Page 9 - Miami Vol 6 No 2
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or two younger or taking on di cult cata strophic cases that other rms have passed on, I try to push myself. Growth and prog ress requires hard work, discomfort and creative thinking.
AALM: What do you nd particularly re warding about your practice?
Biondo: The best part of my job is the ability to execute personal and soci etal change. I handle catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, so my clients need more than legal advice – they need someone to guide them through the legal process with a high level of compassion, patience and sensitivity. It is rewarding being able to help people, fight for their rights and obtain just compensation for them.
AALM: What do you nd particularly challenging about your practice? How to you overcome these challenges?
Biondo: Trial work by its nature is ad versarial. It is emotionally challenging and pressuredriven. However, I try not to lose sight of the fact that my clients are victims and did not choose the situation they nd themselves in. ey are victims of fore seeable and preventable mistakes; victims of corporations and companies who put pro t over safety. It is my job to work hard on their behalf and be emotionally resilient when they o en are unable to be.
AALM: What traits do you think make an attorney exceptional? What’s the di er ence between a good attorney and an out standing one?
Biondo: I am passionate about justice and my clients’ cause. I am not afraid to turn down a case if I don’t believe it has merit. However, when I get involved in a case and a client put their trust and faith in me, it is an awesome responsibility and I will not be outworked. It sounds cliché but I think that success as a trial lawyer begins and ends with meticulous preparation and attention to detail. Finally, when you are in court, you need to know when to stop and sit down.
AALM: What compelled you to start your own practice?
Biondo: I started my own rm four years out of law school at the age of 28. As I look back 14 years later, it was the best de cision I ever made. I owe a debt of gratitude to Estrella Gonzalez, Rob Gra and Jona than Wald, my former bosses and mentors, for allowing me to try cases with them and
on my own as an ambitious young lawyer at their rm. Coming out of law school, I remember that Judd Rosen and I were the rst of our classmates to try civil cases on our own – 18 months out of school. We were on the phone daily talking strategy and learning on the go. ose experiences gave me the con dence to start my rm at a young age.
AALM: What accomplishment are you most proud of achieving?
Biondo: Professionally, it was an honor to serve as the president of both the Dade County Bar Association and Legal Servic es of Greater Miami Inc. My time leading both organizations was extremely exciting, challenging and rewarding. It was a bless ing to work with great lawyers who were likeminded in their commitment to giving back to the profession and to the commu nity in order to make it better. Personally, it was convincing my wife to marry me; she makes me a better person.
AALM: What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Hobbies? Sports?
Biondo: I am a basketball addict, I still play two to three times a week and attend all Miami Hurricane home basketball games. I have also practiced Pilates four to ve times a week for the last several years in order to stay limber enough to continue playing basketball in my 40s. My wife and I also collect wine and contemporary art. We are particularly fond of works by Sara Cywnar, Karl Holmqvist, Jamian Juliano – Villani and Borna Sammak that are recent additions to our collection. I like the viscer al reward from collecting art, the fact that you can appreciate the work in your home every day and continue to get renewed pleasure – it doesn’t wear o .
AALM: What do you most hope to ac complish in the future? Where do you see yourself in ve years? In 10?
Biondo: I want to continue trying law suits. My wife and I are in the process of starting a family. Hopefully someday I will have the opportunity to try cases with my children and some of my nephews. I would also like to continue to be involved inlegalandcommunityorganizations.My father voluntarily helped run the youth, community basketball league at Temple Beth Am for a decade, my brothers are currently following in his footsteps and hopefully I will follow suit with my own children, someday.
Superstars 2017 Attorney at Law Magazine® South Florida | 9
AT A GLANCE
The Biondo Law Firm P.A.
44 West Flagler Street, Suite 1575 Miami, FL 33130
(305) 371-7326 www.biondolaw.com
Practice Areas
Personal Injury Wrongful Death
Education
Juris Doctor, University of Miami Law School, 2000
Bachelor of Arts, University of Texas at Austin, 1997
Professional Memberships
Dade County Bar Association, Past President
Legal Services of Greater Miami Inc., Past President
Florida Justice Association Young Lawyers Division, Past President
Dade County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Past President
Honors
Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Florida, National Trial Lawyers Association
Top 100 Lawyers in Miami, Super Lawyers
Hobbies
Basketball
Pilates
Collecting Wine and Art
Favorite Quote
“I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end." – Larry Bird
