worked for Steel Hector & Davis from 1981-1993. Muir received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida in 1969. Muir then served in the United States Army from 1969-1972. He received his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 1981. Muir practices Estate Planning, and Estate and Trust Administration, and is a member of the Florida Bar. He also serves on the Real Property and Trust Law Section Executive Council, the Power of Attorney and Advance Directives Committee, and the Miami-Dade County Bar Association Probate and Guardianship Law Committee. Muir teaches Trusts and Estates.
E-mail: Wmuir@dwl-law.com
For more information please see William Muir's bio at Dunwody, White & Landon, P.A.
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Thomas F. Nealon, III, of LNR Partners, Inc., specializes in matters involving workouts, bankruptcy, creditors' rights litigation, REMIC tax matters and real estate purchase and sale transactions. He also handles direct legal aspects of due diligence, acquisition and disposition activities. Nealon also coordinates the legal aspects of securitization of asset portfolios including negotiation of Pooling and Servicing Agreements and review of Mortgage Loan Purchase Agreements and related documents. Nealon previously worked as managing director and general counsel at Right Associates; counsel at Coffey, Aragon, Martin and Burlington, P.A.; general counsel and secretary at Citicorp Savings of Florida/Citibank; senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at The Bowery Savings Bank in New York; counsel at Irving Trust Company; counsel at Irving Leasing Corporation; and an associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft in New York. Nealon teaches courses on Corporate Counsel, Distressed Property Workouts, Securitization of Real Estate, and Current Real Estate Finance Issues in the Graduate Program in Real Property Development.
E-mail: TNealon@LNRProperty.com
For more information, please see Professor Nealon's biography at West.com.
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Luis M. O'Naghten is a shareholder at Akerman Senterfitt LLP. His primary area of practice is international complex commercial litigation and arbitration. He has represented parties in disputes before United States courts and before international arbitration panels (under ICC, AAA/ICDR, and UNCITRAL rules) in a wide range of disputes, including matters in several countries in Latin America and Spain. Mr. O'Naghten has provided advice to major international banks, United States and foreign multinational corporations, energy companies, foreign sovereigns and parties adverse to foreign sovereigns. His practice focuses on international financial frauds, energy disputes, and corporate commercial disputes. He is a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration, the ICC Task Force for the Revision of the ICC Rules, Chair of the USCIB's Arbitration Florida Sub-committee, and is a Fellow in the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. At Miami Law Mr. O'Naghten teaches a seminar in Federal and State Arbitration.
E-mail: luis.onaghten@akerman.com
For more information, please see Luis O'Naghten's biography at Akerman Senterfitt LLP.
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Donald M. Papy is Chief Deputy City Attorney in Miami Beach. Prior to joining the City Attorney's Office in 1992, Papy was in private practice specializing in employment law and civil rights. He was also a trial attorney with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Papy has extensive teaching experience as an adjunct law professor at the University of Miami School of Law, where he has taught courses in Employment Discrimination, Employment Litigation, and Law and the Media. He has also been a lecturer for organizations including The Florida Bar. Papy earned his Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University Law School. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Papy teaches Employment Discrimination, a course that focuses on the federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment on the basis of race, sex, age, national origin (including language), handicap and other bases. He also teaches a seminar on Law & the Media.
E-mail: DPapy@law.miami.edu
For more information, please see Donald Papy's biography at the City of Miami Beach website.
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Judge Juan Ramirez, Jr. is the Chief Judge of the Third District Court of Appeal. He has served as a district court judge since 2000, having previously served as a circuit court judge (1990-99) and as a county court judge (1988-90). He is the author of "Florida Civil Procedure" and a three-volume set entitled "Florida Evidence Manual." He writes yearly updates for both treatises. As a trial judge, he served in the Criminal, Family and General Jurisdiction Divisions and, during his last year, was the Administrative Judge of the Appellate Division of the Circuit Court. He was elected as the Third District representative to the Conference of Circuit Court Judges, and also served as Civil Section Chair and Education Program Chair. At Miami Law he teaches Florida Civil Procedure.
E-mail: juanr347@gmail.com
For more information, please see Judge Juan Ramirez's bio at the Third District Court of Appeal website.
