Westchester Lawyers

Ernest L. Chang is an experienced Criminal Defense Trial Lawyer, having practiced exclusively in the field of Criminal Defense since his admission to the Florida Bar in 1990. Mr. Chang obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida and his Juris Doctor degree in law from Nova Southeastern University. Mr. Chang has also appeared pro hac vice, in other jurisdictions, most recently in the State of Arizona. Past experiences include prosecuting Felony trials as a Certified Legal Intern with the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office, Former Public Defender with the 18th Judicial Circuit and Criminal Defense with...

Upon being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2016, Ms. Geraghty joined the law firm of Friedman, Rodman & Frank, P.A. as an associate focusing on Plaintiff's Personal Injury matters.

Ms. Geraghty received a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in Political Science and minors in Sociology and Human and Social Development, from the University of Miami in December of 2012. She graduated summa cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Ms. Geraghty continued onto the University of Miami School of Law, where she received her Juris Doctor, graduating cum laude, in 2016. While in law school, Ms. Geraghty...

Carrying on a family tradition, Carolyn Friedman Frank has followed in her father's footsteps. Carolyn is partner in Friedman, Rodman & Frank that has roots in the Miami Beach firm of Harvey D. Friedman, P. A., the firm started by her father in 1976.

Her work in personal injury includes, workers' compensation, medical malpractice, products liability and nursing home negligence.

Carolyn Friedman Frank was admitted to the Florida State Bar in 1996, after earning her Juris Doctorate at the University of Miami. She did her undergraduate work at the University of Pennsylvania, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree.

Carolyn is married...

Maria Isabel Amaro was born in Colombia, South America in 1970. Ms. Amaro relocated to Miami, FL in 1985 and has lived in Miami for the last 24 years.

Ms. Amaro graduated from Nova Southeastern University with her Bachelors in Business Administration and a minor in Professional Management in 2005. Ms. Amaro attended Saint Thomas University School of Law receiving her Juris Doctor in 2008.

She was also a certified legal intern for Legal Aid of Greater Miami in the Family Law department for two semesters.

Upon being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2008, Ms. Amaro joined the law firm of Friedman,...

Mr. Mermell has been the senior partner for the past twenty years in a firm that specializes in the representation of injured workers; Mr. Mermell has handled the claims of over 2,000 injured workers during the past 27 years; Mr. Mermell has tried numerous cases before the Office of Administrative Law Judges and has successfully handled appeals to the Benefits Review Board and the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit; Mr. Mermell was trained by Donald D. Gillis, Esquire, who had over 35 years of experience in handling DBA/Longshoremen’s claims; Mr. Mermell has been Florida Bar Board...

Ivan Abrams is the founding partner of Abrams Justice.

Ivan is a natural storyteller, problem solver, and—most importantly—a lion in the courtroom. Ivan has extensive litigation experience, having served as lead counsel in more than 40 jury trials and hundreds of evidentiary motions.

Ivan loves nothing more than standing up to large insurance companies that seek to bully his clients who have been seriously injured after traumatic accidents. Ivan takes the time to get to know each client personally, as well as their families, so that he can fully understand the impact an accident has had on their lives. Only then can...

*AV Rated Preeminent® from Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ *Highest Rating of 5.0/5.0 from Martindale-Hubbell® Client Review Ratings™ *Highest Rating of 10.0/10.0 "Superb" on Avvo.Com *Rated Excellent on LawyerRatingz.com *Rated 5 out of 5 stars on Lawlink - The Attorney Network *Rated 5 out of 5 stars on Merchantcircle.com *A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau

Jaime’s practice focuses primarily on trademark, copyright, entertainment and internet law. Jaime counsels clients on the acquisition of new trademarks, conducts clearance investigations and renders availability and infringement opinions, and provides legal advice regarding trademarks and related unfair competition issues. Jaime is experienced in the filing and prosecution of trademark applications at the state, federal and international levels, as well as the defense of related proceedings such as oppositions and cancellations of registrations. Jaime also assists clients in developing global IP portfolios and policies to secure, maintain and enforce trademark rights. Since 2009, Jaime has been named a...

I was born in Havana, Cuba and was raised in Miami, Florida. In 2005, I graduated from Florida International University with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Political Science. Thereafter, I had the privilege to work alongside two prominent attorneys who practice probate, maritime, and personal injury law. That experience inspired me to continue my studies and pursue my lifelong dream of becoming an attorney. In 2010, I entered the Corporate MBA program at Florida International University and graduated in the fall of 2011. I received my Juris Doctor Degree from Florida International University College of Law...

Michelle has concentrated in the area of plaintiffs’ civil trial practice since the beginning of her legal career. Her experience includes land-based and admiralty/maritime personal injury, wrongful death, and class action litigation. Michelle works closely with her clients and will always take the time to address their concerns and provide an honest assessment of their cases.

Michelle was co-lead counsel in a jury trial in Broward County resulting in one of the top 100 personal injury verdicts in Florida in the year 2017. She is fluent in Spanish.

