PODHURST ORSECK, P.A. - Key Persons
Aaron Podhurst has been a distinguished trial lawyer for more than fifty years. He received his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his Juris Doctorate Degree from Columbia University, where he was a Harland Fiske Stone Scholar. Aaron is admitted to the Florida and New York Bars.
Aaron's distinguished career has brought him honors and offices from virtually every major legal organization, including the presidencies of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and The Florida Justice Association, fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers, member of Board of Governors of American Association for Justice, membership in the International Society of Barristers and the Inner Circle of Advocates, member of the Cuban American Bar Association and chairmanship of various aviation committees of the American Bar Association, American Association for Justice and The Florida Justice Association.
Although Aaron made his reputation as one of the nation's premiere plaintiff's aviation lawyers, and continues to hold that status, he has guided the firm in recent years to its status as one of the major commercial litigation firms in South Florida. At the same time, he has managed to devote countless hours to community service, including the presidency of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and membership in many other civic organizations. He is the recipient of the Medallion of Honor from t he National Conference for Community and Justice and the 1999 Jurisprudence Award from the Anti-Defamation League, and the 2010 recipient of the "Legal Legends" award presented by the 11th Judicial Circuit Historical Society and the Historical Museum of South Florida. Aaron is also the recipient of the 2014 Honorable Theodore "Ted" Klein Special Recognition Award.
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Audrey Groseclose is a staff attorney at Podhurst Orseck, P.A. Audrey received her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics from Vanderbilt University and her Juris Doctor degree with high honors from The George Washington University Law School. After law school, Audrey served as a law clerk to the Honorable Federico A. Moreno of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Previously, Audrey worked as an associate at Ellis & Winters LLP, a leading North Carolina law firm. She is a member of the New York bar and an inactive member of the North Carolina bar. Audrey is fluent in English and Spanish.
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Prior to joining Podhurst Orseck, Christina served as a law clerk for the Honorable Adalberto Jordan in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Previously, Christina worked as an associate at a leading international law firm, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, where she worked on complex commercial litigation, cross-border enforcement and investigations matters, and international disputes with a focus in Latin America. Christina also worked extensively on pro bono matters, including a juvenile life without parole resentencing as well as a multitude of immigration matters.
"Christina's exceptional background and leadership experiences will make her a valuable asset to our clients and support our continued growth as a top litigation firm," said Podhurst Orseck Partner, Stephen Rosenthal. "We are thrilled to welcome her to our team and look forward to her contributions to the firm."
Early on in her career, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Cecilia M. Altonaga in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Christina also gained valuable experience interning for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and assisting at the Ministry of Education of Spain.
While earning her Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School, Christina served as the Articles Editor and Women's Committee Co-Chair for the Harvard Law Review and received Best Overall Team for the Ames Moot Court Competition. Additionally, she was the recipient of the Dean's Scholar in Legal Research in Writing and Cravath International Fellowship. Christina graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Amherst College, where she served as Captain of the women's tennis team.
She is a member of the New York bar and the Florida bar and is fluent in English and Spanish.
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Joel received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Yale University and his Juris Doctorate Degree (cum laude) from Harvard Law School. He is admitted to the following bars: Florida, U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit.
Joel handles appellate litigation--a practice which has taken him to all of the appellate courts of Florida, including innumerable appearances in the Florida Supreme Court, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits on many occasions, and several times to the United States Supreme Court. Joel authored "The American Law of Defamation Through Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. and Beyond: An Analytical Primer," Virginia Law Review, Vol. 61, Issue No. 7, in 1975; and Ch. 6, "Making a Proper Record," Florida Civil Trial Practice, Eighth through twelfth Edition. His article, "Jumping Through the Hoops to Meaningful Appellate Review: Protecting the Record at Trial," which was published in the May, 1988 Florida Bar Journal, won first prize for the best Journal article published in 1988.
