2015 Legal Elite Awards

Legalelite The CorporateAmerica

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Best for Real Estate - Florida Corporate America Magazine selected Association Law Group, P.L as ‘Best for Real Estate – Florida’ in the 2015 Legal Elite Awards. The awards recognize the most well respected lawyers, attorneys and firms in the industry, highlighting the game changing work, stellar customer service and amazing results that they have achieved. They were recognized for their innovation and excellence in the real estate industry. www.corporateamerica-news.com

Best Expert Witness Search Firm

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Welcome to...

CorporateAmerica’s

2015 Legal Elite Awards Throughout all 50 states, businesses, organizations and individuals are adapting to the ever-evolving developments and continuously changing demands of the legal industry.

Spanning a diverse range of practices, the prestigious Legal Elite Awards honor the lawyers, attorneys and firms making their mark in the industry and setting the standard for their peers and competitors. Every day and in almost every area of business, people and firms are reliant on the experience and expertise of those in the legal profession, and these awards turn the spotlight on the dedicated specialists working behind the scenes and leaving no stone unturned as they strive to achieve the best possible outcome for all parties.

When it came to handing out these awards, number of votes received was not the only deciding factor, nor did firms under consideration need a billion-dollar budget to succeed.

Instead, every single one of our award winners has been determined through a process of rigorous and in-depth research, which took into account votes received and submitted supporting evidence, coupled with our own in-house expert analysis.

A multifaceted program, the awards have been focused on rewarding excellence across all areas of the legal profession; whether it’s the fast-paced world of corporate law, real estate, bankruptcy matters, personal injury claims, family disputes or criminal allegations. All sectors and industries have been closely scrutinized to ensure that only the most deserving were named recipients of one of these prestigious awards.

So to find out more about these distinguished professionals and the secrets behind their success, read on...

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Leadership excellence in a complex world is undoubtedly challenging. Today’s excellent leader and/or manager must master a set of moral and ethical, philosophies, principles and values that can serve as the bedrock to all their actions. The consistent application and teaching of these philosophies, principles and values is the only way to guarantee lasting success. The Leadership Mastery™ Program delivers just such a set of moral and ethical, philosophies, principles and values.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Contents Association Law Group, P.L - Best for Real Estate - Florida Page 6 Immigration Solutions LLC - Best for Immigration Law – Massachusetts Page 14 CARLIN & BUCHSBAUM, LLP - Best Employee Rights Firm - California Page 18 Glen Lerner Injury Attorneys - Best Personal Injury Law Firm - Nevada Page 20 Clifton H. Gorenflo, Esquire - Best Alimony Attorney – Florida Page 22 Hartman-Imbriale, LLP - Best for Premises Liability – Georgia Page 24 Law Office of Jay Cohen, P.A. - Best for Plaintiff Personal Injury - South Florida Page 26 Murphy Rosen - Best for Anti-SLAPP Motions Page 28 Adli Law Group - Best for Patent Litigation – California Page 30 Baker Donelson- Charles L. Ruffin - Best for Condemnation Law - Georgia Page 31 Benitez Law Group - Best Civil Law Firm 2015 - Florida & Most Client Focused Real Estate Lawyer - Florida Page 32 Cox, Wootton, Lerner, Griffin & Hansen LLP - Best Maritime Law Firm - California Page 33 Dolman Law - Leading Specialist in Brain Injury Cases - Florida Page 34 Douglas & London, P.C. - Most Trusted Personal Injury - New York Page 35 Elefterakis, Elefterakis & Panek - Full Service Law Firm of the Year Page 36 Flagel & Papakirk - Best Full Service Business Law Firm - Ohio Page 37 Glazier & Glazier - Best for SME Corporate Advisory - Florida Page 38 Gloor Law Group, LLC - Construction Litigator of the Year - Illinois Page 39 Harke Clasby & Bushman LLP - Best Multi-State Commercial Litigator Page 40 Hoover Slovacek LLP - Best for Financial Restructuring & Best in Business Bankruptcy Law - Texas Page 42 Rivera & Hanes, P.L. / International Data Management, Inc. - Best International Title & Developer Services Page 43 IMS ExpertServices - Best Expert Witness Search Firm Page 44 John H. Trevena - Criminal Law Firm of the Year - Florida Page 45 Klein DeNatale Goldner - Best for Surety & Fidelity Litigation - California Page 46 Law Offices of White & Associates, PC - Private Client Team of the Year - Virginia Page 47 Law Offices of Sheadyn R. Rogers, P.C - Best in Wrongful Death – Texas Page 48 Michael Canner Mindell Malin Kutinsky Stone - Best for Auto Negligence - Michigan Page 49 Ellen S. Bancroft - IPO Lawyer of the Year - California Page 51 Moulton - Moore LLP - Best Business Law Boutique - California Page 52 Murtaugh Meyer Nelson & Treglia LLP - Best for Entity Selection & Formation Page 54 Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec - Best Patent Litigation Law Firm - North Carolina Page 55 Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec - Best for Electro-Mechanical Arts Patent Prosecution Page 56 Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec - Best for Electronics Patents - North Carolina Page 57 Perez & Miller - Best Computer Litigator Page 58 Potestivo & Associates P.C. - Best for Landlord Tenant Law - Michigan Page 59 Pozo Goldstein, LLP - Best Immigration Attorney - Florida Page 60 Robinson Law PLLC - Best in DUI Cases - Virginia Page 61 Rountree Losee LLP - Best for Alcoholic Beverage and Brewery Law - North Carolina Page 62 Seeley Savidge & Ebert Co - Best for Private Placements- Ohio Page 63 Smith Knowles P.C. - Kenyon D. Dove Best for Landlord / Tenant Law - Utah Page 65 Stone & Bellus PC - Best Boutique Law Firm - Georgia Page 66 J. Scott Hudson Stovash Case & Tingley - Best Human Resources Lawyer - Florida Page 67 Robert L. Case Stovash Case & Tingley - Best for Complex Contract Disputes - Florida Page 68 Sullivan Stolier Knight LC Best Healthcare Law Firm - Louisiana Page 69 James Berman Zeisler & Zeisler PC - Best in Creditors’ Rights – Connecticut Page 70 www.corporateamerica-news.com • 5

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Association Law Group, P.L

Association Law Group (ALG) is a full service law firm dedicated to the representation of homeowner and condominium associations throughout Florida, as well as other not-for-profit corporations. ALG serves as general counsel to hundreds of associations and represents clients on issues such as delinquency, construction defect claims, contract negotiations, litigation, tax appeals, and other general legal matters.

The organization is owned by attorneys, Ben Solomon and Michael A. Furshman.

We got in touch with them to talk about the excellent legal services they provide, as well as their views on the booming Florida real estate industry.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Best for Real Estate - Florida

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Company: Association Law Group (ALG) Name: Ben Solomon, Esq., Managing Partner Email: info@algpl.com Web Address: www.AssociationLawGroup.com Address: 1200 Brickell Avenue, PH 2000, Miami, Florida 33131 Telephone: 1-855-ALG-FIRM

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ALG is a nationally recognized leader in the area of condominium and homeowners association law with offices in Downtown Miami/Brickell and in Downtown Fort Lauderdale. ALG serves as general counsel to hundreds of associations throughout Florida and represents billions of dollars worth of real estate. Some of the premier properties ALG represents include Continuum South, the Bay Point Community, Bellini, and One Miami, to name a few.

Amongst its many accomplishments, ALG has recovered over $125M for its clients in past due maintenance fees and other liabilities since the great recession began. Such efforts have resuscitated many communities and condominiums which would have otherwise faced financial ruin. ALG also innovated new legal strategies that have become industry standard and has successfully lobbied the Florida Legislature for changes in law that benefit millions of homeowners living in condominiums and communities throughout Florida. Some examples include ALG’s involvement in avoiding adverse changes to the safe harbor laws, clarifying the liabilities of judicial purchasers, and adding legal remedies to the Florida Statutes such as the rent demand which allows associations to recover rent from any occupant living in a unit where the owner is delinquent. Based on ALG’s proven track record of success, the firm continues to be a market leader in the area of association law and the firm has grown to representing over 500 associations throughout Florida.

ALG is also the corporate counsel to the Miami Association of Realtors, which is the largest real estate association in the nation with over 36,000 members. Additionally, ALG serves as general counsel to the Builders Association of South Florida, which has represented the interests of builders and real estate developers in the region for over 70 years. As such, the firm stays ahead of the market on understanding many of the legal and business issues impacting developers and other real estate professionals. The firm’s partners also regularly teach seminars and give lectures to realtors, property managers, bankers and the general public on current real estate market issues, topics and trends.

Over a decade, Ben Solomon and Michael Furshman have built a law firm that started with just the two of them, into one of the most successful boutique law firms in Florida that has employed hundreds of people and represents hundreds of buildings and clients worth billions of dollars. In fact, the firm flourished against all odds during the peak of the recession and in a market that was one of the hardest hit in the country for real estate. Now that the Florida real estate market is finally booming again, the firm looks forward to continuing its growth and expansion into other new areas of real estate.

The organization owned by Ben Solomon and Michael A. Furshman includes three different company brands: Association Law Group, Title Company of Florida, and Solomon & Furshman, LLP. As previously mentioned, ALG represents hundreds of buildings and communities as general counsel. Their second company, Title Company of Florida, is an award-winning title company that specializes in commercial and residential real estate transactions. Their third brand, Solomon & Furshman, LLP, represents institutional real estate developers including Lennar, banks including BB&T, and other real estate investors and commercial property owners.

“From our experience, real estate markets are cyclical; they are always going up or down, but rarely stay the same.

Our overall organization is very diverse and we practice law in virtually all areas of real estate including defaults, transactions, litigation and general counsel services. As such, whether the real estate market is good or bad, our firm stays busy working on the most relevant legal areas of each cycle,” stated managing partner, Ben Solomon.

Over the past two years, the South Florida real estate market has been skyrocketing. There is a vertical boom in the Mi-

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

ami skyline and there are dozens of new hi-rise projects currently under construction with total retail values over 1 billion each.

Production homebuilders are also heavily involved in developing new communities and building mixed-use projects. As such, many real estate lawyers who faced lean times during the peak of the recession are now finding more work than they have had in a while.

Due to the increased new construction and additional inventory coming online, it is inevitable that real estate lawyers (at least in Miami) will be very busy for the next few years during this up-cycle in the market.

The thriving Florida real estate market has led ALG to expand its services and open additional offices. “In January of 2015, we purchased a new office in the heart of Fort Lauderdale’s financial district to increase our presence in the Broward and Palm Beach markets,” stated senior partner, Michael A. Furshman. This is in addition to ALG’s headquarters, a 15,000 square foot penthouse floor office located in Brickell (Miami), where the firm’s main operations are conducted. The firm currently has clients across the State of Florida in over twenty counties and will be considering the idea of opening additional satellite offices in the near future.

ALG’s senior attorneys come from big firm backgrounds, so they have the experience and sophistication to handle any type of real estate matter. However, unlike most big firms, the firm offers personalized service, excellent communication, and reasonable pricing. This blend of experience and service makes ALG one of the best boutique law firms in Florida. “We provide a wealth of experience that ensures our clients are in the safest hands possible,” stated Michael A. Furshman. “We have decades of knowledge in real estate which adds significant value to our clients’ legal matters.”

“Our attorneys at ALG strive for the best service and communication in the business,” stated Ben Solomon. This is one of the main reasons why the firm’s retention rate with clients is over 95%. Unlike some firms, ALG does not gouge, take opportunity, or otherwise “over lawyer” its clients’ matters. ALG’s goal is to provide its clients with practical advice to minimize their exposure to unnecessary legal fees. According to the firm, this sense of responsibility pays big dividends in terms of forging long term relationships with clients and having a reputation for integrity.

ALG’s competitors are comprised of either exceptionally large firms or very small firms. However, many big firms overcharge clients and do not provide good quality legal service or communication despite having strong reputations due to their size. Smaller competitors typically do not have adequate resources

to handle the range of work ALG’s clients need and can sometimes become easily overwhelmed where the service and communication then suffers. ALG has big firm experience, but is more of a boutique firm when it comes to delivering quality work at a reasonable price. ALG is big enough to handle any matter a client may have, but small enough to care about its clients and provide great quality customer service.

The partners consider it is a great honor to be recognized by Corporate America as being among the 2015 Legal Elite.

Ben Solomon and Michael A. Furshman have worked hard to achieve their professional success and earn the reputation of being excellent lawyers. They stated that being recognized for this award among so many other great colleagues in the field means a lot.

“We find that the greatest reward is helping people,” stated Ben Solomon. “Even though lawyers sometimes have a tough job to do when it comes to litigation or foreclosure, for example, there are also a lot of meaningful opportunities to help people facing real estate problems,” Solomon said. “Our firm regularly works with owners by reducing our fees in our discretion to help them save their homes from foreclosure and does pro-bono work for many non-profit organizations and those in need,” asserted Furshman. “We believe that giving back to the community is one of the most important things a lawyer can do with their time,” Solomon added.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

In Profile Ben Solomon, Esq. – Managing Partner and Co-Founder of ALG Ben Solomon is a nationally recognized real estate lawyer who has been featured on CNBC’s Power Lunch and been recognized by notable publications including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Forbes. For over a dozen years, Mr. Solomon has represented the largest residential developer in the country on most of its projects in Florida and also represents hundreds of HOAs and condominium associations as general counsel, in addition to representing corporate real estate investors. Mr. Solomon has extensive experience in advising on residential and commercial development projects and has legally designed, counselled, and turned over hundreds of communities and condominium associations.

Ben Solomon also has significant experience in handling commercial and residential real estate transactions, real estate litigation, and receivership. During his career, Mr. Solomon has worked on contracts and transactions totalling billions of dollars in value. Ben Solomon graduated from Boston University with a major in public relations, then graduated with honors from the University of Miami School of Law, and also studied law at the College of London. In 2011 and 2012, the Daily Business Review recognized Ben Solomon as one of the most effective lawyers in Miami. We got in touch with him about his law firm and becoming one of the leading experts and innovators in the industry.

Ten years ago, my partner, Michael Furshman, and I decided to open our own law practice. Our practice areas were very compatible. I was doing more developer representation, community association work, and litigation, as well as other specialized areas of law like turnover of associations. Michael was doing more title and transactional work, preparation of condominium documents, and purchase and sale agreements. Between the two of us, we were doing most of the legal work our developer clients needed.

We left our national firm, Duane Morris, in May of 2005. The real estate market was still roaring in South Florida.

Our builder clients were making a lot of money and developers essentially could not fail with new projects during that time. So it was very busy for real estate lawyers, especially in Miami and the rest of the South of Florida market. However, by the following year the recession hit South Florida hard and the real estate market began to tumble.

Fortunately, we saw opportunities to diversify our practice and not just do developer representation. We started doing HOA and condominium representation directly, which was a good move in retrospect because almost immediately after we entered that realm, many of our developer clients began defaulting and ultimately many went out of business. From late 2006 to 2008, we were doing mostly default work. We were representing very reputable builders who had been in business for 20-30 years, produced 500-1000 homes per year each, but just couldn’t survive the financial storm caused by the recession. Many of our clients’ property values plummeted to the point that the debt leverage on them no longer made sense and we started doing a lot of workouts for clients who were turning in keys to their lenders. Many of our developers closed their doors during that early part of the recessionary cycle.

As a result, our firm’s focus shifted to HOA and condominium representation, where the market was much bigger with over 40,000 associations here in Florida alone. We also found that the traditional attorney in the association field was mostly used for general legal work, with a minor focus on recovering unpaid maintenance fees. However, when the recession hit, the collection of past due assessments became the highest of priorities for most associations, so our firm focused a lot of time, effort and attention on making a difference in that area. At the peak of the recession, many investors who had speculated by buying more than one unit at a time quickly found themselves overleveraged in debt with properties worth half of what they had projected. Such investors included not just professionals, who were sophisticated and well financed, but also mom and pop types such as small business owners, teachers, and working class folks; everyone was dabbling in the real estate market. As soon as the market crashed, most of those units went into default and we had condominiums where delinquency rates skyrocketed to the point of 50% or more of the building not paying. That was a big problem for these not-for-profit condo associations because such maintenance fees are generally their only source of revenue and income. So if half the building is not paying, or even a quarter of the building is not paying, how do you pay for the building’s essential services like insurance, fire safety equipment and garbage pickup? All of these issues became very real problems for thousands of HOAs and condos through Florida, financially affecting millions of residents.

That’s one of the reasons our firm grew so fast. Most of our competitors were in the old mind-set of believing that just sending a demand letter or filing a lien would solve the association’s delinquency problems. Of course, sending demand letters to speculators who are literally abandoning the properties did not solve the problem. Instead, ALG had to innovate a number of new legal strategies like terminating mortgages against major banks, while battling with thousands of speculators, lenders, and judicial purchasers over amounts due. Some cases took years of litigation, as banks stalled their own judicial proceedings and foreclosure purchasers attempted to avoid their financial liabilities. However, our aggressive legal approach worked and ALG has now handled over 25,000 collection cases for our association clients. Sometimes we had to put units through the entire collection process twice.

We also innovated what we coined the “deferred fee billing model” where our legal fees are deferred until we recover such amount from the responsible party, whether that takes 6 months or even 6 years. That way, our clients do not have to come out of pocket up front or along the way, and that’s one of the things that really got a big part of the market to gravitate towards using our firm. The combination of our expertise in the field and this sense of responsibility as far as not charging clients unnecessarily, were two of the key elements to our firm’s early success.

