Aventura Personal Injury Lawyers

Mr. Halvorson is a Shareholder and Partner of the firm. He is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in the areas of Personal Injury and Wrongful Death and has successfully prosecuted numerous high profile cases. His practice is devoted 100% to litigation and he has specialized in the areas of motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, personal injury, products liability and wrongful death since 1977.

Mr. Weisser is a Partner and Shareholder of the firm. He has practiced law in South Florida since 1996. He began his professional career as Assistant State Attorney in Miami, Florida, prosecuting an extensive felony criminal caseload and tried forty jury trials with only 3 resulting in acquittals. Subsequently, he has been actively involved in Civil Trial Litigation handling all phases of civil cases involving Medical Malpractice, Motorcycle Accidents, Nursing Home Abuse, Trucking Accidents, Products Liability and Motor Vehicle Accidents. Mr. Weisser has handled cases that have generated over $50 million from jury verdicts or settlements...

Florida personal injury and commercial litigation attorney Mariano Garcia has been practicing in West Palm Beach since 1994. AV-rated from Martindale-Hubbell and a member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Mr. Garcia has been with Searcy Denney since 2011 as a bilingual lawyer with long-standing commitment to representing the Latino community.

ELISE SHERR ALLISON joined Searcy Denney in 2019 after clerking for The Honorable Jose E. Martinez, United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of Florida, and then working with a complex commercial litigation and personal injury firm in Miami. At Searcy Denney, she represents clients in personal injury and wrongful death cases resulting from medical malpractice, defective products, motor vehicle accidents and unsafe premises.

JORDAN A. DULCIE began his legal career in medical malpractice defense at a boutique firm in Palm Beach Gardens, followed by broader civil litigation practice at a larger civil defense firm in Florida. His practice areas include not only medical malpractice, but automotive accidents and nursing home and assisted living cases. In 2019, 2020 and 2021 he was selected by Palm Beach Illustrated magazine as a top lawyer in the area of medical malpractice, and Florida Super Lawyers Magazine lists him as a 2021 “Rising Star.” As an attorney with Searcy Denney, Mr. Dulcie shares the firm’s...

William E. Johnson is a highly successful civil trial lawyer who began practicing in his native West Palm Beach in 1983. He is the third generation of his family to practice law in West Palm Beach. Mr. Johnson's grandfather was one of the early pioneers of West Palm Beach. His father, Thomas H. Johnson, was a long time circuit court judge in Palm Beach County, who also served in the Florida Senate and as the State Attorney for Palm Beach County. Mr. Johnson is a graduate of Florida State University, where he received his B.A. degree in 1980. He...

MATTHEW K. SCHWENCKE began his legal practice as a defense attorney, where he gained experience in all facets of civil litigation. Defending hospitals and healthcare providers against multi-million dollar claims has given him insight into defense strategies and tactics, especially in medical malpractice litigation. Mr. Schwencke earned his law degree from Stetson University College of Law, where he was a member of Stetsons award-winning Moot Court Board. While in law school, he served as intern to a federal magistrate judge, and prosecuted misdemeanor criminal offenses as a Certified Legal Intern for the Pinellas County State Attorney’s office. As an undergraduate,...

Florida personal injury lawyer Christopher Speed joined Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA as a Shareholder in 1994 after representing plaintiffs in Virginia for 20 years. He has spent his entire career pursuing justice for victims of personal injury, medical and legal negligence, aviation accidents and defective products.

DAVID P. VITALE, JR. is an experienced trial attorney who has litigated cases throughout the state of Florida. Mr. Vitale was recently recognized for his achievements by The National Trial Lawyers, as a Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff attorney in Florida. In addition to pursing personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice claims on behalf of injured victims, Mr. Vitale also handles complex commercial and business litigation matters. As a result of his prior career as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York, Mr. Vitale has a unique business perspective in developing strategies that are efficient, effective,...

Trial attorney focused on wrongful death, automobile negligence, medical malpractice, products liability, and premises liability.

BORIS ZHADANOVSKIY brings to the Searcy Denney team not only a law degree, but an undergraduate degree in business administration and fluency in both English and Russian. He draws upon his experience in complex insurance litigation to make sure that insurance companies keep their promises to policyholders who have been harmed.

