Of the 47 lawyers recognized, 12 of the firm’s attorneys were recognized for the very first time and 14 attorneys were recognized as Ones to Watch. 

Best Lawyers has employed the same transparent methodology for more than 35 years, based entirely on peer review. 

The following includes all Firm attorneys named and areas in which they are recognized:

Miami

• Mitchell A. Bierman (Administrative / Regulatory Law, Government Contracts, Government Relations Practice)
• Lillian Arango (Real Estate Law)
• Maria Victoria Currais (Real Estate Law)
• Jeffrey Decarlo (Commercial Litigation, Public Finance Law)
• Alan K. Fertel (Sports Law)
• Chad S. Friedman (Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law)
• Jessika Arce Graham (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law)
• Edward G. Guedes (Appellate Practice)
• Stephen J. Helfman (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Juan P. Loumiet (Litigation – Real Estate, Real Estate Law)
• Justin Luger (Commercial Litigation)
• Anthony L. Recio (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Paul Ryder (Employment Law – Management)
• Clifford A. Schulman (Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Joseph H. Serota (Commercial Litigation)
• Eduardo M. Soto (Real Estate Law)
• Richard Jay Weiss (Government Relations Practice)
• Laura K. Wendell (Appellate Practice)
• David M. Wolpin (Employment Law – Management, Government Relations Practice)
• Daniela Cimo (Ones to Watch: Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Kelsie Elmer (Ones to Watch: Real Estate Law)
• Roger C. Pou (Ones to Watch: Municipal Law)
• Samantha W. Soto (Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• Alejandro Uribe (Ones to Watch: Land Use and Zoning Law)

Fort Lauderdale

• Daniel L. Abbott (Litigation – Land Use and Zoning)
• Mitchell J. Burnstein (Commercial Litigation, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law)
• Jamie A. Cole (Commercial Litigation)
• Alicia Gonzalez (Real Estate Law)
• Paul Gougelman (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Michael J. Kurzman (Construction Law, Litigation – Construction)
• Matthew H. Mandel (Commercial Litigation)
• Eric L. Stettin (Commercial Litigation)
• Susan L. Trevarthen (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Peter D. Waldman (Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law)
• Isabella Falcon (Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation)
• Anne Reilly Flanigan (Ones to Watch: Appellate Practice, Civil Rights Law, Commercial Litigation)
• Narinah Jean-Baptiste (Ones to Watch: Municipal Law)
• Bryan C. Siddique (Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation)
• Alison F. Smith (Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management)
• Blayne Yudis (Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation)

Boca Raton

• Howard D. Dubosar (Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Bankruptcy)
• Andrew S. Maurodis (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Brett J. Schneider (Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Union, Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• David N. Tolces (Real Estate Law)
• Ethan Goldstein (Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation)
• Ryan Hudak (Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management)
• Jeremy S. Rosner (Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation)

The post WSHC+B Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2025 appeared first on Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.

Last year, Florida enacted a new law that requires municipal elected officials instead to file a Form 6, which requires that elected municipal officials also disclose the amount of their net worth, the amount of their income (including from their primary jobs), the value of each of their assets and the amounts of each liability.  These additional disclosures have nothing to do with the officials’ duties and are not relevant in any way to possible breaches of the public trust.  Judge Damian found that “it is not apparent from the record that a change from the Form 1 requirement to the Form 6 requirement was necessary nor that SB 774 is substantially related to the State’s identified interests.”

In a lawsuit filed by Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman, over 170 elected municipal officials from throughout Florida challenged the law as a violation of the First Amendment.  Judge Damian ruled that the elected municipal elected officials “have demonstrated a reasonable likelihood that they will succeed on the merits of their claim” and prevented the members of the Commission on Ethics from enforcing the new requirement statewide during the pendency of the lawsuit.

“This is the most intrusive form of financial disclosure that I am aware of in the entire nation, requiring more disclosure of quintessentially personal financial information than is required of the President of the United States, members of Congress and elected officials in every other state,” said Firm Partner and Fort Lauderdale Office Managing Director Jamie A. Cole, the lead attorney representing the plaintiffs.  “Most municipal elected officials receive little to no compensation for their public service, yet they are being asked to disclose their precise net worth, income and assets.  This legislative overreach has already resulted in the mass resignation of about 125 municipal elected officials and, if allowed, would discourage many others from serving their communities.”