Having our own law practice and innovating new legal strategies for clients is very rewarding. Something we’re also very proud of is that we regularly reduce our firm’s fees in our own discretion to help homeowners save their homes or get out of collections. We take pride in being able to help homeowners, help themselves. Our goal is never to push somebody into foreclosure; it’s to get our clients paid what they’re owed. We have a strong sense of responsibility to representing not-for-profit corporations.

We’re very conscious about how we bill clients and how we treat the members of our clients’ associations.

Today, I mostly split my time between managing our law practices, representing our firm’s clients, and generating new business. I am also the corporate counsel to the Miami Association of Realtors and the Builders Association of South Florida, which are two of the most important trade groups in the market.

Additionally, I spend a lot of time promoting and spearheading community service projects, travelling, and spending time with my wife, Cynthia, and my son, Carter. www.corporateamerica-news.com • 11

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

In Profile Michael A. Furshman, Esq. – Senior Partner and Co-Founder of ALG Michael Furshman is a senior partner and co-founder of Association Law Group. For almost 20 years, Mr. Furshman has represented some of the largest real estate developers and institutional lenders in the country. He currently represents hundreds of homeowner and condominium associations on general real estate legal matters and also supervises the Firm’s volume foreclosure practice and real estate transactions. Michael Furshman has been recognized for his legal work in publications such as the Miami Herald and South Florida Business Journal and in 2012 the Daily Business Review named him one of the most effective lawyers in Miami. Michael Furshman graduated with honors from the University of Florida and then received his law degree with honors from the University of Miami School of Law. We spoke to him about his unique approach to client service, and his emphasis on building lasting relationships.

One of the things I take pride in is that I am readily and directly available to my clients. When I am working on a matter, the client knows how to reach me and can be confident that he or she will be fully aware of all aspects of our representation and the applicable legal issues. My goal is to be in constant communication with the client so that the client will be making timely and informed decisions. We understand that when you hire an attorney, the issues, as they arise, are very important and a client deserves to be able to reach their attorney as soon as possible. I strive to stay in close communication with all my clients. Additionally, when a client meets with me and hires our firm, I will be working on the matter from start to finish. That said, we also take a team approach to our lawyering and it is not uncommon for more than one attorney to be assigned to a particular matter so that we can assure that the matter will be resolved efficiently. We also believe that discussing the matter internally with other attorneys in the firm allows us to see legal matters from multiple perspectives all to the benefit of the client.

When dealing with clients, we work hard to establish the highest level of trust and faith so that in the future, the clients have confidence in using our firm and will continue to use our firm in the future on subsequent matters. To establish that high level of trust, we make sure to fully educate our clients on all aspects of their legal matter so that they can make the best possible and educated decision.

I find that educating people is always the best route to take. We host seminars quite often for clients, bankers, realtors, and management companies to inform them about what’s going on with current laws and anticipated legislative changes to the laws. Education for me is critical and I believe that clients should be educated about why they are making the decisions that impact their legal matters.

While I’ve had experience working in big firms, we take pride in the fact that we provide more of a boutique service. Often when you deal with big firms, you might work with the partner initially, but then you frequently end up working with a younger associate, who does not have the same knowledge and experience as the partner you met with when you hired the firm. Our clients can be assured that the legal service they are receiving is being performed at the highest level.

In terms of my background, I was born and raised in Miami and have been here almost all my life. I started my career at a small local firm and I was working primarily on small to mid size residential and transactional real estate matters. From there I went on to work for Stroock and Stroock and Lavan, which is a New York based international law firm. When I was with Stroock, I was focusing more on institutional clients such as Lehman Brothers and JP Morgan, and was working on large commercial real estate transactions. That was very interesting and rewarding work - sometimes very difficult - but I learned a tremendous amount in the few years that I worked there. Among other transactions, I represented JP Morgan on the acquisition of a majority interest in the Miami Center, a 34-story office building in downtown Miami for $87 Million.

Then I went to work at the national law firm of Duane Morris where I met up with Ben Solomon, the co-founder of ALG. At that firm, my practice was focused on developer representation, and I also started to work a lot with associations from the developers’ side. Primarily I was legally designing and drafting the governing documents for condominium and homeowner association communities and obtaining an in-depth knowledge of such governing documents and the applicable statutes. I think this was a great segue into getting me into association representation at ALG because a lot of lawyers may represent associations, but don’t truly understand what is necessary or why certain things are in the documents that the clients are bound by. This is one of the many things that sets us apart from our competitors; we really understand condominium documents and know how to draft them and work with them not only from the association’s perspective, but also from the developer’s and lender’s perspective.

We’re not here just to litigate any matter that comes through the door; we are here to resolve matters in the best way for our clients and so that they will be best served by our efforts. We look towards long term relationships with our clients. Many of our clients have been with us since we opened the firm.

I like to think that through our firm’s efforts, we have had a positive impact on the lives of the members of the communities we represent. Over the years I’ve seen a lot of associations where their assessments have gotten so high that it really hurts a lot of their homeowners. What I really like about the practice is that based on the success of our collections, a lot of these associations have been able to actually reduce the assessments that their residents are paying and are now fiscally sound. That’s something that is very rewarding for me.

Looking towards the future, I’m confident that our firms are going to continue to grow even further. Real estate is booming in Florida and we look forward to expanding our firm as the market continues to grow.

These days I supervise both the firm’s foreclosure practice and transaction department, where I focus on complex commercial transactions. I also continue to represent the largest residential builder in Florida, as well as major banks, hospitals and oil companies. When I am not working, I love spending time with my wife, Joy, and my son, Alec. www.AssociationLawGroup.com www.SFLLP.com www.TitleCompanyofFl.com

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Immigration Solutions LLC

Immigration Solutions LLC is a boutique Immigration law practice, where attorneys are both multilingual and immigrants themselves.

They handle all cases related to immigration law, including family petitions, work visas and green cards, reinstatement of student visas, extensions and changes of status, asylum and refugee petitions, removal proceedings, waivers, EB-5 Investor’s green cards, and I-9 compliance. We spoke to them to find out more.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Best for Immigration Law – Massachusetts

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Company: Immigration Solutions LLC Name: Micol Mion Esq. Email: Micol@immsolutionsllc.com Web Address: www.immsolutionsllc.com Address: 585 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02116 Telephone: 617-536-0584

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Our philosophy is rooted in the concepts that each case is unique and important and time is of the essence. We first try to win a client’s trust by proving ourselves to him or her through offering effective advice. Personally, I love to answer the telephones because it is a first opportunity to gauge the needs and the concerns of clients. Many callers only have a simple question, which doesn’t necessitate a consultation, while others might seek, inadvertently, to file the wrong petition. Many clients tell me, “I want to file this because my friend did and he got his green card.” While that petition might have been the solution to the client’s friend, it might not suit the client’s situation. It is imperative for us to listen to our clients’ thoughts and concerns, propose the best solution and then let the client decide what to pursue based on an accurate understanding of the law.

We tend to work effectively and efficiently in a short amount of time. Companies like our services because we are always available by email, even during weekends and we can prepare work visa petitions and green cards applications within tight deadlines.

In the past years we have worked successfully on many complicated cases that required waivers for fraud, inadmissibility, crimes, and deportation orders, and we were able to reunite families.

Speaking eight languages and being a multilingual law firm enables me and the other attorneys to communicate directly with clients, thus obliterating any cultural and linguistic barriers.

What also make us unique is that I lived in various countries while growing up and am thus able to interpret socio-cultural behaviour and communicate fluently in five languages. The other attorneys at Immigration Solutions are also multi-lingual and are no strangers to the immigration system, since they are immigrants too. Our ability to relate to our clients’ experiences and to communicate effectively with them enables us to connect directly to clients and anticipate their needs and concerns. We also believe in over-communicating by always being in touch with our clients.

There is no insignificant question and addressing our clients’ concerns is paramount to a successful relationship. Finally, we believe in staying up-to-date with changes in the law and educating our clients of such changes.

In our work, it is so rewarding when a client succeeds in securing the immigration benefit that he or she is seeking. One of my best memories is of a client who I initially helped to obtain an H2 visa to work on a farm field, and I ended up representing him until he became a US Citizen through Naturalization. When he found out that he had been approved for Naturalization, he must have embraced me for a few minutes while he was crying on my shoulder. To me that man is still the epitome of the American Dream, and I am proud to have helped him find a permanent home in the United States.

One of the major issues facing immigrants in our industry is that there are many immigration scams, run by “notarios” or online companies that are not authorized to practice law or dispense legal advice, that all too often victimize clients. There are also, unfortunately, many inexperienced attorneys whose work might cause problems. The victims of these ineffective legal service providers are often not able to complain because they ended up being deported. We try to educate our clients through social media through Immigration Solutions LLC’s pages on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn, and I personally answer immigration questions, at no charge, on www.avvo.com. Through exposure to immigration updates and information we strive to educate individuals on their immigration options.

From our experience, immigration law is always evolving depending on political whims and international trends and events. In the past year we have had our ups and downs with President Obama’s Executive Actions. The Texas Court’s injunction on DAPA relief has crushed the hope of millions of hard-working immigrants without lawful status who have US Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident children. It has also limited

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the options immigration attorneys can offer clients who don’t want to be separated from their children. Additionally, removal of individuals who were sentenced for crimes and the detention of children and women migrants have spiked tremendously in the past one to two years, resulting in long delays and crowded dockets. In order to overcome these barriers we have endeavoured to find more creative solutions in order to meet our clients’ needs, and we have increased our pro bono activities.

Winning Best for Immigration Law - Massachusetts 2015 feels very humbling. I really owe this success to my clients who always challenge me with complicated cases. I, together with the other staff at Immigration Solutions LLC, meet every day to make sure we research all possible solutions for our clients. Our work can alter an individual’s life dramatically. I am acutely aware of this effect because I am an immigrant. I went through the worrying and I was given inaccurate legal advice on my long path to US Citizenship. I thus seek to go above and beyond for my clients in order to prevent them from experiencing what I went through.

Winning this award feels very humbling. I really owe this success to my clients who always challenge me with complicated cases.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

CARLIN & BUCHSBAUM, LLP Best Employee Rights Firm - California

Carlin & Buchsbaum is perhaps the largest employee rights firm in Southern California - if not the entire state of California. The firm boasts 16 attorneys and a staff of nine, and has roots going back to 1970 when founder, Gary Carlin, recently out of law school, began handling employee cases - a field that was, at the time, in its infancy. We spoke to him about the growth of the firm over the past 45 years, and their philosophy towards client service.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Company: CARLIN & BUCHSBAUM, LLP Name: Gary R. Carlin Email: gary@carlinbuchsbaum.com Web Address: www.carlinbuchsbaum.com Address: 555 East Ocean Blvd., Suite, 818, Long Beach, CA 90802 Telephone: 562-432-8933

Personally, I have settled cases and won awards and verdicts totalling over a hundred million dollars in my career. I have also handled more than 5,000 employee rights cases and another 2,500 workers compensation cases in my 45 year career.

My firm generates millions of dollars in settlements, awards, and verdicts each year for our clients. Most of these clients are out of work, having been wrongfully terminated, demoted, suspended, or denied a promotion, or otherwise disciplined, each in violation of some form of law.

When dealing with clients such as these, our job is to enable them to get back on their feet, and recover as quickly as possible from the denial of their civil rights. The mission of Carlin & Buchsbaum has always been and remains to help clients during a very difficult time in their lives. What we endeavor to do is to assist clients to regain their rightful place in society, to provide for their family and/or for themselves, and to be fairly and reasonably compensated for their losses.

The most rewarding aspect of practicing law is to help persons who have legal problems receive a benefit out of the legal or justice system. Most of our clients are unaware as to how the legal system may be of benefit to them, let alone how it works. We enable them to take full advantage of all of the laws both statutory and decisional that are there to protect them.

On a day to day basis, we always strive to do our very best for our clients. We receive clients by word of mouth and we receive repeat business from clients we have represented in the past. Our success is due to our system of analyzing each case meticulously, and spending as many hours as necessary with our clients to ascertain the facts and incidents they experienced.

In an area of law such as this, clients should expect their attorneys to be professional, extremely serious about their duties in representing their clients, and motivated to obtain the best possible outcome for their case. We employ a well-conceived system designed to take a case through each step of the litigation process to a successful conclusion. We put the client’s welfare ahead of our own well-being. For example, we represent clients in obtaining unemployment insurance and/or state disability insurance free of charge, and we represent our clients in any workers’ compensation case for work place injuries whether physical and/or emotional, and of course we pursue civil employment cases on behalf of our clients.

We are one of the few employee rights firms to represent clients on both workers compensation cases and civil cases.

We also are one of the few employee rights firms to guide a client through unemployment insurance and state disability administrative process, and we even represent clients as to their social security disability claims. Moreover, we also file conservatorships for certain clients who need someone in their family to handle their personal financial affairs.

Our system insures that we meet every deadline, put the defendant on notice, and file a lawsuit when a case may not otherwise be settled for fair value. We vigorously oppose any dispositive motions or any other motions that may be damaging to our clients if not opposed. We prepare every case as if it is going to trial or arbitration and we always attempt to anticipate every issue that may appear in our way to successfully prosecute our case to a reasonable conclusion beneficial to our client.

Over the years, we have overcome the prejudice that some defense firms seem to cultivate which is the notion that they are likely to overwhelm and thereby defeat a sole practitioner, (which I was for the first nearly 30 years of my practice of law), as well as any small firm attempting to establish a niche within the employee rights field. From our decades working in the industry, we have overcome the perception large firms have about being capable of completely eviscerating a sole practitioner or smaller firm by inundating them with “busy work”. As a result, we have grown to the point that our firm is now apparently known nationally by having achieved this prestigious award recognizing our skill and work ethic in representing employees whose rights have been infringed upon by their employers.

As for the award, I feel very honored to have had my firm recognized as being the “Best Employee Rights Firm - California.”

What a distinction! There are many fine firms in California that handle employee rights cases, so to be regarded as in effect the best in California is a dream come true. An award like this has immeasurable meaning to our firm. It is an award that will be coveted by our peers and we ourselves will strive to achieve it every year, year after year. It is a way to establish recognition in our field and marks the achievement of success. It is also akin to the pinnacle of accomplishment as it stands for excellence in our services for our clients. Any firm would be proud to be recognized as the “Best Employee Rights Firm - California”, and we are no exception.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Glen Lerner Injury Attorneys Best Personal Injury Law Firm - Nevada Glen Lerner Injury Attorneys is one of the larger plaintiff personal injury law firms in the United States. With over 35 attorneys in their three main offices of Las Vegas, Phoenix and Chicago they assist our clients with every type of motor vehicle injury claim, including car, truck and motorcycle accidents, slip and falls, product liability claims, dangerous drug claims and much more. We spoke to them to find out more.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Company: Glen Lerner Injury Attorneys Name: Corey Eschweiler Email: ceschweiler@glenlerner.com Web Address: glenlerner.com Address: 4795 South Durango Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89147 Telephone: 702-877-1500

Our attorneys strive to provide our clients with quality representation throughout all aspects of their case. Glen Lerner Injury Attorneys focuses on helping people who have been injured because of the negligence of another person. Whether that someone else is a driver of another car, a store, or a big pharmaceutical company, we become the injured party’s voice to secure the compensation they deserve for their injuries, pain, and suffering.

Our clients are our top priority, and we would not be in business without them. Every area of customer service is important to our firm. We consistently focus on ensuring our clients receive the best legal representation during their time of need.

Glen always asks his employees, “If you were a client, is this how you would expect to be treated?” We strive to treat the clients as we would want to be treated and if we fall short we do everything in our power to make it right.

It is this level of commitment and compassion that our entire team shows our clients is what separates our firm from our competitors. From the first moment a person contacts our firm, we make it a priority to treat our clients with respect, to be accessible to answer their questions, to process their case in a timely manner, and pursue the most compensation we can get for their injuries.

So much of this stems from Glen growing up under very tough circumstance but rising above it to get accepted into the finest schools in the country and to go and be recognized as a leader in his field.

We fight for our clients because our leader knows no other way but to fight for those that need help.

Our firm’s biggest challenge is deciding on where to expand to next to protect the rights of injured people. We currently have 15 offices in six states (NV, AZ, CA, IL, IN, FL) and will be adding a minimum of another 10 offices in the next year alone.

We are constantly involved in the battle against tort reform nationally which is sponsored by the insurance companies and big corporations to take away the rights of the common man to compensation. The wave of tort reform has certainly empowered the insurance companies to try and take even more advantage of injured people with lower settlement offers over the last couple of years. That’s why it is so important that people call as soon as they are injured and before they ever speak to the insurance company that is always looking for any reason to deny their claim or reduce their compensation.

When people seek out the assistance of a personal injury law firm, they should look for a firm with both experience and a successful track record. They should then schedule a consultation with the firm to see if the firm can answer all of their questions satisfactorily to help determine if they are comfortable with the firm.

Our attorneys and legal staff are thrilled to have been selected to receive the Best Personal Injury Law Firm award for Nevada. We attribute the success of our firm to the hard work, dedication, and personal service our entire legal team provides when handling each of our client’s cases.

Awards such as the Best Personal Injury Law Firm – Nevada are important for multiple reasons. The application process itself gives individuals and businesses the chance to evaluate the current level of service they provide to see if they are staying true to their core values. The voting process conducted by professional peers is also fair and helps add credibility to whoever is selected as it shows they are visibly accepted and promoted for their efforts.

