Top 100 U.S. law firm Akerman LLP has once again been named by Law360 as a Florida Powerhouse for its dominance in size and client work in the state. The recognition comes on the heels of Akerman's 11th consecutive year of record financial performance.
In a feature article titled, “Florida Powerhouse: Akerman," Law360 noted Akerman’s historic roots in Florida dating back a century and its continued involvement in cases and transactions that define the region. Over the last year for example, Akerman represented Facebook against victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub mass shooting. The case was ultimately dismissed after the Eleventh Circuit found Facebook and other social media companies could not be held liable for aiding and abetting under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The firm also represented Lake Nona Land Co. LLC as land use counsel in the sale of nearly 60 acres of land in Orlando's Lake Nona community to an affiliate of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. Inc. The resort plans to develop the property with a new regional corporate campus that will be home to more than 2,000 professionals relocating from California.
In addition, bankruptcy and reorganization partner Michael Goldberg in Fort Lauderdale was court appointed as receiver for the Champlain Towers South condominium association following the tragic Surfside condominium collapse in June 2021. Working at the center of one of the biggest disasters and class-action cases in Florida history, Goldberg serves as a sounding board for survivors and victims, as the go-between for dozens of lawyers in mounting lawsuits, as the “eyes and ears” of Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman, and as de facto property manager of the two-acre remains of the building. He also helped shepherd the $120 million sale of the oceanfront land and, most significantly, he is responsible for guiding compensation of the victims and homeowners of Surfside, based on an expected $1 billion settlement.
Luis A. Perez, Miami office co-managing partner who is also chair of the Latin American and Caribbean Practice, credited the firm's national bench strength and collaborative culture for its ongoing client successes:
"We work seamlessly amongst our offices. We have teams that work from New York, from Los Angeles, from Miami… we put together the best team that we can to represent the client's interests, no matter where they are physically."
Beth Alcalde, an employee benefits partner and a member of the firm's executive committee in West Palm Beach, attributed the firm's success to its lawyers' ability to pivot from the COVID-19 pandemic to a booming legal market.
Law360 quoted Alcalde: "We are fundamentally different as individuals, as family members, and professionals, as advisers and counselors to all clients, than we were before and that's not going to change. One of the opportunities for leaders at Akerman and at other firms in this state is to really challenge the good that comes from flexibility, from respecting everyone as professionals to be able to make decisions about working conditions in which they are able to perform well and to do well for their clients, even if we move away from sort of traditional models of engagement on a day-to-day basis."
Michael Marsh, a litigation partner and an executive committee member in Miami, credits the year of success in Florida to the people and culture the firm has fostered over the years.
Marsh said, "When you have the leadership style and culture that we have, our people are going to want to give toward the law firm. They're going to get deeper in their expertise, get deeper in their skill sets. They're going to want to separate themselves and distinguish themselves from a skill level, from a substance level. They're going to invest in the firm. That will move the firm forward in ways that I don't think organizations see when they're not focused on their people, and so that's who we are. That's our distinguishing factor. I think our folks want to be here. The folks that are here want to be here; the folks that are here are committed to Akerman's excellence."