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Timothy M. Ravich is a Florida Bar Board Certified Aviation Lawyer. He represents individuals and corporations in the prosecution and defense of civil lawsuits in state and federal court in the areas of aviation law, business disputes and products liability. Ravich focuses his practice on all facets of aviation litigation, federal aviation regulations and FAA enforcement actions, international treaties and conventions, airline labor law, space law, aircraft finance and registration, and airport operations and land use. Ravich is a cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the University of Miami Business Law Review and a member of the Iron Arrow Honor Society. He also earned an M.B.A. in Aviation Policy and Planning from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Ravich teaches Aviation Law, a workshop that examines post-9/11 national aviation policy and key administrative, antitrust, business, constitutional and legislative issues that confront the civil airline industry.
E-mail: travich@wsh-law.com
For more information, please see Tim Ravich's bio at the Weiss Serota Firm website.
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Ronald Ravikoff is a mediator and arbitrator with JAMS. He has over 35 years of experience in mediation, arbitration, complex litigation, and dispute counseling. His litigation dispute resolution practice focuses on complex commercial matters with a particular emphasis on matters involving parallel civil and criminal proceedings including antitrust and trade regulation, class actions, financial institution litigation, securities litigation and regulatory proceedings, healthcare litigation, 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. Professor Ravikoff is a cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Miami Law Review. He also holds an M.R.P. and a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University. Professor Ravikoff teaches Business Litigation, a workshop instructing students in the strategies and judgment required in complex business litigation. He is also a participant in the Law Without Walls program.
E-mail: RRavikoff@law.miami.edu
For more information, please see Ronald Ravikoff's biography at JAMS' website.
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Patricia Ann Redmond is a shareholder in the Business Restructuring Department of Stearns, Weaver, Miller, Weissler, Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. in Miami. Her practice focuses on bankruptcy with concentration in creditors' rights and insolvency counseling in bankruptcy court and in out-of-court workouts. Redmond earned her Juris Doctor at the University of Miami School of Law. She has been recognized on numerous lists, including Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers for Business, The Best Lawyers in America, and was the recipient of the Dade County Bar Association's Pro Bono Award. Redmond teaches Bankruptcy and Reorganization in Bankruptcy, a seminar that studies principal issues raised by Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Redmond is also the director of the Bankruptcy Clinic.
E-mail: PRedmond@StearnsWeaver.com
For more information, please see Patricia Redmond's biography at Stearns, Weaver, Miller, Weissler, Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A.
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Tucker Ronzetti is a shareholder in Kozyak Tropin and Throckmorton's Complex Litigation department. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Ronzetti was an Assistant County Attorney for Miami-Dade County, where he litigated and tried a variety of commercial, labor, civil rights, and other cases, and handled numerous appeals. Mr. Ronzetti's practice at the firm focuses on complex commercial litigation, antitrust and class actions, and he handles some of the firm's largest litigation matters. He has particular expertise in filing claims involving financial institutions, accounting firms, and other professionals for participation in Ponzi schemes and similar investor fraud. Tucker Ronzetti is also a skilled appellate practitioner who has argued successfully before state and federal appeals court. At Miami Law he co-teaches class Action Litigation.
E-mail: tr@kttlaw.com
For more information, please see Tucker Ronzetti's bio at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton's website.
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John H. Rooney, Jr. is presently a sole practitioner in Miami, having been a partner at Shutts and Bowen LLP, Miami. He has spent more than twenty years advising clients on international business. Rooney has experience in transactions, litigation and arbitration and is an International Neutral Arbitrator, certified by the American Arbitration Association. Rooney is the former vice president and general counsel of two insurance corporations. He also served as Managing Partner of the Miami Office of Fowler, Rodriguez, Kingsmill, Flint & Gray, LLP. His early legal experience includes a clerkship with Associate Justice Watson and Associate Justice Stone of the Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana. Rooney now focuses on reinsurance issues, which primarily involves contracts, international disputes and arbitration and the qualification of foreign reinsurers. Rooney teaches International Business Transactions and a seminar in International Commercial Arbitration, a survey of the law and regulation of international commercial arbitration as seen from the perspective of the United States courts.
E-mail: jrooney@jrooneylaw.com
For more information, please see John Rooney's biography at John H. Rooney Jr., P.A.