These awards also provide the community with a valuable resource when choosing an attorney to represent their interests during a difficult time in their lives.

Although it’s great to receive these types of awards, the more rewarding aspect of working in the legal profession is that you get to help people. It’s amazing to know that you have the ability to even the odds for the underdog and help ensure they receive fair treatment and just compensation for their injuries and other damages. www.corporateamerica-news.com • 21

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Clifton H. Gorenflo, Esquire Best Alimony Attorney – Florida Clifton H. Gorenflo is a partner at Gray, Gorenflo & Partlow, P.A. The firm offers a broad array of services focused on the personal needs of corporate leaders. From drafting wills and trust to protecting valuable assets to guiding their clients through dissolutions of their marriage or their business, the team at Gray, Gorenflo & Partlow is dedicated to every step of the process.

We spoke to him to find out more about his practice, and the wealth of experience and expertise he provides for his clients.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Name: Clifton H. Gorenflo, Esquire Email: clifton@grayandgorenflo.com Company: Gray, Gorenflo & Partlow, P.A. 901 E. 2nd Street Sanford, Florida 32771 Web Address: www.grayandgorenflo.com Telephone: 407-324-0778

Our overriding goal is to give our clients the peace of mind to get back to running their business and trust us to handle their personal crises. Litigation can be a long and tedious process.

By offering alternative dispute resolution services like mediation and collaborative law when appropriate we can minimize the negative aspects of litigation. When it is time to go to trial, you need to know that the team standing with you is not just prepared but is ready for every twist and turn thrown your way.

We set ourselves apart from our competitors through the level of personal service each client receives. When no phone call goes unanswered and no e-mail goes unreturned, you suddenly realize that your attorney is out in front and driving the train rather than playing catch up.

Another defining feature of our firm is the wealth of experience we provide for our clients. Personally, I grew up in Brevard County and graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 1993. After passing the bar exam, I served as a staff attorney and later senior staff attorney working directly with the judges of the Circuit Court in Seminole County. This inside experience provided me with the unique ability to understand much of the reasoning behind judicial decision making.

I am a member of The Florida Bar and am admitted to practice in all Florida State Courts, Florida Federal Courts, the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. I have focused my practice in the areas of general civil and commercial litigation, wills and trust contests, high conflict family law, and appellate law.

In addition to my litigation practice, I am certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Civil Mediator, both County and Circuit, and as an Appellate Mediator. I have also received advanced training in collaborative practice and am an active member of The Collaborative Family Law Group of Central Florida.

I am also very active in the legal community. I served as a governor on the Board of Governors of the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar from 1997 to 2004. I served on the News Editorial Board of the Florida Bar Journal from 1995 through 1998. and also served as a director of the Seminole County Bar Association from 1999 through to 2002. At the moment, I am an active member of the Seminole County Bar Association, Volusia County Bar Association, and Volie Williams Inns of Court.

In working with corporate leaders in my early practice of commercial and real estate litigation, I witnessed first-hand what an enormous strain Divorce and other family issues takes on someone. I saw that many family lawyers knew more about criminal defence than business valuations, income producing assets or the tax consequences of retirement accounts and alimony streams.

In 2000, I began focusing on the personal needs of our corporate leaders and providing the highest level of service rather than the highest volume.

As for the award, I am truly honored to be recognized by Corporate America as the Best Alimony Attorney in Florida. I owe this recognition to my amazing team of paralegals and support staff who work tirelessly for our clients.

I believe that recognition through awards like Corporate America Legal Elite is important because successful people are busy. You chose your doctor or lawyer from personal recommendations of friends that you trust. When one of those recommended is nationally recognized by a publication as respected as Corporate America, it provides extra confidence that you are choosing the right professional.

As a results oriented professional, I take great pride in the final product. The ability to affect positive change in individual’s lives by preserving or securing the financial prosperity for which they worked so hard is extremely rewarding.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Hartman-Imbriale, LLP Best for Premises Liability – Georgia

Hartman-Imbriale, LLP have been practicing law for 25 years doing premises liability, auto collisions, truck collisions, wrongful death, workers compensation.

We spoke to them about their law firm and the services they provide.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Law Firm: Hartman-Imbriale LLP Web Address: hartman-imbriale.com Address: 145 Towne Lake Parkway, Suite 200 Woodstock, Georgia 30188 Call Telephone: (678) 445-7423 Fax: (678) 445-7431

Our personal injury department has 2 lawyers and 3 paralegals including a Spanish translator. We have focused on premises liability litigation and preparing for trial when insurance companies just don’t see it our way. They drag out the process but we overcome them eventually.

We feel very honoured to have won this award. We’ve had several good premises liability verdicts including one for 1.78M plus many good settlements. We take great pride in this achievement as the public relies on awards like these in making their decision of who is the best lawyer to choose.

In terms of the service we provide for our clients, we treat everyone like family and make sure every email and phone call is returned promptly. Clients in our industry should be looking to see how often the firm files suit on settlement offers that are insufficient. In our firm, we don’t take a case unless we are committed to taking the case all the way to a jury.

What separates us from our competitors is that we aren’t afraid to try cases and put in the hard work to get it to a jury trial.

You’ll find that when you work with us that we don’t cave when inadequate offers are made.

Working in our industry, there are many prevalent challenges and opportunities we are experiencing. For example, insurance companies are tougher to negotiate with now and many have developed in house counsel which reduces their costs. As a result, we are forced to file suit more often now.

We are a law firm that always does the best for our clients. We find it rewarding to assist them, especially when helping plaintiffs recover financially after a long negotiation/litigation period. Finally giving them their check and them thanking us greatly is very rewarding.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Law Office of Jay Cohen, P.A. Best for Plaintiff Personal Injury - South Florida

Law Office of Jay Cohen, P.A., located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are trial lawyers who represent individuals and families who suffer a significant loss and seek recovery for personal injury and wrongful death claims. We spoke to them about their business and their ambition of changing the negative perception of lawyers by highlighting the positive work they do every day.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

In our industry, clients should look for attorneys with experience in their specific legal issue, especially in cases where medical negligence is suspected. Our firm focuses on practice areas that both play to our strengths and experience and best serve our clients’ needs.

Company: Law Office of Jay Cohen, P.A Name: Jay Cohen Email: jcohen@jaycohenlaw.com Web Address: jaycohenlaw.com Address: One Financial Plaza, Suite 1500, 100 Southeast Third Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33394 Telephone: 954.763.6939

Our biggest challenge continues to be the public perception about lawyers and especially those of us who pursue the legal right for individuals and families. Our legal system is designed to end lawsuits without merit and allow the advancement of those with. To suggest as the insurance industry has that they and the public are victims of meritless lawsuits is a hoax. They continue to deny legitimate claims, fight against meritorious claims and reap huge profits over the many past decades when other industries have suffered.

This perception about lawyers also ignores the fact that it is the work of lawyers that have added safeguards in our lives, such as seatbelts and airbags in autos, airline safety, product recalls, and environmental hazard prohibitions. The negative consequence of this perspective is its effect on potential juries, people needing legal advice, and lawmakers who set recovery caps, restrict claims, and assign a higher burden of proof to plaintiffs all in an effort to curtail litigation. We, however, continue to protect and pursue individuals’ rights.

In addition to our work on behalf of plaintiffs, for several years our law firm has represented healthcare facilities and providers operating acute care hospitals. This experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in various healthcare litigation provides us with more insight and expands our knowledge base to best serve our clients.

We have a strong focus especially in medical malpractice litigation, and we also represent clients in complex commercial trial work. We approach each client and case with compassion, commitment and respect. We believe that maintaining a positive and friendly workplace is the best way to achieve our goals for our clients and our law firm. Our focus is always on the details and unique circumstances of each case. Clients must be comfortable with their lawyer advocate and that’s what we strive to create and maintain. We find that each case has unique circumstances and its own challenges to overcome. “I tend to become quite involved in my clients lives and loss, and I think it makes me that much more effective,” said Jay Cohen, the firm’s principal attorney.”

When we get good results for our clients, especially families who have suffered a catastrophic loss, it feels tremendous. The most rewarding aspect of being a trial lawyer is helping people. We do that whether we are representing individuals or the company’s earnest and caring people work for. When those results get noticed by our peers or respected organizations, of course it’s gratifying. Awards can set law firms apart from others, and provide as much information to potential clients as to professional colleagues seeking to refer a client of theirs.

Reputation and recognition by your peers is one of the best measures for selecting an attorney as your advocate.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Murphy Rosen Best for Anti-SLAPP Motions

Murphy Rosen is a boutique law firm specializing in business litigation. They have a proven reputation for taking cases to trial. When they appear in a case, opposing counsel know they have an all-out battle on their hands. This often leads to earlier and better settlements pre-trial. We spoke to their Managing Partner, Paul Murphy, to find out more about their practice.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Company: Murphy Rosen LLP Name: Paul Murphy Address: 100 Wilshire Blvd #1300, Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States Phone:+1 310-899-3300

For a firm of our size, pound for pound we’re as nimble and as tough as any of the bigger firms. However, as a boutique firm we are substantially more economical for our clients, and more focused on finding the solution the client wants. We believe that this is what separates us from our competitors.

We are very proud of our accomplishments over the years. We have taken on some very tough cases and obtained some fantastic results. In terms of our process, it’s all about understanding what the client needs and translating those needs into a gameplan from the very beginning. But at the same time, we need to be able to quickly adjust along the way to make sure the client’s ultimate game-plan is achieved. This serves to not only focus the case but to save the client time, energy, and money. For the client, time and energy are often just as (or even more) important than money.

In a business litigation context, the client is not in the business of litigating; they are in the business of making money. What we do is give them the breathing room they need to continue to operate and be profitable despite the litigation.

As for our overall firm philosophy, it might sound cliché, but our philosophy is to determine right from the beginning what the client really wants. This is particularly important in the context of business litigation, where there are often multiple subtexts and agendas at play. The earlier we are able to understand the clients’ needs, desires and motives, the better we are able to efficiently and effectively achieve their desired outcome.

So we start our representation by really trying to determine what solution the client really seeks, and then we develop the litigation strategy to meet that goal.

We believe that the more focused your litigation strategy, the more successful it will be. The temptation in litigation is to turn over every discovery rock to see what is under it. The problem is that the smaller the rock, the more expensive it is to turn it over.

Every once in a while those little rocks hide gems, but 99% of the time they hide nothing. By understanding the client’s objectives, we are able to focus on turning over the rocks that are most likely

to lead to valuable evidence to win their case. Our strength – based on our experience litigating and trying cases while understanding our clients’ objectives – is our ability to know what rocks ought to be turned over, and how best to utilize the information we discover.

But even using our methods to streamline litigation, litigation remains expensive. It is a challenge not only to cost effectively litigate our cases, but also to make sure the client understands that even by doing something cost effectively, it still can be expensive. Litigation is a blunt force instrument with both sides hitting each other over the head as hard as possible to either bring them to the table to settle or to narrow the issues for trial, or both.

So part of that process is making sure that the client appreciates not just what the bottom line billing numbers are on a monthly basis, but also what is being accomplished each step of the way and communicating those accomplishments to them.

For this reason, we really stress open communication with the client at all levels. This means not just at a partner level but at the associate level too. Litigation is not a game that we play, litigation is a battle the client needs to win and we need to find an effective solution for them. One of the mistakes we see other firms routinely make, big or small, is that they start to view the litigation as a giant chess match to be won, instead of an objective to satisfy the needs of their clients. In other words, they focus too much on the battles – and often even the small skirmishes – and ignore the war. Inevitably, this results in a lot of inefficiencies that are often good for lawyers but almost universally bad for clients.

One of the areas we specialize in are anti- SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motions. These motions are filed in specific types of cases where highly litigious parties are trying to use litigation to gain an improper advantage, such as to stifle competition and free speech, or to otherwise push a party to settle a frivolous lawsuit. In doing so, they are infringing on a party’s right of petition to the government and a right of free speech. In these circumstances, the legislature in California and most states allow an expedited vehicle to force plaintiffs to present evidence of their claims right up front. If the plaintiffs cannot show at least some evidence to support their claims often before even any discovery is taken, they lose. It is a powerful tool because it effectively curtails frivolous lawsuits that are not supported from the beginning by real evidence. The overly-litigious often file a lawsuit without any evidence, expecting that after the lawsuit is filed, they can fish around and try to find evidence to support their claims. An anti-SLAPP motion can cut that off before it even starts. And if the plaintiffs lose, they have to pay our clients’ attorney’s fees. So it is not only a powerful weapon to defeat an existing frivolous suit, but a deterrent to even the filing of such a suit.

We have filed dozens of these anti-SLAPP motions and have had great success over the years getting these types of lawsuits thrown out. We have also had great success getting these decisions affirmed in the appellate courts. We are very proud of our record for anti-SLAPP motions, and extremely proud and gratified to receive Corporate Elite’s award for excellence in this arena.

But in the end, anti-SLAPP motions are just one of the many tools we use to achieve great results for our clients. In fact, the most rewarding part of our business is when we get these great results. Personally, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy the end of a case where there is often a dinner or lunch, and the client is really thankful for the work that we’ve done and the solution to their problem that we helped them achieve. As litigators, we really are charged with helping other people solve their problems. Whether we represent businesses or business people, these lawsuits are very important to them. Often these people are very personally vested in the case, and it impacts the success of their companies and their own personal lives. So when we help them find solutions that make their lives better, it’s really gratifying. That’s not only one of the reasons the partners founded this firm, but one of the primary reasons why we became lawyers. www.corporateamerica-news.com • 29

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Adli Law Group Best for Patent Litigation – California

Company: ADLI Law Group P.C. Name: Dr. Dariush Adli Email: adli@adlilaw.com Web Address: www.adlilaw.com Address: 444 South Flower Street Suite 1750, Los Angeles, CA 90071 Telephone: 213-623-6546

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Adli Law Group, P.C. is a full service law firm specializing in Intellectual Property, Business, Entertainment, Real Estate, Products Liability, Labor and Employment Law, Family Law, and Construction Law. They are located in the heart of the business district in Downtown Los Angeles, and we have satellite offices in Dallas, London, Tokyo, and Taipei. We spoke to them about their company and their ambition to exceed their clients’ expectations.

The cornerstone of our philosophy is personal attention to clients’ needs and goals while ensuring that clients receive full value for the legal expenses they incur, along with the personal attention that they deserve. We bring the high quality practice of big law firms into the more congenial, value based, and client focused atmosphere of a boutique law firm.

Our goal from day one has been to exceed clients’ expectations. That task involves three aspects of work: quality, accessibility and affordability.Each client, whether an individual or a business, is deserving of the attorney’s full attention and devotion to receive quality services at affordable rates.

For many years before establishing Adli Law, I worked at large law firms, where the services are first rate, but so are the legal fees. In addition, many clients found the bureaucracy and red tape of large firms impersonal and even impenetrable. My vision, and challenge in establishing Adli Law, was to offer clients the same services they would receive at a big firm, but at rates that are more affordable and the personal attention they deserve.

I am happy that since the establishment of our firm nearly six years ago, we have overcome the challenge and succeeded in accomplishing these goals.

When we are contacted by potential clients we urge them to spend time and “kick the tires” so to speak to get to know us. We are looking to establish a level of comfort and trust between ourselves and the client as a foundation for a long term relationship. We believe that the legal profession as a whole benefits when clients make informed choices about the legal service providers.

We are best known in the business community as a high quality but affordable “one stop shop” for all of clients’ business and Intellectual Property legal needs. With our expansion in recent years into other complementary areas of law, such as Corporate Transactions, Employment, Bankruptcy, Real Estate, Construction and Family law, we are able to offer an even broader range of services to our clients.

We are humbled and delighted to win this award. I feel that we owe this award to our clients who are always the main focus of our efforts; they are the real winners here. While we celebrate this achievement, we are not taking this accomplishment for granted. Rather, we continue to seek to improve and excel in our number one task, which is to exceed clients’ expectations at every level through the consistent application of innovative and dependable services.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Baker Donelson- Charles L. Ruffin Best for Condemnation Law - Georgia

Company: Charles L. Ruffin of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC Name: Charles L. Ruffin Email: cruffin@bakerdonelson.com Web Address: www.bakerdonelson.com Address: Monarch Plaza, Suite 1600, 3414 Peachtree Road, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30326 Telephone: 404-577-6000

Our clients have included and include Fortune 500 companies, fast food franchisors and franchisees, hotel operators and developers, shopping center owners and developers, retirement home operators and developers, nationally traded REITS, convenience store chains and operators, oil jobbers and distributors, drugstore owners and developers, as well as small businesses, and individual owners of real property and businesses.

In terms of my experience, I have practiced law in the eminent domain area for nearly 30 years. Over time, eminent do-

Charles L. Ruffin is a Shareholder in the law firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, an AM Law 100 Firm, physically located in seven states and Washington, DC with offices in Atlanta and Macon within the State of Georgia. Mr. Ruffin leads the Eminent Domain Practice Group in Georgia which is comprised of four attorneys whose practice is solely focused on eminent domain matters of all types including condemnation of land, improvements and businesses by all government entities. Their eminent domain practice group includes Shareholder Ivy Cadle; associate Hope L. Martin; and associate Chase W. Ruffin. The practice involves assisting clients in obtaining market-based compensation for land, improvements and, where appropriate, business value.

We spoke to him to find out more about his practice and his philosophy behind providing the best service.

main has become my sole focus because it involves the fundamental right of a client to be successful in this country. The greatest challenge I have had to overcome is the assembling of qualified attorneys and experts who consistently provide quality service for fees charged. Thankfully we have attained that goal.

