CLASS ACTION - Key Persons
Mr. Felix is a graduate of the University of Florida (B.S. Finance/Economics) and the University of Alabama School of Law (J.D. with honors). He is a member of the Florida and California state bars and all federal court bars in Florida. He further has been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as AV® rated-the highest such rating available to any individual attorney based on the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. He was further acknowledged as a "Rising Star" by Florida Super Lawyers magazine-an annual publication that recognizes the top 2.5% of the state's young lawyers.
Andrew R. Frisch concentrates his practice in representing individuals who have been denied overtime wages and those individuals injured and disabled in personal injury and workers' compensation cases. Mr. Frisch joined Morgan & Morgan after serving six years with a prominent plaintiff's personal injury firm in the state of New York. He has extensive trial experience with both jury trials and administrative hearings.
Mr. Frisch brings a special brand of compassion and tenacity to every client he represents. He believes that financial hardship and compensation abuses levied upon working Floridians are every bit as injurious as the physical damages suffered in work and other accidents.
Mr. Frisch is admitted to the Bars of Florida (2006), Georgia (2012), New York (2001) and New Jersey (2001), as well as the U.S. District Court, Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of New York, District of New Jersey, Court of Federal Claims, Northern and Southern Districts of Texas, District of Colorado, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Michigan, Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia, and Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee, and the United States Court of Appeals, Third, Fifth, Sixth and Eleventh Circuits.
Mr. Frisch is also the author of a legal blog on wage and hour law. His latest posts can be read here.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Ms. Murthy's practice focuses on employment litigation, including lawsuits alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (failure to pay minimum wages and overtime); discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, or religion; harassment and retaliation in violation of federal and state law; and breaches of contract for commissions or other earned wages. Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan in 2011, Ms. Murthy worked for over five years in the Labor and Employment Practice Group of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, where her clients included Fortune 100 companies. At Morgan Lewis, Ms. Murthy represented employers in single-plaintiff and class action litigation involving issues of unpaid wages and discrimination. Ms. Murthy now puts her considerable experience to use on behalf of employees whose employers have wrongly withheld wages, or have discriminated against them in violation of the law.
Since joining Morgan & Morgan, Ms. Murthy has achieved several notable victories for her clients, including obtaining summary judgment in federal court against a multi-billion dollar defense contractor for failure to pay its employee for all of the hours he worked while employed in Kuwait. The company appealed the ruling, and Ms. Murthy argued and won the appeal in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Murthy also obtained summary judgment against an RV park for failure to pay proper overtime, defeating arguments that the employer was entitled to exemptions from the law and that the employee was an independent contractor. This judgment, too, was affirmed on appeal. In addition to these, and other victories in single-plaintiff cases, Ms. Murthy has litigated and successfully resolved numerous collective actions, including actions certified nationwide.
Ms. Murthy earned her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2004. While in law school, Ms. Murthy was a senior articles editor for the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal. She earned her B.A. in English and Law & Society from Oberlin College in 2001.
Ms. Murthy is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and Florida, and before several federal courts across the country, including the Third, Fourth, and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals, and all U.S. District Courts in Florida.
Ms. Murthy has been a speaker at CLEs in Florida and California on topics pertaining to the Fair Labor Standards Act. She also is a member of the South Asian Bar Association, which she previously served as president, the National Employment Lawyers' Association (NELA), and the Labor and Employment Section of the Florida Bar.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Job Titles:
- Member of the National Law Firm of Morgan & Morgan
Brian Christopher Winfrey is a member of the national law firm of Morgan & Morgan, P.A. He practices in the firm's Nashville office and leads the firm's Employee Rights Practice in Tennessee. Mr. Winfrey is a native of Nashville. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School, where he was a Dean's List student, student government leader, and Dean's Scholarship Recipient.
In law practice, Mr. Winfrey is a highly-regarded and respected employment litigator. He was selected for inclusion in the 2017 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Employment Law - Individuals. He has also been named to the SuperLawyers Mid-South "Rising Star" List every year since 2013 - a designation given to no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in the state. Brian is also listed as one of the Top 40 under 40 by the National Black Lawyers.
