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ORLANDO’S TOP WOMEN IN LAW
by styletome
Women in Law ORLANDO’S TOP 2022
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
The lawyers profiled here exemplify a standard of excellence in their profession and by doing so have garnered respect and esteem of their colleagues.
There are a multitude of specialties in the practice of law, each requiring expertise gleaned through formal education, personal experience and prior court established procedures often referred to as case law.
Lawyers and readers have been asked to name attorneys whom they hold in the highest regard or would recommend to others. The reality is that there are a variety of factors that determine the qualifications of a great attorney. Objective factors include trial experience and results in past cases, but most factors are subjective such as the quality or persuasiveness of an argument in court, skill at negotiating or giving legal advice.
Do your due diligence when choosing an attorney that’s right for you; making sure the attorney being considered has a good reputation in the legal community and the community at large, in the location where your case will be heard.
The attorneys being showcased in the following profile pages are specialized in areas of law practice and are considered to be excellent in their field.
Fernanda Cortes
Cortes Immigration Law Firm
Fernanda Cortes is the founder of Cortes Immigration Law Firm, a boutique, high quality law firm located at the heart of Orlando.
Having worked for other law firms prior to founding her own, Attorney Cortes realized that one of the most important aspects when providing legal services is to make sure the attorney is accessible to the clients when they are need.
The focus of Cortes Immigration Law Firm is to provide personalized attention while providing outstanding services.
Being an immigrant herself, she has first-hand experience on how daunting an immigration process can be, so she understands her clients' needs and expectations. Attorney Cortes' approach is based on a service provided with empathy and timely responses.
Attorney Cortes is licensed by the Florida Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Born and raised in Brazil, Attorney Cortes graduated from law school in 2002 and worked at the legal department of one of the biggest financial institutions in the country prior to moving to the U.S. in 2005. She also graduated from law school in the U.S. and has been practicing exclusively in the area immigration.
A learner at heart, Attorney Cortes has recently obtained a master’s degree in Business Administration.
In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, especially traveling around the world to feed her passion for history and for different cultures.
450 S Orange Ave 3rd Floor, Orlando, FL 32801 | P: 407-491-8200
Caroline Fischer Espi
First Choice Law, P.A.
EMPATHY, TENACITY AND INTELLIGENCE. These are words that define Caroline Fischer Espi’s career journey and work ethic. She not only commits herself to outwork her opponents, she commits to working smarter than them. Caroline never loses sight of the “human touch” needed to guide her clients through their trials in a time of hardship. Whether in a courtroom or in a settlement conference, she is always prepared and that is reflected in her meteoric career rise and the universal respect gained in a still male-dominated industry of personal injury law.
Caroline was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil where she started her legal career. She first earned a law degree over 10 years ago in her native county of Brazil. After practicing civil law and representing large corporations, she moved to the United States aiming to expand her education and experience. Caroline earned a Master’s degree from Boston University School of Law and a second Juris Doctorate degree from Emory University School of Law. She also had the opportunity to refine her negotiation and dispute resolution skills at Harvard Law School. After accomplishing her educational goals, Caroline moved to Florida where she now lives full-time and practices law. Today, she devotes her time and boundless energy to helping those who have been injured and dedicates herself to her own personal injury practice. She does this while being an active member and sponsor of several local Orlando organizations that support women’s career paths and growth.
Caroline Fischer Espi is co-founder and partner of First Choice Law, a preeminent Florida personal injury law firm. She opened First Choice Law with her partner, Jason Recksiedler; a well-known and highly respected attorney with over 25 years of experience, who recognized in Caroline the rare combination of empathy, tenacity and intelligence that allows her to rise where others stumble or fall. Her dedication to her clients and their cases is unmatched. She truly cares and uses all her training and skills to obtain the best result possible for them. Commitment is her promise to each client and she understands the importance of her role when she represents a person who has life-altering injuries. Caroline will make sure to take the time to answer each question and to explain the legal process so that her clients understand and remain informed at all times.
First Choice Law and Caroline Fischer Espi represent those injured in a serious car or truck crash, slip and fall and other injury causing events. Caroline’s unique background and hard work ethic make her an invaluable resource to her clients. She would like people to remember: “Make the Right Choice, Call First Choice Law!”
Orlando Office | P: 321-999-1111 | www.firstchoicelaw.com
Christina M. Green, Esq.
