KENDALL COFFEY LEGAL LEGEND WOMEN Special Issue Law IN Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli Pratt P.A. LAW FIRM TO WATCH IN 2020Raquel “Rocky” A. Rodriguez Shareholder, Litigation Miami, FL Buchanan is excited and proud to welcome Raquel “Rocky” A. Rodriguez to our growing Miami team. Miami | Fort Lauderdale | Tampa | 15 offices nationwide | BIPC.com WE ARE ALL #MDFAWL MDFAWL is a volunteer bar association dedicated to actively promoting the advancement of women in the legal profession, expanding the leadership role of its members in the community at large, and promoting women’s rights. The organization is also committed to promoting diversity and inclusion and providing equal opportunities for participation and support to people of any gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and socioeconomic background. Learn more at www.mdfawl.org! @MDFAWLLAW FIRM TO WATCH IN 2020 Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli Pratt P.A.FROM THE Publisher Ken Minniti PRESIDENT & CEO Howard LaGraffe VICE PRESIDENT Caitlin Keniston EDITOR Rhenne Leon MIAMI PUBLISHER Veronica Jauregui ASSISTANT EDITOR Jaqueline Dávila GRAPHIC DESIGN Elisa D’Amico Vicki Hogue-Davies CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Corporate Headshots USA Damian Dapena Juan Carlos Gallegos Julia Rose Photo jillkahn@ix.netcom.com Mark Tomares Graciela Valdes Fine Art Photography PHOTOGRAPHY Attorney at Law Magazine is published by: Target Market Media Publications Inc. Copyright ©2020, Target Market Media all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited. Advertising rates on request. Bulk third class (standard) mail. Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Attorney at Law Magazine & Target Market Media cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by authors. Corporate Office : 5828 North 7th Street, Suite 200 Phoenix, AZ 85014 Phone (480) 219-9716 www.tmmpublications.com • info@tmmpublications.com Northern Alabama | Atlanta | Chicago | Dallas | Ft. Lauderdale Jacksonville | Los Angeles | Miami | Minnesota North Carolina Triangle | Ohio | Philadelphia | Phoenix | San Antonio Salt Lake City | Middle Tennessee | Washington D.C. C ARL O S ARIS TIZAB AL PHO TOGRAPHY It is with great pleasure to feature the beautiful women attor- neys that practice in our great city of Miami as our open- ing issue of the new year and decade.These are the attor- neys that will be shaping our legal landscape for decades to come. We would also like to thank Judge Abby Cynamon for joining us. Congratulations to Hilarie Bass - recipient of the Attorney At Law Magazine’s: Diversity and Inclusion award” for 2019. We chose: Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt PA., Attorney At Law’s magazine: “Law Firm to Watch in 2020”. Their excellent “win”s and upward mobility made them an easy choice. It was my pleasure working with Jed Kurzban and this talented “winning” group of lawyers. We are extremely proud to feature Kendall Coffey in this issue. Kendall is one the finest lawyers, a former Miami prosecutor, lec- turer, legal analyst, and teacher in the U.S. and abroad. Mr. Coffey is a true “Legal Legend”. Feliz Año Nuevo! Rhenne Leon PUBLISHER RLEON@ATTORNEYATLAWMAGAZINE.COM TOP LAW FIRMS AND TOP LAWYERS - MIAMI - SPRING 2020 FOR INFORMATION AND CONSIDERATION CONTACT: RHENNE LEON 561.213.3360 RLEON@ATTORNEYATLAWMAGAZINE.COM DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 24,2020TABLE OF Contents 22 32 38 11 30 12 14 26 16 34 24 36 28 40 2020 18 6 6 Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt P.A. Law Firm to Watch in 2020 11 Hilarie Bass Diversity and Inclusion Award 12 Regina M. Campbell, Esq. Her Own Strongest Ally 14 Cristina Cossio The Law in Technicolor 16 Laura M. Fabar The Road to Resolution 18 Stephanie Granda Her Own Empire 20 Feigeles & Haimo Women at Law 22 Kendall B. Coffey Legal Legend 24 Beth-Ann E. Krimsky Jumping in to Lead 26 Juliana G. Lamardo The Road to Citizen 28 Christina A. McKinnon, Esq. Autonomy in Law 30 Cristina M. Ortiz Offering Peace of Mind 32 Jennifer Olmedo-Rodriguez Taking Up the Helm 34 Leslie Rothenberg On the Great Equalizers 36 Jennifer V. Ruiz Moving the Needle 38 Tanaz Salehi On Power and Curiosity 40 An Interview with Judge Abby Cynamon Judicial Profile 41 A Brief History of the Miami- Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers By Elisa D’AmicoLAW FIRM TO WATCH IN 2020 Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt P.A.When attorneys Ira J. Kurzban and Marvin Kurzban founded their immigration and personal injury law firm in 1977, it was under the guiding prin- ciple that they wouldn’t worry about anything ex- cept being the best in their field. Even though they started the firm the same year that a United States Supreme Court ruling opened the door for lawyers to advertise, the two brothers knew that building a strong reputation for legal excellence enhanced by word-of-mouth from satisfied clients would be all the advertising they needed. And they were right. Fast forward 40-plus years to to- day’s highly successful law firm of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt P.A. and the attorneys founding philosophy was a sound one. The firm has always focused on providing the best legal representation rather than emphasizing marketing or advertising to attract business. The principle was simple – provide excellent legal services and create the best reputation to ensure the firm’s success. KKTP today enjoys an outstanding national and global