Our attention to detail, while watching the time devoted to a matter and the fees charged to try and be sure they are all reasonable, is a constant theme at our firm. I believe our clients recognize that fact and our successful results speak for themselves

In our area of the law, I do not believe there has been as much change as in more basic practices. Alternative fee arrangements are more probable than in former times. Providing quality legal services at a reasonable price is a constant hurdle. If one wants to win a case, one has to be the best prepared, and the hours mount up. Rarely do we recover for all we have invested time wise in a case.

When dealing with a client, we focus on four steps to ensure that we provide the best possible service. First, listen to the client’s problems closely to be sure one fully understands all the factual, personal, and legal nuances involved in every case. Second speak only to obtain that understanding. Third, make recommendations only after a thorough understanding of the law and facts has been reached. Finally, try to ascertain that value obtained for fees paid is reasonably plausible.

From my experience, clients need to understand that there are no guarantees in this area of the legal profession. People are involved: judges, attorneys, jurors and witnesses, each of whom can view the same facts and law differently. As a result, constant repetition of essential facts and law is absolutely necessary. Finally, as in all things, qualified attorneys and experts are not inexpensive and always a successful result is more likely achieved when those most qualified are involved on the client’s side.

As for the award, I feel honoured to be recognized in this way. I believe our practice is successful because of our clients, our attorneys, the expertise honed over many years of practice in this area, and the team of experts we can assemble to make the best possible case for our clients. www.corporateamerica-news.com • 31

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Benitez Law Group Best Civil Law Firm 2015 - Florida & Most Client Focused Real Estate Lawyer - Florida

Company: Benitez Law Group, P.L. Name: Aly N. Benitez, Esq. Email: Aly@BenitezLawGroup.com Web Address: www.BenitezLawGroup.com Address: 1223 East Concord Street Orlando, Florida 32803 Telephone: (407) 894-5000

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Benitez Law Group is a client-focused boutique law firm specializing in business, real estate and personal injury law. All of our attorneys are also licensed Realtors. We provide all real estate services including buying and selling at the standard commission rates. Clients chose us to help with buying and selling homes because it just makes sense – you get the expertise of an attorney at no extra cost.

Benitez Law Group’s priority is always achieving a positive result for our clients. There are a number of challenges depending on the type of case – for example, I often run into personal injury cases where adjusters are unable or unwilling to meet my clients’ settlement demands. Other attorneys who do not get paid until the case settles simply settle to get the case over with and move on. My approach is quite different. I want the best result for my client – and if that means spending countless hours on research or negotiating to get the result, then I am happy to do that. Money is not my main focus, results are.

Benitez Law Group is known for two things: accessibility and aggressive representation. I make myself accessible to clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and even give my cell phone number to clients. This is a huge advantage because so many other firms treat clients like numbers, not like people. I personally review every case and communicate with every client. I am also not afraid to take on the hard cases and will fight tirelessly for my clients. I enjoy being the underdog.

My family is from Havana, Cuba – in our culture, the overriding philosophy is integrity and family. I truly believe clients become family, which is why they stick with us and refer others to our firm for a wide range of services. We have many clients who come to us for a civil dispute, then again for personal injury matter and then again when they want to buy a home. They trust us and we value this relationship.

Potential clients in our industry should hire an attorney who (1) has a strong reputation in the community (2) puts clients’ needs first and (3) is accessible. We pride ourselves on being all three.

The legal profession has changed in the past 12-24 months, most significantly affecting our personal injury practice. In Florida, for example, if you are injured in a car accident you must seek medical attention within 14 days and there are certain requirements that must be met in order to obtain a settlement for injury.

We are constantly monitoring the changes and reading case law in order to best serve our clients.

Being named ‘Best Civil Law Firm 2015 – Florida’ and ‘Most Client Focused Real Estate Lawyer – Florida’ are tremendous honors. I believe we owe this success to remaining grounded and treating clients like family. Quality of reputation over quantity of clients is the foundation of our practice.

Awards like these validate our efforts and are important in establishing a positive reputation; however, the results I achieve for my clients are what matter at the end of the day. Being able to use my expertise to help others is incredibly rewarding. I’ve worked very hard to get where I am and being able to use that knowledge to get positive results for my clients makes it all worth it.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Cox, Wootton, Lerner, Griffin & Hansen LLP Best Maritime Law Firm - California

Company: Cox, Wootton, Lerner, Griffin & Hansen LLP Email: mtepper@cwlfirm.com Web: cwlfirm.com Address: Cox Wootton Lerner 190 The Embarcadero San Francisco, California 94105 Phone: 415-438-4600 Fax: 415-438-4601

Our firm was formed in 1997 as Cox, Wootton, Griffin & Hansen, LLP. The professional relationship between those initial founding partners, however, had its roots in the early 1980s when they practiced law together at the San Francisco maritime and insurance law firm of Derby, Cook, Quinby & Tweedt. In 1987, Rupert Hansen moved to the international law firm of Graham & James, LLP where his practice expanded into the areas of environmental law, real estate, ship finance, aviation, banking, construction, commercial law and creditors’ rights. In 1989, Terrence Cox, Richard Wootton & Mitch Griffin formed their own firm, concentrating their practice in maritime, commercial, construction, real estate, insurance and employment law and litigation.

In 1997, Mr. Hansen rejoined Terence Cox, Richard Wootton & Mitch Griffin and together they formed the firm. In 2001, Gregory Poulos joined the firm as a name partner after practicing as a partner with Lillick & Charles LLP. In 2002, the firm moved into its present unique ground-floor offices on the water’s edge of the San Francisco Financial District.

In January 2014, Sands Lerner, P.C., a boutique law firm based in Los Angeles, joined forces with Cox Wootton to become Cox, Wootton, Lerner, Griffin, Hansen & Poulos, LLP. With the addition of partner Neil Lerner, Of Counsel Don Sands, and other talented associates and staff,Cox Wootton Lerner is

We are experienced in handling a wide variety of cases, including complex, high-exposure, document-intensive litigation and transactions. It is in just such high-exposure, complex cases that we often are able to deliver legal expense savings to clients, since we have “big-firm” experience without the “big-firm” hourly rates and overhead. In these sensitive economic times, it is prudent to consider what our team can do to advance your legal interests while striving to reduce your overall legal expenditures.

better positioned to serve our collective clients’ litigation, transactional, and casualty response needs throughout the Western United States, Hawaii and the Pacific Rim. Our firm’s growth is client-driven to respond to robust demand within our Maritime, Transportation, Trucking, Business Litigation, Banking, Marine Finance, Inland Marine, Environmental, Employment and Real Estate Law practice areas.

Tools of Innovation Cox, Wootton, Griffin, Hansen & Poulos, LLP utilizes litigation software capable of handling millions of pages of case documents in a groupware format. We have substantial experience with advanced trial presentation technology, and we would be pleased to provide you with a demonstration. We are also able to provide litigation support remotely and to quickly utilize our attorneys’ prior relevant work product in order to effect savings both in time and client expense.

Dedication We are dedicated to working pro-actively with all of our clients to provide the best possible cost-effective service. We promptly provide budgets of anticipated legal fees and costs and we are willing to discuss non-hourly fee arrangements. At each significant stage we explain case options with the goal of listening to our clients’ desires and seeking to achieve them as expeditiously and economically as possible. We recognize that we must earn our clients’ trust every day by placing their interests and needs first. We offer roundthe-clock availability for legal emergencies and casualties for our transportation, maritime and insurance clients.

Community We have consistently dedicated and donated time and industry to give back to the community. This has included serving as pro bono lawyers for Shakespearean theater, autism-related interests, historic and Veterans organizations, and other worthwhile concerns. Our lawyers have also been active in working to improve the overall quality of the law profession within the fields in which we specialize. This has included membership and holding leadership positions in the International Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Maritime Law Association of the United States, and the San Francisco Bar Association’s Pacific Admiralty Seminar.

Our lawyers have also dedicated substantial time serving as adjunct faculty or law lecturers at the University of San Francisco School of Law and Hastings College of the Law. www.corporateamerica-news.com • 33

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Dolman Law Leading Specialist in Brain Injury Cases - Florida

Company: Dolman Law Group Name: Managing Partner Matthew Dolman, Esq. Email: matt@dolmanlaw.com Web Address: www.dolmanlaw.com Address: 800 N Belcher Rd Clearwater, FL 33765 Telephone: 727-451-6900

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We are a civil litigation firm at Dolman Law Group, and have made a strong commitment to providing personal attention to auto accident victims and other personal injury claims. So much so, we ensure that all clients are provided the cell phone number of their attorney. We are proud of the reputation we have fought so hard to earn as aggressive litigators committed to upholding our civil justice system.

Dolman Law Group, handles the following types personal injury claims: Auto Accidents; Motorcycle Accidents; Catastrophic Injuries; Traumatic Brain Injuries; Truck Accidents; Boat Accidents; Pedestrian Accidents; Wrongful Death Cases; DUI Accidents; etc.

We built our practice on word of mouth referrals from current and former satisfied clients. The business model is based on personal service for personal injury clients and we seeks to differentiate ourselves from the settlement mills by regularly litigating his cases and remaining accessible. Dolman Law Group does not participate in Lawyer Referral services and does not advertise on television. We pride ourselves in attaining clients through word of the mouth and outworking the competition.

We are proud of the excellent reputation we have fought so hard to earn as aggressive litigators devoted to safeguarding our civil justice system. The Dolman Law Group has not and will not represent the interests of a Florida insurance carrier.

We believe that an attorney should be someone that others can trust and rely on. As counselors of the law, attorneys should be their client’s strongest advocate. They should be the last person that the client should ever have to worry about. When hiring your attorney, you should always practice due diligence. This should include checking the Florida Bar’s website for any disciplinary action of the attorney and the firm. Additionally, potential clients should inquire into the attorney’s education and background, particularly with the area of law the client is seeking help.

A popular tool that can be used to help find a reputable attorney in your area is AVVO. AVVO allows you to read former client reviews, as well as the attorney’s location, experience and background. The main problem with choosing an attorney is that many only care about the bottom line and will rush a case to turn a quick buck, while others are so busy that they let a file sit on a shelf for years or have a paralegal handle the case. This is never acceptable.

The Dolman Law Group is honoured to receive such an award from this distinguished group. Dolman Law Group owes most of its success to the strong relationship it has built with their robust client base. We believe that the clients come first and is focused on an easy an open dialog between clients and attorneys.

There is no Dolman Law Group without our fantastic clients and their word of mouth referrals.

The most rewarding part of the legal profession is when you get to shake your clients hand and see them smile after you were able to make their life just a little bit easier. Dolman Law Group battles and regularly beats multinational corporations while serving as advocates for Florida individuals and families.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Douglas & London, P.C. Most Trusted Personal Injury - New York

Name: Michael London Company: Douglas & London, P.C. Web: www.douglasandlondon.com Address: New York, NY, United States Phone:+1 800-963-4444

Douglas & London, P.C. focus on product liability actions, including defective products, defective drugs and medical devices, as well as medical malpractice, general negligence actions, toxic torts and consumer fraud cases. We spoke to Founding Partner Michael London about his company and the importance of tenacity when working on a case.

We represent clients who have been injured by act of negligence of other people, whether it be companies or corporations etc. People contact us and we try to protect their right or their families rights, and we represent them no matter how big the adversary is and try to champion their case.

In our practice, there is not typical case and there is always something different and something new at play. Although no two cases are the same, we try to treat every case as if it is the biggest case because we recognise that our clients really want to win and get the justice they deserve. We devote as many resources as we can to investigating and then prosecuting the case. This is done by both myself and my partner Gary Douglas, and we are tenacious and won’t give up and leave no stone unturned to their clients. We always investigate and prosecute a case to the fullest ability that we can.

We try to move a case as quickly as possible, because they say that ‘justice delayed is justice is denied’. We represent people who have been injured or harmed and have medical bills or need to get back to work, so they need justice and we have to get their case to court as quickly as possible. There tends to be delays to the case where there are road blocks or obstacles in front of us , but we have to lubricate and move as quickly as possible. Furthermore, if there’s evidence that they are trying to hide from us, we have to make sure that we get it, and make sure that we have the right questions. This is what we mean by being tenacious and we need to lubricate as quickly as possible without being sloppy. We need to get all the important information they may have and we need to know it all.

Being tenacious means we will chase every extra dollar whereas other law firms would call it in. We will work as long and hard as our clients want us to so they can get the justice that they deserve.

In our practice, it’s very rewarding to be able to help clients put their lives back together. We don’t have a magic wand and we can’t heal them or cure them or bring someone else back to life, but somebody has to pay a price for that harm or that wrong and it is rewarding for us to try to help a family get their lives back together. Everybody in the law firm believes in this, and everybody wants to help so much.

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 35

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Elefterakis, Elefterakis & Panek Full Service Law Firm of the Year

Company: Elefterakis, Elefterakis & Panek Name: John Elefterakis Esq. Email: John@elefterakislaw.com Web Address: eeplaw.com Address: 111 John Street, Suite 1100, New York, New York 11038 Telephone: (212) 532-1116

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Elefterakis, Elefterakis & Panek is a full service personal injury firm that takes cases from inception to completion. We have a team of experienced and top-notch trial attorneys who have multi-million dollar verdicts.

Our philosophy is based on guidance and making sure that the clients feel engaged and informed throughout the litigation process. When people are involved in an accident and suffer serious injury, their life changes drastically and they really need to understand what is going on and what their options are. This is the way which we counsel our clients. Our motto is “Counsel that cares, results that matter” and that truly sums up what we are about.

Injured victims must make sure that they are comfortable with the attorneys representing them, first and foremost. We care about each individual client and do not treat them like just another case, which is the manner in which everyone should be treated by the law firm representing them.

Our compassion for our clients along with our tenacity, determination and skill in obtaining maximum compensation is what sets us apart. We have the whole package at Elefterakis, Elefterakis & Panek.

The major challenge our business faces is the growing perception that personal injury cases are frivolous or that accident victims who receive compensation are ‘lottery winners.’

This viewpoint really is not an accurate portrayal of our system of justice, whereby the victim must prove their case using evidence in order to be compensated, while insurance companies and their own attorneys actively do their best to keep compensation to a minimum or zero.

It feels great to be recognized as being exceptional in fighting to get maximum compensation for victims of accidents.

That means we are helping a lot of people and that is our goal and primary focus.

The awards are very nice and greatly appreciated because it is a reminder that the hard work and results we are getting for victims of accidents is not going unnoticed.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Flagel & Papakirk Best Full Service Business Law Firm - Ohio

Company: Flagel & Papakirk, LLC Name: Todd J. Flagel/James Papakirk, Founding Members Email: tflagel@fp-legal.com/jpapakirk@fp-legal.com Web Address: www.fp-legal.com Address: 50 E Business Way, Suite 410, Cincinnati, Ohio 45241 Telephone: 513 984-8111

Flagel & Papakirk, LLC is a full-service business law firm located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their firm provides representation and counselling in the areas of civil litigation, business law, commercial transactions, estate planning, employment, creditor’s rights and real estate. We spoke to them about their company, and the challenges and opportunities facing them in their industry.

We represent private and publicly traded businesses, financial institutions, and individuals throughout Ohio and Kentucky, including Fortune 500 companies. We also represent clients spanning a host of industries, from entertainment and petroleum to property development, construction, and management.

For many clients, we serve as “outside general counsel” and as “risk managers.” For each matter, our goal is to provide creative, customized, and cost-effective solutions to the complex, ever-changing challenges our clients face. While we pride ourselves on innovative counselling and advocacy, we strive to tackle each issue from a practical, business point of view.

Naturally, businesses and individuals are affected by the economy and market trends and the companies we deal with are no exception. Oftentimes, those economic trends present businesses with new legal and business challenges or risk factors that were traditionally not factors. In a transactional sense, these considerations require businesses to make difficult decisions and, in some cases, come up with new business paradigms, such as growth by acquisition or joint ventures. They also affect the general approach and “appetite” towards litigation and dispute resolution, particularly when economic factors have significant and sometimes devastating effects on the business’ objectives.

As for the award, recognition as the Best Full Service Business Law Firm in Ohio is an honor because it recognizes the two most important “pillars” of our practice – service and business. We strive to provide high level and responsive service to meet business needs. We owe our success to the solid relationships between our clients and our attorneys and a thorough understanding of our clients’ businesses and their objectives. When called upon to offer general counsel to our clients, our experience across multiple disciplines results in more effective issue spotting and innovative solutions to address those issues.

We are a relatively small but growing law firm. This recognition reinforces our belief that, no matter how large or small a business or law firm, it must always remain nimble, dynamic and customer or client focused. We strive to operate “at the speed of business” using sound business judgment. This award emphasizes that law firms of any size can offer expansive services for businesses, large or small, to thrive in the marketplace.

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 37

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Glazier & Glazier Best for SME Corporate Advisory - Florida

Company: GLAZIER & GLAZIER, P.A. Name: Scott L. Glazier Email: sglazier@glazierlawfirm.com Web Address: glazierlawfirm.com Address: 8825 Perimeter Park Blvd., Suite 504, Jacksonville, Florida 32216 Telephone: (904) 997-1033

Our clients conduct business locally, nationally and internationally. Our services include business formation, mergers and acquisitions, shareholder agreements and disputes, private equity, joint ventures, partnerships and franchise law. In addition, we advise our clients on tax matters, tax planning, liability protection and estate planning. Some of the principal industries with which we have substantial experience include: health care, staffing, construction (concrete and cement, in particular), professional services, insurance, hotels and restaurants, software, technology, telecommunications, transportation and trucking.