Women's Family Law Firm
Attorney Christina Green, the founder, and owner of Women’s Family Law Firm focuses her practice mainly in the area of Family Law. Christina has over 15 years of experience as a practicing attorney. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Following graduation, she began a career with a local law firm where she found her passion for the law and enrolled in law school. At the time, she was a single mother of three young children, but she knew she needed to follow her dreams of becoming an attorney. Christina enrolled in the four-year night program at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University – College of Law in 2003. Being the determined woman she is, Christina accelerated her education and finished law school early and in just three years. All while working full time at a law firm and raising her children. Christina obtained her law degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University – College of Law in 2006. Christina has her own personal experience with divorce, custody, and child support, which makes her compassionate when representing clients and their families. In addition, she knows all too well the struggles single mothers face in times of crisis as she fought very hard to be where she is today.
She is proudly and actively involved in the Central Florida Community. She currently volunteers as a mentor for the University of Central Florida’s professionalism class and is an active volunteer advisor of The Florida Bar’s, Lawyers Advising Lawyers for Marital and Family Law. Additionally, she is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar Association, and the Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers. She has served in many leadership roles with non-profit organizations in East Orlando. Christina is a Collaboratively Trained Professional, a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator and Qualified Parenting Coordinator.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Christina shifted her practice to an exclusively virtual law practice. She quickly learned how to operate remotely. This opened the door to representing clients throughout the entire state of Florida, and she continues this practice today. Women’s Family Law Firm is now a hybrid practice which offers a variety of innovative strategies to accommodate clients across the entire state both in-person and virtually. Christina is a self-motivated, super achiever who constantly strives to expand her knowledge of the law.
Some fun facts about Christina and her family: She and her family competed on Nickelodeon’s, My Family’s Got Guts, and the reruns are still able to be found online. She enjoys running, bicycling and working out and even competed in a couple CrossFit competitions. However, her biggest achievements in life are her three, now adult children. Christina is extremely proud of her children who have all graduated college. Her son Caleb and daughter Kayli both graduated from the University of Central Florida, and her youngest daughter, Adia graduated from Rollins College.
3801 Avalon Park East Blvd. Suite 200, Orlando, Florida 32828 | P: 407-574-8085 www.womensfamilylawfirm.com | christina@womensfamilylawfirm.com
Margaret "Amie" Kozan, Esq.
Appellate Attorney
An appellate lawyer with her own Winter Park law firm (Margaret E. Kozan, P.A.), Ms. Kozan has a diverse legal background, having practiced with prestigious law firms in Orlando, Tampa, and her hometown of Baton Rouge.
Licensed in two states and a graduate of Louisiana State University’s School of Law, Ms. Kozan finished in the top ten percent of her law school class, served as a Senior Editor of the Louisiana Law Review, and is a member of the Order of the Coif. Following law school she served as judicial clerk to United States District Court Judge Frank Polozola in the Middle District of Louisiana. “That was a tremendous opportunity. I learned so much from a great mentor.”
With 27 years of legal experience, Ms. Kozan has focused the past 15 years of her practice on appellate litigation. She not only represents clients in state and federal appellate courts (where a litigant asks the higher court to review a lower court’s decision), she is also regularly engaged by other lawyers to assist with litigation at the trial court level. “It is the ultimate compliment when highly skilled and respected trial advocates engage me on their cases because they are in a position to appreciate my analytical and written advocacy skills.”
Ms. Kozan is former chair of the Orange County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Committee and has served on Ninth Circuit Grievance Committee and the pro bono committee of the Florida Bar’s Appellate Practice Section. She is a former media lawyer and commercial litigator who worked in journalism and media relations before law school.
For the past seven years straight, Ms. Kozan has been selected as a Florida “Super Lawyer” in appellate practice. She has an “AV Preeminent” peer rating by Martindale-Hubbell (reflecting the highest level of legal ability and ethical standards). And, she has twice been selected by the Judicial Nominating Commission for potential appointment to the Fifth District Court of Appeal. “I never made it past the nomination stage but was truly honored for my name to have been sent to the Governor’s Office for consideration. Ultimately, I love being an appellate lawyer with my own practice. I’m very grateful for where my career has taken me and for all the exceptional lawyers I’ve had the chance to work with and learn from over the years.”
