Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced that 151 of its lawyers located across the country have been named to The Best Lawyers in America 2017 list in 70 areas of law. Additionally, Best Lawyers named 19 Akerman Partners to the 2017 Lawyer of the Year list, an honor given to only one lawyer per practice area in every major market in the United States.

Among the Best Lawyers of the Year honorees are Kimberly Ashby for Construction Law (Orlando), Jonathan Awner for Securities Regulation (Miami), Cecelia Bonifay for Land Use and Zoning Law (Orlando), Aileen Davis for Banking and Finance Law (Tampa), Katherine Eastmoore Giddings for Appellate Practice (Tallahassee), Bradley Houser for Corporate Law (Miami), Richard Hurt for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (Orlando), Patrick Johnson, Jr. for Litigation – Bankruptcy (New Orleans), Teddy Klinghoffer for Venture Capital Law (Miami), John Macdonald for Litigation – Banking and Finance (Jacksonville), Michael McMahon for Litigation – Land Use and Zoning (Orlando), Shelley Mixon for Litigation – Patent (Denver), Robyn Neely for Environmental Law (Orlando), David Otero for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (Jacksonville), Stephen Roddenberry for Corporate Governance Law (Miami), Philip Schwartz for Corporate Law (Fort Lauderdale), Lawrence Silverman for Litigation – Antitrust (Miami), Ben Slater, III for Railroad Law (New Orleans), and Virginia Townes for Litigation – Banking and Finance (Orlando).

The annual Best Lawyers list and Lawyer of the Year designation are based on peer-review surveys, in which more than 36,000 leading lawyers cast nearly 4.4 million votes on the legal abilities of other legal professionals in their practice areas.