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Glazier & Glazier, P.A. is a business-oriented law firm that represents closely-held businesses both large and small, engaged in a wide variety of enterprises. We spoke to Founder Scott L. Glazier about the services they provide and what their approach is to providing the best service.

Glazier & Glazier, P.A. was formed by my wife Cynthia and I in December of 1999 and together bring over 60 years of combined experience to the Firm. While we have had a number of other lawyers join and move on from the Firm since its inception, we are proud to announce that in 2014, we added our son, Andrew Glazier, a 2009 graduate of the University of South Carolina (Accounting) and Florida State University College of Law (Cum Laude 2012) as a member of the Firm. Andrew is a member of both the Florida and Georgia Bar Associations and was formerly an associate with Sapronov & Associates of Atlanta, Georgia where he practiced in the areas of technology and telecommunications law, technology transactions, data and cybersecurity, software licensing and privacy law.

Our Firm’s philosophy when it comes to servicing our clients is to put ourselves in our client’s position and think about what is important to the client. We focus on understanding our client’s business or unique problem and then problem solve from there. We know that clients are interested in results and thus we strive to achieve the client’s desired result using our experience, legal knowledge and strong work ethic. Our Firm’s simple pledge to our clients is: ‘Practical Advice, Personal Approach and Proven Results’.

We are a small firm, but hope to use our small size and this Award as a competitive advantage in the legal marketplace.

Many times we find ourselves competing with much larger firms for the same business clients. We hope that clients recognize the importance of selecting the lawyer that they will be working with as opposed to selecting a large firm in a big office with lots of overhead. Our clients will find that they are will be working one-to-one with me or one of the other lawyers in our Firm. Our clients come to rely on our prompt responses and ease of accessibility. We freely give our cell phone numbers and reply to emails at all times during the day or night (and weekends). We understand that business and business transactions must happen quickly or you risk a change in the marketplace or demand. Therefore, we pride ourselves on being able to maintain a rapid pace in regard to document production and review and have successfully handled many transactions with some of the largest law firms in the country.

While it is an honor to recognized for this award, we find that the most rewarding aspect of our work is seeing our clients succeed and overcoming any legal impediments to reach their continued growth and success. To hear a heart-felt “thank you” from a client is what it’s all about for me.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Gloor Law Group, LLC Construction Litigator of the Year - Illinois

Company: Gloor Law Group, LLC. Name: Stephen P. Ellenbecker Email: sellenbecker@gloorlaw.com Web Address: www.gloorlaw.com Address: 225 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1800, Chicago, IL 60606 Telephone: 312/752-3700

The Gloor Law Group represents some of the nation’s largest companies in their most crucial litigation: cases that can not only affect the bottom line, but the company’s reputation. We spoke to them to find out how they achieve the best results.

We approach every case as if it will be tried, not assuming settlement, so that the case is trial ready or positioned to be settled on our clients’ terms. We are good people representing good people and actively listen to our clients’ wishes so that we work effectively and efficiently to achieve their desired outcome.

Potential clients in our industry should be looking for 1-3 lawyers that meet their needs, not necessarily a whole firm, and not get preoccupied with firm size. Clients are increasingly demanding more efficiency in handling claims. Our firm provides the quality representation our clients need and deserve but realizes our size permits us to do so at rates reflective of our low overhead.

Our firm has focused on welding, construction, environmental and mass tort related litigation for some time. Our biggest challenge is convincing prospective clients that we can handle complex, large cases even though our firm is small. We encourage calls to our clients willing to discuss their experience with us.

What separates us from our competitors is that our firm proves to be very nimble and receptive to approaching litigation and prospective litigation with creativity on client arrangements. We also welcome trials so our clients cannot be bullied into a settlement. Our firm also has young trial lawyers that are battle tested.

In terms of the award, we are pleased to receive this distinction. We owe our clients who trusted us to defend their most prized asset - a reputation for quality. While awards in our industry can be viewed as purchased marketing, awards like this endeavor to truly recognize effective firms.

We are lawyers who like being lawyers. Using our platform to assist clients in difficult times and emerge with a viable business and sound reputation makes the work we do very rewarding.

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 39

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Harke Clasby & Bushman LLP Best Multi-State Commercial Litigator

Company: Harke Clasby & Bushman LLP Web Address: www.harkeclasby.com Address: 9699 NE SECOND AVENUE MIAMI, FL 33138 Phone: 305-536-8220 Fax: 305-536-8229

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In Miami, Florida, attorneys at the law firm of Harke Clasby & Bushman LLP represent clients in business torts, commercial litigation, and consumer class action matters.

We spoke to them about their company and their client-centred services.

We are a full service commercial litigation boutique firm. We handle high end complex commercial litigation on behalf of individuals and businesses nationwide. As for the services we provide, we are very service orientated and work to achieve the preferred outcome as efficiently and cost effectively as possible while delivering high quality consultation and service throughout.

Over the past 12 months, we have worked hard to expand our national profile and to achieve successful results for our clients.

With the economy on the upswing, we find that there are more and more opportunities for business transactions and the related litigation that sometimes accompanies them.

Clients in our industry should be looking for well regarded, ethical litigators who will advocate their interests and respond to their concerns. With our services, we endeavour to ensure that we provide all of these deliverables to our clients. What separates us from our competitors is that we are a small firm that delivers big firm service at a reasonable rate.

As for the award, we are grateful and honoured to have won “Best Multi-State Commercial Litigator”. We think that these awards are a measure of how we are viewed by our peers and clients, and are important ways to recognise excellence and achievement within our profession. We find it a reward in itself to do good by our clients, so receiving this reward is a great bonus.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Hoover Slovacek LLP Best for Financial Restructuring & Best in Business Bankruptcy Law - Texas

Company: Hoover Slovacek LLP Web Address: www.hooverslovacek.com Address: 5051 Westheimer, Suite 1200 Houston, Texas 77056, United States Telephone: +1 713-977-8686

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For more than 40 years, individuals, investors, businesses, community groups, management companies and financial institutions have trusted the bankruptcy lawyers at Hoover Slovacek LLP for practical, cost-effective representation. We got in touch with them to find out more.

The bankruptcy lawyers at Hoover Slovacek are a valuable resource for debtor and creditor clients. HSLLP gets results often in the most difficult circumstances.

Our attorneys have broad experience representing debtors, creditor committees, lessors and equity holders at every stage of the reorganization process, both in and out of court.

Our experience representing both debtors and creditors work in our bankruptcy practice allows us to maintain a more neutral perspective and better anticipate the reaction of opposing counsel to a particular strategy. Deirdre Brown and Ed Rothberg are both board certified in Business Bankruptcy law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

We provide innovative solutions for distressed businesses, through out of court workouts, financial restructuring and, if necessary, Chapter 11 bankruptcy. We have represented businesses in every economic sector including manufacturing, energy, healthcare providers and related services, other service based companies, real estate developers and investors.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Rivera & Hanes, P.L. / International Data Management, Inc. Best International Title & Developer Services

RH

RiveRa & Hanes, P.L. Attorneys And Counselors At lAw

John W. Hanes, III

Trusts & Estates, Asset Protection & Corporate Matters jhanes@riverahanes.com 11369 Okeechobee Blvd.

Bldg. B, Suite 150 Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411

Tel: 561-948-2043 Fax: 561-948-2043 www.riverahanes.com

Rivera & Hanes, PL and International Data Management, Inc. (“IDM”) are unique in that we are based in Florida, but our business is mostly offshore with a focus on The Bahamas. Also, IDM’s exclusive, proprietary databases of Bahamian land records enable accurate searches and production of unique reports critical for market research when financing, buying, selling, developing and insuring Bahamian property. Our exclusive access to this data is leveraged for our clients’ successes and results in a powerful advantage for our firm.

“Helping Clients Build Their Nests and Unscramble Their Eggs”

Name: Héctor C. Rivera Email: hrivera@riverahanes.com and hrivera@idm-inc.com Web: riverahanes.com and www.idm-inc.com Blog : idminc.wordpress.com/ Address: 11369 Okeechobee Blvd.

Bldg B, Suite 150, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 and 11369 Okeechobee Blvd.

Bldg B, Suite 100, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 Telephone: (561) 948-2043 and (561) 798-6645

Since 1987, IDM has been bridging the gap between US real estate practices and the legal customs and regulatory systems of The Bahamas and other offshore jurisdictions. We are the title insurance industry’s recognized leader on Bahamian title matters and have a well-earned reputation for service and results. Our unique capability stems from our unequalled experience, technical knowledge and qualifications. We also leverage technology and our proprietary databases for our clients’ benefit.

Knowledge of US customs and practices does not necessarily translate effectively into successful offshore real estate transactions. Therefore, when venturing offshore, clients in our industry need professionals with actual knowledge about and experience in the specific jurisdiction of interest.

We have insured most of the largest transactions in The Bahamas, resolved novel title issues, customized policies to offer coverage specific to offshore transactions and placed billions of dollars worth of risk; thereby insuring more risks than all of our competitors combined. For instance, we drafted unique title insurance policies under a new timeshare act and enabled the sale of thousands of upscale units at Paradise Island, The Bahamas.

Drawing from our 25-plus years of experience and dealing with Bahamian title information and transactions, we have also constructed specialized programs and offer them to the international devel oper to meet their particular needs; hence our tag lines “International Title & Developer Services” and “Helping Clients Build Their Nests and Unscramble Their Eggs.”

From our experience, the legal profession is undergoing incredible pressures from exponential advancements in technology, ready access of information to those outside of the profession and the expectation of accelerated delivery of services and prod-

ucts. However, parallel opportunities are also being created for those who can leverage technology to stay relevant with innovative products and delivery of services.

The Bahamas Registry only has a grantor-grantee index of recorded title documents, making it impossible to find an owner of a piece of property unless you know a name in the title chain. Using our field and full text indexes, IDM can find the owner without the need of a name. Due to the Bahamian recording system, dual and multiple chains of title are not unusual. Using our indexes, we discover these problems and address them before they derail our clients’ projects (see our blog at idminc.wordpress.com/ for examples). Obtaining copies of title documents from the government will take a minimum of several weeks. IDM can provide them in days and they can be ordered through our web page. These are just three brief examples of our unique capabilities.

We offer unparalleled service, anticipate clients’ needs and provide aggressive and creative solutions. Our Mission is enhancing security in real estate, finance and title insurance transactions by supporting exacting due diligence. As stated above, we can find issues that others will miss. We add significant value through the design and delivery of innovative products, services and solutions, including title insurance and related services for offshore jurisdictions.

In our region, The Bahamas has a slowly evolving jurisprudence. This creates difficult challenges; however, it also creates wonderful opportunities for resourceful solutions. Our broad experience in offshore jurisdictions and our technical and sensible knowhow facilitate fresh and practical solutions for our clients to those unusual problems. Our efforts on behalf of our clients have enabled projects that would otherwise not have happened, such as when we convinced a leading law firm in The Bahamas the condominium statute could not require prospective purchasers to sign a condominium declaration. Among other examples, we have also helped structure deals that resulted in significant reduction in taxes and increases in sales.

We are honored to have received this award. It gives us a great sense of accomplishment. We have a niche practice and business. Our clients are acquired mostly by word of mouth. It is very gratifying to have clients confirm their appreciation of our hard work and dedication. We find it extremely rewarding to do something we thoroughly enjoy while helping our clients with creative solutions to problems that can be devastating if not properly dealt with.

For more information on our products and services, please visit our websites. Visit our blog for a better understanding of offshore real estate transactions and title insurance. www.corporateamerica-news.com • 43

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

IMS ExpertServices Best Expert Witness Search Firm

Company: IMS ExpertServices Name: James Crane Email: jcrane@ims-expertservices.com Web Address: www.ims-expertservices.com Address: 4400 Bayou Blvd., Suite 6, Pensacola, FL 32503 Telephone: 850.473.2500

The company, founded in 1992, offers custom search services for best-of-class expert witnesses and subject matter experts in support of high-stakes business litigation. In short, IMS ExpertServices finds them—the hard-to-find experts attorneys need: an antitrust economics expert to speak to the anticompetitive effects of standards-setting and patent licensing of recordable DVDs, a municipal securities expert in broker-dealer fraud to opine on standards and practices, a damages expert knowledgeable about the wearable technology industry to speak on fitness trackers in a patent infringement suit. The research team that IMS employs to conduct searches locates experts for antitrust, financial services, and intellectual property cases, among many other high-stakes case types. Whether the cases require unusual experts or commonly sought-after ones, IMS can find them.

As Bill Wein, company president, explains, “Give us your most difficult expert search, and we’ll find and deliver the best experts in the world. It’s our promise to you.”

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With a name like “IMS ExpertServices,” you’d expect that the company would offer, well, expert services. Though its name doesn’t, as the saying goes, say it all, IMS ExpertServices is unparalleled in its business model and concierge approach.

Having spent more than 20 years in the business of finding experts, IMS ExpertServices is comfortable in its own skin. The company and its 60-plus employees, in order to maintain its brand standard within the legal industry, focus on two areas: quality and timeliness, aspects which reinforce the company’s commitment to world-class service. IMS’ research team is a major contributor to quality work. This team scours academia and industry in search of experts who meet all of the criteria of a specific case—a process that sets the company apart from other expert witness firms. But the work doesn’t end there. After the company has located the best experts for a case, a dedicated recruiting team qualifies and conflict-checks the experts. Oftentimes, recruiters communicate with dozens of experts before client managers make recommendations to their attorney clients on the candidates IMS has identified as the best possible fit for the attorneys’ case requirements. Moreover, client managers and expert advocates maintain client and expert relationships throughout and beyond cases in order to ensure satisfaction and stability. It seems that this intricate method would necessitate a great deal of time and consideration, but IMS prides itself on offering timely service. Typically, IMS is able to locate experts more quickly than attorneys do, allowing the attorneys to focus more on their casework.

Beyond locating the best expert witness talent, IMS ExpertServices is also dedicated to employing the best talent. In order to keep up with market demand, the company has had to increase its number of employees and has found some of the best and brightest talent available in order to meet the needs of the ever-growing, ever-changing legal landscape. Adapting to this shifting landscape is an ongoing process for IMS. Furthermore, in order to stay on top of the market, the company has stayed close to its clients in an effort to understand fluctuations within the legal industry. The company also implements changes whenever clients themselves need new and different things.

Being recognized for outstanding service by Corporate America and the attorneys within the legal industry and being named one of Inc. magazine’s 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America eight times serve as testaments to the company’s success in listening to its clients. IMS is proud to have earned the distinction of Legal Elite Best Expert Witness Search Firm for 2015, and most of all, IMS ExpertServices is pleased that its clients place their trust in the company, enough to nominate it for this prestigious award. As Wein acknowledges, “Our team deserves all of the credit for our success.”

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

John H. Trevena Criminal Law Firm of the Year - Florida

Company: Law Office of John Trevena.

Name: John H. Trevena Email: trevenalaw@aol.com Web Address: www.trevena.com Address: 801 West Bay Drive, Suite 509 Largo, FL 33770 Telephone: (727) 581-5813

Practicing law for over 30 years, John H. Trevena is the owner and principal attorney of his firm. His keen sense of strategy, accomplished skills as a trial lawyer and straightforward approach bring due process for his clients in the criminal justice and civil court systems. We spoke to him to learn more about his experience and expertise.

Attorney Trevena is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA), which is comprised of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. This prestigious membership is limited by invitation only and selection is based upon evaluations of effectiveness and accomplishment in litigation, and superior ethical reputation.

Furthermore, Trevena is a member of The American Trial Lawyers Association (The Association) and was selected for inclusion in the Top 100 Trial Lawyers for the State of Florida (2007-2010). Similarly, membership into The American Trial Lawyers Association is by invitation and is extended only to those attorneys who exemplify superior qualifications, trial results, leadership, influence, reputation, stature, and profile in the trial attorney community, as viewed by The Association, other trial lawyers, members of the bench, and the public at large.

Alongside the qualifications, Trevena was also elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation in 2010. The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation is an honorary organization representing one-third of one percent of licensed attorneys. Fellows are lawyers, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars who have been elected by their peers to become members of The Fellows because of their outstanding achievements in the legal profession.

Over the past 12 months, Trevena has focused his practice on police and prosecution errors and misconduct. “I expose these errors and misconduct when I encounter it and I use them to remind society that the criminal justice system is not perfect and that innocent people are sometimes the subject of wrongful arrest and prosecution.”

When seeking counsel in this specific area of law, Trevena believes that experience is crucial when selecting the right attorney. “There are many options for a potential client to choose from,” says Trevena. “Clients seeking a competent criminal defense lawyer should check to see if the lawyer is board certified in criminal trial law, and to check the lawyer’s previous success in the courtroom.

Speaking about the award, Trevena commented: “I am pleased beyond words to have received this high honor. I owe my success to never having forgotten my humble upbringing and to always remember that all of us make mistakes in life and the importance of second chances.

“These awards help identify those lawyers and law firms that have achieved true success and provide confidence to potential clients who are often bewildered by the multitude of attorneys to choose from. My law firm is distinctive for its ability to get to the truth of what really occurred and to uncover faults in the investigation of the case. Nothing is more rewarding to me than to see an innocent person freed from incarceration.” www.corporateamerica-news.com • 45

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Best for Surety & Fidelity Litigation - California Klein DeNatale Goldner

Company: Klein, DeNatale, Goldner, Cooper, Rosenlieb & Kimball Name: Timothy G. Scanlon Email: tscanlon@kleinlaw.com Web Address: www.kleinlaw.com Address: 4550 California Ave., 2nd Floor, Bakersfield, CA 93309 Telephone: 661-395-1000

From complex business transactions and litigation to emerging issues in agriculture and the environment, we provide comprehensive legal services to a broad range of clients and industries.

