After 10 years of working from Akerman's New York office as a senior policy consultant in the Cuba Practice, Matthew Aho relocated to Miami, where the firm continues to see a growing relationship between the gateway city, Cuba, and the private sector. Augusto Maxwell, chair of the Cuba Practice, explained why Aho moved, noting the firm's business is growing on the island nation because the Cuban government now allows private businesses to establish themselves. Despite the challenges of moving, Maxwell said for someone like Aho working in Cuba, there is really no comparison to being on the ground in Miami.

Maxwell was quoted, "That process has really taken off. I mean, we're going from something during the Cuban Revolution, where you almost had no property rights to a new system now, where they've created tens of thousands of new companies. A lot of those companies basically are fed and supported by family and friends here in Miami. And so that's one of the reasons that Matt came down to Miami… what's happening between Cuba and Miami is picking up steam."

Aho has crafted history-making market-entry strategies for Akerman clients across wide-ranging industry sectors including: short-term vacation rentals, airlines, cruise lines, online travel agencies, telecom providers, live music concerts and venues; film, sports leagues, information technology, and banking and financial services. A recognized authority on U.S. sanctions policy, Aho provides real-time federal policy intelligence to clients and their allies, and actively solicits and dispenses feedback from relevant agencies to fully inform his clients’ planning.

Aho added: "Corporate clients need surefire compliance strategies as they deal with complex sanctioned jurisdictions. I help them adapt their operations to satisfy widely diverse local legal and market conditions; that's how we succeed."