Brian Winfrey has secured millions of dollars in recovery for his clients in jury trials, bench trials, arbitrations, and settlements. His employment litigation experience is comprehensive. Before merging into Morgan & Morgan's rapidly growing Nashville office, Mr. Winfrey founded and managed a very successful employee rights firm in Nashville (The Winfrey Firm). Additionally, he is a former Trial Attorney for the United States Department of Labor (Office of the Solicitor) and former Associate Attorney with one of the largest labor and employment defense firms in the United States (Ogletree Deakins). Mr. Winfrey frequently speaks and lectures on the subject of labor and employment.
Brian Winfrey is committed to leadership and service to the legal profession. He is the Secretary of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA). He serves on the TBA's Board of Governors and Executive Committee. Mr. Winfrey has also served on the Executive Councils for the Labor and Employment section of the TBA, the Tennessee Employment Lawyers Association, and the Napier-Looby Bar Association. He was a member of the 2012 TBA Leadership Law Class and Nashville's Emerging Leaders. Brian is also an active member of the Nashville Bar Association. He was recently recognized as a 2017 Nashville Bar Foundation Fellow.
Recent Successes
518,500.00 Verdict
Thomas v. Marshall County School System
Labor and Employment
2017-03-07
Practice Areas
Class Action
Chanelle J. Ventura is an attorney in Morgan & Morgan's Employee Rights Group. Her practice includes wage and hour litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983; medical leave claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act; disability discrimination and retaliation claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act; and age discrimination and retaliation claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).
Ms. Ventura received her Juris Doctor from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude. While at Nova Law, Ms. Ventura served as Assistant Lead Articles Editor for the Nova Law Review, Secretary of the Student Bar Association, and was a Governor for the Florida Bar Young Lawyer Division Law Student Division. Additionally, Ms. Ventura gained extensive experience in her current field of practice by working as a law clerk with Morgan & Morgan's Employee Rights Group while she was in law school.
Ms. Ventura is admitted to practice law in the State of Florida. She is also admitted to practice in the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Francesca Kester was born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She attended Marywood University, where she graduated with a major in English Literature, and The Pennsylvania State University's Dickinson School of Law, where she graduated in 2017.
While at Dickinson, Ms. Kester competed in both the American Bar Association's National Appellate Advocacy Competition and the Texas Young Lawyer's National Trial Competition, served as the Executive Chair of the Dickinson Law Moot Court Board, and interned as a law clerk to the Honorable Martin C. Carlson in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Kester was selected by her peers to receive the Lee Popp Award, which is awarded annually to a graduate who demonstrates excellence in service to others.
Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan, Ms. Kester served for two years as a law clerk to the Honorable James M. Munley in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Kester also served as an attorney advisor for her alma mater's high school mock trial team, coaching them to a first place finish in the state and ninth in the nation.
Ms . Kester practices in Morgan & Morgan's Complex Litigation Group, where she focuses on consumer class action litigation.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Job Titles:
- Partner With Morgan & Morgan
Frank M. Petosa is a partner with Morgan & Morgan and a member of the firm's Complex Litigation Group. Frank coordinates the interdisciplinary Oil Spill Practice Group, representing individuals and businesses impacted by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. He is also Co-Coordinator of the Economic Damages Work Group.
Additionally, Frank manages the firm's nationwide Reglan cases and has been active in the Chinese Drywall MDL and the Denture Cream MDL. He leads the firm's South Florida personal injury practice from the firm's Plantation, FL office.
Frank is a past President of the Florida Justice Association and a past Chair and Trustee of the Florida Justice Political Action Committee. He previously served as Chair of the Nursing Home and Auto Insurance Committees, and Fundraising Chair for the Florida Justice Association. He also served as a member of the Florida Justice Association's Medical Liability and Arbitration Committees.
Frank often lectures at seminars sponsored by the Florida Justice Association and American Association for Justice, on a variety of topics relating to mass torts, medical malpractice, and nursing home and personal injury litigation. He has also testified extensively before Florida Senate and House committees on a wide range of issues impacting the civil justice system and in opposition to tort reform.
From 2009 to 2012, Frank was named a Florida "Super Lawyer" in the practice areas of medical malpractice and class actions. This honor is reserved for only 5% of the attorneys in Florida (in each practice area) who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Frank Petosa is licensed to practice in the state courts and Southern and Middle Districts of Florida.
