Chokoloskee Lawyers

Erica is the founder and owner of the ID Law Shop, a specialized resource for interior designers to protect their businesses and simplify their legal processes. As an attorney, she understand the importance of having legal protections in place when running an interior design business and has leveraged her expertise to develop customizable legal templates, including client contracts, personnel agreements, intellectual property protection agreements and more, all tailored specifically to the needs of interior designers. Prior to launching the ID Law Shop, Erica worked as an intellectual property, transactional and marketing law attorney. In her 16+ year practice, she has...

Mr. Resnick is a highly skilled and experienced business litigator who concentrates on complex business litigation, non-competition covenant litigation, and arbitration matters. Mr. Resnick represents businesses in cases involving breach of contract, business torts, unfair competition, and intellectual property rights. Mr. Resnick has substantial Florida state court appellate experience with Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal and federal appellate experience with the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Resnick prides himself in keeping his clients well-informed throughout all phases of litigation, from initial consultation through summary judgment, settlement or trial, and appeal, if necessary. He is admitted to...

Jose L. Becerra is an associate of The Ferraro Law Firm, P.A. After graduating from the University of Miami School of Law in 2013, he focused on complex commercial litigation and the defense of criminal prosecutions for a boutique litigation firm. Mr. Becerra was also selected to The Order of Barristers, a national honor society encouraging oral advocacy and brief writing skills. His practice areas include mesothelioma and asbestos, environmental toxic torts, wrongful death, and product liability.

I am an attorney with a focus on intellectual property (IP) and technology. Throughout my career, I have assisted a diverse range of clients including inventors, founders, artists, cultural institutions, multinational corporations, research institutions, and startups. I help them navigate the complexities that emerge at the intersection of the arts, technology, and our legal system. I have guided clients through the entire process of intellectual property matters, from the application and registration of IP rights to their licensing and enforcement. My experience also extends to negotiating a variety of complex commercial agreements related to technology and media. In addition to my...

Joshua Padowitz is a skilled and dedicated criminal defense attorney at Kenneth Padowitz, P.A., a reputable criminal defense law firm based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With a strong passion for justice, a reputation for his acute attention to detail and aggressive representation, and a commitment to protecting his clients’ rights, Joshua brings an impressive background and diverse experience to every case he handles. Joshua adds his skills, knowledge, and tenacious attitude to the firm’s collective 40+ years experience in legal practice. Joshua’s experience extends beyond his work with Kenneth Padowitz, P.A. He served as a Supreme Court Certified Legal Intern and...

Tyler represents a diverse client base across a range of industries. His counseling of businesses and individuals is backed by extensive litigation experience at the state and federal level.

Tyler focuses his practice on a variety of business-related issues, including shareholder disputes and commercial collections. Tyler is also well-versed in financial fraud matters.

Prior to establishing his own practice, Tyler worked with a well-known Miami business litigation firm. There, he participated in all aspects of numerous matters, which included multi-million dollar commercial disputes, an active creditors’ rights practice and complex administrative agency litigation.

Tyler also worked at a nationally-known securities litigation...

Jennifer Felipe is a trial attorney with extensive experience in the areas of construction and personal injury litigation.

Ms. Felipe focuses her practice on construction defect litigation and general liability matters. Ms. Felipe represents commercial and residential property owners, developers, and contractors in Fort Lauderdale and throughout South Florida in all phases of construction litigation.

She also represents Fortune 500 companies in premises liability matters and has vast experience in all areas of personal injury, including automobile accidents, slip and falls, negligent security claims and wrongful death.

She practices in both state and federal courts and is fluent in Spanish.

Edward Tapanes, Founder & Managing Partner of Tapanes Law, P.A., specializes in state and federal cases in Florida and throughout the United States. He has tried numerous jury and bench trials and has successfully handled several criminal appeals. Many of his cases involve high profile international narcotic traffickers, public corruption, organized fraud, money laundering, felonies and misdemeanors. His civil litigation experience is in commercial litigation, international business transactions, fraud, contract disputes, personal injury, insurance claims, debt collection and real estate. He also performs residential and commercial real estate closings. Tapanes graduated from Florida International University in 1999 and received his...

Susan has been practicing criminal defense for over 13 years, having tried more than 100 jury trials and handled thousands of cases, ranging from driving and drug offenses to sexual battery and homicide cases. Also, she was a member of the International Moot Court and Intercultural Human Rights Law Review. Susan has always loved to litigate and help others, using her voice, knowledge, skills, and passion to zealously advocate and make a difference in the lives of others.