Randy C. Botwinick has litigated and tried personal injury cases for 31 years in both New York and Florida. He strives to provide the utmost in personal attention and service to his clients as he realizes that his communication and rapport with clients is an important component in representing injured accident victims. It is through careful listening that lawyers become counselors and trusted advisors. With more than three decades of experience solely in the field of representing accident victims, Mr. Botwinick has honed a variety of systems that allows him to focus both on the variety of legal issues...

Co-founder William R. Trueba, Jr.’s practice centers on the domestic and international enforcement of intellectual property rights. Will is also a U.S. Registered Patent Attorney, with a background in electrical engineering. He has represented clients in patent infringement lawsuits involving various technologies, including fertilizers, highway construction equipment, software, lasers, marine equipment, HVAC systems, nutritional supplements, pharmaceuticals, pet products, baby products, hunting equipment, motion detectors, super capacitors, farming methods and others. He has also represented clients in the enforcement of copyrights involving motion pictures, music, artwork, photographs, software, and jewelry among others. Will has also assisted clients with...

Manny Arce is a civil trial lawyer whose practice focuses on personal injury claims including medical malpractice, wrongful death, auto accidents, premise liability, and defective products. He prides himself in his aggressive negotiation skills and impassioned advocacy on behalf of his clients.

Manny is a second generation Cuban-American who received his undergraduate degree at the Florida International University where he majored in Political Science. While attending F.I.U., he was nominated to the Honor Society of Pi Sigma Alpha.

He received his law degree from the University Of Miami School Of Law. While attending U.M., Manny was an active participant in multiple organizations....

Juan Lucas focuses his legal practice to representing individuals that have been injured during the course of their employment. The South Florida native graduated in 1993 from the University of Miami with a B.A. degree in International Finance and Marketing. He received his law degree in 1996 from Syracuse University College of Law. While attending law school, he was acknowledged in the Dean's List Honors, he represented Syracuse Law in National Moot Court Trial competitions, and an active member of the Latin American Law Students Association. After graduating law school, he worked for a litigation firm primarily representing the interests...

Austin D. Murray joined the firm in 2017 and concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial litigation, community association law and construction law. In the construction sector, Mr. Murray represents construction professionals such as owners, developers and design professionals on all facets of a construction project. He assists clients with the drafting and negotiation of construction contracts, and litigates construction defect disputes and other related issues. Mr. Murray also represents condominium and homeowners associations in the general representation of their communities, counseling boards of directors and property managers on the day-to-day operation of their association.

Prior to joining the firm...

I am an attorney licensed in the State of Florida. I have been an attorney for two decades and graduated with honors from St. Thomas University School of Law where I was a member of the International Moot Court Team and a Judge in the Honor Council. I was an Associate Editor of the St. Thomas Law Review and an active member of the Hispanic American Law Society (HALS). I received the Book Award for best student in a subject in Constitutional Law, International Law, Comparative Law and Torts.

Leysi Jimenez practices in the areas of Immigration, Family Law, Foreclosure, and Criminal Justice. Ms. Jimenez obtained a Bachelor of Science Magna Cum Laude in Criminal Justice at the Florida International University, and also a Juris Doctor Cum Laude at the Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center. She has been representing clients at mediation, temporary hearings, and trials. Ms. Jimenez has also managed and prepared cases, attended court hearings, and drafted motions to reopen cases. She speaks fluent Spanish.

Daniel R. Silver has been a member of the Florida Bar since October 2003. Daniel is a Partner at PraDa Law, a full-service multi-jurisdictional international law firm, where he heads up the family division of the firm. Daniel is a skilled and experienced trial attorney. Daniel diligently prepares cases to advocate for his client’s rights by blending his investigative background from his criminal law experience with his knowledge of family and marital law. He is AV-Rated. He is a member of the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, rated 10/10 on Avvo.com and has earned Avvo’s...

Nadja A. Prias is a founding partner of Casais & Prias, PLLC. She is a Miami native and is fluent in both English and Spanish. Ms. Prias is the head of the firm’s Divorce, Family and Probate Law Department and brings extensive legal experience to her practice. Ms. Prias is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator, a certified Guardian Ad Litem, has taken complex and highly contested cases to trial, and has prosecuted and defended domestic violence injunction cases. Clients can be assured, that they are working with someone who has their best interest in mind from the beginning...

Attorney Ivette Gonzalez Petkovich is a seasoned Miami criminal defense attorney, serving clients throughout the state of Florida who are indicted or charged in federal and state criminal offenses or under investigation by law enforcement or other government agencies. Born and raised in Miami, Attorney Petkovich attended the University of Miami where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She received her Juris Doctorate degree from the St. Thomas University School of Law, also in Miami. She is now a married mother of two with a private law practice in Miami-Dade. Having spent her life in South Florida, she...

Founded by Manuel Vazquez, a seasoned attorney with over 50 years of experience, Manuel Vazquez, PA, has deep roots in the South Florida legal community. Born in Havana, Cuba, Manny moved to the United States as a child refugee, sent to America by his parents to protect him from the Cuban Communist Revolution. Through hard work, honesty, and dedication, Manny developed a passion for the law, earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida in 1970. Over the decades, he has built a reputation for providing exceptional legal representation across all branches of the law. With a commitment to...

