Press Release

Firm Achieves Record Number of Outstanding Lawyer Ratings

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced that a record number of Akerman lawyers have been named to the Super Lawyers lists for 2014. Super Lawyers recognized 168 individuals this year compared to 125 in 2013, including 59 Rising Stars.

Katherine (Kathi) Giddings was named among the Top 100 Florida Super Lawyers for another consecutive year. She also was selected as one of the Top 50 Florida Women Super Lawyers, as well as Marcy Aldrich, Kimberly Ashby, Karen Meyer Buesing, Susan Eisenberg and Margaret Mathews.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding U.S. lawyers who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The resource serves as a guide for general counsel and Fortune 1000 executives in charge of making legal hiring decisions.

The lawyers and the categories in which they are honored are listed below.

California – Los Angeles

Rising Stars 2014
Stefanie A. Schiff, Civil Litigation Defense

Colorado – Denver

Super Lawyers 2014
John Burke, Intellectual Property

Rising Stars 2014
Melissa L. Cizmorris, Consumer Law
Shelley B. Mixon, Intellectual Property

Florida – Boca Raton

Super Lawyers 2014
Andrew S. Robins, Real Estate

Florida – Fort Lauderdale

Super Lawyers 2014
Stacy E. Bercun Bohm, Construction Litigation
Andrew P. Gold, Business Litigation
Michael I. Goldberg, Bankruptcy: Business
William P. Heller, Business Litigation
Theresa M. McLaughlin, Real Estate
Jason S. Oletsky, Business Litigation
Edward L. Ristaino, Business L. Corporate
Glen A. Stankee, Tax

Rising Stars 2014
Eyal Berger, Creditor Debtor Rights
Tamara Savin Malvin, General Litigation 
Scott W. Rostock, Business Litigation
Ashley A. Sawyer, Business Litigation

Florida – Jacksonville

Super Lawyers 2014
Jacob A. Brown, Bankruptcy: Business
Peter O. Larsen, Tax
John B. Macdonald, Creditor Debtor Rights
Timothy J. McDermott, General Litigation
David E. Otero, Bankruptcy: Business

Rising Stars 2014
Edward Cole, Environmental
Celia Chapman Falzone, Business Litigation
Christian P. George, Business Litigation

Florida – Miami

Super Lawyers 2014
Marcy L. Aldrich, Class Action
William C. Arnhols, Banking
Alan H. Aronson, Business/Corporate
Jonathan L. Awner, Mergers & Acquisitions
James S. Bramnick, Employment & Labor
Christopher S. Carver, Business Litigation
Robert I. Chaskes, Business Litigation
J. Thomas Cookson, Securities & Corporate Finance
Nancy A. Copperthwaite, Appellate
L. Frank Cordero, Tax
Susan N. Eisenberg, Employment Litigation: Defense
Carol L. Schoffel Faber, Real Estate
Manuel A. Fernandez, Real Estate
Pedro A. Freyre, Business/Corporate
Joanne Gelfand, Bankruptcy: Business
Andrea S. Hartley, Bankruptcy: Business
Elizabeth M. Hernandez, Civil Litigation: Defense
Daniel Jacobson, Business/Corporate
Neisen O. Kasdin, Land Use/Zoning
Jeffrey A. Kern, Estate & Probate
Teddy D. Klinghoffer, Business/Corporate
Brian P. Miller, Securities Litigation
James M. Miller, Business Litigation
Richard C. Milstein, Estate & Trust Litigation
Luis M. O'Naghten, International
Luis A. Perez, International
Henry H. Raattama Jr., Nonprofit Organizations
Joseph L. Rebak, Business Litigation
Stephen K. Roddenberry, Mergers & Acquisitions
Carl D. Roston, Mergers & Acquisitions
Peter E. Salomon, Employee Benefits
Lawrence D. Silverman, Antitrust Litigation
Andrew M. Smulian, Real Estate
William J. Spratt Jr., Healthcare
Brian P. Tague, Real Estate
Richard D. Tuschman, Employment & Labor
Nina S. Whiston, Insurance Coverage
Julie A.S. Williamson, Real Estate

Rising Stars 2014
David F. Birke, Business/Corporate
Eve A. Cann, Business Litigation
Jose Felix Diaz, Land Use/Zoning
Daniel P. Faust, Real Estate
Ari H. Gerstin, Criminal Defense: White Collar
Brendan I. Herbert, Business Litigation
Ross E. Linzer, General Litigation
Michael O. Mena, Business Litigation
Sandra J. Millor, Business Litigation
Andrew S. Pompa, Real Estate
Francisco A. Rodriguez, International
Ryan Roman, Business Litigation
Robert J. Squire, Personal Injury Defense: General
Steven J. Wernick, LandUse/Zoning
Jennifer T. Williams, Employment & Labor
Forton H. Wimbush Jr., Consumer Law

Florida – Naples

Super Lawyers 2014
Joe B. Cox, Estate & Probate
Jonathan E. Gopman, Estate & Probate