Joel is also heavily involved in organizations concerned with appellate practice, including a former chairmanship of the Appellate Court Rules Committee of the Florida Bar, Adviser to The Reporter of the American Law Institute's Restatement of the Law of Torts (Third), two terms as a member of the Florida Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, membership in the prestigious American Law Institute, the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and the American Association for Justice, and is a Diplomat of the Florida Justice Association. Joel served as a Lieutenant, Naval Aviator, in the U.S. Navy from 1965-1971 and flew 150 combat missions during two tours in Southeast Asia.
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John Gravante was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He received his B.A. in English from Florida Atlantic University in 1999, and his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law, graduating summa cum laude and finishing second in his class in 2002. While in law school, he served on the University's Law Review and was champion of the 1L Moot Court competition.
After law school, John served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Adalberto Jordan in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He also served as an adjunct professor of Legal Research and Writing at the University of Miami.
As a plaintiff's attorney, John has extensive experience litigating complex commercial cases, class actions, and personal injury matters. He has played a leading role in some of the largest and most complex class action and antitrust cases in the United States. The representative engagements in which he has been actively involved include a RICO action on behalf of a nationwide class of doctors against major HMOs for systematic reduction and denial of payments, which resulted in settlements valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. Additionally, he has handled numerous securities fraud class actions on behalf of bilked investors, complex commercial disputes involving fraud, as well as a suit against a health insurance company for denial of benefits resulting in the death of the insured. He was heavily involved in a multi-district class action against major banks for deceptive practices related to imposition of improper overdraft fees against their customers. He is currently involved in one of the largest antitrust cases ever filed, challenging the anticompetitive practices of major health insurance companies. John is also significantly involved in representing the class in a case relating to defective and deadly airbags, which involves the largest automotive recall in U.S. history, and has already resulted in settlements valued at over a billion dollars.
John was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2002, and is a member of the American Bar Association, Dade County Bar, American Association For Justice, and Florida Justice Association. He served on the Board of Directors for the Miami-Dade Justice Association during 2008 and 2009.
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Kristina Infante's practice focuses on products liability claims, complex commercial litigation, and class actions. Much of her practice is focused on mass torts and aviation litigation. She currently serves on the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee for the litigation arising out of the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.
Kristina has experience in all aspects of trial strategy and preparation having worked on several jury trials, including as first chair on behalf of a defendant in a federal criminal trial, as second chair in a two-week bench trial on a federal tort claim against the United States, and as trial counsel in several products liability trials. She has also served as court-appointed amicus curiae in an appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Prior to joining Podhurst Orseck, Ms. Infante practiced at Boies Schiller Flexner where she focused on products liability cases and complex commercial litigation on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants.
Kristina previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Adalberto Jordan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and interned for the Honorable Cecilia Altonaga of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
She received her Juris Doctorate magna cum laude from New York University School of Law in 2014, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif and served as an editor on the New York University Law Review. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and International Studies from Northwestern University.
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Lauren Barrington is a staff attorney at Podhurst Orseck, P.A. She joined the firm in 2003. Lauren received her Bachelor's Degree from Vanderbilt University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami.
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Lea is a Miami native. She is an honors summa cum laude graduate from the University of Miami School of Law. During law school, Lea was a member of the Moot Court Board, was an Articles and Comments Editor for the University of Miami Law Review, interned for a federal magistrate judge and interned at the Federal Public Defender's Office. Lea is on the Miami-Dade Justice Association Board of Directors.
Lea is also a magna cum laude graduate of Florida International University in International Business and Management. Prior to attending law school, Lea worked as a sales engineer for a satellite and fibre media-broadcast company.
Lea's practice includes personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability cases with a focus on aviation litigation. Lea is a member of the Florida Bar.
