PBL LAW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist
Cristofer A. Bennardo is a Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in Real Estate. Mr. Bennardo is licensed to practice law in the states of Florida and Pennsylvania, concentrating his practice in the areas of real estate, business and trusts and estates. Mr. Bennardo has been in practice since 1998. Mr. Bennardo's real estate practice consists of past representative counsel in commercial and residential property transactions throughout the state of Florida on behalf of buyers, sellers, developers, lending institutions, area banks, brokers, contractors, and national investment funds. Mr. Bennardo's transactional practice includes acquisitions and sales of every kind, from the two party residential purchase and sale, to the multi-purpose commercial transaction involving due diligence orchestration, zoning and land use matters, title clearance and resolution, as well as the coordination of related business sales and property development. Mr. Bennardo appears before local administrative agencies and government bodies on all matters relating to zoning and land use.
Mr. Bennardo's business practice includes general counsel services for small to medium businesses in a wide array of matters. Mr. Bennardo routinely handles matters of company structuring, business succession planning, acquisitions, mergers and sales, leasing, contract negotiation, dispute resolution, and numerous other common commercial transactions.
Mr. Bennardo provides a full spectrum of personal estate planning services from the simple will to multi-trust plans. Personal planning is regularly evaluated in tandem with a client's business succession strategy, providing the business owner with coordinated planning. He further directs the firm's probate and estate practice, administering estates throughout the state of Florida.
Mr. Bennardo routinely lectures on matters of real estate and business. He serves on the Real Estate and Industry Liaison Committee of the Real Property and Probate Law Section of the Florida Bar, The Real Estate Council of Attorney's Title Insurance Fund Services, LLC and the Professional Advisory Committee of the Boca Raton Museum of Art, amongst other community involvements. Mr. Bennardo is recognized as "Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyers Magazine. Mr. Bennardo is admitted to practice before all Florida state courts, as well as the United States District Court, Southern and Middle District of Florida.
Mr. Bennardo received his undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1995, and his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, cum laude, 1998. He lives in Boca Raton with his wife, Janine, and two children, Alessa and Cristofer.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist
Daniel R. Levine is a Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in Labor and Employment Law, concentrating his practice on the representation of businesses before federal and state courts, as well as governmental administrative agencies, in connection with the defense of claims involving wage and hour violations, such as unpaid overtime compensation and minimum wages; discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, religion, gender, including pregnancy and sexual harassment, age, and disability; retaliation; the Family and Medical Leave Act; whistle-blowing violations; unfair competition, non-compete agreements and trade secret violations; and employment contract/severance agreements. Mr. Levine also provides services related to general labor and human resource counseling; human resource audits; drafting and/or review of employee handbooks, personnel policy manuals and job classification descriptions; drafting and/or review of employment and independent contractor agreements; sexual harassment and EEO training; and severance package negotiations.
Mr. Levine has been in practice since 1995 and is admitted to practice before all state courts in Florida. Additionally, Mr. Levine is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, and the United States District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. Since 2012, Mr. Levine has been recognized as a "Top Lawyer" in the South Florida Legal Guide, having been previously recognized as a "Top Up and Comer" from 2008 to 2011. Additionally, since 2011, Mr. Levine has been recognized as a "Super Lawyer" by the Florida Super Lawyers magazine.
Mr. Levine frequently lectures on labor and employment law matters and has served on the Executive Committee of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Florida Bar. Mr. Levine also is a past President of the Federal Bar Association, Broward County Chapter, and still serves on the Chapter's Executive Board. Mr. Levine is active in the community, having served as the 2003-04 Chair for Leadership Boca, Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Levine also is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator, as well as a Federal Court Certified Mediator.
Mr. Levine received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 1992, and his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, cum laude, in 1995. He lives in Boca Raton with his wife, Corinne, and their two children, Benjamin and Elijah.
Nathan Pate is admitted in all courts in the State of Florida and currently concentrates his practice on asset protection and planning. Mr. Pate has also worked in the areas of civil and commercial litigation, and general corporate/transactional work. Mr. Pate has formed close to one hundred domestic and offshore business entities. Mr. Pate's transactional experience includes the preparation and revision of operating agreements, limited partnership agreements, assignments, and other corporate documents. During his career, he has worked directly with celebrities, professional athletes and many other affluent individuals and businesses on a variety of matters including cases involving the potential civil liability stemming from a DUI involving a professional athlete, forming domestic and offshore business entities to protect a client's intellectual property for an invention that speeds the healing time of sports related injuries, and advising a client on the formation and operation of a prominent internet magazine company. Mr. Pate is admitted to the United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle, and Northern districts of Florida, as well as the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Pate received an undergraduate degree in legal studies at the University of Central Florida, and a Juris Doctorate degree at Nova Southeastern University.
