Page 25 - Miami Vol 7 No 1

Alexander J. Faria and Leonardo J. Caraballo
The Next Generation
be positioned for long- term success in the hyper-competitive Mi- ami legal industry, a law rm’s leaders must identify and groom up-
and-coming attorneys. For Miami-based Rennert Vogel Mandler & Rodriguez P.A., which is in its third decade of operation, attorneys Leonardo J. Caraballo and Al- exander J. Faria are at the forefront of the rm’s next generation.
RVMR is a business and real estate law rm that represents developers and inves- tors in all facets of real estate transactions, including numerous major developers who have helped shape Miami’s skyline. e rm has a particularly strong foothold in the area of condominium and planned unit development law, as it has been in- volved in over 100 development projects and closed over 12,500 condominium units. RVMR is also frequently called on to facilitate complex condominium termina-
T0
Rising Stars
tions and nd positive solutions for clients in fractured and obsolete condominiums.
Caraballo and Faria have spent nearly their entire legal careers at RVMR since join- ing the rm in 2004 and 2005, respectively. e Miami natives have worked side by side with Jose A. Rodriguez and Howard J. Vogel, co-chairs of the real estate and condominium law practice group at RVMR, and are now entrusted to lead teams for the rm. ey are paying forward the lessons learned from the co-chairs by helping mentor the newest as- sociates in the practice group.
e bilingual duo enjoys a fruitful and complementary working relationship. Caraballo divides his time evenly between RVMR’s real estate transactional and con- dominium law practices. e Tulane Uni- versity graduate, with both undergraduate and law degrees from the New Orleans in- stitution, has a hand in everything from the representing developers acquiring, selling, nancing and constructing large-scale de- velopments to guiding developers through the termination of a condominium. A re- cent – and high pro le – example of the latterwastheterminationandsaleofthe 312-unitInTownCondominiuminMiami’s Little Havana neighborhood to a national owner-operator of apartment buildings.
Caraballo also holds an LL.M from the University of Miami School of Law in real property development, which allows him to understand the business goals of his clients and bring real value to them. He is a member of the environmental and land use section of the Florida Bar, in addition to being a member of the real property and probate and trust law sections.
Faria has made a name for himself with- in the rm and the broader legal industry through his real estate transactional work. During his 12 years at RVMR, Faria has handled more than 2,500 commercial and residential closings, including one of the largest residential real estate transactions in the history of the city of Weston; repre- sented developers in high-volume closings for a total value exceeding $1 billion; and
arranged more than $200 million in loans on behalf of both lenders and borrowers.
An already hectic schedule got even busier for Faria during the run-up to and immedi- ately following Hurricane Irma in September. Faria worked through power losses to ensure the closings continued at the high-rise con- dominium developments of the rm’s clients.
e University of Florida and Stetson University College of Law graduate has been recognized as a Rising Star by Florida Super Lawyers each year since 2012. Faria is involved with numerous professional associations, including the American Bar Association and the young lawyers divi- sion and real property, probate and trust law section of the Florida Bar.
Both Caraballo and Faria cite the culture, entrepreneurial spirit and collaborative environment at RVMR as key reasons the rm has been their professional home for 25 combined years. eir loyalty to the rm and appreciation for its values continues to resonate with their younger colleagues.
Top Lawyers 2018 Attorney at Law Magazine® South Florida | 25