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Matt is a partner who focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation and class actions. With extensive experience in federal and state court litigation, Matt has been recognized by the Daily Business Review as one of Miami's "Most Effective Lawyers" and an attorney "On the Rise" (as one of the top attorneys under 40). Some of Matt's notable representations include:
• Serving as one of the firm's lead attorneys in the Takata Air Bag Litigation, which has resulted in approved settlements totaling over $1.5 billion to date;
Matt is an honors graduate of Harvard College (B.A. cum laude 2002) and of the University of Miami School of Law (J.D. summa cum laude 2010), where he was an editor of the University of Miami Law Review. Prior to law school, Matt worked as an equities trader for three years and as a foreign exchange trader for two years. After law school, Matt served as a law clerk to Judge Rosemary Barkett of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Matt is admitted to the Florida Bar.
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Nathalie Levy received a Bachelor's Degree from Boston University and her Juris Doctorate, summa cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University. She graduated fifth in her law school class, placed on the Dean's List each semester, and received a Goodwin Scholarship (a merit-based scholarship). While in law school, Nathalie served as an Articles Editor of the Law Review, a teaching assistant for Torts courses, and a research assistant for her Constitutional Law professor. She also received the "Book Award" for the highest grade in ten courses: Civil Procedure; Evidence; Constitutional Law I; Constitutional Law II; Securities Regulations; Wills and Trusts; Copyrights and Trademarks; Family Law; Will-Drafting Workshop; and Law and Literature.
Nathalie has focused her practice on complex commercial litigation, including class actions in multidistrict litigation proceedings ("MDL"). Her experience includes drafting appellate briefs and trial memoranda in federal and state courts in a diverse array of cases ranging from federal securities, aviation, personal injury and wrongful death, ERISA, and family law. Nathalie also participated in a federal trial team as well as attended depositions, hearings, and client meetings.
In her role as a Staff Attorney, Nathalie's most recent work involves assisting Plaintiffs' Chair Lead Counsel overseeing both economic loss class actions and personal injury class actions in In Re: Takata Airbags Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2599. Nathalie has overseen the electronic discovery and document management of over six million documents produced in a variety of formats and over a half dozen different languages by thirteen different defendants. Nathalie's work included developing advanced document coding methodologies and providing continuous document review training to dozens of attorneys nationwide. The Takata MDL involves the largest and most complex automotive recall in United States history.
Nathalie is bilingual in English and Spanish, and she is fluent in French.
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Pablo Rojas joined Podhurst Orseck after serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Adalberto Jordan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He received his Juris Doctorate magna cum laude from the New York University School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif, a Robert McKay Scholar, and a Furman Public Policy Scholar. He also served as Executive Editor on the NYU Environmental Law Journal.
Pablo's practice includes personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, and class actions. At Podhurst, Pablo has represented clients at every stage of litigation. He has briefed and argued dispositive motions in both federal and state court and first-chaired countless depositions of fact and expert witnesses. He recently won a $13 million jury verdict for an injured client in a case arising from a construction accident. Pablo also briefed and argued a pro bono appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, successfully urging a change in the Eleventh Circuit's jury instructions for Eighth Amendment claims.
Prior to law school, Pablo worked for an international bank in New York and served on the staff of Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Economics from Brown University.
Pablo is fluent in English and Spanish, and conversational in French and Portuguese. He is a member of the New York bar and the Florida bar.
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Peter Prieto received a Bachelor's Degree, summa cum laude, from St. Thomas University, and his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law. While in law school, he served as a member of the Moot Court Board and as an articles and comments editor for the Law Review. Peter is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
For more than twenty-five years, Peter has focused his practice on complex commercial litigation, including class actions, and white collar criminal defense. He has represented clients-both plaintiffs and defendants-in a wide array of civil litigation, including business disputes, healthcare, antitrust, products liability, RICO, legal and accounting malpractice, and class action litigation. Over the last several years, Peter has focused his defense practice on defending law and accounting firms from claims of professional malpractice. Peter has also represented clients in criminal investigations and prosecutions involving public corruption, business, banking and healthcare fraud, aviation, environmental violations, antitrust and money laundering.
