June 7, 2012

Akerman Senterfitt today announced the 2012 edition of Chambers USA Guide and the 2013 edition of Chambers Latin America Guide have awarded the law firm high rankings in multiple practice areas. The annual listings of the leading lawyers and law firms in the United States and Latin America also named 54 Akerman lawyers as leading practitioners in their respective areas of practice. 

Chambers USA recognized a total of 15 Akerman practices, with the firm's Corporate, M&A, and Private Equity Practice and Insurance Practice receiving top honors in Florida. Akerman's Corporate and M&A team has received this distinction for nine consecutive years. The firm’s Construction Practice was once again recognized for its work nationally and in Florida and Virginia.

Akerman's Latin America & the Caribbean Practice is recognized for International Arbitration across all of Latin America in the forthcoming edition of Chambers Latin America. The firm's Latin America team was previously recognized by U.S. News – Best Lawyers as a tier one U.S. practice for International Arbitration – Commercial. Akerman also picked-up an individual ranking in Latin American Investment (New York).

Other Akerman Practices recognized by Chambers USA include Antitrust, Banking & Finance, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Environment, Healthcare, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Real Estate, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use, and Tax.

The Chambers USA and Chambers Latin America Guides are part of a series of Chambers & Partners research-based guides to the legal profession. They rank the leading firms and lawyers in an extensive range of practice areas throughout the United States and Latin America. The research is based on thousands of interviews with practicing lawyers and clients around the world. The guides are read by industry-leading companies and organizations throughout the United States and worldwide.

The 16 Akerman practices recognized in the 2012 Chambers USA and the 2013 Chambers Latin America Guides include:

• Antitrust (Florida)
• Banking & Finance (Florida)
• Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Florida)
• Construction (Florida)
• Construction (Nationwide)
• Construction (Virginia)
• Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Florida)
• Environment (Florida)
• Healthcare (Florida)
• Insurance (Florida)
• International Arbitration (Latin America-Wide)
• Labor & Employment (Florida)
• Litigation: General Commercial (Florida)
• Real Estate (Florida)
• Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Florida)
• Tax (Florida)

A list of the 54 Akerman lawyers recognized in the 2012 Chambers USA and the 2013 Chambers Latin America Guides include:

• Silvia M. Alderman - Environment (Florida)
• Marcy Levine Aldrich - Insurance (Florida)
• William C. Arnhols - Banking & Finance: Regulatory (Florida)
• Kimberly A. Ashby - Construction (Florida)
• Jonathan L. Awner - Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Florida)
• Stacy Bercun Bohm - Construction (Florida)
• Richard Bezold - Real Estate (Florida)
• Cecelia Bonifay - Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Florida)
• James S. Bramnick - Labor & Employment (Florida)
• Karen Meyer Buesing - Labor & Employment (Florida)
• Marshall R. Burack - Healthcare (Florida)
• Jules S. Cohen - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Florida)
• L. Frank Cordero - Tax (Florida)
• Kirk S. Davis - Healthcare (Florida)
• Martin R. Dix - Healthcare (Florida)
• Donald K. Duffy - Tax (Florida)
• Susan Nadler Eisenberg - Labor & Employment (Florida)
• Manuel A. Fernandez - Real Estate (Florida)
• Joseph E. Foster - Litigation: General Commercial (Florida)
• Donald G. Gavin - Construction (Virginia)
• Katherine E. Giddings - Litigation: Appellate (Florida)
• Jeffrey G. Gilmore - Construction (Virginia)
• Michael I. Goldberg - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Florida)
• Russell B. Hale - Banking & Finance: Regulatory (Florida); Tax (Florida); Tax: State & Local (Florida)
• Andrea Hartley - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Florida)
• William P. Heller - Litigation: General Commercial (Florida)
• Bradley D. Houser - Banking & Finance: Regulatory (Florida); Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Florida)
• Stephen B. Hurlbut - Construction (Virginia)
• Richard T. Hurt - Tax: Employee Benefits (Florida)
• Neisen O. Kasdin - Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Florida)
• Teddy D. Klinghoffer - Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Florida)
• Peter O. Larsen - Tax: State & Local (Florida)
• Jason S. Lichtstein - Environment (Florida)
• Theresa M. McLaughlin - Real Estate (Florida)
• Carlos Méndez-Peñate - Latin American Investment (New York)
• Robyn D. Neely - Environment (Florida)
• Jason S. Oletsky - Litigation: General Commercial (Florida)
• Luis A. Perez - International Arbitration (Latin America-Wide)
• Henry H. Raattama Jr. - Tax (Florida)
• Andrew S. Robins - Leisure & Hospitality (Nationwide)
• Stephen K. Roddenberry -  Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Florida)
• Carl D. Roston - Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Florida)
• Joseph W. N. Rugg - Healthcare (Florida)
• Janice L. Russell - Real Estate (Florida)
• Peter E. Salomon - Tax: Employee Benefits (Florida)
• Owen J. Shean - Construction (Virginia)
• Lawrence D. Silverman - Antitrust (Florida)
• Scott T. Silverman - Labor & Employment (Florida)
• Andrew M. Smulian - Real Estate (Florida)
• David I. Spector - Labor & Employment (Florida)
• Virginia B. Townes - Banking & Finance: Regulatory (Florida)
• Richard D. Tuschman - Labor & Employment (Florida)
• Jennifer T. Williams - Labor & Employment (Florida)
• Susanne Zabloudil - Real Estate (Florida)

About Akerman Senterfitt
Akerman is a leading transactions and trial law firm known for its core strengths in middle market M&A, within the financial services and real estate industries, and for a diverse Latin America practice. With more than 500 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 19 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the U.S. by The National Law Journal NLJ 250 (2012). Akerman also is ranked among the top 100 law firms for diversity by MultiCultural Law magazine (2011) and recognized as the Law Firm of the Year for Diversity – South by Benchmark Litigation (2012). More information can be found at akerman.com or twitter.com/akerman_law.