We also offer experienced counsel in estate planning and probate matters, labor and employment issues, and emerging healthcare issues. We are committed to being accessible and responsive to our clients’ day-to-day needs, offering quality service in a cost-effective and professional manner. KDG’s vast experience allows us to provide multi-disciplinary legal services for all types of clients, from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals.

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The law firm of Klein DeNatale Goldner (KDG) has served clients in the San Joaquin Valley for more than 60 years and has established itself as a premier business and transactional law firm. With offices in Bakersfield, Fresno, and San Diego, California, their attorneys have developed an excellent reputation through decades of successful representation for all types of business and individual clients. Corporate America got in touch with KDG to find out more.

Our overriding philosophy is to exceed client expectations in everything that we do. When it comes to exceeding these expectations, there is no substitute for authentic and frequent communications with our clients. Furthermore, being located in the Central Valley, our rates for legal services are usually significantly lower than the rates of comparable firms in larger cities. With a statewide practice, we are able to provide high quality legal services at a very competitive price.

In terms of the services we provide, Surety and Fidelity Litigation is as a specialized legal niche. Clients should always seek out attorneys who have devoted significant time and energy in developing skills that the client needs for his or her specific case.

KDG has approximately 35 attorneys throughout the Central Valley skilled in numerous practice areas, and continued professional development is of high priority.

From my experience, practicing in such a specialized practice area in the Central Valley requires a more concentrated effort in making others aware of what I do. Being able to participate in industry-specific events throughout the Western United States has helped me to overcome some of those challenges and make potential clients aware of the unique services we provide.

Clients are becoming more sophisticated in what they expect from their attorneys, which is a positive development. With advancements in technology, it is also becoming much easier to keep clients engaged and updated with case developments. The market will continue to push attorneys and law firms to remain on the cutting edge of technology, and our firm is no exception.

As stated, providing exceptional legal services to our clients and exceeding their expectations is our primary objective at KDG. To be recognized outside of our firm for meeting those objectives is another way to validate what we are trying to accomplish.

Surety and Fidelity Litigation has been an important component of my practice since 1997, and surrounding myself with great partners and mentors has been critical to my growth as an attorney.

Awards such as Legal Elite 2015 are a great way to spotlight those trying to make a positive impact in the legal profession, which in turn promotes those businesses and the legal profession as a whole.

Regardless of the complexity of the task, when clients are satisfied with both the process and the result, it is a satisfying feeling.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Law Offices of White & Associates, PLLC Private Client Team of the Year - Virginia

Company: Law Offices of White & Associates, PC Web: www.whitelawva.com Address: 9101 Midlothian Turnpike, Suite 800, Richmond, VA 23235 Phone:+1 804-377-9431

White and Associates PC is a Richmond,Virginia law firm serving the greater Richmond area and surrounding suburbs with personalized service and dedication to its clients.

Our clients typically come from Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover, Amelia, Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Prince George, Mechanicsville, Midlothian, Nottaway and several other communities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Our practice areas include: Bankruptcy, Corporate, Criminal, Divorce/Child Custody and Visitation, Estate Planning, Guardian ad Litem, Personal Injury, Social Security/Disability, and Traffic.

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 47

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Law Offices of Sheadyn R. Rogers, P.C Best in Wrongful Death – Texas

Company: Law Offices of Sheadyn R Rogers, PC Name: Sheadyn R Rogers Email: srogers@rogerslawtx.com Web Address: rogerslawtx.com Address: 711 N Carancahua St., Suite 525, Corpus Christi, Tx 78401 Telephone: (361) 356-6057

I have practiced personal injury law for my entire legal career, over 16 years in Texas. The cases I handle include automobile, trucking, 18 wheeler and motorcycle accidents, oil field injuries, on-the job and work related accidents, maritime accidents, boating accidents, premise liability and more. My clients are typically honest Texans who have suffered a severe injury or who have lost a loved one due to wrongful death who need fair compensation for damages such as medical bills, funeral expenses, loss of earnings, pain and suffering and severe emotional trauma.

I handle each wrongful death case on a contingency fee basis, meaning that the client is not obligated to pay attorney’s fees 48 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

Sheadyn R Rogers founded the Law Offices of Sheadyn R Rogers, PC dba Rogers Law Firm to represents clients in Texas who have been seriously injured or who have lost a loved one due to wrongful death. We spoke to his company and how he handles such sensitive issues for his clients.

or reimburse case expenses unless a recovery is achieved on the case either through settlement or trial.

The philosophy of the Law Offices of Sheadyn R Rogers, PC is to represent each client as if they were a close friend or family member. I have learned that clients want to be able to talk to their lawyer about their case and to trust that their lawyer will take the right course of action for their case. I handle each aspect of my clients’ cases and keep my clients informed as to significant developments concerning their case.

I have focused my efforts for over 16 years in practicing personal injury law in Texas to learn everything possible in handling wrongful death cases so that my clients receive the best legal representation possible. This includes specializing in handling personal injury cases by becoming Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Another measure I enforce is to also aggressively pursue each case and hold the responsible party accountable for my client’s loss. I have dedicated my entire law practice in specializing in handling personal injury cases, as I am Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

A client who has lost a loved one due to wrongful death as a result of an automobile accident, eighteen wheeler accident, motorcycle accident, or any other accident caused by the negligence of another party should seek to hire an attorney who specializes in personal injury trial law. I highly recommend that to the public that a person who suffers a serious injury or loses a loved one due to wrongful death should hire an attorney who is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. This ensures that the client is hiring an attorney who specializes in the field of personal injury, which includes wrongful death cases, as opposed to a lawyer who has a general practice

The most rewarding aspect of working in the legal profession is helping a family who has lost a close loved one due to wrongful death receive fair compensation to help the family with medical bills, funeral expenses, loss of earnings, and to compensate the family for their mental anguish.

I am very honored to receive this award, ‘Best in Wrongful Death in Texas’. Former clients of mine have included mothers who have lost children, and children who have lost parents due to wrongful death. I have handled some tragic wrongful death cases that have caused severe pain and grief to the families involved; therefore, it has provided to me great job satisfaction to help families in need at the time of their greatest loss.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Michael Canner Mindell Malin Kutinsky Stone Best for Auto Negligence - Michigan

Company: Mindell Law Name: Michael Canner Email: mcanner@mindellfirm.com Web Address: www.mindellfirm.com Address: 25505 W. Twelve Mile, Suite 1000, Southfield, Michigan 48034 Telephone: (248) 353-5595

At Mindell Law we represent individuals and families that have been injured in accidents. We specialize in auto accidents, slip and falls, dog bites and general negligence claims. We deal with a wide variety of auto accident claims including car crashes, truck accidents, bus accidents, pedestrian injuries and motorcycle claims. Our firm has dedicated itself to representing injured victims for over 50 years and has settled over 25,000 cases.

We at Mindell Law feel that this award is a wonderful honor not only for Michael Canner but for our firm. Michael is an excellent attorney; hard-working, diligent, creative, and extremely well liked by all of his clients and everyone at our firm. His accomplishments are numerous, having achieved many excellent settlements on behalf of his clients. He goes above and beyond for each and every one of his clients, taking the time to walk them through the litigation process which can at times be confusing or difficult. When a client speaks about Michael, they say how caring and patient he was with them, and yet how hard he fought on their behalf.

Mindell Law is dedicated to communication with our clients, knowing that our clients need to speak with their attorney to answer questions or reassurance. Our role is not merely to act as advocates, but also listening to our clients and understanding their particular need. No one embodies that belief more than attorney Michael Canner.

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 49

What:

We partner with high technology companies to assist in developing intellectual property assets, formulating and executing strategic plans for achieving maximal value for our clients. Our clients have achieved over $1.6 Billion (USD) in market value, either through financing rounds, merger and acquisition, licensing or litigation awards. To achieve this success, we combine professional and technical skills with level-headed business principles and experience. Or practice is devoted to supporting our client’s intellectual property asset development, commercialization and, when necessary, enforcement.

Planning:

The focal point of an intellectual property plan is to secure maximum value for intellectual property assets. This is achieved by first defining the business objectives to be achieved.

Strategy:

Once the IP plan has been identified, a management team, including business, technology and legal expertise, reviews the business objectives, considers the congruence between the plan and the objectives, then pressure tests the plan against identified opportunities to challenge that the intellectual property assets will achieve those objectives. Being dynamic, the plan will be consistently and constantly assessed, revised, and reassessed as new objectives are identified, new opportunities are presented or new challenges arise.

A coherent IP strategy will include IP landscaping to identify and analyze existing IP rights and players in the relevant technology space. The white space opportunities will be identified and an evaluation of the coherence between the IP plan and the white space analysis will be completed. In addition, IP forecasting may be undertaken to predict, based upon a third party’s prior IP behavior, what are the likely IP protection pathways a third party will be pursuing with their IP portfolio. Additionally, licensing and collaborative research and development opportunities may be undertaken, “blue sky” evaluation for next generation products and/or superseding technology and opportunities for developing IP in those areas, freedom-to-operate issues relevant to the pre-commercial products under development to minimize the risk of material liability in litigation should be undertaken and processes for dynamic and real time IP tracking within the technology space, may be implemented.

Who:

Members of the firm have scientific training and regularly work across a spectrum of technologies including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotechnology, therapeutics, diagnostics, nanotechnology, organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, agricultural chemicals, plant breeding, environmental protection systems, semiconductor processing, industrial and medical lasers, computer hardware and software, digital and analog electrical systems, water purification systems, evaporative cooling systems, skin care products, clothing, motor vehicle assemblies and systems, and general mechanical and electrical technologies.

“

We combine professional and technical skills with level-headed business principles and experience.

”

Address: 1480 Techny Road Northbrook, Illinois 60062 Tel: 847-770-6000 Fax: 847-770-6006

info@RosenbaumIP.com www.rosenbaumip.com

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Ellen S. Bancroft IPO Lawyer of the Year - California Company: Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Web: www.morganlewis.com

Consistently recognized as one of the leading corporate attorneys in Southern California, Ellen Bancroft has more than 25 years’ experience in corporate finance including IPOs, follow-on and secondary public offerings, PIPEs and registered direct offerings, as well as mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity financings. Ellen has advised clients in more than 50 registered public offerings and has closed more than 70 public and private acquisitions, ranging in size from several million dollars to more than $1 billion.

Ellen’s practice includes a broad range of corporate and securities transactional matters, SEC regulatory matters, NYSE and NASDAQ listing and compliance matters and corporate governance matters. Her clients range in size from venture-backed private companies to large, well-established public companies.

Ellen is the Office Managing Partner for the Orange County offices of Morgan Lewis and serves as outside general counsel to many of her clients and their management and boards of directors, helping to shape and execute their business strategies and advising them on day-to-day legal and other strategic issues.

At Morgan Lewis, we work in collaboration around the clock and around the world - to respond to the needs of our clients and craft powerful solutions for them.

Our 2,000+ lawyers, patent agents, benefits advisers, regulatory scientists, and other specialists – in 29 offices across the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East provide comprehensive litigation, corporate, transactional, regulatory, intellectual property, and labor and employment legal services to advance the interests of our clients and achieve the best results.

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 51

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Best Business Law Boutique - California Moulton - Moore LLP “Moulton | Moore LLP is a boutique firm, which means we dedicate our best resources to every client, every time.” We spoke to them about their company and their ambition to be the most important partner to the most important executives, innovators and cutting-edge companies of the next decade.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Company: Moulton | Moore LLP Name: Mike Moulton (Partner) and Tim Moore (Partner) Email: mike@moultonmoore.com; tim@moultonmoore.com Web Address: moultonmoore.com Address: Frank Gehry Building | 2431 Main Street, Suite C | Santa Monica, CA 90405 Telephone: (310) 399-0950

At Moulton | Moore LLP, we reserve our advice primarily to executives and management teams. We help them and their companies navigate some of the most sensitive and transformational moments of their careers – from start to finish.

Specifically, we work with founders of startups and early-stage companies to launch dynamic new ventures in a variety of business verticals. At this early stage, founders’ and executives’ visions often are the company – we help these clients with their transactional legal needs, from infancy through seed-stage funding.

We also help C-suite and senior executives manage sensitive moments in their careers: from new-hire employment package negotiations; to sensitive settlement negotiations; to circumstances warranting special incentive, bonus and equity compensation arrangements.

Furthermore, we help executives and management teams at more mature-stage companies navigate the most transformational moments of their corporate existence: from evaluating a potential sale transaction; to exploring strategic partnership and joint venture opportunities; to negotiating change-of-control “exits” and post-closing “rollover” arrangements.

In connection with our work, we have a single ambition: to be the most important partner to the most important executives, innovators and cutting-edge companies of the next decade. We believe that succeeding in today’s marketplace – no matter which industry you participate in – requires best-of-class talent and leadership. Accordingly, we target our counsel to today’s leaders of tomorrow’s companies. If we serve their needs first, we think great things will come of it.

We work hard for our clients, and it is nice to be recognized for our efforts. Accordingly, we are thrilled to be recognized as the Best Business Law Boutique – California. Third-party awards like this are certainly markers of success for boutique firms like ours; as importantly, they can be a litmus for prospective clients who are trying to choose counsel from a crowded pool of potential partners. As a prospective executive client seeking legal counsel, the first thing an executive should be looking to find is a firm that can provide top-quality legal advice. Secondly, the executive should be looking for a firm that is sensitive to the business (and not just legal) goals and needs associated with the representation. Finally, he or she should be looking for a firm that is hyper-responsive and provides value (and not just low-cost legal services).

We attribute our success primarily to meeting those three needs: (1) we provide quality advice; (2) we are responsive to our clients; and (3) we exercise good judgment, in each case, in furtherance of our clients’ business goals.

We really care about our clients. We are a boutique firm, which means we dedicate our best resources to every client, every time. Some of our best referrals come from past or existing clients – many of whom help helm huge public and private companies – who have been thrilled with the quality of our representation, our sensitivity to business goals and realities underlying that representation and our general responsiveness.

What makes our work the most rewarding is helping our executive clients navigate some of the most sensitive and transformational moments of their respective careers so that they can focus on doing what they do best – driving value for their respective companies. www.corporateamerica-news.com • 53

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Murtaugh Meyer Nelson & Treglia LLP Best for Entity Selection & Formation

Name: Michelle Generaux Company: Murtaugh Meyer Nelson & Treglia LLP Web: www.mmnt.com Address: 2603 Main St #900, Irvine, CA 92614, United States Phone:+1 949-794-4000

Founded in 1979 in Orange County, California, with a focus on civil litigation, the Firm now provides a wide array of services to clients throughout Southern California through interrelated practice groups, including: • Business counseling and transactions; • Architects and Engineers representation; • Business Litigation; • Construction Contractor Representation; • Insurance defense (construction related); • Tax planning and litigation; • Estate planning and asset protection; • Trust and probate litigation.

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Murtaugh Meyer Nelson & Treglia LLP is a multi-faceted law firm which prides itself on being responsive to its clients, and on achieving cost-effective solutions to their varied needs. We spoke to Partner Michelle Generaux about their company and the philosophy behind their success.

MMNT tends to focus their practice on advising small businesses. Entity selection/formation is only the beginning of the process. Speaking about this process, Ms. Generaux said: “The rewarding part is in assisting the client as he or she grows (or contracts), in negotiating contracts, counseling the client through the inevitable conflicts, and assisting the client through successful business transitions (whether it be through a third party sale, dissolution, merger, or asset sale).”

When asked about the challenges she faces in her profession, Ms. Generaux said: “I think the challenge for me (if you would call it that) was to learn that while I’m a lawyer, I’m not a magician.

I can’t control every aspect of every issue. Instead, I’ve learned that my role is to give our clients the relevant facts and the pros and cons of each issue that I’m assisting them with. That way, the client can make a fully-informed decision.”

The biggest change over the past 12-24 months for Ms. Generaux has been to keep up with the increased needs of the clients. “As the economy has improved, the clients’ businesses have grown, and with that the need for increased legal services.”

Michael Murtaugh, the founding member of the firm, has a simple philosophy – work with people (clients and colleagues) that you like. “This philosophy has served the firm (and me) well.

It makes coming to work every day easy.”

What separates the firm from their competitors, according to Ms. Generaux, is their client-centric service. “We’re really good lawyers who seek to resolve (not make) problems. Understanding the client and his or her needs is essential, and not every issue is a billing opportunity. Instead, we seek to develop and maintain longterm relationships with our clients. I think we’ve been pretty successful in our efforts in these areas. I think a client seeking to work with a business in our sector should be looking for an experienced, no nonsense attorney who understands the needs of an owner seeking to start his or her business. While entity selection/formation is part of the process, other start-up issues may include ensuring you have the correct insurance, the appropriate contracts and licenses and have coordinated your estate planning with your business planning. “

Speaking about the award, Ms. Generaux commented: “While I tend to keep my own score regarding my own personal and professional success, awards like these help validate my scorekeeping! The award will assist the firm (and me) in our marketing efforts on a local and more national level. On behalf of the firm (and me), we are honored by the receipt of this award. In that we strive to provide good, practical, quality services, we believe this award is a result of happy and satisfied clients.”