Some of Peter's most significant engagements in his civil litigation practice have involved 1) successfully representing - at trial and at summary judgment - former executives of a pharmaceutical company who brought claims for securities fraud after the company's merger; 2) as Chair Lead Counsel, successfully representing and obtaining settlements in excess of over $1.5 billion on behalf of classes of millions of vehicle owners who purchased vehicles with defective Takata airbags; 3) obtaining dismissal of claims of malicious prosecution and abuse of process on behalf of national law firm; 4) successfully obtaining summary judgment on behalf of an international athletic and footwear company against claims that the company had stolen the "idea" of using a famous singer as its spokesperson.
Peter also has significant white collar criminal engagements have included 1) conducting internal investigation for, and subsequently representing, a public company in connection with possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"); 2) representing a cargo airline and its principals in a criminal investigation involving allegations that airline had falsified maintenance records; and 3) conducting internal investigation for Fortune 100 company in connection with allegations of price-fixing.
Peter also has significant experience in multidistrict litigation proceedings ("MDL"). He currently serves as Plaintiffs' Chair Lead Counsel overseeing both class actions and personal injury actions in In Re: Takata Airbags Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2599, which is considered the largest product defect case in United States history. He also serves as the only Florida Lawyer on the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in In Re: General Motors LLC Ignition Switch Litigation MDL No. 2543. Through the firm, he currently serves on the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in In Re: Checking Account Overdraft Litigation, MDL No. 2036. He is also Chair of the Experts Committee in In Re: Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 2406.
During his career, including his several years as a federal prosecutor, Peter has obtained substantial trial and appellate experience. He has tried 30 criminal and civil cases and has argued over a dozen appeals before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. For his litigation skills, he has been recognized as one of the "Top Lawyers in South Florida," according to the South Florida Legal Guide, and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Florida's Legal Elite, and Chambers USA, which has praised Peter for being "extremely strategic and thoughtful", as well as "highly skilled, practical, timely and terrific in court." In 2018, Peter was recognized as one of three "Attorney of the Year" finalists by the Daily Business Review.
Peter was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1985, and is also a member of various other Bars, including the Supreme Court of the United States, Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida Trial Bar, the Dade County Bar, the American Bar Association and the Cuban-American Bar Association.
Peter recently served as the Eleventh Circuit's representative on the America Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, the committee responsible for assessing the professional qualifications of all federal judicial nominees. Additionally, from 2006-2014, he was a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Third District Court of Appeal, and previously served, pursuant to appointments by Governors Lawton Chiles and Jeb Bush, as a Commissioner on Florida's Commission on Ethics. He serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Miami School of Law's Center for Ethics & Public Service and on the Alumni Advisory Board of the University of Miami Law Review. Peter is also a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Thomas University.
Prior to joining the firm, Peter was a federal prosecutor, first with the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, and later with the Office of Independent Counsel in Washington, D.C. where he worked on the criminal investigation of the late Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown. For over a decade, he was also a partner and trial lawyer with the firm of Holland & Knight LLP, where he served as Executive Partner of the firm's Miami office, and as the Chair of the firm's 400-lawyer litigation section.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at Podhurst Orseck
Bio
Ricardo M. Martinez-Cid is a partner at Podhurst Orseck, P.A., in Miami. He earned his undergraduate degree in only three years at the University of Miami (B.A. cum laude 1997) and his Juris Doctorate at Yale Law School (J.D. 2000) where he was the William S. Beinecke Scholar. While a law student, Ricardo was a director at Yale's renowned clinical program. He served on the Board of Directors of the Latino Law Students Association and was an editor of The Yale Journal of International Law. Before joining the firm, Ricardo served as a law clerk to the Honorable James Lawrence King on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He joined the firm in 2002 and was named a partner in 2005.