James S. Cunha, Esq. is the Managing Attorney at the Law Offices of James S. Cunha, P.A. Mr. Cunha primarily focuses his practice on family and marital law. As a result of his background in Finance and Economics, Mr. Cunha has become a highly sought-after divorce and family law attorney in South Florida particularly in complex or high asset divorce cases involving asset valuation and alimony issues. Since the inception of his firm, Mr. Cunha has represented corporate executive officers, professional athletes, business owners, medical, legal and financial professionals, homemakers, working men and women–(or their spouses)–in divorce cases,...

Edward J. Welch is the founder of Welch Law, PLLC. Mr. Welch is highly regarded among his peers in the legal community of South Florida. His highly aggressive yet sensible approach to civil litigation routinely yields successful outcomes for his new and returning clients.

Recognized for Superlative Results and Service as a Business Litigation Attorney
Among his achievements, Mr. Welch has been named by Super Lawyers Magazine as a “Rising Star” in Business Litigation. Super Lawyers’ “Rising Star,” a peer–designated honor, is bestowed upon only the top 2.5% of lawyers practicing in Florida. In addition, Mr. Welch has been awarded the Silver...

Matthew Konecky is an experienced criminal defense attorney and personal injury attorney originally from the Moline, Illinois area. Matthew founded his private practice – the Law Offices of Matthew Konecky, P.A. – in 2004. Focusing on the individual, the Law Offices of Matthew Konecky, P.A. specializes in Personal Injury matters and Criminal Defense cases. Since 2002, Matthew has handled thousands of cases involving complex litigation issues as well as simple dispute resolutions. In 2008, he opened a second office in Palm Beach County to expand North in the South Florida Region.

Michael “Mike” Celeste, Jr. was born and raised in Milford, Mass. He received his B.A. in American Studies at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut in 1975, where he also played varsity football and lacrosse – with Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots. Mike graduated with honors from Nova Law School in 1986, where he was the president of the student chapter of ATLA (American Trial Lawyers Association) and represented Nova Law in the Southern Regional Mock Trial Competitions. While attending Nova Law, Mike was the recipient of the first Krupnick & Campbell, P.A. award, which was...

MARA RITCHIE PONCY HATFIELD, who holds dual degrees in environmental law, began consulting with Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley on issues related to environmental and entertainment law in 2006 before becoming an associate with the firm in 2012. Since then, she has assisted the firm’s clients in obtaining recoveries for injuries arising out of environmental contamination, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, catastrophic automobile crashes, defective products and premises liability (including but not limited to slip and falls). She continues to work on intellectual property and consumer-based class action lawsuits as well.

ADAM HECHT, a veteran of more than 75 felony and misdemeanor jury trials as an Assistant State Attorney, now works with Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. handling medical malpractice, personal injury, wrongful death and products liability cases.

KAREN E. TERRY is a shareholder at Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley in West Palm Beach, and has been with the firm for 14 years. She recently received the highest honor of being chosen by the Daily Business Review as the "Most Effective Lawyer" in the State of Florida for products liability, along with Chris Searcy. She also was selected as one of The Best Lawyers in America. Ms. Terry has tried many big cases, but in August of 2007, Ms. Terry received a jury verdict of over 25 million dollars in Polk County, Florida against Walgreens for misfilling...

Alexander L. Kaplan, Esq., graduated St. John's Law School in 1974. He then worked for Harry H. Lipsig, the foremost trial lawyer in New York City at the time. During the 1970's and early 1980's, he represented numerous Fire, Police and Sanitation employees injured or killed in the line of duty and their families. During that same period, he was instrumental in the formation of the Fire Alarm Dispatchers Benevolent Association (Fire Union) as well as representing the Fire Marshals Union of the FDNY. It is safe to say that he was involved in one form...

Mr. Doner was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1983 and has garnered a long list of professional accolades and accomplishments throughout his career, including having been admitted entry into the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Adam is a Partner at the law offices of Gordon & Doner and provides a comprehensive range of both experience and knowledge to our firm.

Kristen is an associate attorney at Zweben Law Group located in Stuart, Florida. Kristen's practice focuses on family law cases, including divorces, paternity, child support, domestic violence injunctions, and prenuptial agreements, as well as personal injury and wrongful death cases. In addition to practicing law, Kristen takes great pride in being an active member in the community. Kristen's community involvement includes the Martin County Bar Association; the Treasure Coast Justice Association; Palm City Chamber of Commerce; Martin County/Stuart Chamber of Commerce; Florida Association of Women Lawyers, Stuart Chapter; United Way of Martin County, Leaders United; and volunteering at Caring...

