For many decades, there has been a standard definition of an elite managing partner. Sure, through the years a more common term may have been “distinguished senior attorney,” but the traditional characteristics have remained the same: well-respected, influential leader, top professional, strong manager of a firm’s operations and strategic direction, wise litigator, effective negotiator and highly ranked among peers.
The description certainly still fits today.Yet something else has emerged: the human elements of leadership style and approach, along with caring, compassion and a willingness to go above and beyond to make a difference both in the office and throughout the community. Those qualities are often what distinguish and elevate attorneys to elite status.
Florida offers plenty of examples of elite leadership traits. Florida has the fastest-growing lawyer population, according to recent data from the American Bar Association. In the past decade, the number of active resident lawyers has grown by approximately 17%, ranking Florida fourth among states in lawyer population. The Florida Bar counts more than 115,000 members statewide.
Does quality accompany that growth? The profiles below offer ample evidence that it does.
Kurt E. Alexander
Alexander Trial Law
Brett M. Amron
Bast Amron
Jaime Austrich
Shumaker
Beatriz Azcuy
Sidley Austin
Sashi C. Bach
Boies Schiller Flexner
Peter M. Bernhardt
McDonald Hopkins
Mitchell A. Bierman
Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman
Jarrett Blakeley
Blakeley Law Firm
Patrick M. Boland
Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo, Cohen & Peterfriend
Rebecca Bratter
Greenspoon Marder
Robin I. Bresky
Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas
Amanda B. Buffinton
Shutts & Bowen
Eve A. Cann
Baker Donelson
Dean Cannon
GrayRobinson
Nelson T. Castellano
Trenam Law
Matthew R. Chait
Shutts & Bowen
Marc D. Chapman
Dean Mead
Michael D. Chiumento III
Chiumento Law
Jamie A. Cole
Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman
Richard P. Cole
Cole, Scott & Kissane
Jennifer B. Compton
Shumaker
Michael A. Costello
Hightower, Stratton, Novigrod, Costello, Uzzi & Kantor
Kevin J. Cross
Lippes Mathias
Jaret L. Davis
Greenberg Traurig
John J. Delionado
Hunton Andrews Kurth
Aliette DelPozo Rodz
Shutts & Bowen
Christine L. Derr
Harris, Hunt & Derr
Joshua O. Dorcey
The Dorcey Law Firm
Albert E. Dotson Jr.
Bilzin Sumberg
Chuck Farah
Farah & Farah
Timothy J. Ferguson
Foley Mansfield
Amanda L. Fernandez
Rivero Mestre
Eli A. Franks
Franks Koenig & Neuwelt
Jonathan E. Freidin
Freidin Brown
Robert M. Fulton
Hill Ward Henderson
Amy E. Furness
Carlton Fields
Brad A. Galbraith
Galbraith Weatherbie Law
Manuel A. Garcia-Linares
Day Pitney
Tracy L. Gerber
Greenberg Traurig
Benjamin J. Gibson
Shutts & Bowen
Brian R. Gilchrist
Allen, Dyer, Doppelt, and Gilchrist
Michael J. Glazer
Ausley McMullen
Oscar A. Gomez
EPGD Business Law
Robert J. Grammig
Holland & Knight
Ashly Mae Guernaccini
At Cause Law Office
Anthony P. Guettler
Gould Cooksey Fennell
Jordi Guso
Berger Singerman
Nancy Hutcheson Harris
Harris, Hunt & Derr
Allison Chittem Hartnett
Walton Lantaff Schroeder & Carson
Scott G. Hawkins
Jones Foster
Christine E. Howard
Fisher Phillips
E. Holland “Holly” Howanitz
Tyson & Mendes
Joseph D. Hunt
Harris, Hunt & Derr
JoLinda L. Herring
Bryant Miller Olive
Gary Hunter
Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky & Josefiak
Yosbel A. Ibarra
Greenberg Traurig
George F. Indest III
The Health Law Firm
Philippe Jeck
Jeck Harris
Lee A. Kantor
Hightower, Stratton, Novigrod, Costello, Uzzi & Kantor
F. Damon Kitchen
Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete
Alan J. Kluger
Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine
Christopher E. Knight
Fowler White Burnett
Judd P. Koenig
Franks Koenig & Neuwelt
Jay Koenigsberg
Carlton Fields
Brian LaBovick
LaBovick Law Group
Esther Uría LaBovick
LaBovick Law Group
James Lee
Boies Schiller Flexner
Robert Q. Lee
Brennan, Manna & Diamond
Gregory J. Lesak Jr.
Lesak, Hamilton, Calhoun & Pontieri
Jeffrey P. Lieser
Lieser Skaff
William R. “Bill”
Lowman Jr.
Shuffield, Lowman & Wilson
Dana Panza Macdonald
Panza Maurer
Jerry M. Markowitz
Markowitz Ringel Trusty + Hartog
Steven C. Marks
Podhurst Orseck
Enrique J. Martin
Winston Taylor
Joaquin E. Martinez
Lowndes
Sigrid S. McCawley
Boies Schiller Flexner
Jack C. McElroy
Shutts & Bowen
William H. Mitchem
Phelps Dunbar
Karen M. Montas
Montas Turner
Dennis W. Moore
Florida Guardian ad Litem Office
Ellen S. Morris
Cozen O’Connor
Don H. Nguyen
DHN Attorneys
Daniel M. Novigrod
Hightower, Stratton, Novigrod, Costello, Uzzi & Kantor
Jennifer Olmedo-Rodriguez
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Joseph Osborne
Osborne, Francis & Pettis
Eric Ostroff
Meland Budwick
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H. William Perry
Gunster
Jonathan M. Perry
Greenberg Traurig
Jorge L. Piedra
Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton
Jan W. Pitchford
Shumaker
Keith Poliakoff
Government Law Group
Jason J. Quintero
Carlton Fields
Stuart N. Ratzan
Ratzan Weissman & Boldt
Mindi M. Richter
Shumaker
Oscar R. Rivera
Siegfried Rivera
Alan B. Rose
Taft
Gary C. Rosen
Becker & Poliakoff
Trevor Ross
Fisher Tousey Leas & Ball
Gary L. Sasso
Carlton Fields
Moisés Saltiel
Saltiel Law Group
Brenda J. Schamy
DiSchino & Schamy
William R. Scherer Jr.
Conrad & Scherer Trial Lawyers
Michael P. Schuette
Cantrell Schuette
Jill S. Schwartz
Jill S. Schwartz & Associates
Katherine C. Scott
Harris, Hunt & Derr
Jordan A. Shaw
Shaw Lewenz
John K. Shubin
Shubin Law Group
Stuart H. Singer
Boies Schiller Flexner
Ghada Skaff
Lieser Skaff
Andrea Pleimling Smith
Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice, Purtz, Smith & Smith
Christopher J. Smith
Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice, Purtz, Smith & Smith
Shannon Snedaker
Snedaker Law
Raymond A. Traendly
TK Law
Steven W. Vazquez
Foley & Lardner
David B. Weinstein
Greenberg Traurig
J. Everett Wilson
Polsinelli
Joshua A. Woolsey
Woolsey Morcom
Andrew B. Yaffa
Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen
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, 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 be mentors, promote positive workplace practices and show leadership in professional organizations and civic/community service initiatives.