Individual Lawyer Listings

• Silvia M. Alderman for Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental
• Marcy Levine Aldrich for Insurance Law
• Jacqueline M. Arango for Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
• William C. Arnhols for Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law
• Alan H. Aronson for Securities/Capital Markets Law, Securities Regulation
• Kimberly A. Ashby for Appellate Practice, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
• Jonathan L. Awner for Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, International Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law, Securities Regulation
• Michael D. Bailkin for Land Use and Zoning Law
• Nathan N. Balint for Corporate Law
• Arturo H. Banegas Masiá for Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Martin D. Beirne for Commercial Litigation, Energy Law, Oil and Gas Law
• Stacy Bercun Bohm for Construction Law
• Michael A. Berke for Real Estate Law
• Mark S. Bernstein for Commercial Litigation
• Richard Bezold for Real Estate Law
• Leonard H. Bloom for Corporate Law, Securities Regulation
• Cecelia Bonifay for Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law
• James S. Bramnick for Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Jacob A. Brown for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Charles T. Brumback, Jr. for Banking and Finance Law
• Karen M. Buesing for Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
• John E. Burke for Biotechnology Law, Patent Law
• Martin G. Burkett for Corporate Law
• Christopher S. Carver for Commercial Litigation
• Ross J. Charap for Copyright Law
• Robert I. Chaskes for Commercial Litigation
• Michael B. Chavies for Commercial Litigation
• Geoffrey C. Cheney for Corporate Law
• Patrick T. Christiansen for Banking and Finance Law
• Dana Clayton for Litigation – Real Estate
• Jules S. Cohen for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Thomas Louis Colletta, Jr. for Railroad Law
• J. Thomas Cookson for Corporate Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law
• Gerald B. Cope, Jr. for Appellate Practice
• Nancy A. Copperthwaite for Appellate Practice
• L. Frank Cordero for Tax Law
• Joe B. Cox for Trusts and Estates
• William C. Crenshaw for Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Peter L. Dame for Municipal Law, Public Finance Law
• Aileen S. Davis for Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law
• Kirk S. Davis for Health Care Law, Litigation – Health Care, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
• Megan Costa DeVault for Litigation – Banking and Finance
• Martin R. Dix for FDA Law, Health Care Law
• David M. Doney for Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law, Securities Regulation
• Donald K. Duffy for Tax Law
• Christopher S. Duke for Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Ernest L. Edwards, Jr. for Energy Law, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs, Oil and Gas Law
• Daniel P. Faust for Real Estate Law
• Manuel A. Fernandez for Real Estate Law
• Joseph E. ('Ed') Foster for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Litigation – Real Estate, Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law
• Irene Bassel Frick for Commercial Litigation
• Jeffrey M. Gad for Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
• Brian K. Gart for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Donald G. Gavin for Arbitration, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, Mediation
• Joanne Gelfand for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Michael P. Gennett for Health Care Law
• Katherine Eastmoore Giddings for Appellate Practice
• Jeffrey G. Gilmore for Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
• Andrew P. Gold for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate
• Michael I. Goldberg for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Jonathan E. Gopman for Trusts and Estates
• Eric A. Gordon for Employment Law – Management
• Steven Grigas for Health Care Law
• Gary J. Guzzi for Insurance Law
• Russell B. Hale for Tax Law
• Andrea S. Hartley for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Steven E.M. Hartz for Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White-Collar Law
• Joseph W. Hatchett for Appellate Practice
• William P. Heller for Financial Services Regulation Law
• Elizabeth M. Hernandez for Litigation – Real Estate
• Kathryn Bessmer Hoeck for Litigation – Real Estate
• Bradley D. Houser for Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law
• Stephen B. Hurlbut for Construction Law
• Richard T. Hurt for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
• Daniel Jacobson for Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Venture Capital Law
• Patrick Johnson, Jr. for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Leslie Joughin III for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Intellectual Property
• William Kalish for Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
• Neisen O. Kasdin for Land Use and Zoning Law
• Teddy D. Klinghoffer for Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law, Venture Capital Law
• Karen P. Kondell for Real Estate Law
• Laurence S. Kurth for Commercial Litigation
• Burton A. Landy for International Arbitration – Commercial, International Arbitration – Governmental
• Cindy A. Laquidara for Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
• Peter O. Larsen for Corporate Law, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Securitization and Structured Finance Law, Tax Law
• Richard G. Leland for Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental
• Joan M. Levit for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Warren L. Lewis for Franchise Law
• John B. Macdonald for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Litigation – Real Estate, Litigation – Trusts and Estates
• D. Brett Marks for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Margaret D. Mathews for Commercial Litigation
• Jane K. McCahill for Health Care Law
• James M. McCann for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Intellectual Property
• Timothy J. McDermott for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
• Theresa M. McLaughlin for Real Estate Law
• Michael P. McMahon for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate
• James H. McNeil Jr. for Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law
• Carlos E. Méndez-Peñate for Corporate Law, International Trade and Finance Law
• Carolyn V. Metnick for Health Care Law
• Scott A. Meyers for Arbitration, Mediation
• Brian Miller for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Securities
• James M. Miller for Commercial Litigation
• Richard C. Milstein for Family Law, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Trusts and Estates
• Shelley B. Mixon for Biotechnology Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Patent Law
• Esther L. Moreno for Corporate Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law
• John P. ('Pete') Morrison for Labor Law – Management
• Robyn D. Neely for Environmental Law
• Jason S. Oletsky for Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law
• David E. Otero for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Securitization and Structured Finance Law
• Mark D. Passler for Patent Law
• T. Todd Pittenger for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Intellectual Property; Real Estate Law
• Bruce D. Platt for Health Care Law
• Marci K. Poliakoff for Tax Law
• Steven P. Polivy for Real Estate Law
• Robert M. Poppell for Real Estate Law
• E. Paul Quinn for Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Henry H. Raattama, Jr. for Non-Profit/Charities Law, Tax Law
• Eric D. Rapkin for Real Estate Law
• Joseph L. Rebak for Commercial Litigation
• Edward L. Ristaino for Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Andrew S. Robins for Leisure and Hospitality, Real Estate Law
• Lawrence P. Rochefort for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate
• Stephen K. Roddenberry for Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law
• Francisco A. Rodriguez for International Arbitration – Commercial
• Carl D. Roston for Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law
• Janice L. Russell for Real Estate Law
• Peter E. Salomon for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• Richard L. Schanerman for Real Estate Law
• Philip Schwartz for Corporate Law
• L. Joseph Shaheen, Jr. for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real Estate
• Mark S. Shapiro for Insurance Law
• Owen J. Shean for Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
• Lawrence D. Silverman for Antitrust Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Antitrust, Litigation – Banking and Finance
• Scott T. Silverman for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Ben Slater, III for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Environmental, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, Railroad Law, Transportation Law
• Robert J. Smith for Construction Law
• Andrew M. Smulian for Real Estate Law
• David I. Spector for Commercial Litigation
• William S. Spencer for Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate
• William J. Spratt, Jr. for Health Care Law
• Glen A. Stankee for Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law
• Thomas E. Streit for Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law
• Brian Tague for Real Estate Law
• Debra A. Tama for Insurance Law
• Virginia B. Townes for Banking and Finance Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Financial Services Regulation Law, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Trusts and Estates
• A. Rodger Traynor Jr. for Litigation – Bankruptcy
• August (Gus) Van Eepoel for Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
• William A. Van Nortwick, Jr. for Appellate Practice
• Bryan T. West for Commercial Litigation
• Nina S. Whiston for Insurance Law
• Jeffrey P. Wieland for Real Estate Law