David D. Gongora is an Attorney at the Law Offices of Blaxberg, Grayson & Kukoff, P.A. and concentrates his practice in the Financial Services industry in the areas of Real Estate law and Commercial Litigation. Since 2002, David earned his Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Real Estate to hone his analytical skills during his tenure as a strategic management consultant for manufacturing operations. Meanwhile, he also focused his experience and education for businesses across South Florida as a commercial real estate broker negotiating industrial Real Estate leasing and sales transactions. In 2004, David was elected as councilman for...

Otto C. de Cordoba, was born in Cuba on August 5, 1956, and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1960. He grew up in Queens, New York. He received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University in 1980 and his law degree from Columbia University in 1984. After he was admitted to the New York Bar in 1985, he worked at a prestigious law firm for several years before he decided to move to Miami, Florida. Over the greater part of fifteen years, De Cordoba has been partner at several prestigious firms where he has represented several Fortune...

Santiago J. Padilla has been practicing law since the year 1990 and has practiced in a great variety of areas. Currently, he is focusing his practice on the following areas: • Immigration Law • Real Estate Law • Commercial Transactions and Business Acquisitions • Employment Law • Commercial Litigation As mentioned, Santiago J. Padilla has been practicing law for more than two decades, much of that time spent with major U.S. law firms. He commenced practicing law in 1990 with Troutman, Sanders, Lockerman & Ashmore, one of the largest law firms in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Padilla's practice at that time focused on labor and...

Robert H. Thornburg is a Miami based registered patent attorney who assists technology start-ups, inventors, entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized companies realize the value of their ideas. Moreover, he helps identify and harness potential patentable subject matter in your business. Once identified, he creates cost-effective flat-fee arrangements to help protect and monetize your companies ideas. Robert proudly provides the following patent related legal services: * Patent application and drafting * Patent prosecution * Patent licensing * Patent enforcement and litigation * Patentability opinions and prior art searches * Patent (non) infringement opinions * Patent (in)validity opinions * Clearance...

Ryan Stumphauzer represents clients in government regulatory enforcement matters, white collar criminal litigation, internal investigations, whistleblower suits, compliance counseling, and civil litigation. Prior to founding Stumphauzer & Sloman, Mr. Stumphauzer served for six years as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of Florida, where he directed over one hundred cases involving allegations of health care fraud, mail and wire fraud, securities fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, identity theft, and violations of HIPAA and the health care anti-kickback statutes. While at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Stumphauzer served as the Deputy Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit,...

Stacy Mateu Emas is a Cuban American attorney with close ties to South Florida. Born and raised in Miami, she prides herself on being able to represent her community in their time of need. Stacy graduated with honors from Florida International University before graduating Cum Laude from the University of Miami School of Law. After law school, Stacy spent several years working as a litigator for the largest and premier defense law firm in Florida. She used that time to sharpen her litigation skills and to gain a comprehensive understanding as to how large corporations analyze and value cases. Stacy...

Manuel ‘Manny’ Serra-Jovenich has tried more than 25 jury trials in his career and handled over 1,000 cases. He fought against big banks during Florida's foreclosure crisis, protected people's constitutional rights as a Broward County Public Defender and can also represent homeowners when their insurance claims are underpaid or denied. Manny has been named to the National Trial Lawyers' Top 40 Under 40 list and was named 10 Best in Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys. Manny loves to represent a “David” against a “Goliath” and became a lawyer to use his talents to help others...

Zachary D. Margules is a Partner at the Margules Law Group, P.A. Mr. He is licensed to practice in Florida, New York, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is also licensed in the United States District Courts for the Southern District of Florida, Southern District of New York, and District of Massachusetts. Having multiple licenses allows Mr. Margules to handle complex and multistate litigation, sometimes involving disputes with multiple parties and in multiple jurisdictions. Mr. Margules is predominantly a business lawyer and commercial litigator, who also has experience as a sports and entertainment lawyer in the professional boxing and baseball...

Salvatore Polidoro regularly represents individuals in a wide variety of complex tax and estate planning matters. He focuses his practice primarily on probate, trust administration and estate planning for individuals and their families, and also counsels individuals on tax controversies such as complex tax litigation and resolution disputes. Prior to working at Ward Damon, Mr. Polidoro represented and advised clients in a broad spectrum of tax and estate matters including debt collection with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Florida Department of Revenue (FDOR). He has advised international clients on reporting requirements and other compliance matters. Mr. Polidoro received both...

Anthony E. Forte has been handling Florida Worker’s Compensation cases for 15 years, and is a member of the Worker’s Compensation section of The Florida Bar, Florida Worker’s Advocates, and the Palm Beach County Bar Association, serving on its Professionalism and Worker’s Compensation committees. Anthony is “AV” peer rated by Martindale-Hubbell for Worker’s compensation, the highest rating established for both ethics and professional practice. He was listed as a Top Rated Lawyer in South Florida by Legal Leaders Magazine, distributed by the Miami Herald, and was awarded Legal Elite Status by North American News. He is rated 10 out of...