reputation, earning an AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest award for excellence in the field, based on its successful representation of clients for over 40 years. “People come to Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli & Pratt, P.A., based on our reputation and success” says Jed Kurzban, the firm’s managing partner and president. “Our business model is not based on advertise- ments because our firm focuses on the legal problems of our clients, rather than the business of soliciting future clients.” The firm’s focus is on winning clients’ cases and achieving the best results for all of them. HIGH-ACHIEVING LEGAL TEAM The firm’s headquarters recently relocated to a newly renovated building in Coral Gables, Florida. It also has an office in Honolulu, Hawaii. The firm’s practice areas in personal injury, immigration and nationality law, and civil litigation are nationally and internationally known. It handles cases in all U.S. immigration, personal injury, med- ical malpractice, products liability and commercial and business legal matters and represents clients in cases throughout the United States and the world. Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt P.A. PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST BY VICKI HOGUE-DAVIES PHOTOS BY CORPORATE HEADSHOTS USAIra Kurzban, who served as President and General Counsel for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), chairs the firm’s immigration and nationality law division. He is truly a legend in U.S. immigration law and is the author of the most respected treatise in the field: “Kurzban’s Immigration Law Sourcebook,” currently in its 16th Edition. He has successfully argued in numerous precedent fed- eral court cases at all levels of the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court The firm’s founding members, Ira Kurzban and brother Marvin Kurzban, who is now retired from the practice, are the sons of a Ro- manian immigrant who immigrated to the U.S. at the onset of World War II. Their family history of hardworking immigrants drove the founders in their own success and inspired Ira Kurzban to devote his professional life to improve the country’s immigration laws and en- sure due process of law and access federal courts to prevent abuses. Today, the immigration division’s day-to-day operations and manage- ment are handled by partners John P. Pratt and Helena Tetzeli, both award-winning attorneys Pratt is board-certified in immigration law by the Florida Bar, and specializes in all aspects of immigration and nationality law, including complex federal court immigration litigation, removal defense, and immigrant and nonimmigrant employment-based petitions. He joined the firm in 2001, and through hard work and dedication was named Partner. Pratt, who is flu- ent in Spanish, regularly appears in Spanish language national media, including the Telemundo network, discussing and analyzing the effects of immigration topics in China, Japan, Europe and elsewhere. Pratt, as well as Ira Kurzban, and Tetzeli, regularly lecture in the field of immigration law both nationally and internationally, and both contribute to Kurzban’s Immigration Law Sourcebook. “Together, Ira, Helena, and John are carrying the immigration practice of the firm forward,” notes Jed Kurzban. Tetzeli specializes in commercial/civil litigation and immigration law. In her immigration practice, she successfully represents multinational companies and individuals. Tetzeli handles an array of immigration matters, from removal to federal litigation, to every type of business visa, as well as visas for artists, athletes, and other individuals with extraordinary ability. She has received numerous awards, including being listed in “The Best Lawyers in America” for her work in the field of immigration law. She also advises and represents companies, both start-ups and businesses whose names are well known, in a wide variety of areas including collections, labor issues, compliance, and other types of commercial and civil disputes. As a litigator, she has represented the firm’s clients in the federal courts, including the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and in the state courts of Florida, including the Florida Supreme Court. She is known as someone who gets results. Jed Kurzban joined the firm in 1992, working with his father Marvin Kurzban in the per- sonal injury division. Since joining the firm, he has significantly expanded the personal injury division and the medical malpractice division to include a national practice specializing in un- diagnosed kidney disease. Jed Kurzban’s national reputation in these areas allowed him to try several medical malpractice cases throughout the United States and helped to expand the firm’s national presence and open the branch office in Honolulu. He is a hands-on attorney who does all case workup and trials, with the help of a professional support staff, to ensure that the firm’s personal injury and medical malpractice clients know that when they retain the firm they are “really retaining Jed Kurzban.” He handles six to eight cases at any one time so he can give each his utmost attention. Along with his litigation team, Jed Kurzban’s passion and knowledge are driven by his belief that people who are seriously injured due to another’s negligence often have nowhere to turn other than to a caring, knowledgeable, dedicated attorney who will ensure their rights and interests are protected. “When someone was injured, my father