RUSSELL LANDY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at Damian & Valori
Allison J. Leonard is a partner at Damian & Valori, LLP | Culmo Trial Attorneys. With 10 years of experience, Ms. Leonard's practice areas include complex business litigation, receivership and securities litigation, employment law and bankruptcy and creditors' rights law and litigation. She is licensed to practice in Florida and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Ms. Leonard is dedicated to serving not only her clients but also the community at large. She currently serves as a Board of Directors of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers and Chairs the Annual Trial Skills Workshop and the Substantive CLE Programming committee. In addition, Mrs. Leonard is a member of The Florida Bar - Business Law Section where she serves as Vice Chair of Business Litigation Committee and Chair of Business Litigation Legislation Subcommittee. Leonard is a member of the Cuban American Bar Association (former Assistant Articles Editor for the CABA Briefs Committee), The Dade County Bar Association, the Miami Dade Trial Lawyers Association, and a fellow at The Florida Bar Foundation.
Mrs. Leonard has been recognized by her peers as a Super Lawyer Rising Star for the years of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. 2021. In addition she was recognized as The Best Lawyers in America® 2022.
Prior to joining DVC, Ms. Leonard was the senior litigation associate at a well-known boutique litigation firm in Coral Gables where she represented individuals and businesses seeking justice after suffering a civil wrongdoing, with an emphasis on products liability, business torts and wage and hour claims.
Ms. Leonard received her law degree from Florida International University College of Law (J.D., 2010), where she earned the Best Brief Award and Oral Argument Champion Award in the Intramural Moot Court Competition and the CALI Award of Excellence for the highest grade in the Carlos A. Costa Immigration and Human Rights Legal Clinic and was on the Dean's List. She received her undergraduate degree from the Florida International University College of Business (B.A., 2007), where she attended as a National Hispanic Scholar and National Merit Commended Student.
Casandra Perez Murena practices in the areas of federal and state court receiverships, complex business litigation, securities litigation and bankruptcy/creditors' rights.
Ms. Murena represents both federal and state court-appointed receivers in marshaling and distributing assets for the benefit of creditors. Her receivership experience involves working in conjunction with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to obtain and implement temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and asset-freeze orders, followed by the collection and preservation of assets. Ms. Murena also practices complex business litigation with a focus on fraudulent transfer actions, investment and business disputes.
Ms. Murena has represented various corporate debtors with all aspects of their bankruptcy cases. Ms. Murena has also assisted in the representation of numerous landlords in the enforcement of leasing rights in bankruptcy cases of large retail store chains. Ms. Murena speaks Spanish and has experience representing debtors in cross-border corporate restructurings in Latin America. Ms. Murena also speaks conversational Italian.
Ms. Murena was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2002. Ms. Murena received her law degree from Columbia University School of Law (J.D., 2002), where she served on the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law and she performed significant amounts of public interest work through the Latin American Law Students Association - National Employment Law Project and the Columbia Law Women's Association - Domestic Violence Project. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Miami (B.A., magna cum laude, 1999), graduating as the English Major of the Year.
Christine Marie Dimitriou practices in the areas of federal and state court receiverships, complex business litigation, admiralty and maritime law, and cybersecurity and data privacy compliance. She is licensed to practice in Florida state courts and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Prior to joining Damian & Valori, Ms. Dimitriou was a senior associate with a national firm, practicing in the area of class action and consumer fraud litigation, as well as counseling companies concerning best practices for cybersecurity and data privacy. Ms. Dimitriou's representations include Fortune 500 companies, including the major cruise lines, in state and federal court as well as in international arbitration.
Ms. Dimitriou received her law degree, cum laude, from St. Thomas University School of Law. She was a staff editor for the St. Thomas Law Review, a moot court member, and research assistant to Professor Attilio Costabel. Additionally, Ms. Dimitriou was the president and founder of the St. Thomas Maritime Law Society and received the "Silver Oar Award" for academic excellence in the school's maritime curriculum. In her third year of law school, Ms. Dimitriou was selected to serve as a Certified Legal Intern for the Miami-Dade Office of the Public Defender and argued in the Third District Court of Appeal. Ms. Dimitriou has been named a Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Ms. Dimitriou is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational Italian and Greek. She is a member of the Florida Bar's Business Section, the American Hellenic Institute, and the Women in Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA).
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the Florida Bar
Shana Nichols works alongside Damian & Valori LLP | Culmo Trial Attorneys associates and partners on complex business litigation and receiverships.
Prior to joining Damian & Valori LLP | Culmo Trial Attorneys, Ms. Nichols served as Assistant Public Defender in Miami Dade County Public Defender's Office handling Misdemeanor, Juvenile and Felony Cases. Ms. Nichols primarily focuses her practice on Business Litigation, Negotiation and Dispute Resolution as well as working on the Firm's receivership team.
Ms. Nichols is admitted to practice law in the state of Florida. Ms. Nichols is a member of the Florida Bar. She is also a member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Ms. Nichols was born in Fort Stewart, Georgia as her father is a U.S. Military Veteran. She was raised in Columbus, Ohio. Ms. Nichols graduated from The Ohio State University (B.S.B.A 2016) and The Notre Dame Law School (J.D. 2019) where she was President of the National Lawyers Guild, Third Year Representative on behalf of her class, and Head Representative for the Nation's Leading Bar Exam Preparation Course. .
Shana Nichols joins Damian & Valori | Culmo Trial Attorneys as an Associate Attorney