Cole added that the preliminary injunction is a significant step in the plaintiffs’ efforts to ultimately obtain a ruling that the Form 6 disclosure requirements are unconstitutional.

WSHC+B Partners Edward G. Guedes and Anne R. Flanigan, and associate Jeremy Rosner, are co-counsel with Cole in representing the plaintiffs.

Click the links below to see media coverage.

• https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2024/06/11/law-firm-arguments-got-miami-judge-to-block-new-financial-disclosure-rule/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2024/06/11/judge-blocks-enforcement-of-financial-disclosure-rules-for-city-officials/74054888007/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.wuft.org/politics/2024-06-11/judge-blocks-floridas-municipal-financial-disclosure-law?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss 
• https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/06/11/federal-judge-blocks-states-financial-disclosure-law-for-elected-municipal-officials/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2024/06/11/judge-blocks-financial-disclosure-law-opposed-by-many-elected-officials/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/state/2024/06/12/form-6-federal-judge-blocks-florida-financial-disclosure-law/74059446007/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/story/news/2024/06/11/federal-judge-temporarily-bars-controversial-florida-financial-disclosure-law/74043843007/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.aol.com/federal-judge-grants-temporary-injunction-205529721.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/federal-judge-blocks-florida-financial-disclosure-law-for-elected-officials-37082702?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/federal-judge-blocks-law-requiring-190037679.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.orangeobserver.com/news/2024/jun/11/florida-financial-disclosure-law-blocked-by-federal-judge/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2024/06/11/judge-halts-florida-law-requiring-city-officials-disclose-more/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article289175454.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
• https://www.tampafp.com/2023-florida-financial-disclosure-law-blocked/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

The post Preliminary Injunction Entered to Prevent Enforcement of Florida’s Overly Intrusive Financial Disclosure Requirements appeared first on Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.

“You have disclosed all this private information on the internet, where it will be forever, and expose yourself to potential extortion, kidnapping, or burglary,” Jamie explained. “So basically, the form is going to say I live at this address, and I have $500,000 worth of stuff in my house. It’s an invitation to burglary.”

Watch the full video here: https://cbs12.com/news/local/florida-elected-officials-challenge-financial-disclosure-law-form-6-towns-villages-and-cities-floridas-commission-on-ethics-jamie-cole-florida-march-4-2024?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

The post WSHC+B Partner Jamie Cole Interviewed by CBS12 News Regarding Form 6 Requirements appeared first on Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.

Previously, all municipal elected officials in Florida were required to complete a Form 1 financial disclosure form, which advised the public of their primary sources of income and primary assets.   Under the new law, municipal elected officials have to complete and file a Form 6, which forces them to publicly disclose quintessentially private, highly personal financial information, including, among other things, the exact amount of their net worth and income and value of every asset worth over $1,000.  More than 100 municipal elected officials in Florida have resigned rather than make these new required disclosures.

The plaintiffs seek a declaration that the Form 6 disclosure requirements violate the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the privacy clause of the Florida Constitution, along with injunctive relief.

“This is the most intrusive form of financial disclosure that I am aware of in the entire nation, requiring more disclosure of personal financial information than is required of the President of the United States, members of Congress and elected officials in every other state,” said Firm Partner and Fort Lauderdale Office Managing Director Jamie A. Cole, the lead attorney representing the plaintiffs.  “Most municipal elected officials receive little to no compensation for their public service, yet they are being asked to disclose their precise net worth, income and assets.  This legislative overreach has already resulted in the mass resignation of municipal elected officials and, if not overturned in court, will discourage many others from serving their communities.”

WSHC+B Partners Edward G. Guedes and Anne R. Flanigan are assisting Cole in representing the plaintiffs.

Click the links below to see media coverage.

WWSB ABC7 News – https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/01/29/over-100-elected-officials-florida-step-down-ahead-new-form-6-requirements/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Sun Sentinel – https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2024/01/27/freaking-out-over-form-6-at-city-hall-steve-bousquet/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Palm Beach Daily News – https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/story/news/local/2024/01/11/palm-beach-town-to-participate-in-lawsuit-against-controversial-new-finance-law-florida-news/72171571007/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Islander News – https://www.islandernews.com/news/keybiscayne/plaintiffs-lining-up-to-join-key-biscayne-lawsuit-challenging-form-6-law/article_cf66b522-ca14-11ee-af67-638228d705cb.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Florida Today – https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/02/08/melbourne-joining-challenge-to-new-financial-disclosure-requirements-for-public-officials/72309815007/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

The post Twenty-Six Cities and Seventy-Four Elected Officials File Federal and State Court Lawsuits Challenging Florida’s Overly Intrusive Financial Disclosure Requirements appeared first on Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.