Practice Areas
Class Action
James J. Henson is a second generation Orlando native. He attended Stetson University, where he received both his Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.). After graduating with his M.B.A., Mr. Henson worked for several large Orlando area resorts in a senior level management role. After working almost 10 years in the hospitality industry, Mr. Henson realized that he wanted to help people and went to law school at Stetson University College of Law, where he obtained his Juris Doctorate (J.D.).
Prior to working for Morgan & Morgan, P.A., Mr. Henson represented employers defending employment claims. During this time his clients included hotels, theme parks, movie studios, restaurants, and several manufacturing plants. Realizing that he wanted to make more of an impact for his clients, Mr. Henson joined Morgan & Morgan in its Employee Rights Group. He is dedicated to handling claims on behalf of employees against employers, including wage and hour violations, discrimination claims, Family Medical Leave Act claims, ADA claims, whistleblower claims, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act claims, retaliation claims, and other employment claims. He represents individuals as well as class and collective actions.
Practice Areas
Class Action
In addition to his responsibilities as an attorney, Mr. Young is the former Chair of the Jacksonville Ethics Commission, a regular contributor to the Morgan & Morgan Complex Litigation Group's whistleblower blog and a frequent lecturer.
John Yanchunis has served as co-lead counsel in the successful prosecution of the two largest class action cases in the United States, Fresco vs. Automotive Directions, Inc., Case No. 03-61063-JEM et al; and Fresco vs. R.L. Polk, Case 0:07-cv-60695-JEM (Southern District of Florida). He has also served as lead, co-lead, or class counsel in numerous other consumer class actions.
John Morgan was born in Lexington, Kentucky on March 31, 1956. In 1971, he and his family moved to Orlando, Florida, where John attended high school. After graduating, he enrolled in the University of Florida and became a member of Alpha Tau Omega. In 1982, he became president of Florida Blue Key. John graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 1983.
By 1988, John had founded Morgan & Morgan under the belief that the firm would represent the people, not the powerful. To this day, John has run the firm by that code, promising never to take a case representing an insurance carrier or large company. Through John's guidance, leadership, and vision, the firm has founded multiple locations throughout Florida, including Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Winter Haven, Daytona, Kissimmee, Saint Petersburg, Naples, Tavares, Jacksonville, Melbourne, The Villages, Pensacola and Tallahassee. The firm has also expanded nationally, opening offices in Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, New York, Kentucky, New Jersey, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
Morgan & Morgan employs 307 staff attorneys and more than 1,500 support staff members. More than 25 years after the firm's inception, "for the people" continues to be a way of life for John Morgan and for the firm.
John has lectured across the country on the practice of law. He has been an active member of the Florida Academy of Trial Lawyers and served as a FLAG trustee, making a push for Florida state law that would protect families from corporations and insurance companies. John is currently on the board of trustees for the University of Florida's Levin College of Law.
John has received Martindale-Hubbell's esteemed "AV" rating, which recognizes lawyers with the highest ethical standards and professional ability. Based on the recommendations of his peers, John's "AV" rating is a testament to the fact that fellow attorneys consider him at the highest level of professional excellence. Only a select group of attorneys are ever awarded with this premier distinction.
John reached another career milestone when he proudly released his books, titled You Can't Teach Hungry… Creating the Multimillion Dollar Law Firm, and You Can't Teach Vision… The Twenty-First Century Law Firm. (He frequently lectures on both subjects.) The books offer insight into John's success, philosophy, and business methods, and lay the groundwork for a sustainable and enduring law practice. Lawyers from across the country have read the books and continue to reach out to John for further guidance and advice.
John and his wife, Ultima, proudly support the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, whose principal goal is to end the "invisible problem" of hunger throughout the state. In 2013, John and Ultima made a generous donation that helped the organization fund and open the Morgan & Morgan, P.A. Hunger Relief Center. The 100,000-square foot facility-more than double the size of its predecessor-is equipped with ample freezers, coolers, and infrastructure space to store the millions of pounds of food collected by Second Harvest each year.
In 2013, John announced his support of the campaign to legalize medical marijuana in Florida for use by the state's seriously ill. According to John, the deeply personal cause is a step to not only provide safer pain relief and treatment methods for those with legitimate diseases, but also to help end the rampant problem of prescription drug abuse in Florida. In addition to his financial contributions, John was the public face of the effort, openly recruiting volunteers to collect the thousands of signatures needed to place the initiative on Florida's November 2016 general election ballot. The amendment passed with more than 60 percent of the vote.
