Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced that 156 of its lawyers located in New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and 15 other major metropolitan markets across the United States have been named to The Best Lawyers in America 2018 list in 71 areas of law. Additionally, Best Lawyers named 13 Akerman Partners to the 2018 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 Jacqueline Arango for Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy) (Miami), Jonathan Awner for Corporate Governance Law (Miami), Charles Brumback, Jr. for Banking and Finance Law (Orlando), Gerald Cope, Jr. for Appellate Practice (Miami), David Doney for Securities Regulation (Tampa), Michael Goldberg for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law (Fort Lauderdale), Teddy Klinghoffer for Corporate Compliance Law (Miami), John Macdonald for Litigation – Bankruptcy (Jacksonville), Timothy McDermott for Litigation – Banking and Finance (Jacksonville), Carlos Méndez-Peñate for International Trade and Finance Law (New York City), Stephen Roddenberry for Corporate Law (Miami), Lawrence Silverman for Antitrust Law (Miami), and William Van Nortwick, Jr. for Appellate Practice (Jacksonville).

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
• 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
• Susan F. Balaschak for Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Nathan N. Balint for Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions 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
• Ellen Berkowitz for Land Use and Zoning Law
• Mark S. Bernstein for Commercial Litigation
• Richard Bezold for Real Estate Law
• Leonard H. Bloom for Corporate Law, Securities Regulation
• David C. Blum for Tax Law
• Cecelia Bonifay for Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law
• James S. Bramnick for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Jacob A. Brown for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Litigation – Real Estate
• 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
• Mary V. Carroll for Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Christopher S. Carver for Commercial Litigation
• Maria I. Casablanca for Immigration Law
• 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 Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Railroad Law
• Gerald B. Cope, Jr. for Appellate Practice
• Nancy A. Copperthwaite for Appellate Practice, Insurance Law
• 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 Commercial Litigation, 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
• Daniel P. Faust for Real Estate Law
• Diane Helen Ford 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
• Brian K. Gart for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Joanne Gelfand for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Michael P. Gennett for Health Care Law
• John J. ('Jack') George for Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate, Real Estate Law
• Katherine E. Giddings for Appellate Practice
• Jeffrey G. Gilmore for Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
• Stephen C. Glazier for Litigation – Intellectual Property
• 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
• Marcy Hahn-Saperstein for Health Care Law
• Russell B. Hale for Tax Law
• Brian R. Harris 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
• 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
• Stephen B. Hurlbut for Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
• 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 – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Intellectual Property
• 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
• Laurence S. Kurth for Commercial Litigation
• Cindy A. Laquidara for Government Contracts, Government Relations Practice, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
• Peter O. Larsen for Corporate Law, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Securitization and Structured Finance Law, Tax Law
• Robert A. Leapley, Jr. for Real Estate 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, Litigation – Bankruptcy
• 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
• Michael Mena for Litigation – Real Estate
• Carlos E. Méndez-Peñate for International Trade and Finance Law
• Andres G. Mendoza for Real Estate 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
• Esther L. Moreno for Corporate Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law
• John P. ('Pete') Morrison for Labor Law – Management
• Robyn D. Neely for Environmental Law
• Allison Nelson for Real Estate Law
• Jason S. Oletsky for Commercial Litigation, 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
• David W. Parham for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization 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 Law, Real Estate Law
• Lawrence P. Rochefort for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Real Estate
• Stephen K. Roddenberry for Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, International Mergers & Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law
• Francisco A. Rodriguez for Arbitration, International Arbitration – Commercial
• Scott W. Rostock for Litigation – Real Estate
• 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
• 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, Insurance Law
• 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
• Matthew A. Steinberg for Employment Law – Management
• Thomas E. Streit for Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law
• Brian Tague for Real Estate Law
• A. Rodger Traynor, Jr. for Litigation – Bankruptcy
• August (Gus) Van Eeopel 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
• Gary Whitlock for Commercial Transactions/UCC Law, Real Estate Law
• Jeffrey P. Wieland for Real Estate Law
• Gerard Wimberly for Commercial Litigation
• Susanne Zabloudil for Real Estate Law

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 650 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 24 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The American Lawyer (2017). Akerman also is ranked among the top 100 law firms for diversity in The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard (2017).