“As local governments transition away from fully remote proceedings, many are finding that the uptick in the public’s local government participation has not waned. Thus, returning to the dais in person presents a prime opportunity to revisit public decorum rules and their application at public meetings.”

Anne is a civil litigator whose practice includes federal civil rights matters, personal injury, contract disputes and real property claims. She actively practices in both federal and state courts. 

Daniela is an associate in the Firm’s Government Division and focuses her practice on representing governmental entities in land use, zoning, real estate, affordable housing and general governance matters.

Read the full article here.

The post Anne Flanigan and Daniela Cimo co-author an article in the 2023 spring newsletter of the City, County and Local Government Law Section of the Florida Bar appeared first on Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.

Miami, Fla. – Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman (WSHC+B) successfully navigated a new federal arbitration process to win a $1.5 million ruling against FEMA on behalf of the Village of Pinecrest. Mitch Bierman, Justin Luger and Roger Pou represented the Village in obtaining reimbursements for damages caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017.

This ruling and form of arbitration are expected to have significant impacts going forward as claims related to Hurricane Ian are filed and evaluated. 

A U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals panel ruled that the Village was wrongfully denied virtually all public assistance funding requests from FEMA. The Village’s claims revolved around various categories of debris clearance and removal activities performed between October and December 2017, in response to damage caused by Hurricane Irma on Sept. 10, 2017.

Federal arbitration can now be sought through this Board as a last resort for claims of at least $500,000 in densely populated areas and at least $100,000 in certain areas with a population of under 200,000. 

“We are thrilled to secure an appropriate outcome for the Village of Pinecrest through this new arbitration procedure,” said Luger. “The Village’s well-documented claims were disregarded by FEMA at every turn. It is heartening to know that there is now an impartial avenue to pursue justified and documented disaster relief reimbursements.”

Bierman, Partner and Miami Office Managing Director at WSHC+B, is Village Attorney for the Village of Pinecrest.

The post Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman Secures $1.5 Million Arbitration Ruling Against FEMA appeared first on Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.

Justin and Roger secured a reimbursement of more than $1.5 million in damages caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017 for the Village of Pinecrest.

After Pinecrest was repeatedly denied reimbursement for damages, Justin and Roger used a fairly new arbitration process to win the case. In the wake of Hurricane Ian, these same strategies may be beneficial for the claims that are likely to ensue in the near future.

“Even if you dot your I’s and cross your T’s, they are looking for every little thing and any reason whatsoever to deny any amount of money,” Justin said. Roger suggests for municipalities to “take a very long look and prepare for these hurricanes and other natural events, because that’s the time to make your case, and if you make it now and if you need to arbitrate, you’ll be putting your best foot forward.”

Justin and Roger both work closely with government entities. Justin handles complex commercial, business and municipal/government litigation. Roger focuses his practice on representing municipalities on general matters, including drafting contracts and legislation.

Read the full article in the Daily Business Review here.

The post Justin D. Luger and Roger C. Pou discuss their recent win against FEMA which secured a reimbursement of more than $1.5 million in damages caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017 appeared first on Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.

Given the frequent interactions between government and business, disputes often arise between regulatory bodies and private parties. The landscape of a dispute with local government, however, can look vastly different from the traditional terrain of purely private litigation. The nuanced aspects of disputes that lie at the intersection of government and business, and the specific procedural laws that apply to local governments, require assistance from mediators with specific local government experience to assist parties seeking to resolve disputes through mediation.

The Unique Government-Business Dispute Landscape

Put simply, there are legal and institutional variations that differentiate disputes with government from traditional disputes between private entities. These differences can often become obstacles to resolving even the most seemingly straightforward disagreements between government and business.

Resource asymmetry can often influence the trajectory of dispute resolution. Private parties may be more cost-sensitive in their approach to a dispute, whereas government may be willing to litigate matters at greater expense to protect the public good. This includes a greater willingness to pursue legal theories or challenges that may set important precedent in other matters, which, for an individual litigant, may be economically irrational to pursue.