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Magistrate Judge Rosenbaum was appointed on September 4, 2007. Prior to becoming a federal magistrate judge, Magistrate Judge Rosenbaum most recently served as the Chief of Economic Crimes at the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. Before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office, Magistrate Judge Rosenbaum served as a law clerk to the Honorable Stanley Marcus, United States Circuit Court Judge for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, worked in private practice for Holland & Knight LLP, and served as staff counsel to Independent Counsel Daniel S. Pearson in the investigation of former United States Secretary of Commerce Ronald Brown. Magistrate Judge Rosenbaum began her legal career in the United States Attorney General's Honor Program, where she worked as a trial attorney in the Federal Programs Branch of the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice. As a practicing attorney, Ms. Rosenbaum received an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell and was listed by the South Florida Legal Guide as a "top government attorney." In addition to her duties on the bench, Magistrate Judge Rosenbaum has served in the past as the president of the Broward County Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Magistrate Judge Rosenbaum earned her undergraduate degree at Cornell University and her law degree magna cum laude at the University of Miami. Judge Rosenbaum teaches Writing Weapons in the Litigator's Arsenal: Motions to Dismiss Under 12(b)(6).
E-mail: Robin_S_Rosenbaum@flsd.uscourts.gov
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Rosemarie S. Roth is a sole practitioner, a Certified Family Mediator at Roth Family Law, and has specialized in Family Law for the past 24 years. Ms. Roth founded the Collaborative Family Lawyers Institute in Miami in 1999 and served as the Institute's first president. She has lectured on Collaborative Law for the Florida Bar, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and for various other professional associations. Ms. Roth received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Miami and her JD from Nova University. She is a member of the Miami-Dade County Bar Association, the Dade County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, the South Miami Kendall Bar Association, the Collaborative Family Lawyers Institute and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. In addition, she has served on the Florida Bar Family Law Section Legislation Committee Florida Bar Grievance Committee and is presently co-chair of the ADR, Mediation and Collaborative Lawyering Committee of the Family Law Section. She is the co-author of the chapter "Collaborative Law" in the Florida Bar's Seventh & Eighth Edition of Dissolution of Marriage. At Miami Law Ms. Roth co-teaches a workshop in Collaborative Family Law.
E-mail: rlsroth@gmail.com
For more information, please see Rosemarie Roth's biography at Roth Family Law.
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David P. Rowe is a criminal defense and constitutional law litigator who has been teaching at UM Law since 1988. His areas of focus include criminal defense litigation, Title VII civil rights litigation, business torts, expert witness litigation, extradition litigation, family litigation and state court sex crimes litigation. For nearly 20 years, Rowe has devoted himself to the practice of law. He was employed by the firm of Greenberg Traurig in Miami and remained there for nearly two years. From there, he was hired as an associate with Holland & Knight, LLP where he moved on to become a non-capital partner. Rowe earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law. He also holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. Rowe teaches Introduction to Caribbean Law (Caribbean Law I) and Caribbean Law II. These cover the colonial form of government for the English speaking Caribbean countries including the manner in which they became a part of the British Empire, by settlement, discovery, capture or exchange.
E-mail: DavidRowe28@gmail.com
For more information, please see David Rowe's profile at Constitution-and-Rights.com.
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Melvin A. Rubin is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil, Family, and Federal Mediator as well as a practicing civil, family and collaborative lawyer with 35 years of experience. Rubin has personally mediated and arbitrated several thousand diverse ADR cases, including space satellite disputes, cigar band infringements, intergenerational family business disputes and class actions. He and his firm, Mediation Services, Inc., have also trained more than 6,000 professionals throughout the world in mediation and ADR. Rubin is a graduate of the Boalt Hall School of Law in Berkeley, California. He holds a Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Miami and attended American University's School of International Politics in Washington, D.C. He received his initial ADR training at Harvard University and the American Bar Association's program and later at the University of Florida with the American Arbitration Association. Rubin teaches Mediation, a workshop that examines mediation practice and theory. He also teaches a workshop in Alternative Dispute Resolution Design System where students will have the opportunity to explore the framework of designing a system for conflict resolution.
E-mail: MelRubin@aol.com
For more information, please see Melvin Rubin's biography.
