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 Zeller

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.