It is with great pride that we share Akerman lawyers Neisen O. Kasdin, Andrea S. Hartley, and Elizabeth Hughes have all won the 2023 Miami-Dade Bar Circle of Excellence Award. The award recognizes lawyers for their outstanding work and dedication in the legal profession.

"We are truly proud of their achievement, and it gives us great pleasure to see their hard work and commitment being recognized at the highest level. Their excellence has not only brought value and prestige to Akerman, but has also contributed significantly to the legal community as a whole," said Bret Berlin, executive director of the Miami-Dade Bar, in a letter to the recipients.

All three were recognized on April 12 during the Judicial Reception at the Penthouse at Riverside Wharf in Miami.

Kasdin serves as co-office managing partner of Akerman’s Miami office. He is a former mayor of Miami Beach and leader in the revitalization of South Beach. He represents clients involved in urban revitalization and the development of complex, large-scale, multi-use projects.

Hartley is the chair of Akerman’s Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice Group, a nationally recognized team serving as bankruptcy counsel or receivers in many of the largest bankruptcy filings in the United States. An experienced bankruptcy and creditors’ rights litigator, she counsels clients across numerous sectors on business reorganizations and liquidations, workouts, debt restructurings, and much more.

Hughes' practice focuses on fiduciary litigation, with a particular concentration on disputes that arise from Florida estates, trusts, and guardianships. Her  experience includes successfully litigating and resolving complex cases involving will and trust contests, fiduciary fee disputes, determination of heir disputes and other complex issues relating to probate and trust litigation. She currently serves as a Board of Director member of the Miami Dade Bar and is the immediate past Chair of the Miami Dade Bar's Probate and Guardianship Committee.