Ricardo is an accomplished trial lawyer, having obtained multi-million-dollar verdicts on behalf of his clients in both federal and state courts. He currently serves as court-appointed lead counsel for all wrongful death and personal injury claims arising from the Champlain Towers building collapse in Surfside, Florida. He also serves as court-appointed leadership counsel for the plaintiffs in In Re: Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and on the In Re: Zantac Litigation MDL. He has been named "Legal Elite" by Florida Trend Magazine, "Top Lawyer" by Expert Guides, the South Florida Legal Guile, and "Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyers Magazine. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America. According to the National Law Journal, his verdict of over 195 million dollars in the Fondo Vision natter was one of the ten largest jury verdicts of 2010. The Daily Business Review has recognized him multiple times at its Most Effective Lawyers' event.
Much of Ricardo's practice involves personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability cases with a focus on mass torts, class actions, and aviation litigation. He is experienced in Multi-District Litigation and currently serves on the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee for the NFL Concussion Litigation and the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee for the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Litigation. Ricardo also handles select commercial matters.
Ricardo is Board Certified in Aviation Law, thereby accrediting him as an expert within that field of practice. According to the Florida Bar, certification is its highest level of evaluation of competency and experience within an area of law, as well as professionalism and ethics in practice. In addition to handling general aviation cases involving fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, Ricardo regularly represents victims of commercial aviation disasters. He has been appointed lead counsel or otherwise taken a leadership role in many of these cases, including Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (2019); Laser Aereo, Colombia (2019); American Airlines Flight 331, Jamaica (2009); SpanAir Flight 5022, Spain (2008); TACA Airlines, Flight 390, Honduras (2008); Santa Barbara Airlines, S.A., Flight 518, Venezuela (2008); TAM Airlines, Flight 3054, Brazil (2007); GOL Flight 1906, Brazil (2006); Comair Flight 5191, Lexington, Kentucky (2006); Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101, Miami Beach, Florida (2005); Helios Airways Flight 2U522, Cyprus (2005); Tropical Air Flight 1301, Haiti (2003); Scandinavian Airlines Flight 686, Milan, Italy (2001); TAESA Airlines Flight 725, Mexico (1999); and Silk Air Flight MI 185, between Jakarta and Singapore (1997).
Ricardo was appointed by the Florida Supreme Court to serve on the Standing Committee on Fairness and Diversity and by the Chief Justice to serve on his Pro Bono Advisory Committee. He has also been appointed by Chief Judges in the Southern District of Florida to serve on numerous Magistrate Judge Selection and Retention Committees. He is Chair of the Aviation and Space Law Committee of the American Bar Association, a Past Chair of the Aviation Law Section of the American Association for Justice, a Past President of the Cuban American Bar Association, and he serves on the Board of Governors of the American Association of Justice and of the Florida Justice Association.
In 2017, he was nominated to the International Society of Barristers. The Society is based at Duke University School of Law. Membership is by invitation only and is proceeded by a rigorous screening process that considers the lawyer's ability, experience, accomplishments and ethical standards as assessed by trial lawyers and judges. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, an invitation-only association of experienced trial lawyers and judges.
Ricardo has authored and published works for the American Bar Association, the Westlaw Journal, and other periodicals. He is a frequent lecturer on handling complex litigation and general trial tactics. He has also served on the faculty of the Al J. Cone Trial Advocacy Institute.
He is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Ricardo was recently interviewed by LAW360.
Bio
Bob was born September 23, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York. He received his B.A. Degree from Dartmouth College in 1959. He graduated from the Yale Law School in 1962, and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1962 and to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1970.
Bob is one of Dade County's premiere trial lawyers. He has been listed annually since 1987 in the Best Lawyers in America in two categories-Business Litigation and Criminal Law since 2003 and from 2003 he has been listed in Chambers and Partners as one of the top four commercial litigators in Florida. In 2006 he was listed #1 trial lawyer in Florida by Super Lawyers. He has received the Dade County Bar David Dyer Professionalism Award, the Bnai Brith Professionalism Award, the Florida Defense Lawyers Rodney Thaxton "Against All Odds"award, the American Bar Association Senior Section Pro Bono Award , the Florida Bar Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award in (2009-2010) and the Florida Bar Foundation's Medal of Honor Award 2013.