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Michael Schiff has been teaching Consumer Law for seventeen years and also maintains a practice in this area as well as one in eminent domain. He is a UM Law graduate. He is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the Dade Community Foundation Professional Advisory Committee, Florida Bar Eminent Domain committee, National Legal Aid & Defender Association, and the Miami Planning Zoning & Appeals Board. At Miami Law he teaches Consumer Law.
E-mail: mpsfinc@att.net
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Janet S. Seitlin is certified as a Circuit Civil, County and Family mediator by the Supreme Court of Florida and she is certified as a Victim Offender Mediator by the State of Florida. She is an attorney in Miami with Salmon & Dulberg, a firm which specializes in dispute resolution, mediation and arbitration. Previously, she served as a staff attorney at Legal Services of Greater Miami as well as Chief Counsel of the Haitian Refugee Project in America, Interim Director of the City of Miami Commission on the Status of Women, and faculty member at the U.S. Department of Justice Alternative Dispute Resolution Program. Seitlin earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami in 1979. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from UM. Seitlin teaches Mediation, a course designed to teach students the principles of conflict, its underlying causes and how to deal with it through negotiation.
E-mail: JSeitlin@law.miami.edu
For more information, please see Janet Seitlin's resume at Salmon & Dulberg.
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Harvey J. Sepler is Assistant Public Defender for Miami-Dade County as well as the coach of the University of Miami School of Law's Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court teams. He has served as Chair of the Criminal Law Section of the Florida Bar. Sepler is a 1984 graduate of UM Law. He has been recognized as a Florida Super Lawyer and, in 2008, received the University of Miami School of Law's First Annual M. Minnette Massey Award in recognition of his work with the school's Charles C. Papy, Jr., Moot Court Board. Sepler teaches Advanced Moot Court, an instructional program open to any second-year student desiring to further develop both oral and written advocacy skills.
E-mail: HSepler@pdmiami.com
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Purvi Shah works with the Community Justice Project of Florida Legal Services and focuses on tenant and landlord issues prevalent in low-income communities. Her legal advocacy group offers direct legal services and community legal education. Shah is a recipient of the New Voices Fellowship, a grant designed to support and strengthen a new generation of diverse and progressive leaders who are dedicated to advancing social, economic, political and environmental justice. She earned her Juris Doctor from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkley. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Policy and Political Science from Northwestern University.
E-mail: Purvi@FloridaLegal.org
For more information, please see Purvi Shah's profile at Florida Legal Services.
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Steven M. Siegfried has practiced construction law for more than 30 years. He received an "AV" rating (the highest available for an individual) from Martindale-Hubbell, the national legal directory. He is listed among the International Who's Who of Construction Lawyers (2005). In the South Florida Legal Guide he is listed as one of the top lawyers in his field, a "Super Lawyer", and is recognized as a "Best Lawyer in America" in the area of construction litigation. Mr. Siegfried is certified by the Supreme Court of Florida as a Circuit Court Mediator. He is also a founding Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers. In addition, Siegfried has published numerous books and articles on construction law. At Miami Law Mr. Siegfried teaches Construction Law.
E-mail: ssiegfried@siegfriedlaw.com
For more information, please see Mr. Siegfried's bio at Siegfried, Rivera, Lerner, De La Torre & Sobel, P.A.'s website.
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Brian F. Spector is a certified mediator with more than 25 years of experience as a high-profile litigator. He has served as a court-appointed receiver, special master and mediator, as well as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and the National Association of Securities Dealers (now known as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority). For 28 years, Spector practiced with the Kenny Nachwalter law firm, a Miami-based commercial litigation boutique. His practice focused on complex business litigation, intellectual property litigation, legal ethics, professional responsibility, legal malpractice, accountant liability, securities litigation and securities arbitration. Spector is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law. He has been included in a variety of prestigious peer-rated legal listings, including The Best Lawyers in America, Florida Trend's Legal Elite, Florida Super Lawyers, and Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers for Business. Spector teaches Professional Responsibility, a course that introduces students to the ethical requirements of the practice of law in United States based on the American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
E-mail: Brian@BSpector.com
For more information, please see Brian Spector's biography.