wanted to be there to help them, to show them that life does not end and there is a way to move forward,” he says. “That is my belief too. When someone is catastrophically injured, they are often left on their own. Their bills are mounting, and their families are devastated. They can really be left destitute and there is no one to assist them except for a dedicated attorney that understands the obligation to protect and help them.” Jed Kurzban has been recognized for his trial and advocacy work. He lectures several times a year on trial work and the law in the field of personal injury and medical malpractice. He also has worked with local counsel throughout the United States trying cases in the field of medical malpractice and taught at the University of Miami School of Law When someone was injured, my father wanted to be there to help them, to show them that life does not end and there is a way to move forward. That is my belief too. When someone is catastrophically injured, they are often left on their own. Their bills are mounting, and their families are devastated.”IMPACT OF CURRENT IMMIGRATION LAWS Assisting immigrants has become even more critical based on the current administration’s policies restricting all aspects of immigra- tion programs, including legal family-based or employment-based immigration. The current administration’s policies leave all immi- grants and the legal community, including clients and their family members, in a constant state of flux, according to Pratt. “No one is quite sure what to do and what will be the next regula- tory or judicial change,” Pratt says. “More and more people are asking us what they can do. They want to know if it is safe to move their families and/or businesses to the United States. It is critical that they know that they have the support of legal experts who will safeguard their rights.” He adds that the firm’s immigration litigation division, chaired by Ira Kurzban, has achieved numerous precedent federal court immi- gration cases, including pro bono cases before the U.S. Supreme Court representing people experiencing immigration problems. While Ira Kurzban is a leader at the firm in providing pro bono representation, all the attorneys believe in the importance of donating their time and professional expertise and do so regularly. EXAMPLES OF SEMINAL CASES – IMMIGRATION AND PERSONAL INJURY/MEDICAL MALPRACTICE The firm has litigated federal court immigration cases at all levels, including district courts, courts of appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Recently, based on the current administration’s efforts to curtail immigration, the firm is involved in impact litigation with many organiza- tions in several federal district and circuit federal courts. For example, the firm’s dedication to helping immigrants through pro bono representation resulted in a successful lawsuit that chal- lenged the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail the temporary protection status enjoyed by over 50,000 Haitian immigrants. On April 11, 2019, in Saget et al. v. Trump et al., the federal court granted the plaintiffs a nationwide preliminary injunction prohibiting the Department of Homeland Security from terminating protected status for Haitian nationals lawfully living in the U.S. This seminal immigration law case is just one of many in which the firm has valued people’s lives over political ideology. Within its personal injury practice, a major case against Nissan Corporation exemplified that area of the firm’s equally powerful commitment to the welfare of its clients. In a product liability claim, the firm gained a settlement in excess of seven figures against the company on behalf of a 17-year-old dancer who lost a leg below the knee due to the negligent design and materials used in the construction of a Nissan automobile. Another case that went to Florida’s Supreme Court highlights the success of Jed Kurzban’s kidney disease practice. The firm won a $4.1 million-dollar jury verdict against a pediatrician who had failed to diagnose and treat a young girl’s kidney failure. As a result, the 6-year-old had to undergo a kidney transplant. The firm helped transform the definition of an expert wit- ness in the case as upheld by the Supreme Court of Florida. The firm also excels in the area of complex civil litigation. For ex- ample, Tetzeli currently represents a U.S. company in a case she filed in U.S. District Court for her client, a Florida company owed millions of dollars, against PDVSA, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the Venezuelan national oil company. This is one of the few cases against PDVSA, Inc. to ever have survived a motion to dismiss in federal court. MOVING ESTABLISHED VALUES TO A NEW LOCATION In 2019, Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt relocated into its new- ly renovated state-of-the art building the partners purchased in the Coral Gables business district. The attorneys and staff are pleased to continue employing their “clients first” philosophy in their beautifully renovated new offices, which are strategically located and outfitted for the years ahead with technologies that include electronic case filing and high-tech video conferencing. With its set-up for the digital age, the firm is enthusiastically welcoming the future of law, and the chal- lenges for the future. “We are embracing the digital age as we press forward into the fu- Together, Ira, Helena, and John are carrying the immigration practice of the firm forward.”Next >