Even with all of his success, John's personal accomplishment of raising four children with Ultima, his wife of 31 years, remains dearest to his heart.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Kim De Arcangelis (formerly Kim Woods) was born in Washington, D.C.; raised in Orlando, Florida; and then later resided in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for a number of years. Ms. De Arcangelis practices in the labor and employment litigation division of the Orlando, Florida office of Morgan & Morgan. She has both bench trial and Federal jury trial experience. She represents numerous employees with matters including wage and hour disputes and ranging from single plaintiff actions to class/collective actions. Ms. De Arcangelis attended Nova Southeastern University for both her undergraduate degree and law degree.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Marc Edelman has been practicing employment law since 1996. He spent the first eight years of his career litigating cases and providing guidance to corporate clients. Thereafter, he served as General Counsel for a national furniture retailer, overseeing employment law compliance and litigation. Now representing employees, he practices out of the firm's Tampa office, litigating wage and hour/overtime, harassment, discrimination, and a variety of other employment law cases.
Mr. Edelman was born in New York City and raised in Bedford, New York. He attended University of Florida, where he received a B.S. in Political Science in 1992. He received his law degree from the Florida State University College of Law, where he was a member of the Trial Team and Law Review. He is licensed to practice in state and federal courts in Florida.
Mr. Edelman resides in Tampa with his wife and two children.
Practice Areas
Discrimination
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Professor at Golden Gate University School of Law
- Member of the Impala Racing Team
Ms. Appel has dedicated her career to representing consumers primarily in class action cases involving claims under consumer protection laws and other statutory and common law claims. She earned a B.A. in French from San Francisco State University in 1992 and graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1996.
For most of her career, Ms. Appel has been in private practice litigating class claims related to defective products, mortgage fraud/Truth in Lending violations, unfair business practices relating to manufactured home sales, interest overcharges by the United States on military veterans' credit accounts, and statutory violations by the United States relating to offset of debts beyond the limitations period.
From 2012 to 2019, Ms. Appel left private practice to become the Supervising Attorney of the Consumer Project at the Justice & Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco which provides free legal services to low-income persons facing consumer issues.
In April 2019, Ms. Appel returned to private practice as Counsel at Robins Kaplan, LLP, then joined Morgan & Morgan in August 2020 where she again focuses on class action litigation.
In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Appel is an Adjunct Professor at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco where she teaches legal research and writing, and from 2011 to 2018 supervised students at the Consumer Rights Clinic, in which students performed legal work at the Justice & Diversity Center's Consumer Debt Defense and Education Clinics.
Ms. Appel has a long history of pro bono involvement and currently is a regular volunteer at the Community Legal Assistance Saturday Program, a monthly free legal clinic sponsored by the Alameda County Bar Association. Ms. Appel provides training to San Francisco Bay Area legal aid attorneys regarding collection defense and related matters, focusing recently on the defense of lawsuits against low-income individuals for unpaid back rent resulting during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past, Ms. Appel has provided pro bono representation for numerous low-income consumers facing debt collection lawsuits, and volunteered regularly at free legal clinics through the Justice & Diversity Center in San Francisco which, on multiple years, designated her as one of the Outstanding Volunteers in Public Service.
In the community, Ms. Appel has been a longtime member of the Impala Racing Team, also serving as a Board Member for four years, and previously served as a board member of Beyond Hunger, Inc.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Education
San Francisco State University (B.A.,1992)
University of San Francisco School of Law (J.D., 1996)
Marisa Glassman is an attorney in the firm's Complex Litigation Group. Her practice focuses on complex litigation, class actions, and consumer protection. She works out of the Tampa office.
Ms. Glassman represents plaintiffs in a wide variety of cases. She has held a lead role in state and federal class actions, and obtained significant recoveries for class members in many cases. Ms. Glassman is currently co-liaison counsel for consumer plaintiffs in the Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. Data Security Litigation. She is a zealous advocate and is committed to obtaining justice for her clients.
Ms. Glassman was selected and invited to be a member of The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40 - an invitation-only professional organization comprised of America's top trial attorneys 40 years of age and under. She is also a member of the American Association of Justice and Hillsborough County Bar Association.