In 2012, he was awarded the Florida Bar Criminal Law Section's Selig I. Goldin Memorial Award, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation Theodore "Ted" Klein Special Recognition Award, named as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers organization, inducted to the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame and named a Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year finalist for outstanding contributions to the public interest through his work in the Checking Account Overdraft Class Action litigation.
He is Past President and Dean of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a fellow and state chair of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, Trial Lawyer Honorary Society, Past-President of the Peter T. Fay American Inns of Court and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has served on the American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Judiciary, as Chairman of the Southern District of Florida Judicial Evaluation Committee, served as a member of the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission and the Florida State University Law School Board of Visitors. In addition to extensive involvement in the firm's commercial practice, Bob handles the firm's white-collar criminal defense work--an outgrowth of his background as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, as Special Counsel to the Dade County Grand Jury, and as a member of numerous commissions and task forces in the area of criminal law, including the U.S. Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Criminal Rules and Chairmanship of the Florida Bar's Criminal Law Certification Committee. He served as General Counsel to Governor Robert Graham in 1980. Bob has lectured extensively throughout the United States on substantive issues, ethics, professionalism and civility. His 1994 article on civility has been reprinted in more than 20 legal journals and periodicals. Bob is extensively involved in community activities, with particular emphasis upon the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse by young people.
He is also listed in Florida Trend's "Florida Legal Elite," and "Legal Elite Hall of Fame"; Super Lawyers Magazine's "Florida Super Lawyers" - "Top 10" and "Top 100"; South Florida Legal Guide's "Top Lawyers", Best Lawyers in America - "Bet the Company Litigation", "Commercial Litigation", "Non-White-Collar Criminal Defense" and "White-Collar Criminal Defense" Chamber's USA's Guide to Leading Lawyers for Business; Judicial Circuit Historical Society - "Legal Legends" and Miami Today "Gold Medal Award". His was career was highlighted in "Daily Business Review Profiles in Law" and was awarded the Miami Coalition of Christian & Jews (MCCJ) Humanitarian Silver Medallion Award and the American Inns of Court Judicial Luminaries Award.
Bio
To Stephen, each case presents an exciting challenge: how to navigate the complexities of the law and present the evidence through arguments calculated to vindicate his client's interests. Motivated to win while maintaining the highest professional standards, Stephen has developed a hard-earned reputation over his twenty-five years in litigation for combining excellence and a "dogged approach" with integrity.
A legal omnivore, Stephen takes on civil cases of all types, across widely divergent fields and industries, at the trial level or on appeal, on either side of a dispute. Eager to learn, he thrives on being entrusted with important matters in new areas. One publication called him "the rare jack-of-all-trades who might actually be the master of them all." Another opined that he "possesses the rare skill set allowing him to excel at both trial and appellate litigation."
It is hard to describe a "representative" case for Stephen, but this list gives some insight into the range of his practice in recent years:
Handled bad-faith failure-to-settle appeals in the Eleventh Circuit on behalf of catastrophic tort victims against national insurers, including the reversal of a summary judgment in a $51 million case in 2020;
Bio
Steven C. Marks holds a BA from the University of Florida (cum laude) and a JD from the University of Miami (cum laude), where he was editor-in-chief of the Law Review. He is an alumni editorial-board member of the University of Miami Law Review. Steve is admitted to the Florida Bar. He is a member of the Bar and Gavel Law Society and the Order of the Coif, and is on the Board of Directors of the University of Miami Law School Alumni Association (2003 to 2006). Steve is also an inaugural member of the University of Miami Law School Dean's Council and a member of the University of Miami Law Review Alumni Advisory Board.
He is a member of the Dade County Bar Association, American Bar Association (Aviation & Space Law Committee, Program Planning Committee for National Institute on Aviation Litigation, editorial board member, Torts and Insurance Practice Section and Tort and Insurance Law Journal Committee, and The Brief); The Florida Bar; Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (Aviation Law Section, Aviation Section); Dade County Trial Lawyers; Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association; American Board of Trial Advocates (Miami Chapter); Fellow, American Bar Foundation, Litigation Counsel of America, Trial Lawyers Honorary Society, and the Inns of Court.