Susan Papagikos, founder of Papagikos Law in Boca Raton, Florida, is a seasoned and fierce employment immigration attorney known for her strategic guidance and strong advocacy. She advises multinational corporations, small businesses, investors, artists and professionals across the U.S. on employment and family-based visas, green cards, and citizenship. Licensed in Florida since 2019 and admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, she represents clients before the Department of Labor, Homeland Security, and U.S. Embassies worldwide. Her clients span industries such as IT, finance, supply chain, energy, music, equestrian, and healthcare. A cum laude graduate of St. Thomas University School of Law, she holds...

Corey, a Connecticut native, grew up in South Florida and Northern Virginia where he discovered an early interest in Law.

After graduating from high school, Corey served in the U.S. Navy onboard the U.S.S Harry S. Truman CVN-75 aircraft carrier as a Machinist Mate (MM) in Reactor Propulsion Division. As an MM, Corey helped operate and maintain vital equipment in the ship's nuclear power plant. Additionally, Corey participated in Command and Reactor Department drills to maintain mission readiness during the ship's 2010 Middle East Deployment. During the deployment the Truman provided close air support to coalition forces operating in...

I am a skilled attorney from Honduras with a bachelor’s degree in law from the Universidad Autonoma of Honduras and a master’s degree in law from Penn State University (LLM). I have successfully passed the New York State Bar exam and am fluent in both English and Spanish. My practice is deeply rooted in U.S. immigration law, regulations, and policy, encompassing areas such as adjustment of status, consular processing, naturalization, and removal defense. I am proficient in handling both immigrant and non-immigrant visas and am dedicated to achieving consistent and favorable outcomes for my clients. My knowledge also extends to evaluating...

Benjamin Matthew Kurtz has been practicing in Maryland since 2016. During that time, he has successfully represented individuals and entities in a variety of cases, focusing most of his time on personal injury and criminal defense.

Personal Injury

Benjamin Kurtz successfully represents individuals who have been seriously injured. With compassion and confidence, he deftly navigates his clients through the legal maze to an outcome designed to mitigate their pain and suffering and maximize recoveries for clients in need. The fact that many of Benjamin's clients are referred to him by his former clients and other attorneys is a resounding testament...

I am Fiorella A. Gasco, a partner at Kanner & Pintaluga’s Property Damage Practice. My role involves representing homeowners and business owners in property damage and coverage disputes across the state. Before my current position, I worked as an associate attorney at a respected defense firm in South Florida. During that time, I represented insurance companies in auto-accidents and premise liability cases, and I have several years of experience in first party disputes on behalf of insurance carriers. I leverage this background to secure maximum recovery for the policyholders I now represent. I earned a B.A. in Political Science and a...

Jonathan is an AV Rated civil trial attorney whose practice is dedicated to representing a wide range of clients in disputes before state and federal courts as well as in alternative dispute forums. Jonathan left a large, international law firm so that he could provide personal attention and the highest quality of legal services to his clients. In his practice, Jonathan represents individuals in civil litigation and construction litigation. In addition to his litigation practice, Jonathan is both a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator and a Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator, where is serves as a neutral in...

Ruben E. Socarras, Esq., a founding member of Chane Socarras, PLLC, focuses his practice in the areas of Complex Commercial Litigation, Business Law & Litigation, Employment Law & Litigation, Construction & Real Estate Litigation & general civil litigation. As an experienced litigator, Ruben often represents individuals and businesses in a variety of cases before state & federal courts, including cases involving contract disputes, temporary/permanent injunctions, torts, trade secrets, unfair competition, non-competition/non-solicitation agreements, fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, employment related disputes, real estate and title claims, business dissolution, and shareholder/member disputes. Ruben also represents his clients before arbitration panels and in mediations,...

Corey Leifer was born in Queens, New York and grew up on Long Island, New York. He attended college at the University of South Florida (“USF”) in Tampa, Florida, where he received a degree in Criminal Justice. Mr. Leifer was a member of the Dean’s List at USF and was the recipient of the prestigious Honors Convocation Award during his senior year. He earned his law degree at Thomas Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. Mr. Leifer began his legal career as a Prosecutor at the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, where he served as lead counsel in...

Eugenia P. Ferrero is an associate at Sanders Law Group and a member of the firm’s Copyright Infringement team. During her career as an attorney and communication professional, she advocated for a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, minority-owned businesses as well as academic institutions. While providing legal counsel, Ms. Ferrero has worked on a wide range of cases including commercial transactions and civil litigation. Her career is now focused on copyright infringement while continuing to be a staunch advocate for her clients, and fostering an environment of inclusivity. Ms. Ferrero not only earned her law degree from the...