Gene is the managing partner of Zweben Law Group located in Stuart, Florida. Gene's practice focuses on litigating plaintiff's cases throughout the State of Florida and has significant experience in: personal injury, medical malpractice, premises liability, wrongful death, Americans with Disabilities Act litigation, family law and general civil cases. Zweben Law Group is dedicated to helping injured people receive the compensation they deserve. Our team of professionals is committed to providing exceptional service with personal attention.

Richard K. Slinkman is the managing partner in the law firm of Slinkman & Slinkman, P.A. Rich is a board certified civil trial attorney by the Florida Bar and is AV rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, which is the top rating an attorney can receive from his peers and judges. Rich is in his 20th year of practicing law in Palm Beach County. Since being admitted to practice law, Rich has focused his practice on representing injured persons and their families in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, products liability, and wrongful death. Rich...

I'm passionate and dedicated to the things I care about in life - my career, my family, art, music, and culture - and that passion is what drives me to serve my clients to the fullest extent of my human abilities, every day. I live to see my clients find some closure and relief when I settle or successfully litigate their personal injury case to terms that exceed their expectations. It's a feeling of pride that I cannot duplicate outside of my profession as a personal injury attorney. As a former medical malpractice defense attorney, I know the ins-and-outs of...

Starting his legal career as Certified Legal Intern in the Miami-Dade State Attorney's office, Dan eventually took a position at a civil defense firm, where he represented corporate entities. Dan began representing victims who had suffered injuries when he joined Lytal, Reiter, Clark, Fountain & Williams, LLP. He later became an associate at Zele Huber Trial Attorneys, P.A where he honed his skills in representing injured parties all over the state of Florida. As recognition for his hard work, Dan has been selected as a Florida Super Lawyer; Legal Elite Up & Comer; a Top 40 under 40; and...

Katherine (Kate) Clark joined the Law Office of Joshua W. Deckard in August of 2017. Ms. Clark was born and raised in Middlefield, Connecticut.

Ms. Clark attended Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, and she also spent one semester studying abroad in Florence, Italy. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. While Ms. Clark pursued her Bachelor’s degree, she also received her paralegal certification, which piqued her interest in the study of law.

Upon her graduation from Marist College, Ms. Clark attended Quinnipiac University School of Law in North Haven, Connecticut. She graduated Cum Laude, and she also...

David Lacesa completed his law degree from Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad Law Center and has been practicing law for more than 15 years. He focuses his practice exclusively on prosecuting slip & fall claims and other premises liability accidents. Mr. Lacesa is an experienced and dedicated attorney who is well-versed in the law and aggressive when fighting for compensation on behalf of his clients. He is not afraid to challenge large corporations, big businesses, and intimidating insurance companies, and has secured millions of dollars in recoveries for clients. Mr. Lacesa is the one to call when you fall.

Ron D. Herman is a practicing attorney in West Palm Beach, devoted to the field of criminal defense. He is a former prosecutor, which allows him to maintain a thorough understanding of the entire criminal justice system. In addition to criminal defense, Attorney Herman offers effective counsel for individuals facing personal injury and business litigation matters. Regardless of what specific situation you’re involved in, you can trust that you’ll be in good hands by retaining Mr. Herman’s representation. To learn more about the services offered by Attorney Herman, contact the firm, Herman Law, P.A., today.

Andrew J. Boloy, Esq. is an Associate at Pike & Lustig, LLP..
Andrew focuses his practice on Business Litigation, Intellectual Property Law, and Personal Injury.

He received his Juris Doctor from Nova Southeastern Shepard Broad College of Law in May 2018 and a Bachelor’s Degree from Florida Atlantic University in December 2013 graduating with a major in Political Science. While attending Florida Atlantic University, Andrew interned for the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel in Fort Pierce, Florida where he assisted the defense in a high profile capitol murder trial. Prior to law school, he worked in...

egan working for Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA in 1994, and works primarily with James W. Gustafson and T. Hardee Bass on tobacco litigation, overseeing and litigating the firm’s more than 500 cases. Previously, she has worked on products liability, catastrophic automobile accident, personal injury and commercial litigation cases.