Steve was recently appointed to the Legal Advisory Committee for the International Civil Aeronautical Organization; the Flight Safety Foundation Advisory Board; as Consultant and Board Member for AURA, an aviation company launching executive flights in 2019/20. He is the only victim's advocate on the board.
Steve is also a Trustee for the National YoungArts Foundation.
He is listed in Florida Trend's "Florida Legal Elite," Super Lawyer Magazine, "Florida Super Lawyers", Lawdragon's "500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers" and "500 Leading Litigators"; South Florida Legal Guide, "Top Lawyers"; The Guide to the World's Leading Aviation Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America; Chamber's USA's Guide to Leading Lawyers for Business named in the Daily Business Review's "Most Effective Lawyers" and "Professional Excellence - Distinguished Leaders".
Steve focuses on personal injury and wrongful death litigation, product liability, aviation litigation, commercial litigation, class actions, medical malpractice, premise liability, and admiralty.
He has acted as lead counsel, appointed court counsel and/or counsel representing victims in several commercial class actions and major airline crashes including: his appointment as a member of the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee handling over 100 cases filed in Ethiopia Airlines Flt. 302 crash involving Boeing 737 Max 8 airliner, 2019; NFL Concussion Litigation Executive Committee Member and co-lead settlement class counsel, 2014; acting as lead Plaintiffs' counsel in the American Airlines Flight 331, crash in Jamaica, 2010; acting as co-lead trial counsel for the California State Court plaintiffs' after a Silk Air crash between Jakarta and Singapore in 1997; acting as lead liaison counsel for the State Court and Federal multi-district litigation (MDL) plaintiffs' steering committees over the ValuJet Flt. 592 crash, Florida Everglades, 1996, and acting as a member of the MDL plaintiffs' steering committee for the Arrow Air military charter crash, Newfoundland, 1985.
General and major commercial airline crashes he has handled include: Red Air Flt. 203, landing gear collapse, runway excursion causing fire, 2022; Ethiopian Airlines Flt. 302, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, crash just 6 minutes after take-off en route to Nairobi, 2019; Lion Air Flt. 610, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, crash 12 minutes after take-off, 2018; Robinson R44 Helicopter, crashed into Sea at Praia, South Zone of Recife, 2018; LaMia Airlines Flt. 2933, crash near Medellin, Colombia, 2016; Dynamic Airways, Flt. 405, runway fire while taxing for departure, 2015; Metrojet Flt. 9268, from Egypt, en route to Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2015; Germanwings Flt. 9525, from Barcelona, Spain to Dusseldorf, Germany; 2015; Malaysian Airlines, Flt. MH370, from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, 2014; Gulfstream IV, crash on take-off, Bedford, Massachusetts, 2014; IBC Airways, Flt. 405, La Alianza, Puerto Rico, 2013; Dana Air, Flt. 992, Abuja, Nigeria, 2012; Central American Airways Flt. 731, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, 2011; Conviasa Airlines, Flt. 2350, Bolivar, Venezuela, 2010; Aires Airlines Flt. 8250, San Andres Island, Colombia, 2010; Ethiopian Airlines Flt. 409, Mediterranean Sea, 2010; American Airlines Flt. 331, Kingston, Jamaica, 2009; Air France Flt. 447, Atlantic Ocean, 2009; Colgan Air - Continental, Flt. 3407, Buffalo, New York, 2009; Aeroflot-Nord, Flt. 821, Perm Airport, Russia, 2008; SpanAir, Flt. 5022, Barajas Airport, Spain, 2008; TACA Airlines, Flt. 390, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, 2008; Santa Barbara Airlines, S.A., Flt. 518, near Merida, Venezuela, 2008; TAM