Ms. Glassman has presented on emerging topics in class action litigation. These presentations include:
As a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Criminal Justice, Matthew Gunter developed a passion for the legal field and decided to pursue a career in the law. In 2009, Mr. Gunter graduated from Barry University-Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law in Orlando, Florida and began a career in criminal law.
Mr. Gunter worked as an Assistant State Attorney in the 18th Judicial Circuit for Seminole County. While working for the State, he focused on prosecuting thousands of cases including Grand Theft, DUI, Possession of Cannabis, and Domestic Violence Battery. His time with the State Attorney's Office allowed him to evaluate cases and hone his skills as a trial lawyer.
After the State Attorney's Office, Mr. Gunter was an associate with Katz & Phillips, P.A. There, he used the skills he learned as a prosecutor to defend clients and find weaknesses in the State's cases while advocating zealously for his client's rights. While with Katz & Phillips, P.A., Mr. Gunter handled hundreds of misdemeanors and felony cases ranging from simple drug offenses to armed robbery charges.
Job Titles:
- Head of the Mass Tort Section of the Morgan & Morgan Complex Litigation Group
Michael Goetz was born in St. Petersburg, Florida on December 28, 1966. In 1989, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with high honors in political science from Emory University. In 1992, he earned his law degree with honors from the University of Florida.
Mr. Goetz then joined the international law firm of Holland & Knight LLP, where his practice focused on the defense of claims involving product liability, medical negligence, and general liability, as well as complex commercial litigation matters. He became a Partner in the firm on January 1, 2000.
In 2002, Mr. Goetz joined Morgan & Morgan, where his practice shifted to the prosecution of personal injury and wrongful death claims on behalf of individuals and consumer classes. He has represented hundreds of clients in cases involving automobile and premises liability, nursing home abuse and neglect, and environmental torts.
Since 2008, Mr. Goetz has served as head of the Mass Tort Section of the Morgan & Morgan Complex Litigation Group. In this capacity, he handles mass tort actions for the firm nationwide, including product liability claims involving dangerous drugs and defective medical devices. Mr. Goetz has been appointed to Plaintiffs' Steering Committee ("PSC") positions in federal Multi-District Litigation including: Xarelto (MDL 2592; Co-Chair of Bellwether Selection Subcommittee); Incretin Mimetics (MDL 2452); Pradaxa (MDL 2385); Transvaginal Mesh (MDLs 2187, 2325, 2326, and 2327); and Total Body Formula (MDL 985). He has also served on standing PSC subcommittees including Chinese Drywall (MDL 2047, Co-Chair of Public Relations Subcommittee); Yaz (MDL 2100, Discovery Subcommittee); and Depuy ASR (MDL 2197, Science Subcommittee).
Mr. Goetz was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1992. He holds the highest rating awarded to lawyers for legal ability and ethics ("AV") by Martindale-Hubbell. Additionally, in multiple successive years he was designated by Florida Trend magazine as a "Florida Legal Elite" in the field of Civil Trial, and by Law & Politics magazine as a Florida "Super Lawyer" in the field of Class Action/Mass Torts.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Michael Hanna is a class action civil rights attorney. He has litigated hundreds of federal claims and represented thousands of clients across the nation. His law practice focuses on the prosecution of discrimination and workplace harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983; unpaid wage claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); medical leave claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); disability discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); age discrimination claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA); and claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).
Mr. Hanna has served as lead counsel on many high profile cases that have been covered by The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, ABC Action News, Fox News, AOL News, The Huffington Post, The Washington Times, The Detroit News, The Miami New Times, The Orlando Sentinel, the Associated Press, and various other national and local news syndicates. While Mr. Hanna is dedicated to eradicating illegal discrimination against people from all walks of life, his practice focuses predominantly on defending the rights of Arab-Americans. He works hand in hand with various civil rights organizations on a national level. For this work, Mr. Hanna was honored to receive the 2015 ADC Pro Bono Attorney of the Year award. Mr. Hanna has also been selected by his peers as a Florida Super Lawyers® Rising Star in 2017 and in 2018, an honor bestowed on less than 2.5 percent of lawyers in the state.
Mr. Hanna is admitted to the Bars of Michigan and Florida, as well as U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida, Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois, Western District of Tennessee, Western District of Texas, Eastern District of Kentucky, and the District of Colorado, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit.