Moreover, government lawyers are usually specialists in their area of practice and well-positioned to levy and respond to legal challenges in the public sphere, whereas counsel for private litigants sometimes get lost in the mire of unfamiliar statutes and ordinances. For instance, understanding the applicability of open government laws at the inception of a dispute can greatly impact the time spent seeking information from government entities by way of traditional discovery requests later on. Similarly, familiarity with unique defenses available to governments that often do not arise between private litigants, such as sovereign immunity and statutory damages caps, can be key. By the same token, there are distinct statutory regimes that enable certain causes of action, like those brought pursuant to the Bert Harris Act, which are particular to government alone.

To complicate matters further, when a dispute involves government, the public is often an initially overlooked third-party that must nonetheless be accounted for in resolution. Such considerations of the public interest are not typically features of private litigation. Thus, interested stakeholders are often not present at a mediation, but will certainly express their positions at any public meeting ultimately held to approve a settlement. Relatedly, because media consistently tracks government action, public sensitivities are often a paramount consideration in dispute resolution, and public opinion can create a potential obstacle to resolution for local governments.

Finally, in disputes between private parties and governments, there exist unique sensitivities by private actors who are repeat players in the government-business arena and who wish to preserve their relationships and goodwill beyond resolution of a particular dispute for the sake of future beneficial transactions with government.

A Mediator With Experience in Local Government Law as a Guide to Facilitate Mediation

Mediating local government and business disputes can be an invaluable resource to assist the parties as they navigate through the obstacles that this unique landscape presents. The more the needs and limitations of each party are understood by the intermediary facilitating discussion between the two, the more effectively those discussions for resolution can yield progress.

In particular, a guide who can adeptly shepherd the parties procedurally through the sticky aspects of mediation with a government actor—such as understanding limitations on final settlement authority, Florida’s Sunshine Laws, and concepts of sovereign immunity—greatly improves the likelihood that a mutually agreeable resolution of a dispute can be reached.

Additionally, using mediation as a mechanism for settlement can provide a window for creative solutions that allow the parties to shift perspective from the adversarial zero-sum endeavor seen too often in litigation, to a partnership of negotiation for a mutually beneficial outcome more commonly brokered in government fora. This shift in outlook can lead to an improved relationship between the parties during a tense period of interaction. In this manner, the parties can preserve future transaction potential. In fact, the candid discussions and creative intervention of an honest and knowledgeable broker during mediation may allow the parties to conjure creative solutions and remedies not limited to simple dollar demands. In some instances, these discussions have even been shown to spawn policies that foster outcomes with positive outcomes to the public welfare the government serves. Finally, in most cases, mediation can maintain confidentiality. This can help to lessen the apprehension of public sensitivities to certain disputes and potential political ramifications, simplifying the path to dispute resolution.

Given the distinctive challenges that disputes with government present, a mediator with specific local government experience is an underrated and underutilized, but highly effective, guide on the path to dispute resolution.

Candice Balmori is an attorney at Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman’s Fort Lauderdale office and represents municipalities on a broad range of issues, including counseling on contracts, compliance with public records, sunshine and ethics laws.

Jamie Alan Cole is a partner and the managing director of the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office. He represents local officials and governments in matters that help improve their communities and preserve home rule power. Both attorneys are Supreme Court-certified mediators.

To read the original article in the Daily Business Review, click here.

The post Jamie Cole and Candice Balmori Discuss Mediation and Local Government appeared first on Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.

“The trial court decision and the appellate decision will now permit the bond process to proceed and the very important needs of the Village to improve its infrastructure to be addressed,” Joe said to Islander News.

An accomplished litigator and trial lawyer with dozens of successful trials and appeals to his credit, Joe represents private and public clients across a broad range of subject areas. Laura is a Florida Bar Board Certified attorney in Appellate Practice and represents private and municipal clients in state and federal courts. 

Read more here: 

Islander News (July 20,2022) GO Bond lawsuit once again rejected, clearing path for Village to move on resiliency infrastructure projects

Key Biscayne Independent (July 20, 2022)  Appeals court upholds $100 million resiliency bond

The post WSHC+B team successfully defended the Village of Key Biscayne in Miami’s Third District Court of Appeal appeared first on Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.

The Town of Kenneth City was incorporated in 1957 and has a population of approximately 5,000 residents. As Interim Attorney, WSHC+B will provide legal counsel to the Mayor, Town Council and staff of the Town. WSHC+B is honored to be of service to the citizens of Kenneth City, Florida.

The post WSHC+B appointed Interim Attorney for Town of Kenneth City appeared first on Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.