The South Florida Business Journal has named four Akerman office managing partners to its "Top 250 Power Leaders" list. Fort Lauderdale Office Managing Partner Leslie Tomczak, Palm Beach County Office Managing Partner Chris Duke, and Miami co-Office Managing Partners Luis A. Perez and Neisen Kasdin are among the Business Journal's selection of executives from South Florida’s top public and private companies driving growth in their organizations and the region.
Tomczak is a construction attorney, Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Construction Law, whose practice focuses primarily on the representation of lenders, developers, owners, landlords, contractors, subcontractors, architects and other design professionals, in a wide range of complex construction contract, project administration, lien, and construction litigation matters. She is also a LEED® Accredited Professional who represents clients with respect to sustainable (e.g. “green”) building issues. Additionally, Tomczak has extensive litigation and alternative dispute resolution experience, is an active member of the Construction Law Committee (CLC) of the Florida Bar, and writes frequently on matters relating to construction contracting in Florida.
Duke has a diverse practice in employment law and complex commercial litigation. He represents clients in federal and state courts, as well as in various arbitration forums and before federal, state, and local administrative bodies. His clients operate across multiple sectors, including hospitality, travel/recreation, healthcare, retail, financial services, and alternative energy. Duke maintains a robust thought leadership profile, frequently conducting lectures to employer and trade groups on aspects of employment law and compliance. He has been continually ranked for his labor and employment acumen by The Best Lawyers in America, among other publications.
Perez chairs the firm's Latin America and the Caribbean Practice, an internationally recognized team providing legal counsel across multiple disciplines. His Chambers Global-ranked practice focuses on complex commercial disputes including claims for product liability and breach of contract. Perez has been listed as one of Latin America’s Top 100 Lawyers by Latinvex, named by Chambers Global among the “Leaders in their Field” for International Arbitration (Latin America-wide), and serves as chair of the firm’s annual ALM-Akerman U.S. Latin America Summit.
Kasdin is a partner in the firm's Real Estate Practice Group and well-respected in Miami, having served as mayor of Miami Beach and a leader in the revitalization of South Beach. He has also served as vice chair of the board of directors for the Miami Downtown Development Authority and was responsible for leading the creation of Miami’s Downtown Master Plan. In addition to large-scale projects, Kasdin has represented clients in developments in emerging Miami neighborhoods such as Little Haiti and Wynwood. He is recognized by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 as a leading land use and zoning lawyer in Florida.
In addition to this list, Perez and Kasdin were recently included in City & State Florida's "South Florida Power 100" list. Tomczak was also recently honored among City & State Florida's "Women Power 100" list.