Miami Lawyers

We are O’Brien Hatfield, PA, a criminal defense law firm with offices in Tampa, Orlando, and Miami. I am a partner. My law firm consists of five lawyers, four legal assistants, two private investigators, one mitigation specialist, and numerous third party experts. We have three divisions in our firm: federal criminal defense, state criminal defense, and appellate criminal defense. I am in charge of the appellate division. A good criminal appellate attorney should possess a combination of legal knowledge, research and writing skills, attention to detail, oral advocacy abilities, persistence, dedication, strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, preparation and deadline management, teamwork,...

We are a law firm of aggressive and experienced advocates focusing on complex civil litigation, government regulatory enforcement matters, internal investigations, receiverships, whistleblower representation and white collar criminal defense. Whether it is assisting a whistleblower to report fraud and collect a reward, advising a corporation managing an allegation of wrongdoing, defending an executive accused of fraud, or recovering assets on behalf of fraud victims, our attorneys can help.

Aleksey Shtivelman is a partner in the Miami office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where he is a member of the International Dispute Resolution Practice Group.

Originally from Odessa, Ukraine, Aleksey moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1994 and received his law degree from Boston University in 2012. As a native Russian speaker and fluent in Spanish, Aleksey has successfully resolved high-stakes legal disputes representing foreign and domestic clients doing business in many jurisdictions, including Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Aleksey’s practice includes advising clients in connection with foreign and domestic disputes, including power generation, aviation, and energy industries. Aleksey has...

JAMES A. GALE is a founding member of the firm. He is a registered patent attorney who focuses on matters particular to intellectual property counseling and litigation. Mr. Gale has represented clients in cases involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, unfair competition, covenants not to compete, theft of trade secrets and internet disputes. He has appeared in over 260 federal cases in more than 48 Federal District Courts, as well as handled hundreds of injunctions in over 35 different states around the nation. Mr. Gale’s work and work ethics have always told a lot about his character. An accomplished intellectual property...

University of Miami School Law, Miami, Florida J.D. - 2017 Honors: magna cum laude Honors: Litigation Skills I, Litigation Skills II, and Alternate Dispute Resolution Honors: Excellence Award in Professional Responsibility Honors: Charles C. Papy Moot Court Board, Member Honors: Presidential Advisory Board, Member Honors: Best Oralist. Mr. Braunstein Honors: Best Student Casenote Award Honors: Order of Barristers PRACTICE AREAS: Franchise Law Civil Litigation Complex Commercial Litigation GIVING BACK: • Coach/Mentor: University of Miami School of Law, Trial Team and Moot Court Board • Coach/Mentor: University of Miami, Mock Trial Team • Pro-Bono Cases, various confidential

I was born in Maryland and moved to Florida in 1996. I attended Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton and UF in Gainesville. I am married and have a son. My wife is from Barranquilla and is able to communicate with clients in Spanish.

Andrea A. Willis, Esq. is a top-rated business attorney licensed in Florida and New York, known for delivering high-impact legal counsel to entrepreneurs, startups, and established companies. With a proven track record in contract negotiation, mergers and acquisitions, and business structuring, Andrea has successfully closed over 100 M&A transactions, with deals spanning from small businesses to multi-million dollar corporations. As a trusted mergers and acquisitions lawyer and corporate counsel, Andrea combines legal strategy with practical business insight. She frequently acts as a legal advisor and mentor to her clients—helping them minimize risk, maximize value, and scale sustainably. Her approach is...

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....

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...

Paul Petruzzi is a 23 year veteran criminal defense attorney with a boutique criminal defense lawfirm based in downtown Miami.

Criminal Defense, Family Law, Business Litigation DUI/DWI Defense/ Divorce / Domestic Violence Injunctions / Contract Litigation

Over a span of fifteen years, Jennifer Newton has served as a trusted advisor to clients and businesses of all types, ranging from burgeoning startups to established multinational corporations. Her expertise in navigating the complex regulatory landscapes of various industries has made her an invaluable asset to those seeking to enhance their legal, compliance, governance, and risk management strategies. Jennifer's ability to tailor her advice to the unique needs of each business, coupled with her deep understanding of both domestic and international regulatory environments, underscores her role as a pivotal figure in the field of regulatory compliance and risk management. But...

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.

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.

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...

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.

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...

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...

Brandon Stein is a Florida based trial attorney born in Queens, New York, and was raised in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Being the son of an accountant that owns a large firm in New Jersey, owning and operating a business is something that was engrained within Brandon Stein from a very young age.

As owner and founder of SteinLaw, Brandon Stein focuses his practice on personal injury, wrongful death, car accident and slip and fall litigation, as well as a variety of other civil litigation areas. While SteinLaw is based out of Florida, Attorney Stein handles cases all around the country.

Being...

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.

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...

Roberto C. Blanch has been a member of Siegfried Rivera since 2001 and concentrates his practice in community association law. He represents condominium and homeowners associations throughout Florida, handling a broad range of legal issues pertaining to the operation and management of community associations. Mr. Blanch handles all aspects of community association law including, but not limited to, covenant enforcement, interpretation of governing documents, vendor contract negotiation and drafting, amending governing documents, preparing for and attending board and membership meetings, elections and recalls, collections, fair housing issues, and insurance claims. He also assists associations who are undertaking the turnover process,...

Gregory E. Gudin is the Principal and Managing Partner of The Buckeye Law Group. He is responsible for the firm’s personal injury practice throughout Ohio. Greg has extensive litigation experience and has been involved in personal injury litigation since 2005. He has obtained numerous jury verdicts in favor of his clients, performed hundreds of depositions, litigated thousands of injury lawsuits, and has collected millions of dollars on behalf of his clients. Greg has dedicated his practice to the representation of those injured by the neglect of others, including wrongful death, medical malpractice, product liability, workers compensation, motor vehicle accidents, slip...

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...

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,...

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...

I was born and raised in Miami, Florida to a Nicaraguan mother and Dominican father. I graduated summa cum laude from Florida State University with a major in International Relations with a concentration in Political Science and minors in both Psychology and Economics. I then graduated from Fordham Law School in New York, where I represented clients detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba through Fordham's International Justice Clinic and served as secretary of the Latin American Law Student Association. Upon graduating from law school, I practiced law in New York for several years defending pharmaceutical and insurance companies. Although I found...