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec Best Patent Litigation Law Firm - North Carolina

Company: Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec, P.A. Name: Lynne A. Borchers Email: Lborchers@myersbigel.com Web Address: www.myersbigel.com Address: 4140 Parklake Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27612 Telephone: 919-854-1400

Receiving this award is such an honor, and we truly appreciate the recognition. We owe this success to the culture and policies of our firm, as well as the hard-work and dedication of our entire patent litigation team who listen to our clients, understand their technology, and strive to achieve business solutions for the clients. Awards like this are an inspiration to us.

Over the last 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of large law firms that have established themselves in patent litigation. This created a challenge to far smaller

Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec (“Myers Bigel”) is the largest independent patent law firm in North Carolina, representing corporate and university clients around the world in acquiring and protecting patent assets, including patent preparation, prosecution, licensing, and litigation.

practices like ours. We have successfully overcome the challenge with our unique firm structure and dedication to adding value to the to our clients’ business.

Myers Bigel’s litigation practice is founded on a conviction that resolving patent litigation disputes is best performed by attorneys having a depth of technical and legal experience. Our litigation attorneys are registered to practice before the USPTO, and boast real-world, practical industry experience that allows us to successfully interact with and counsel both the technical staff and the management of our clients. Our litigation team routinely focus on understanding a client’s business objectives and technology, and are committed to developing comprehensive strategies for effective resolution.

We believe that clients should look for experienced patent litigation attorneys who will handle all aspects of their patent disputes. Each attorney in Myers Bigel’s litigation practice is a substantive working litigation attorney. We staff our cases efficiently using experienced, dedicated attorneys who begin working with a client on a contested matter at Myers Bigel and continue to apply their experience through the resolution of the dispute.

Our firm has faced many challenges within our work environment. A key example of this is the implementation of the America Invents Act, which introduced Inter Partes Review (“IPR”) has been the biggest and most significant development in patent litigation in many years. IPRs filed in the USPTO challenging the validity of US patents have become the new frontier of patent litigation. To face this challenge, Myers Bigel has focused on learning and developing strategies for litigating IPRs.

A law firm’s internal structure can have a profound effect on the firm’s clients and attorneys. A conventional law firm is typically organized as a leveraged structure. In a conventional firm, a small number of senior partners are responsible for bringing in work (”rainmaking”) and delegating this work to a larger number of junior partners and a much larger number of associates to do the work.

However, Myers Bigel is not a traditional law firm. Every attorney at Myers Bigel is a substantive working patent lawyer, something unheard of at traditional leveraged law firms. We have a unique structure at Myers Bigel, which is organized as an inverted pyramid without dedicated “rain makers” passing-off new work to less experienced attorneys. As a result, at Myers Bigel, work can be performed for clients at a high level of expertise, but at a low level of cost. The most rewarding and interesting aspect of our work is working with technology and helping our clients. www.corporateamerica-news.com • 55

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec Best for Electro-Mechanical Arts Patent Prosecution

Company: Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec, PA. Name: Julie H. Richardson Web Address: myersbigel.com Address: Raleigh, NC

56 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec, P.A. (“Myers Bigel”) is a patent boutique law firm located in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina. We currently have 34 patent lawyers and of that number 10 (about 30 %) are women – which is a relatively high percentage in patent law. We serve clients in the full range of chemical, pharmaceutical, biological, mechanical, electronics, and computer technologies. We also represent corporate and university clients across the United States, in Europe and Asia.

From our experience, the attractive quality of life and relatively low cost of living in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina allows Myers Bigel to attract and keep some of the best legal talent in the country. Another advantage is that we can keep overhead costs much lower than firms located in expensive major metropolitan areas. As a result, our clients have access to experienced lawyers producing and enforcing top-quality patents, with billing rates dramatically lower than big city competitors and below the national average. Unlike most conventional law firms, Myers Bigel is a non-leveraged firm, substantive work is performed by our partners and counsel, as well as our associates.

Another attribute of our firm is the wealth of experience we provide for our clients. Each of our attorneys has a technical undergraduate degree, and in many cases a graduate degree, and substantially all are registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, many of our attorneys, including myself, have prior industry experience as engineers, scientists and/or corporate counsel. This experience allows us to successfully interact with both the research staff and the management of our clients, and provides the real-world experience on which practical advice and counselling is based.

Every attorney at Myers Bigel is a substantive working patent lawyer, something unheard of at traditional leveraged law firms. We have a unique structure at Myers Bigel, which is organized as an inverted pyramid without dedicated “rain makers” passing-off new work to inexperienced attorneys. The same experienced, dedicated attorney who begins working with a client at Myers Bigel continues to apply their experience into the nuts and bolts of the patent development, filing and approval process.

Work can be performed for clients at a high level of expertise, but at a low level of cost, because the overhead of the “unproductive partner” is not present.

In terms of my own involvement in the company, I have written and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications in the mechanical, electro-mechanical and biomedical technology areas.

My prior industry work experiences as an engineer at GE Medical Systems and GE Aircraft Engines (and college summer jobs with General Motors and Alcoa) has also been helpful.

As for the award, I am grateful for the recognition. I believe this success is directly related to the training and support of my colleagues/partners as well as the firm structure. Positive recognition is always welcome but the best referral source for incoming “new” clients seems to be the firm’s existing clients and people that have worked with us.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec Best for Electronics Patents - North Carolina

Company: Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec, P.A. Name: Rohan G. Saba Email: rsaba@myersbigel.com Web Address: www.myersbigel.com Address: 4140 Parklake Ave, Raleigh, NC, 27612 Telephone: (919) 854-1400

Our firm culture has always mandated patent quality above all else, and I have written and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications in the electronics, computer software, and semiconductor technology areas with this emphasis. While this has been challenging from a business perspective, our non-leveraged structure has allowed us to maintain our success without deviating from our client focus.

Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec (“Myers Bigel”) is a patent boutique law firm located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Our practice concentrates on patent preparation, prosecution, licensing, and litigation. We represent corporate and university clients around the world in acquiring and protecting patent rights in chemical, pharmaceutical, biological, mechanical, electronics, and computer technologies.

Every attorney at Myers Bigel is a working patent lawyer.

The same experienced, dedicated attorney who begins working with a client at Myers Bigel continues to apply their experience into the nuts and bolts of the patent development, filing, and approval process. This allows us to provide continuity of service to the client from the standpoints of technology and business, as well as law.

Not only does each of our attorneys have a technical undergraduate degree, but many (myself included) have prior industry experience as engineers, scientists, and/or corporate counsel. This experience allows us to better relate to the particular pressures faced by our clients and their staff, and is invaluable in providing client-centric focus and counselling. Moreover, our non-leveraged structure and low attorney turnover allow us to provide these services at a lower cost and with increased continuity to the client.

Particularly given recent patent scrutiny, clients in our practice should look for experienced attorneys, armed with up-to-date legal and technical expertise, to draft and prosecute their patent applications. As each of our attorneys has a technical undergraduate degree, and performs substantive application drafting and prosecution (rather than simply handing-off work to an army of inexperienced attorneys), our firm is uniquely structured to meet these needs.

Meeting the demands of our clients in our industry is something we need to constantly improve upon due to the ongoing changes in our industry. For example, the recent Supreme Court ruling in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank Int’l has introduced significant changes with regard to what is and is not patentable subject matter. This uncertainty will present challenges not only from a legal perspective, but may be potentially disruptive to our clients from a business perspective as well.

As for the award, I am very honored to have been named Best for Electronics Patents - North Carolina. I believe this success is due to our firm’s dedication to providing high-quality, high-value patent preparation and prosecution to our clients, and is aided by our unique firm structure, which allows us to recruit, train, and retain long-term legal talent. It is great to have the positive recognition, particularly as patents have recently received a lot of negative press with respect to both granting (by the Patent Office) and enforcement (by non-practicing entities or “trolls”).

It is a great feeling to have won an award, but I find that the most rewarding aspect of my profession is the chance to work with forward-thinking individuals, and be in a position that encourages the dissemination and protection of new ideas. www.corporateamerica-news.com • 57

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Perez & Miller Best Computer Litigator

Company: Perez & Miller, A Professional Corporation Name: Richard L. Perez Email: rickperez@perezmiller.com Web Address: www.perezmiller.com Address: 3527 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Ste. 350 Lafayette, CA 94549 P.O. Box 1549 Telephone: (925) 284-7788

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Perez & Miller’s numerous $1,000,000+ awards (including actual collections of millions of dollars in punitive damages) demonstrate the level of expertise it brings to solving its clients’ legal problems. Its clients have ranged from such Fortune 500 companies as AT&T, NCR, Lucent Technologies and Cooper Industries to small businesses and individuals. We caught up with them to find out more.

While having “made our name” in matters involving computer disputes, we handle general business disputes, with a focus on complex business litigation for both claimants and defendants with an emphasis on computer performance disputes for both vendors and users, corporation and partnership disputes, conflicts between competitors for violation of trade secrets and real estate disputes, including suits by and against brokers.

Richard Perez is proud of having been designated Best Computer Litigator by LegalElite in recognition of noteworthy results we have achieved for our clients over the years. He believes that those results have been due to a dedication to “keeping an eye on the ball” - i.e., focusing on our client’s ultimate goal without being diverted by extraneous factors – and an ability and willingness to originate and utilize innovative approaches regardless of their source while utilizing years of experience based on a solid legal education (Law Review at Boalt Hall School of Law, 1971).

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Potestivo & Associates P.C. Best for Landlord Tenant Law - Michigan

Company: Potestivo & Associates, P.C. Name: Brian Potestivo Email: bpotestivo@potestivolaw.com Web Address: potestivolaw.com Address: 811 South Boulevard, Ste. 100, Rochester Hills, MI 48307

Potestivo & Associates, P.C. handles a variety of landlord and tenant matters on behalf of residential and commercial property owners, as well as managers, creditors, bankers, and investors. The team is capable of meeting all timelines; if a particular process is challenged, the matter will then be managed by litigation. We spoke to them to find out more.

Our AV®-rated firm is supported by over 150 team members and handles all aspects of default servicing, including foreclosures, bankruptcies, landlord and tenant, title resolution, loss mitigation and home retention services, REO disposition, and litigation.

We believe that upholding our reputation is key to our firm’s success. We pride ourselves in maintaining a team who is naturally driven to deliver excellence to our clients. We have built our business on reputation and referrals, which is how we can stay competitive in our industry.

Clients in our industry should be looking for legal counsel who believe in strong communication and who goes above and beyond to keep its clients well informed on the cases they may have going through the legal process. P&A prides itself on having open lines of communication with its clients while keeping legal costs low to help its clients meet their efficiency goals and maximize their satisfaction.

From our experience, the legal profession has changed through a number of new laws that affect landlords, tenants, and foreclosure sale purchasers in Michigan. One of the most significant developments was the law that allows landlords to avoid probate court to retake possession of the rental property if a tenant dies while in possession of a property, as long as certain requirements were met by the landlord prior to the tenant passing away.

Furthermore, new laws were passed that allow for selfhelp eviction against trespasser occupants as long as the self-help eviction is done through peaceful and non-assaultive means. Additionally, post foreclosure property owners can now schedule interior inspections of foreclosed homes and file an eviction action to shorten the redemption period if the inspection reveals damage to the property, or if the inspection is unreasonably refused by the occupants. Some of the biggest challenges and accomplishments have been the educating our clients on these new laws and the aiding in development of new legal processes to ensure that our clients are taking advantage of these new procedures within the bounds of the law.

We are honored to be selected at this award level. We owe our success to our loyal clients and diligent team members who bring a blend of diversity and innovation to our law firm. We believe that this award will enhance our reputation and growth at both levels. However, the most rewarding aspect of working in the legal profession is we have the opportunity to build relationships with extraordinary business affiliates and make a positive impact in our community. www.corporateamerica-news.com • 59

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Pozo Goldstein, LLP Best Immigration Attorney - Florida

Company: Pozo Goldstein, LLP Toll Free: (888) 472-5291 Phone: (305) 856-0400 Address: 2000 South Dixie Highway Suite 101, Miami, FL 33133

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When people face the possibility of deportation or any other type of legal issue relating to your immigration status, it is in your best interests to retain the services of an experienced Miami immigration attorney. Our team is composed of two former immigration prosecutors and a former Miami-Dade County judge, a background which makes us uniquely well suited to help our clients resolve issues such as removal proceedings, difficulties in obtaining a visa or green card, and achieving full citizenship.

With more than 90 years of combined experience, we are ready to take on any immigration case, no matter how complex.

Whether clients are seeking political asylum, cancellation of removal or a waiver of inadmissibility, we know how much is at stake for their future. We stand by them as their case progresses, advising them of their rights and options and representing them with officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigration law is a complex and often challenging subject and the success of their case may depend on their choice of legal representation. Unlike many attorneys, we focus our practice on this area of law.

We have helped thousands of individuals and families navigate the complicated U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services system, as well as representing countless clients on criminal charges which threatened their immigration status. Our firm provides services for employers and for individuals, ranging from assistance with business immigration and family based immigration to asylum and post-conviction relief.

There are many reasons why someone would want to immigrate to the United States. Whether it’s for work, to be with family, or to secure better living situations and a brighter future, immigration needs are always unique. In many cases, they can also be difficult and challenging.

At Pozo Goldstein, LLP, our immigration lawyers in Miami are dedicated to helping individuals, families, and businesses throughout Florida navigate their unique immigration proceedings.

By working closely with our clients and taking the time needed to understand their individual circumstances, we are able to deliver the results they need.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Robinson Law PLLC Best in DUI Cases - Virginia

Company: Robinson Law PLLC Web: virginiadefenseattorney.com Address: 3950 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 6 Fairfax, VA 22030 Telephone: (703) 542-4008

Robinson Law, PLLC is committed to delivering the best Criminal Defense in Northern Virginia. As a former prosecutor, Michael A. Robinson has a thorough understanding of how the “other side” operates. This is a key advantage in all criminal defense cases. Our firm believes each client deserves a Northern Virginia criminal attorney who is experienced, aggressive, responsive, and eager to build a winning strategy.

Robinson Law, PLLC is a Criminal Defense firm located in Fairfax, Virginia and proudly serves all of Northern Virginia, including Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William Counties. Our focus includes DUI & DWI Defense, Drug Offenses, Record Expungements, Federal Cases, Juvenile Defense, Probation Violations, Theft and Traffic Defense.

The state of Virginia is known for having some of the strictest DWI and DUI laws in the country. If you have been charged with DUI, DWI, or Refusal in Northern Virginia, you are likely facing severe penalties. The severity of these penalties varies, but increases for those who have higher BAC levels and for repeat offenders. Robinson Law, PLLC has represented DUI and DWI clients throughout Northern Virginia, and has proven results with former clients.

Rosslyn, North Virginia

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Rountree Losee LLP Best for Alcoholic Beverage and Brewery Law - North Carolina

Company: Rountree Losee LLP Name: Geoffrey A. Losee Email: glosee@rountreelosee.com Web Address: www.rountreelosee.com Address: 2419 Market Street, Wilmington,

North Carolina 28403 Telephone: 910-763-3404

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Rountree Losee LLP is a full service law firm serving both individuals and businesses from detailed planning to litigation. Since 2012, Rountree Losee LLP has been advising local craft brewers in all aspects of their business from landlord-tenant matters to permitting and regulatory compliance. We spoke to them about their business and the challenges and opportunities facing them in their sector.

Understanding the multifaceted challenges faced by start-up craft breweries has been our focus from the beginning. In pursuing that understanding, Geoffrey Losee has himself become an award winning home brewer. Most challenges have come from governmental regulation of the industry; those challenges require a persistent and patient response.

Our philosophy has always been to work with our clients to achieve proper prior preparation in all aspects of their business.

Putting our firm philosophy into effect requires a thorough understanding of our clients’ business.

The biggest potential legal change on the horizon for craft brewers are the competing bills still pending on Capitol Hill which address the federal excise tax. (Those bills are known as the Small BREW Act and the Fair Beer Act.) Rountree Losee LLP is monitoring the developments on this front so that our brewery clients can be well and timely informed on the excise taxes that can make a significant difference in their profitability.

As for the award, it is humbling to have been selected for the honour as Best for Alcoholic Beverage and Brewery Law - North Carolina. North Carolina has a booming craft brewing business and we are proud to be a small part of it. We attribute Legal Elite’s 2015 recognition to our service to our craft brewing clients --which has allowed them to concentrate on making truly exceptional beverages.

Awards like Legal Elite’s recognition help our clients and potential clients identify our firm as accomplished in the field and aid in their decision to engage us to provide for their legal service requirements and planning for our clients’ success. When considered in conjunction with other awards and accolades earned by the Rountree Losee LLP firm and its members, we believe that potential clients can be confident in engaging our services.

The most rewarding aspect of practicing brewery law is the ability to help entrepreneurs realize their goals. The second most rewarding aspect is sharing their excellent brews!

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Seeley Savidge & Ebert Co Best for Private Placements- Ohio

Company: Seeley Savidge & Ebert Co Web: www.sseg-law.com Address: 26600 Detroit Rd #300, Westlake, OH 44145, United States Phone:+1 216-566-8200

Exceptional legal service is the foundation of Seeley Savidge Ebert & Gourash Co., LPA (SSE&G). Since establishing the firm in 1978, the partners and attorneys of SSE&G have assisted clients in achieving objectives through such traditional values as hard work, responsiveness and efficiency while consistently bringing innovative ideas to the table.