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With 30 years of experience practicing health law and licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Florida and the State of Georgia, Philip Sprinkle II is one of approximately 100 Board Certified Health Attorneys in the State of Florida. Before becoming a partner with Balch & Bingham, LLP, Mr. Sprinkle headed the Health Care practice groups at Akerman, Senterfitt & Eidson, P.A. and Mershon, Sawyer, Johnston, Dunwody & Cole. Mr. Sprinkle is a frequent lecturer and writer on the business and regulation of health law, some of his current presentations being before the prestigious Georgetown Corporate Counsel Institute and the American Health Lawyers' Association. At Miami Law Philip M. Sprinkle II teaches Health Care Finance and Regulation.
E-mail: psprinkle@balch.com
For more information, please see Mr. Sprinkle's bio at Balch & Bingham LLP's website.
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Howard Srebnick has almost 20 years of experience litigating in the state and federal courts. As a name partner of Black, Srebnick, Kornspan & Stumpf, Mr. Srebnick made front page news for his successful defenses in some of the highest profile criminal cases in the nation, including the acquittal of 3-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves on tax evasion charges and the not guilty verdict for Super Bowl / Pro Bowl wide receiver Tony Martin of the Miami Dolphins. Before entering private practice, Howard clerked for federal judges on the United States District Court (S.D. Fla.) and the United States Court of Appeals (5th Circuit), then served as a trial and appellate attorney with the Federal Public Defender in Miami. Howard holds a B.A. from University of Pennsylvania (1985), an M.B.A. from University of Miami (1987) and a J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center (1989), where he served as an associate editor of the American Criminal Law Review and earned the award for the best combined scholastic record in criminal justice courses. At Miami Law he co-teaches a workshop in Criminal Prosecution & Defense Lawyering.
E-mail: hsrebnick@royblack.com
For more information, please see Howard Srebnick's biography at Black, Srebnick, Kornspan & Stumpf, P.A.
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Scott A. Srebnick is a trial and appellate lawyer whose practice focuses primarily on federal criminal cases, including cases involving fraud, money laundering, public corruption, and racketeering. Mr. Srebnick also represents individuals in extradition proceedings, forfeiture actions, Florida Bar matters, and civil rights cases. Mr. Srebnick graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College in 1987 and cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1990. Chambers USA, a publication that rates lawyers, notes that Mr. Srebnick "has built a national practice consisting of criminal trials and appellate cases" and praises his ability to "stand up to much larger teams of lawyers and come out head and shoulders above in terms of research, writing, and presentation." Since 2001, Mr. Srebnick has maintained an "AV" rating by Martindale-Hubbell. From 2006 through 2010, Mr. Srebnick was recognized by Super Lawyers magazine as one of the top 100 lawyers in the State of Florida in all combined categories. At Miami Law he co-teaches a workshop in Criminal Prosecution & Defense Lawyering.
E-mail: scott@srebnicklaw.com
For more information, please see Scott Srebnick's bio at Scott A. Srebnick, P.A.
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Dr. Lana Stern is a Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works at Florida Collaborative Trainers, a company that provides trainings with an interdisciplinary approach to collaborative law. The trainings use a team of two attorneys, one neutral mental health professional (MHP) and one neutral financial professional (FP) to provide a thorough understanding of the collaborative divorce process from its inception to its conclusion. Dr. Stern has been in private practice for the past 25 years and is a member of American Psychological Association, Florida and Dade County Psychological Associations and the International Association of Collaborative Professionals. She has been a member of the Collaborative Family Law Institute of Miami for the past 6 years and is presently serving as the Vice President. She is the Chairperson of the Mental Health Committee and serves on the Executive, education and marketing committees. She is the Miami-Dade delegate representing Mental Health for the Collaborative Family Law Council of Florida. In addition, Dr. Stern has co-authored the chapter on "Collaborative Law" in the Florida Bar CLE book Dissolution of Marriage. At Miami Law Dr. Stern co-teaches a workshop in Collaborative Family Law.
E-mail: lmsternphd@aol.com
For more information, please see Dr. Stern's biography at Florida Collaborative Trainers.
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Daniel Suman is Professor of Marine Affairs and Policy at the University of Miami´s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and Adjunct Professor at the School of Law. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1983 from the University of California, San Diego (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) and J.D. from the University of California Berkeley in 1991. At UM, Suman teaches courses in Coastal Law, Coastal Management, Environmental Planning and the Environmental Impact Statement, Environmental Law, and Latin America and the Environment. His research interests focus on coastal management in Latin America, planning and enforcement in Marine Protected Areas, and public participation in environmental planning.