Mr. Hanna is committed to defending the rights of employees and those who are unlawfully discriminated against.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Mike Morgan is a native Floridian from Orlando, Florida. He received his Undergraduate and Law Degrees from the University of Florida and is a member of the Florida and Kentucky State Bar Associations.
As a young boy, it was instilled in Mike to fight for those whose voices are not always heard. Since his graduation from law school, Mike has focused his practice on the representation of individuals who have been wronged and unfairly taken advantage of by large corporations and insurance companies. He works to level the playing field for his clients.
Mike is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney-the highest recognition in the State of Florida. This distinct honor is reserved for those lawyers recognized as "experts" in all aspects of civil trial practice. Less than 1% of Florida Bar Members are Board Certified in Civil Trial Law. Further, Mike obtained this distinct recognition after only five years of practice and became one of the youngest lawyers in the history of the Florida to achieve same.
Mike is the managing partner of Morgan & Morgan's Product Safety Group and represents individuals and families who have been severely injured due to defective or poorly designed products, vehicle rollover accidents, tire blowouts or de-treads, and airbag failures.
He believes that the work he does not only helps his clients in their time of need, but demands accountability from companies responsible for dangerous products-making our country a safer place for everyone.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Job Titles:
- Member in Good Standing of the Illinois Bar
- Member of the Firm
- Partner in the Fort Myers
Panagiotis "Pete" V. Albanis is a partner in the Fort Myers office of Morgan & Morgan, where he has been a member of the firm's Complex Litigation Group since 2009. Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan, Pete practiced in Chicago, where he primarily represented defendants in intellectual property (IP), securities, and breach-of-contract disputes.
Since 2009, Pete has been an integral member of the firm's Chinese Drywall Team, representing hundreds of property owners in MDL No. 2047, In re: Chinese-Manufactured Drywall Products Liability Litigation (Eastern District of Louisiana). He personally handles all of his clients' claims while also engaging in the global aspects of the litigation against manufacturers, suppliers, installers, and builders.
Pete Albanis has been a member in good standing of the Illinois Bar since 2002 and The Florida Bar since 2010. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1999 and from DePaul University College of Law in 2002.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Paul M. Botros is an attorney in the employee rights department of Morgan & Morgan, P.A. Mr. Botros limits his practice to representing people with unpaid wage claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); discrimination and retaliation claims under Title II and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983; medical leave claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); disability discrimination and retaliation claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended; and age discrimination and retaliation claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).
Mr. Botros has been selected by his peers as a Florida Rising Star every year since 2013. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.
Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan, P.A., Paul owned and managed his own law firm Miami, Florida, after working for a top tier Miami full service law firm. Paul M. Botros was born in Birmingham, England and moved to the United States at an early age. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and International Finance while at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and then went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan School of Law.
Mr. Botros is admitted to both the Texas and Florida Bars, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Southern and Western Districts of Florida, the Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas, and also the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern District of Florida and the Southern District of Texas.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Ra Amen specializes in representing clients in complex commercial and administrative disputes. Ra has participated in numerous class actions including a suit against the State of Georgia regarding the legality of its Medicaid benefit reductions and a suit against the City of Atlanta regarding the legality of its water rates.
Before moving to the Southeast, Ra lived in California's Bay Area. In 2005, he obtained a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University. Ra then obtained his J.D. from Emory University School of Law, where he graduated with honors in 2017 after serving as a Managing Editor for Emory's Bankruptcy Developments Journal.
Before joining Morgan & Morgan, Ra worked at the Atlanta office of one of the nation's largest law firms, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. While in law school, Ra assisted victims of consumer fraud and interned with a leading international metals manufacturer, Novelis Inc.
Ra is also a former Peace Corps Morocco volunteer and an avid guitarist, who has performed with, recorded with, and opened for a number of Grammy-nominated artists.
Practice Areas
Administrative Law
Rene Rocha earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tulane University in 2007 and a Juris Doctor degree from Tulane Law School in 2010. He joined Morgan & Morgan to pursue a deep commitment to justice, to empower the powerless, and to provide a voice for the voiceless.