Today SSE&G has a regional and national practice representing a client base ranging from Fortune 500 Companies and national and international insurers to entrepreneurs and emerging organizations seeking their own foundation on which to build. We are a full service law firm combining sound business advice and planning with experienced advocates who have earned the respect of peers and clients not only through skill, but persistence and practical judgment.

For more information on our services and how SSE&G can assist with your short or long term goals, please click on our Practice Areas or Attorneys.

Not unlike the transformation of carbon to diamond, Seeley, Savidge, Ebert & Gourash Co., LPA has come a long way from humble beginnings. The roots of the firm trace back to the practice of a single lawyer, Glenn Seeley, who started his practice in the just awakening town of Avon Lake, Ohio in 1957. Although Glenn’s practice successfully expanded over the years, he recognized the demand for his quality services and moved his office to Cleveland in 1968 in partnership with an eminent business lawyer.

The partnership lasted ten years and was a fortuitous association because it resulted in the hiring of Gregory Seeley, a promising business lawyer from the Ohio Department of Commerce, and Keith Savidge, a litigator from Jones Day.

In 1978, Gregory and Keith became founding partners in the firm today known as Seeley Savidge Ebert & Gourash Co., LPA. The firm was an instant success, quickly developing a reputation for providing distinguished legal services. As the firm and its client base grew and diversified, Gary Ebert, a long-time City Law Director, joined Gregory and Keith in 1991, bringing with him a wealth of experience serving clients in such areas as public law, land use and probate law.

Seeley Savidge & Ebert continued to flourish into the twenty-first century and in May, 2007 added two new partners, Daniel Gourash and Robert Anderle. Daniel and Robert brought with them a nationally recognized commercial, complex litigation and insurance practice, complimenting the outstanding litigators and practice already existing at the firm, which was renamed Seeley Savidge Ebert & Gourash Co., LPA.

Fifty plus years of practicing law sets Seeley Savidge Ebert & Gourash Co., LPA apart. The firm’s attorneys bring a unique historic perspective to the practice and our community, including the demonstrated ability to anticipate change—both in our client’s needs and the environment in which they must compete to succeed. Simply put, this experience is the foundation for our ability to continue providing the highest quality representation in an effective and efficient manner.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Smith Knowles P.C. - Kenyon D. Dove Best for Landlord / Tenant Law - Utah

Company: Smith Knowles, P.C. Name: Kenyon D. Dove Email: kdove@smithknowles.com Web Address: www.smithknowles.com www.utahevictionattorney.com Address: 2225 Washington Blvd., Suite 200, Ogden, Utah 84401 Telephone: 801-476-0303

Smith Knowles, P.C. is the premier real estate law firm in Northern Utah. We offer a wide range of litigation and transactional services from landlord/tenant issues, foreclosure services, creditor’s rights and collections to construction contracts, business entities and estate planning. We love working with our clients in planning ahead to help them avoid pitfalls and unnecessary legal entanglements. When legal action is required we represent our clients aggressively, efficiently and effectively.

I am honored to have been nominated and selected to receive this award. I owe my success to the support I have received from past and current partners and colleagues, clients, and staff. Of course I would be nowhere without the support of my family and the blessings of a loving God in my life.

I appreciate awards such as this for the words of encouragement they represent that often go unsaid and the way they help one realize that you really can and are making a difference.

One of my primary practice areas is the representation of Landlords in residential and commercial evictions, with special expertise in post-foreclosure evictions. Our firm has been fortunate enough to build and strengthen our reputation to a level that both local and national clientele trust us to provide them with superb representation in landlord/tenant matters.

The primary goal at Smith Knowles is to provide legal services using creative, efficient and cost effective methods to obtain practical solutions for our clients. The most important factors to clients in my experience are: confidence that their issue is being handled and resolved, staying informed about their case and working in a cost efficient manner. Speed of service and maintaining good client relationships are also keys to success in my practice.

Our clients understand that we offer them responsiveness and a clear vision of how to solve their problem. We work hard to gather all of the necessary and material facts and background information to provide a comprehensive review and solution.

From my experience, the legal profession, for the foreseeable future, is facing a monumental shift in how legal services are delivered, competition from non-attorney sources, underemployment and unemployment of attorneys and reconciling all of these to provide valuable and cost-effective access to justice. Bar Associations and Lawyers across the country are sifting through all of the variables to develop creative ways to meet growing demands for legal services with cost-effective solutions. Attorneys and Firms have to be flexible if they want to stay in business.

Our Firm overcomes these challenges through creative fee structures and by being large enough to handle a wide variety of clients yet small enough to be more responsive to client’s needs and to develop the relationships that are so important in this business. We strive to stay on the cutting edge of change to provide the best service to our clients.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Stone & Bellus PC Best Boutique Law Firm - Georgia Company: Stone & Bellus, P.C. Name: John E. Bellus, JR. and F. R. Josh Stone Email: john@stonebellus.com and josh@stonebellus.com Web Address: www.stonebellus.com Address: 6849 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, B-3, Suite 100, Atlanta, Georgia 30328 Telephone: 770-390-9950

Stone & Bellus, P.C. is an Atlanta-based boutique firm with over 50 years’ combined experience, focused on construction and business clients for both small and large companies. We spoke to them about how they consistently and successfully represent their clients in both local and national matters against the more expensive large firms.

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Josh Stone and John Bellus provide all clients with very personal representation and treat their clients as clients, not billable hours. Josh and John met each other through their personal involvement with the Atlanta Renegades Rugby Club. While playing rugby, Josh and John understood and played with an intense desire to compete and to win. This same desire and intensity is also prevalent in their representation of the firm’s clients, going the extra mile to represent their clients zealously and honourably. What separates them from their competitors is that they provide very personal attention, which allows a genuine business relationship.

Over the past 12 months, they have focused on being more of a counsellor verses a litigator to their clients. Although litigation may be necessary, they try to assist at the early steps of contract negotiation so that the parties have a much better understanding of their relationship. Often when the parties have spent the time at the forefront to fully understand the deal, they are less likely to have a misunderstanding that leads to litigation. However, if litigation is necessary, Josh and John will fight for their clients’ interests aggressively and ethically. They are also exceptional at resolving cases early through mediation.

In their industry, Josh and John believe that clients should be looking for legal counsel; someone who is going to provide the full details of both the pros and cons of a situation. In light of that, they strive to be very frank about the costs and benefits of going forward in each and every transaction and dispute resolution. They also thrive on client communication and treating the client’s needs as their own.

One of the major changes to their practice is that emails have a growing importance in litigation. It is increasingly common for casual email correspondence to have a significant bearing on the outcome of a dispute. As such, they counsel their clients on the use of emails and also have ensured that they have the tools necessary to review emails in bulk.

As for the award, Josh and John feel honoured to be recognized as Best Boutique Law Firm. They are proud of the fact that they are a boutique firm, so to receive an award that reflects this reinforces their company values. “In a boutique firm such as ours, we take pride in being ourselves and treating clients as friends,” John Bellus told us. “The close relationship allows us to better understand our client’s issues, needs and desires.”

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

J. Scott Hudson Stovash Case & Tingley Best Human Resources Lawyer - Florida

Company: Stovash, Case & Tingley, P.A. Name: J. Scott Hudson Email: shudson@sctlaw.com Web Address: www.sctlaw.com Address: The Vue at Lake Eola 220 North Rosalind Avenue Orlando, Florida 32801 Telephone: 407-316-0393

In the human resources and employment law arena, Stovash, Case and Tingley, P.A. provides employers with practical and proactive advice enabling our clients to run efficient businesses while complying with the laws that govern the employment relationship. The diverse background of our attorneys provides a solid basis from which to provide both best practices recommendations and legal advice on human resources issues. In the event of litigation or administrative proceedings against an employer, our attorneys understand the importance of aggressively moving cases forward and searching for a favorable result, either through court decision or negotiated resolution.

Oftentimes, it seems that a call to an attorney is the “last call” a client or prospective client wants to make. They will search the internet, ask peers, seek advice from a variety of sources and, if that fails, finally give in and call an attorney. We strive to be the “first call” a client makes and even offer a hotline service for clients. This provides an opportunity to discuss human resources issues as they arise. This cost-effective and proactive resource addresses employment issues early so that they do not develop into major problems.

One primary service that sets us apart is an Employment Law Compliance Review we offer clients. Instead of waiting for problems to arise, we conduct an onsite audit, offsite analysis, and provide a comprehensive compliance report. The report is supplemented with a checklist of our major recommendations and serves as a compliance roadmap for the client.

Within the employment law field, things are moving at the speed of light. Court cases dealing with same-sex marriage, discrimination, and health care coupled with Executive action from the President on a number of fronts have impacted employers of all sizes. Keeping up to date with these changes are a challenge for those of us who practice in the field; it is infinitely more difficult for businesses and managers to stay up to date with these regulatory and legal developments. As such, I believe the biggest challenge for businesses will be to find reliable and trusted advisors in terms of insurance advisors, accountants and attorneys who can guide and advise them as the legal landscape continues to change.

I fully understand that employers have a number of options when it comes to legal counsel for human resources matters. I am grateful to be recognized and believe it is a result of a philosophy embodied by a number of my clients who are faced with the challenge of compliance, managing employment related litigation and, at the same time, trying to run a business. Simply put, it is our firm’s belief that an employer can run a profitable or efficient business, treat employees fairly, and comply with the employment regulations. Our services are geared toward helping clients meet this objective and I would attribute this philosophy to any success that I have achieved.

Awards of this nature serve at least a two-fold purpose.

Of course, they recognize the achievements of firms or individuals.

They also provide either guidance to prospective clients or validation to current clients as they obtain or retain legal counsel.

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Robert L. Case Stovash Case & Tingley Best for Complex Contract Disputes - Florida

Company: Stovash, Case & Tingley, P.A. Name: Robert L. Case Email: rcase@sctlaw.com Web Address: www.sctlaw.com Address:220 N. Rosalind Avenue, The VUE at Lake Eola, Orlando, Florida 32801 Telephone: (407) 316-0393

My practice focuses on complex business litigation, real estate matters, banking litigation and construction issues because those areas cover a range of possible concerns my clients encounter and I want to help my clients succeed. I find it rewarding when clients trust my judgment enough to call me regarding issues that have arisen before any legal problems are evident.

SCT uses “Strategic, Decisive and Resolute” to describe our practice. These words summarize our dedication to provide 68 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

In 2003, Robert Case, with Robert Stovash and Amy Tingley formed Stovash, Case & Tingley, P.A. (SCT). In 2010, Scott Hudson, who is also a 2015 Legal Elite award recipient in employment law, became a shareholder at SCT. In addition to complex business and employment law matters, SCT handles matters in banking, construction, landlord/tenant, white collar crime, real estate litigation and transactions, and provides mediation services. Also in 2010, the firm moved into its current Orlando office, the Mayor of Orlando spoke at the grand opening, and the Orlando City Council declared the date “Stovash, Case & Tingley Day.” We spoke to Robert Case to find out more.

experienced counsel, cost-effective representation, and a strong work ethic. Clients who engage SCT seek excellent lawyers who are responsive to client needs, who keep the client well informed of each matter, and who are able to handle complex legal challenges.

We work with businesses facing difficult legal issues which may affect the future of the business if not handled effectively. SCT interviews each potential client and reviews every case to ascertain compatibility with SCT’s expertise and its goal to provide excellent service.

SCT’s size means that we are large enough to handle complex matters, while small enough to be fluid in our approach.

We do not charge exorbitant rates and can help our clients with even routine matters. “Full service” to us is not how many practice areas we have, but how available we are to meet the needs of our clients.

We always do the best we can for our clients, and find it very rewarding when they receive a favourable outcome. For example, I represented a client in a “bet the business” arbitration matter.

The final arbitration hearing began on the wedding anniversary of the corporation’s president so when we received a favorable verdict it was a great moment. It is rewarding to know that our clients can trust that we truly care about their businesses and will work hard for their success and then to have their trust justified by the outcome.

Evolving our firm for the benefit of our clients is a continuous process because we work in an industry that is constantly changing. As our country recovers from the Great Recession, even large corporations who previously hired law firms based solely on hourly rates are realizing their legal matters may not have been well-handled. We are seeing these corporations re-evaluate the costs of litigating based on the skill and efficiency of the law firms, not solely on hourly rates.

From our experience, it is important to work hard, stay current on legal issues, and be prepared on behalf of my clients.

It is reaffirming to receive the Best for Complex Contract Disputes – Florida award because it justifies my dedication to tireless advocacy for my clients and professionalism to my peers and the judiciary.

Advertising by many attorneys means that law firms, like SCT, which obtain clients solely on reputation and referrals, must be distinctive. Therefore, a merit based award is an important way to be distinguishable. Businesses can use these awards to find lawyers who have built a strong practice based on an excellent reputation rather than a noticeable practice based solely on advertising.

CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

Sullivan Stolier Knight LC Best Healthcare Law Firm - Louisiana

Company: Sullivan Stolier Knight LC Name: Vinson J Knight Email: vknight@sullivanstolier.com Web Address: www.sullivanstolier.com Address: 909 Poydras St. Ste. 2600, New Orleans, LA 70112 1042 Camellia Blvd. Ste. 2, Lafayette, LA 70508 Telephone: 504-561-1044 and 337-233-6210

Sullivan Stolier Knight LC provides a comprehensive set of healthcare law related services for clients ranging from individual physicians, group practices, rural health providers, post-acute providers, and hospitals. We spoke to them about their company as well as the challenges and opportunities facing them in the healthcare industry.

The firm’s focus has always been to obtain successful results for our clients. We navigate challenges every day to provide quality service to meet our client’s expectations and their ever changing needs in a highly regulated field like health law.

The firm’s philosophy is skilled advocacy and client service with a strong record of results from experienced attorneys.

We provide cost effective and efficient successful results for our clients. The firm is broken down into speciality areas of practice and within each area the attorneys are extremely proficient in their area of speciality. The firm has an advantage because our attorneys are current and up to date in this ever changing healthcare arena.

Clients in our industry should look for experienced lawyers who have a proven track record. Sullivan Stolier Knight LC has the experience of over 28 years in practice.

In terms of the challenges and opportunities in our industry, there is a great deal of consolidation and merger activity in the ever changing healthcare marketplace where regulations are constantly modified. The challenge is to provide excellent cost effective services to our clients in an environment that is consistently changing.

As for the award, to be recognized as the “Best Healthcare Law Firm in Louisiana” is an accomplishment of many years of hard work, caring and gratitude of having success for our clients.

Awards and honors are not important, but it is nice to be recognized for what you do and like to do. Above all, the most rewarding part of our profession is knowing that your client has been well represented in complex matters. By receiving this honor it provides our clients and potential clients an extra level of assurance to know where to go when they need assistance, that the firm has a solid track record and has been recognized as one of the top in healthcare law.

Steve Sullivan

Jack Stoiler

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CorporateAmerica • The Legal Elite 2015

James Berman Zeisler & Zeisler PC Best in Creditors’ Rights – Connecticut

Company: Zeisler & Zeisler PC Name: James Berman, Esq. Email: jberman@zeislaw.com Web Address: zeislaw.com Address: 10 Middle St, 15th Fl, Bridgeport, CT 06604 Telephone: 203-368-4234

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Zeisler & Zeisler PC is primarily a bankruptcy boutique oriented to business reorganizations in Chapter 11 and also represents many high net worth individuals seeking help with creditor workouts or defense of creditor lawsuits. We spoke to James Berman about the firm and the unique services they provide.

As part of our insolvency practice, we are routinely engaged in significant litigation and transactional matters. The firm also specializes in representing institutional investors and other securities customers in SIPA liquidations and FINRA arbitrations.

Our partners are past editors of the Norton Bankruptcy Law and Practice chapters on broker-dealer liquidations under Chapter 7 and the Securities Investor Protection Act.

Zeisler & Zeisler, PC prides itself in delivering sophisticated services at a fraction of the cost that would be charged by larger Connecticut firms and firms based in New York City. In our practice it is vitally important to assess the client’s goals and to understand the business dynamics so the right legal strategy within the client’s budgetary constraints is employed. It is also critical to empathize with our clients -- who in most cases have never experienced the stress and turmoil they face in a financial crisis or creditor attack.

Insolvency law is a specialty like any other. Clients should be sure that the attorneys they retain have the requisite experience to get the job done right and are informed in advance what the legal services could cost. Our attorneys have a combined 100+ years of experience in insolvency cases across all industries.

In an arena where there are often little in terms of resources available to the client, our attorneys strive to provide better services more efficiently and at rates that are much less than larger Connecticut and/or New York City based firms.

Over the past year, I have focused primarily on business and substantial insolvencies -- both outside of court and in Chapter 11 reorganization cases. The most significant challenge has been the substantial increase in competition over my 30-year career.

Despite the heavy competition, we have more accumulated experience and knowledge in the Chapter 11 insolvency and creditors’/debtors’ rights arena than most, if not all, of our competitors. This is evidenced in part by the number of partners here who routinely receive prestigious accolades from agencies such as yours.

Furthermore, we have more experienced insolvency practitioners than any one firm in the state regardless of size. As a result, we can provide first class services efficiently and economically; and that has worked to our advantage both in obtaining cases and completing them on a cost effective basis.

In terms of the award, I feel extremely honoured to have been named “Best in Creditors’ Rights - Connecticut”. I owe my success in large part to years of experience with diverse types of businesses, complex legal situations and an extremely smart and demanding clientele. I believe awards such as this are important for the recognition received by the recipient business and a service to the industry generally by educating individuals and entities in need of high quality legal services.