E-mail: dsuman@rsmas.miami.edu
For more information, please see Dr. Suman's bio at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
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Susan Tarbe has been practicing law for over 25 years, with 13 years of experience in the areas of commercial litigation and white collar criminal defense. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig as Assistant General Counsel, Susan was a Partner with Colson Hicks Eidson from 2001-2009. She was Of Counsel in the Litigation Department in Greenberg Traurig's Miami office from 1999-2001 and she held the position of General Counsel, Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for a publicly traded health care corporation from 1996-1999.
Her experience includes more than 11 years of federal trial and grand jury practice as an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney's Office where she was Chief of the Economic Crimes Division, which included the supervision and coordination of all health care fraud, money laundering and financial investigations and prosecutions. Ms. Tarbe's private practice focuses on litigation, white collar crime, health care and corporate compliance. Tarbe teaches Professional Responsibility.
E-mail: tarbes@gtlaw.com
For more information, please see Susan Tarbe's bio at Greenberg Traurig.
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Judge Ellen Sue Venzer is a Circuit Court Judge in the Criminal Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida in Miami. Prior to serving on the bench, Judge Venzer worked as a commercial litigator specializing in banking litigation, director and officer liability, contractual disputes and other business torts. Judge Venzer earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami. She also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from UM.
E-mail: EVenver@aol.com or APena@JudJJ.FLCourts.org
For more information, please see Judge Ellen Venzer's biography at the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida website.
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Jaime Rich Vining is an associate with Lott & Friedland in Coral Gables. Her practice focuses primarily on trademark, copyright, entertainment and internet law. Specifically, she 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. Prior to commencing her legal career, Rich Vining served as Executive Producer for a Florida-based non-profit media organization, coordinating music and television licensing efforts with major record labels. She has been recognized as an "Up and Coming Attorney" in Florida Trend's Legal Elite as well as a Florida Rising Star by Florida Super Lawyers Magazine. Rich Vining earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 2006. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Central Florida. Rich Vining teaches a course in Trademark Law.
E-mail: JRVining@lfiplaw.com
For more information, please see Jaime Rich Vining's profile at Lott & Friedland.
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Kira Willig is an attorney with Robert J. Hanreck, P.A., a civil and family litigation firm, and is of counsel to Elizabeth F. Schwartz P.A., a South Beach-based firm focused on modern family formation and dissolution. She also works with Richard J. Preira & Associates, P.A., a boutique law firm that handles complex matrimonial litigation. Ms. Willig also assists parties in amicably resolving their family law issues as a Supreme Court of Florida Certified Family Mediator and member of the Collaborative Family Law Institute. She is frequently court-appointed to serve as a Guardian ad Litem for children whose parents are in divorce or domestic violence proceedings.
Kira Willig graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University and attended the University of Miami School of Law. Upon graduating magna cum laude in 2000, she was named to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society that recognizes outstanding academic achievement in the study of the law. At Miami Law Ms. Willig teaches Family Law.
E-mail: kwillig@law.miami.edu
For more information, please see Kira Willig's bio at Elizabeth F. Schwartz P.A.
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Steven M. Wise is president of the Coral Springs, Florida-based Center for the Expansion of Fundamental Rights, Inc., whose long-term "Nonhuman Rights Project" is preparing to file the first landmark cases that demand such basic common law rights as bodily integrity and bodily liberty for at least some nonhuman animals. He is the author of Rattling the Cage: Toward Legal Rights for Animals (2002), Drawing the Line: Science and the Case for Animal Rights (2002), Though the Heavens May Fall: The Landmark Trial That Led to the End of Human Slavery (2005), An American Trilogy: Death, Slavery, and Dominion along the Banks of the Cape Fear River (2009), and numerous law review articles. He has taught "Animal Rights Law" or "Animal Rights Jurisprudence" at the Harvard, University of Miami, Vermont, Lewis and Clark, John Marshall, and St. Thomas law schools, regularly lectures around the world on animal rights jurisprudence, and has practiced animal protection law across the United States for 30 years. At Miami Law he teaches Animal Law.
E-mail: WiseBoston@aol.com
For more information, please see Steven Wise's bio at the Center for the Expansion of Fundamental Rights.
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