Notable Experience, Verdicts and Published Opinions

Miami-Dade County School Board. Chabad Chayil, Inc. v. The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida (S.D. Fla., Jan. 22, 2021) Secured the dismissal, with prejudice, of a Federal Civil Rights claim alleging religious discrimination and violations of due process and equal protection against the Also secured affirmance of the dismissal on appeal (11th Cir.), September 8, 2022.

Deauville Hotel Property, LLC v. Trane U.S. Inc., (Miami-Dade Circuit Court, July 28, 2022) Secured a defense verdict in a lawsuit seeking over $200 Million in damages after a three week bench trial. Plaintiff alleged that our client caused an electrical fire that caused its property – the historic Deauville Hotel on Miami Beach – to go out of business. 

Herrick v. Florida International University Board of Trustees, (Miami-Dade Circuit Court, Aug. 10, 20) Secured the voluntarily dismissal, with prejudice, of a premises liability claim against FIU, where the Plaintiff was claiming substantial damages due to a traumatic brain injury. The Plaintiff agreed to dismiss the case, rather than proceed with a hearing on FIU’s motion for summary judgment. 

Ham v. Acosta, No. 20-81071 (S.D. Fla., May 17, 2022) Obtained order dismissing Prisoner Federal Civil Rights case with prejudice for failure to exhaust administrative remedies.

Donald Berdeaux and Christine Grablis v. Onecoin, Ltd., et al., (S.D. New York, Sept. 20, 2021) Secured the dismissal on behalf of an individual Florida Defendant of a Class Action lawsuit alleging Federal Securities violations and State law claims for aiding and abetting, fraud and other torts related to an alleged Ponzi scheme that masqueraded as a cryptocurrency. Plaintiffs were seeking over $3 Billion in damages. 

Paez v. Mulvey, 915 F.3d 1276 (11th Cir. 2019) Secured the reversal of a District Court Order denying qualified immunity to an Agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, in a case involving allegations of a fraudulently obtained warrant).

Harris v. G.K., 187 So.3d 871 (Fla. 3d DCA 2016) Represented the Florida Dept. of Children and Families in several lawsuits filed against it following the murder of a former foster child, as well as the related Criminal Capital proceedings brought against her parents, the dependency proceedings involving her surviving siblings and related Federal Court proceedings against the DCF’s contractors, including this appeal, which secured the reversal of the trial court’s order denying qualified immunity to all but one case worker, and recognizing the DCF’s lack of a constitutional duty to protect adopted children.

Downs v. City of Miami Beach, et al., 13 So. 3d 1064 (Fla. 3d DCA 2009) (secured a per curiam affirmance of a summary judgment in favor of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in a case where the Plaintiff was rendered quadriplegic, after an accident in the waters off Miami Beach)

Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles v Saleme,963 So. 2d 969 (Fla. 3d DCA 2007) (secured the reversal of a jury verdict, after a bi-furcated trial, in a case involving a rear-end collision between a motorcyclist and an FHP patrol car).

Italcambio, Casa DE Cambio, C.A. v. Bank of Am., N.A., No. 07-23343-CIV-GOLD/MCALILEY (S.D. Fla. 2007). Represented an international logistics company against a Third Party Complaint filed by Bank of America in a case involving allegations that it was responsible for the seizure by the Venezuelan Government of a shipment of $5 Million in U.S. Dollars that was supposed to be delivered to the Plaintiff in Caracas Venezuela.

Amador v. Perello, Case No. 99-650-Civ-Middlebrooks, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22115 (S.D. Fla. Aug. 21, 2000) (secured a summary judgment in favor of a state employee in a suit by a co-worker alleging civil rights violations and retaliation claims which was then affirmed on appeal by the 11^th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals).

Arch Specialty Ins. Co. v. Axis Underwriters, Inc., 70 So. 3d 594 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011) (secured the affirmance of a trial court order determining that the insurer had breached its duty to defend its insured)

Anderson v. City of North Port, Florida, et al. (M.D. Fla., September 18, 2019) Secured the dismissal, with prejudice, of a Federal Civil Rights Claim against the City of North Port and others alleging violations of due process, equal protection and First Amendment rights. 

Education Resources Institute, Inc. v. Rickard, 924 So. 2d 40 (Fla. 3d DCA 2006) (secured the affirmance of a dismissal of a creditor’s claim on res judicata grounds, where the creditor pursued the identical claim in a previous Bankruptcy case, but failed to obtain a judgment in that proceeding after trial).

GuideOne Elite Ins. Co. v. Old Cutler Presb. Church, Inc., 420 F.3d 1317 (11th Cir., 2005) (secure the reversal of the Trial Court’s Declaratory Judgment, determining that a Church lacked coverage for a negligent security claim involving the abduction and rape of one its members by a third party assailant).

Huffman v. Braswell, 764 So. 2d 617 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999) (secured the affirmance of the dismissal of a state prisoner’s Section 1983 claim, and persuaded the Appellate Court to clarify Florida Law by expressly acknowledging that its prior precedent on the issue had been invalidated by a subsequent U.S. Supreme Court case).