Thomas R. Spencer is an experienced lawyer and arbitrator. Spencer practices business law, international private business law, formation of businesses, contracts, litigation, representation of entities and persons before governments, internal investigations, ethics issues, and election law. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London.

Eduardo J. Valdes has been practicing in the area of general litigation, including insurance defense and commercial litigation since 2003. His practice includes general association representation, as well as construction defect litigation and insurance defense. In his association representation, he has personally handled a wide range of litigation matters, including developer transition claims, contract disputes, enforcement of declaration/bylaws/rules by injunction actions, financial mismanagement claims, directors and officers liability defense, commercial lease disputes, employment grievances, constitutional issues, assessment collection, easement disputes, and mixed use development disputes. In addition, Mr. Valdes has prepared condominium documents for associations, negotiated and documented condominium loans...

Zachary T. Smith concentrates his practice in the areas of construction law and commercial litigation. He represents owners, design professionals, developers and other construction professionals on matters involving project development, construction defects, contract drafting and negotiation, as well as dispute avoidance and resolution.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Smith worked as a law clerk at a South Florida commercial litigation firm assisting partners with tasks such as drafting and composing motions, demand letters, notice letters and complaints. He also has extensive experience in conducting legal research and providing case law analysis.

During law school, Mr. Smith was a member of the...

Marc A. Smiley concentrates his practice in the areas of community association representation, community association litigation and construction defect litigation. He provides a full range of legal services to the firm’s community association clients including, but not limited to, providing advice and guidance on general matters relating to associations, assisting with the transition of developer to unit owner control, amendment drafting and administering association elections as well as counseling associations’ boards of directors on contracts, corporate governance, covenant enforcement, resolution of disputes and issues with unit owners, developers, contractors, service providers, and other vendors. Mr. Smiley enjoys advising clients on...

Jeffrey S. Respler has been practicing in the area of commercial litigation since 1998 and has been with the firm since 2004. He is a member of the firm’s Construction Litigation Practice Group and Construction Defect Trial Practice Group. Mr. Respler practices in the areas of complex construction defect litigation and commercial litigation, and primarily includes the representation of condominium and homeowners associations and developers in the negotiation, mediation, and litigation of construction and design defect claims and related matters. His practice also includes appellate work. As lead counsel for construction defect cases, Mr. Respler has prosecuted and defended numerous...

Montesino Law is a law firm dedicated exclusively to helping businesses. It was founded by an attorney who, prior to attending law school, worked in finance and accounting roles for large publicly traded companies.

Javier A. Enriquez, a partner at Jeffrey & Enriquez, LLC, and a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator, concentrates his practice on, domestic and international, marital and family law, family law mediation, as well as civil and family appeals. Mr. Enriquez also has experience in election law, commercial litigation, and employment litigation.

A native of Miami, Mr. Enriquez graduated cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law, where he was also the Litigation Skills Program Marco A. Vasquez Scholarship recipient. Throughout his time at the University of Miami School of Law, he was the President of the Federalist...

Lindsey is a skilled and knowledgeable Real Estate, Construction and Business Law Attorney. Her practice areas include construction litigation, community association disputes and general commercial litigation matters. Lindsey represents clients such as general contractors, architects, community associations, subcontractors, real estate developers, investors, landlords and lenders in both business and real estate litigation. She is passionate about law and dedicated to diligent advocacy for her clients, both in and out of court. Lindsey earned her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Florida, Illinois, the U.S....

Carol L. Finklehoffe is a partner at Lipcon, Margulies and Winkleman, P.A. who has been practicing for 30 years in both the state and federal courts throughout Florida, California and Massachusetts. Ms. Finklehoffe is an “AV” rated trial attorney who is a certified specialist in Maritime and Admiralty law. The main concentration of her practice relates to complex personal injury, resort law, wrongful death, sexual assault and medical malpractice. Ms. Finklehoffe is also a skilled maritime lawyer who has developed an expertise in cases involving cruise ship passengers and maritime crew members on various types of commercial and private vessels. Ms....

Patrick "Pat" Wilson is an Associate Attorney at Dabdoub Law Firm – a firm dedicated to representation of individuals with long term disability claims. Pat handles long term disability claims and appeals with insurance companies, and, if necessary, represents clients in lawsuits in both state and federal courts against insurance companies. Prior to graduating cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law, Pat earned a B.A. in Political Science at the University of Florida.

Jacqueline Garcell is a senior partner and active trial attorney in maritime law for Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. She routinely handles passengers’ personal injury, sexual assault and wrongful death claims, as well as non-maritime personal injury claims. Ms. Garcell is the fastest attorney to ever make partner at the firm, having been promoted to the partner position after being with us for a decade. Ms. Garcell has helped settle hundreds of cases on behalf of both cruise ship passengers and crew members. She achieved one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in Florida in 2017 — this rare and...