Rene has worked closely with leading complex litigation and whistleblower attorneys. He was heavily involved in the trials against BP, Transocean, and Halliburton for their roles in the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Rene Rocha is admitted to practice in Louisiana state courts, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. He works tirelessly to help individuals, families, and small businesses stand up for their rights.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Renee Cook was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois. She attended Northern Illinois University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She then obtained her J.D. from Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana, in only two and a half years.
Following law school, Ms. Cook was a prosecutor with the Winnebago County States Attorney's Office for seven years. She moved to Jacksonville Florida due to her husband's employment. Ms. Cook is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Florida. She currently works in the Complex Litigation Department handling pre-litigation matters on National cases. Ms. Cook is on the Board of ACEDS, the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists. In her spare time, she enjoys scuba diving and spending time with her husband, family and pets.
Practice Areas
Mass Tort
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair of Morgan & Morgan 's Employee Rights Group
Ryan Morgan works out of the firm's office in Orlando, where he lives with his wife and children. He attended the University of Florida for undergraduate as well as law school, graduating from both with honors. Mr. Morgan is a member of the Florida and Georgia State Bar Associations and is admitted in other federal jurisdictions throughout the country.
Ryan Morgan serves as co-chair of Morgan & Morgan's Employee Rights Group, which handles employment claims throughout the United States. His team handles claims on behalf of employees against employers, including Wage and Hour violations, discrimination claims, Family Medical Leave Act claims, ADA claims, retaliation claims and other employment claims. These claims range from single plaintiff cases to class and collective action cases involving thousands of workers.
Mr. Morgan has extensive experience litigating these claims both in court and in arbitration. He has helped workers recover tens of millions of dollars of unpaid wages for Wage and Hour violations. He was named a "Rising Star" in 2013, 2014 and 2015 by Florida Super Lawyers magazine - an annual publication that recognizes the top 2.5% of the state's young lawyers.
Practice Areas
Class Action
Seth Ottensoser concentrates on mass arbitration claims, merger and acquisition litigation, securities class actions and corporate litigation. He represents consumers, labor unions, public pension funds, and individual shareholders. Mr. Ottensoser was named a leading lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine in 2010, and 2013-2019 for his work in securities litigation. In addition, he was recommended in The Legal 500 in 2011-2012 and 2016-2017. In January 2020, Mr. Ottensoser guest lectured at Stanford Law School on "International Securities Litigation after Morrison." He is also a frequent guest lecturer at Harvard Law School, lecturing most recently in January 2018 on "The Marsh Securities Litigation: a Case Study" and "Recent Developments in Delaware Appraisal and Merger and Acquisition Litigation," in October 2017 on "Kinross: The Anatomy of a Securities Fraud Action," in March 2017 on developments in Delaware litigation relating to statutory appraisal rights (at the 8th Annual Harvard Association for Law and Business Symposium), in January 2017 on "Recent Developments in Merger and Acquisition Litigation and Third Party Liability," in January 2016 on "Discounted Cash Flow Analyses: The Wrong Inputs Can Lead To Catastrophe," in February 2015 on "Investment Banking: The Critical Component in Merger and Acquisition Litigation," in January 2014 on "Stock Valuation in the Context of Delaware Litigation and Appraisal Actions," in January 2013 on the topic of "Valuation of Securities: The Devil Is In The Details," in October 2010 on the topic of "Global v. Golden and Maric v. Plato: The Importance of Discounted Cash Flow Analyses in Delaware Litigation," and, in September 2009 on the topic of "Merger Multiples in the Context of Delaware Litigation." Mr. Ottensoser's successful actions include: In re Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc. Sec. Litig., No. 04-CV-8144 (CM) (S.D.N.Y.) ($400 million recovery); In re Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc. Derivative Litigation, C.A. No. 8110-VCN (Del. Ch.) ($154 million recovery, representing the second largest derivative settlement in Delaware); In re Ascent Entertainment Derivative Litigation, No. 17201-NC (Del. Ch.) ($40 million derivative settlement brought by activist shareholder relating to the sale of the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche); In re UnitedGlobalCom Shareholders Litigation, No. 1012-N (Del. Ch.) ($25 million recovery in a going-private transaction); and City of Austin Police & Retirement Fund v. Kinross Gold Corp., No. 12-CV-1203 (PE) (S.D.N.Y.) (settlement of $33 million).
Practice Areas
Business Law