Airlines, Flt. 3054, Congonhas Airport, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2007; Comair, Flt. 5191, crash on takeoff from Lexington, Kentucky, 2006; Sibir Airlines Flt. 778 from Moscow Russia, 2006; GOL Airlines, Flt. 1907, mid-air collision in the Amazon, Brazil 2006; Chalk's Ocean Airways Flt. 101 air disaster, Miami, Fl, 2005; Helios Airways, Flt. 522, crash shortly after takeoff near Cyprus, 2005; Tropical Air, LET 410, Cap Haitian, Haiti, 2003; Bashkirian Airlines Flt. 2937 and DHL Flt. 611, mid-air collision over German airspace, 2002; American Airlines, Flt. 587, crash in Belle Harbor, Queens, N.Y., 2001; Papillon Airways, Inc. Eurocopter AS350-B2 helicopter in the Grand Canyon, AZ, 2001; Scandinavian Airlines, Flt. 686, at Linate Airport, Milan, Italy, 2001; Air France Concorde Flt. 4590, crash shortly after takeoff, 2000; Bell Helicopter BH 407 in Brazil, 1999; Cubana Air, Flt. 3010, YAK-42, Valencia, Venezuela, 1999; TAESA Airlines Flt. 725 from Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico, 1999; Hot Air Expeditions, near Cave Creek, AZ, 1999; Occidental Petroleum's chartered Boeing 737 (from Peruvian Airforce), in Peru's northern jungle, 1998; American Airlines, Flt. 1420, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1999; TAME Flt. 422 near Bogota, Colombia, 1998; Swissair, Flt. 111, Atlantic Ocean near Hailfax, Nova Scotia, 1998; Silk Air, Flt. MI185, Palembang, Indonesia, 1997; Fine Air, Flt. 101, Miami, Fl, 1997; Bell 407 helicopter in the Andros Islands, 1996; Millon Air Flt. 406 en route to Miami, Florida from Manta, Ecuador, 1996; ValuJet, Flt. 592, Florida Everglades, 1996; Aero-Peru Flt. 603 en route to Santiago, Chile from Lima, Peru, 1996; Aviation Development Corp. Airlines, Flt. 053, Nigeria, 1996; Tarom Airlines, Flt. R0371, Bucharest, Romania, 1995; El Al cargo, Flt. 1862, Amsterdam, Holland, 1992; Surinam Airways Flt. PY764 in Paramaribo, Surinam, 1989; Grand Canyon Airlines, Grand Canyon National Park Airport, AZ, 1989; Independent Air Flt. 1851, Bergamo, Italy, 1989 and Arrow Air Flt. 1285, Gander, Canada, 1985.
He also acts as lead trial counsel for countless victims of general aviation and military accidents, many involving foreign claimants, ranging from air balloons, flight training, ground school, air ambulances, banner planes, aerobatics, helicopters, and propeller, turbo-prop and jet-powered aircraft, including, but not limited to, Cessnas, Cirrus, Beechcraft, Pipers, Bellancas, Lear Jets, Citation Jets, Bell Helicopters, Sikorsky Helicopters, Robinson Helicopters, Aerospatiale Helicopters and countless other aviation manufacturers, operators, maintenance facilities and private & public air traffic control centers.
In addition to his aviation, general personal injury and wrongful death practice, he also counsels foreign governments, including the Russian Federation, the Republic of Venezuela, Ecuador, Belize, Honduras and numerous Brazilian states.
Bio
Born and raised in South Florida, Zach joined Podhurst Orseck after serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Stanley Marcus of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the Honorable Federico A. Moreno of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from the New York University School of Law where he was a member of the Order of the Coif, a Florence Allen Scholar, a Lederman Fellow in Law and Economics, served as an Executive Editor of the Law Review, and was a Legal Fellow at the Policing Project. He graduated cum laude from Duke University with a B.A. in Public Policy studies. While at Duke, Zach served for a year on the University's Board of Trustees, worked for a non-profit organization in South Africa, and was an associate in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence during the Obama Administration.