Robin Frank has been a practicing attorney in South Florida for close to twenty (20) years, with experience and knowledge in both labor and employment law and business litigation. She is admitted to practice before all state courts in Florida, as well as the United States District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida, and the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, covering appeals arising out of Florida's federal court system. Throughout her career, Ms. Frank's achievements as a lawyer have been recognized by the South Florida Legal Guide and Florida Super Lawyers magazine. Ms. Frank received her BA in Business Admin., summa cum laude, from Florida Atlantic University and her JD, magna cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law.
It can be costly for an employer to defend against an employment discrimination, wrongful termination or unpaid overtime claim, particularly if the matter results in prolonged litigation. Most corporate owners and executives understand the importance of experienced and proactive legal counsel to advise them on issues before they turn into a lawsuit, as well as once a lawsuit has been filed. Ms. Frank represents employers in all aspects of employee relations and employment laws. Her practice can assist employers with proactive guidance, compliance requirements, and of course the defense of any claims arising out of claims filed by employees, including but not limited to, wage & hour cases, enforcement of non-compete agreements, discrimination, harassment and retaliation (wrongful termination) claims, Family and Medical Leave Act claims and whistle-blower claims. Ms. Frank also counsels clients on preventive labor matters, including drafting and employing proper policies and handbooks, conducting internal workplace investigations and providing compliance training for management and employees, frequently acting as outside human resources and general counsel for her employer clients.
On the business litigation side, Ms. Frank represents clients in connection with complex business and commercial litigation issues, including breach of contract claims, trademark infringement claims, commercial landlord and tenant issues and real estate and business torts, as well as all types of litigation based upon real property and real estate deals gone bad, including partition claims, breach of real estate contracts, specific performance of real estate contracts, fraud claims involving the sale and purchase of real property, and claims arising under various consumer protection laws. She also has extensive experience litigating claims under Florida's Homeowners and Condominium Association Statutes, including winning a significant appellate victory which made new law regarding enforcement of Association documents and by-laws.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Co - Founder
- Partner
Stephen J. Padula is a partner and co-founder of Padula Bennardo Levine, LLP. Mr. Padula is double Board Certified by the Florida Bar in the areas of Business Litigation as well as Civil Trial, which is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar of competency and experience of attorneys. The Florida Bar grants board certification only to lawyers who have been evaluated for experience and expertise in a particular area of law. Out of approximately 100,000 Florida Bar members, only 1,008 attorneys are Board Certified in Civil Trial and only 240 attorneys are Board Certified in Business Litigation. There are presently only 90 eligible Florida attorneys who are double Board Certified like Mr. Padula. Certified attorneys like Mr. Padula are the only lawyers allowed to identify themselves as "specialists" and "experts" in their area of distinction.
Education
Mr. Padula has litigated and tried numerous jury and non-jury cases spanning the areas of business, real estate, construction, and employment law throughout Florida. Mr. Padula earned his B.S.B.A. degree, graduating magna cum laude from Lynn University, and earned his Juris Doctor degree with honors from the University of Miami School of Law. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1999 and is a member of the South Palm Beach County Bar Association. Mr. Padula is also admitted to practice before the Sixth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida, and Colorado.
Experience
Mr. Padula has represented a wide variety of clients, including prominent business entities, real estate developers, contractors, and distinguished individuals. He also has been involved in many arbitrations, mediations, and appeals throughout the country.
Memberships
Mr. Padula has been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers, South Florida Legal Guide, and Florida Elite Magazines, and is peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He is rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale Hubbell, that organization's highest rating.
From 2015-2018, Mr. Padula was appointed by The Florida Supreme Court and served as a member of its Jury Instructions Committee for Contract and Business cases. In 2020, Mr. Padula was appointed to The Florida Bar Business Litigation Certification Committee where he currently serves.
Mr. Padula was born in Chicago, Illinois, and has been residing in Boca Raton since 1986.