Florida – Orlando

Super Lawyers 2014
Kimberly A. Ashby, Construction Litigation
Cecelia Bonifay, Real Estate
Charles T. Brumback Jr., Banking
Jules S. Cohen, Bankruptcy: Business
Megan C. DeVault, Business Litigation
Joseph E. ('Ed') Foster, Business Litigation
Russell B. Hale, Tax
Richard T. Hurt, Employee Benefits
James H. McNeil Jr., Real Estate
T. Todd Pittenger, Business Litigation
Virginia B. Townes, Business Litigation

Rising Stars 2014
Paul W. Ettori, Appellate
Esther McKean, Bankruptcy: Business
Christopher P. Roper, Land Use/Zoning
Carrie Ann Wozniak, Appellate
Thomas R. Yaegers, Business Litigation

Florida – Tallahassee

Super Lawyers 2014
Silvia M. Alderman, Environmental
Martin R. Dix, Healthcare
Katherine E. Giddings, Appellate
Joseph W. Hatchett, Business Litigation

Rising Stars 2014
Kristen M. Fiore, Appellate
Felicia Leborgne Nowels, International
Jason S. Lichtstein, Environmental

Florida – Tampa

Super Lawyers 2014
Irene A. Bassel Frick, Business Litigation
Karen M. Buesing, Employment Litigation: Defense
Aileen S. Davis, Banking
Kirk S. Davis, Health Care
David M. Doney, Securities & Corporate Finance
Leslie E. Joughin III, Business Litigation
William Kalish, Tax
Margaret D. Mathews, Business Litigation
Gregory M. McCoskey, Bankruptcy: Business
Laura E. Prather, Employment & Labor 
Joseph W.N. Rugg, Health Care
L. Joseph Shaheen Jr., Business Litigation
Scott T. Silverman, Employment & Labor
Julie Simone Sneed, Business Litigation
Wayne L. Thomas, Business Litigation
Wesley D. Tibbals, Business Litigation

Rising Stars 2014
Brian R. Harris, Tax
Jason L. Margolin, Business Litigation
Rebecca N. Shwayri, Business Litigation

Florida – West Palm Beach

Super Lawyers 2014
Christopher S. Duke, Employment & Labor
Eric A. Gordon, Employment & Labor
Kathy M. Klock, Securities Litigation
Lawrence P. Rochefort, Business Litigation
David I. Spector, General Litigation

Rising Stars 2014
Brandon Forgione, Business Litigation
Andrew M. Loewenstein, Employment Litigation: Defense
Bradley S. McPherson, Business Litigation
Adam G. Schwartz, Consumer Law

Illinois – Chicago

Super Lawyers 2014
Michael D. Switzer, Intellectual Property

Rising Stars 2014
Kasey M. Folk, Business Litigation
Peter G. Hawkins, Intellectual Property Litigation
Julia R. Lissner, Business Litigation
Alissa R. Pohlman, Intellectual Property Litigation 

Nevada – Las Vegas

Super Lawyers 2014
Darren T. Brenner, Civil Litigation: Defense

Rising Stars 2014
Christina Bhirud, Consumer Law
Ariel E. Stern, Business Litigation

New York – New York

Super Lawyers 2014
Michael D. Bailkin, Land Use/Zoning
Susan F. Balaschak, Bankruptcy: Business
Donald N. David, General Litigation
Kenneth Gordon, Real Estate
Mark A. Levine, Land Use/Zoning
Carlos E. Méndez-Peñate, International
Steven P. Polivy, Real Estate
Ira S. Sacks, Intellectual Property Litigation
Matthew A. Steinberg, Employment & Labor
M. Darren Traub, Business Litigation

Rising Stars 2014
Samantha K. Abeysekera, Employment Litigation: Defense
Rogelio J. Carrasquillo, Securities & Corporate Finance
Robert A. Cutler, Business/Corporate
Sarah M. DeFranco, Employment & Labor
Scott M. Kessler, Business Litigation
Palash I. Pandya, Securities & Corporate Finance

Utah – Salt Lake City

Rising Stars 2014
Robert H. Scott, General Litigation

Texas – Dallas

Rising Stars 2014
Tyler B. Engar, Consumer Law
Walter McInnis, Consumer Law
Justin R. Opitz, Business Litigation
Andrew D. Thomas, Business Litigation

Virginia – Vienna

Super Lawyers 2014
Jeffrey G. Gilmore, Construction Litigation
Donald G. Gavin, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Stephen B. Hurlbut, Construction Litigation

Washington, D.C.

Super Lawyers 2014
Richard P. Gilly, Intellectual Property 
Warren Lee Lewis, Franchise/Dealership
Owen J. Shean, Construction Litigation

Rising Stars 2014
Charlene York, Franchise/Dealership

About Akerman LLP
Akerman LLP 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 600 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 20 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The National Law Journal NLJ 350 (2014). Akerman also is ranked among the top 50 law firms for diversity in The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard (2014).

More information can be found at akerman.com or twitter.com/akerman_law.

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