As companies in general navigate ever-changing economic tides, so too must law firms large and small. Critical to charting a safe course, foreseeing change and pursuing repeated success is the experience and vision of the firm’s leadership. A key player on that team is the managing partner, whose responsibilities range from representing the firm and setting long-term growth strategies to overseeing personnel and managing operations day to day. They are leaders and they are mentors.
Florida Trend received scores of nominations for exceptional lawyers from firms across Florida — some small with one office and a dozen employees; others huge with a thousand lawyers and locations worldwide. After editorial review based on specific criteria, the following outstanding managing partners have been named to this inaugural Legal Elite NOTABLE special section. Read on to learn about each individual — their managing partner roles, their accomplishments and the firms they guide.
Stephenie Anthony
Anthony & Partners
John Arrastia, Jr.
Continental
Beatriz Azcuy
Sidley Austin
Steven Bagen
Bagen Law Accident Injury Lawyers
Irene Bassel Frick
Akerman
Nelson Bellido
Roig Lawyers
Robert Bivins
Bivins & Hemenway
Bradley Blystone
Marshall Dennehey
Michael J. Brevda
Senior Justice Law Firm
Benjamin Brown
Quarles & Brady
Bertha Burrezo
Burruezo & Burruezo
Dean Cannon
GrayRobinson
Marc Chapman
Dean Mead
Ronald A. Christaldi
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick
Jennifer B. Compton
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick
Michael Costello
Hightower, Stratton, Novigrod & Kantor
Jaret Davis
Greenberg Traurig
Paul Donnelly
Donnelly & Gross
Christopher Duke
Akerman
William Dymond
Lowndes
Susan Eisenberg
Cozen O’Connor
Heath Eskalyo
Kelley Kronenberg
Daniel Etlinger
Jennis Morse Etlinger
Micheael Fichtel
Kelley Kronenberg
Eli Franks
Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt
Manuel A. Garcia-Linares
Day Pitney
Tracy L. Gerber
Greenberg Traurig
Brian Gilchrist
Allen, Dyer, Doppelt & Gilchrist
Peter Gladstone
Gladstone & Weissman
David Goldman
Goldman Babboni Fernandez Murphy & Walsh
Jack Gordon
MANEY | GORDON Trial Lawyers
Laura Gross
Donnelly & Gross
Michael Haggard
The Haggard Law Firm
James Haliczer
Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm
Mya Hatchette
Maynard Nexsen
Scott Hawkins
Jones Foster
Donald Hayden
Mark Migdal & Hayden
Christine Howard
Fisher Phillips
Rex Hurley
HR Law
Yosbel Ibarra
Greenberg Traurig
Lee Kantor
Hightower, Stratton, Novigrod & Kantor
Neisen Kasdin
Akerman
Joshua Kaye
DLA Piper
Jay Kim
Kim Vaughan Lerner
Alan Kluger
Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine
Christopher Knight
Fowler White Burnett
Judd Koenig
Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt
John Elliot Leighton
Leighton Law
Michael Lundy
Older Lundy Koch & Martino
Damian Mallard
Mallard Perez
Steven Marks
Podhurst Orseck
Enrique Martin
Winston & Strawn
Craig Mayfield
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
Sigrid McCawley
Boies Schiller Flexner
Jack McElroy
Shutts & Bowen
Sean McQuaid
Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid
Jorge Mestre
Rivero Mestre
Leslie Miller Tomczak
Akerman
Daniel Novigrod
Hightower, Stratton, Novigrod & Kantor
Eric Ostroff
Meland Budwick
Luis Perez
Akerman
H. William Perry
Gunster
Jorge Piedra
Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton
Scott Plankey
Hightower, Stratton, Novigrod & Kantor
Michael Platner
Lewis Brisbois
Stuart Ratzan
Ratzan Weissman & Boldt
Oscar Rivera
Siegfried Rivera
Andres Rivero
Rivero Mestre
Jim Robbins
Hill Ward Henderson
William Roppolo
Baker McKenzie
Gary Rosen
Becker & Poliakoff
Ryan Scarpa
Block & Scarpa
William Scherer
Conrad & Scherer
David Simmons
de Beaubien, Simmons, Knight, Mantzaris & Neal
Steven Sonberg
Holland & Knight
Adele Stone
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Jesus Suarez
Continental
Michelle Suskauer
Dimond Kaplan & Rothstein
Marie Tomassi
Trenam Law
Bart Valdes
de Beaubien, Simmons, Knight, Mantzaris & Neal
Howard Wander
Kelley Kronenberg
David Weinstein
Greenberg Traurig
Cheryl Wilke
Lewis Brisbois
Jean Wilson
Greenberg Traurig
Randolph Wolfe
Foley & Lardner
Stephen Zack
Boies Schiller Flexner
Hope Zelinger
Bressler, Amery & Ross
Steven Zelkowitz
Taylor English Duma
Joseph Zumpano
Zumpano Patricios
Methodology: The individuals did not pay to be included. Their profiles were written from the nomination materials submitted. This list is not comprehensive. It includes only individuals for whom nominations were received and accepted after a review by editors. To qualify for the list, nominees must be in good-standing with the Florida Bar; be based in Florida; serve in a managing partner or equivalent role with a professional staff size of at least 10; have practiced at least 10 years; and have made a significant impact in their field. Nominees must also mentor other attorneys, promote inclusive practices in the workplace, and show leadership in professional organizations and civic/community service initiatives.