Oct 6, 2026 · @Bret Berlin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Miami-Dade Bar · 305-586-3660 · bret@miamidadebar.org
Miami-Dade Bar Announces 2026 Circle of Excellence Award Honorees
119 of Miami-Dade’s top attorneys across 27 practice areas to be celebrated November 18 at the historic Biltmore Hotel
MIAMI, Fla. (October 6, 2026) — The Miami-Dade Bar, one of the largest voluntary bar associations in Florida, today announced the honorees of its 2026 Circle of Excellence Awards. The awards recognize the attorneys who set the standard for skill, integrity, and professionalism in their practice areas across Miami-Dade County.
This year’s honorees were chosen after a rigorous selection process lasting more than two months. The Bar gathered input from the general public, its members, and its committee leadership before a selection committee of past Circle of Excellence recipients made the final picks.
“The Circle of Excellence is a recognition by peers who know the Miami-Dade legal community best,” said Scott Merl, Chairman of the Circle of Excellence selection committee. “Every honoree on this list earned it through the respect of colleagues, clients, and the public. We can’t wait to celebrate them together at the Biltmore.”
A Rigorous, Peer-Driven Selection Process
Now in its fifth year, the Circle of Excellence continues a tradition the Miami-Dade Bar established in 2022 to honor legal professionals who demonstrate exceptional performance in Florida’s legal profession. As a leading authority on the qualifications and professionalism of lawyers in Miami-Dade County, the Bar offers a uniquely reliable, peer-reviewed form of recognition.
Highlights of the 2026 selection process:
- Open nominations. Anyone could nominate a deserving attorney, and nominees could submit additional supporting information. Nominations closed August 19, 2026.
- Broad community input. The Bar collected input from the general public, from its members, and from its committee leadership.
- Rigorous Evaluation. Each practice area was reviewed to identify the attorneys who best exemplify skill, integrity, and professionalism.
- Judged by past honorees. Final selections were made by a committee composed entirely of previous Circle of Excellence Award recipients.
The Miami-Dade Bar extends a special thank you to the 2026 Circle of Excellence Selection Committee lead by Scott Merl:
Jordan Benatar · Clayton Chin Quee Jr. · Christopher Drury · Todd Ehrenreich · Adam Finkel · Melissa Jordon · Amber Kornreich · Dagmar Llaudy · Michael Mayoral · Scott Merl · Mahesh Nanwani · Maria Papasakelariou · Brittney Polo · Monique K. Pope · Alex Saiz · Alexander I. Tachmes
Learn more about the award at miamidadebar.org/circleofexcellence.
2026 Circle of Excellence Honorees
Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Lance August Harke, Upchurch Watson White & Max
- John S. Freud, Mediation Solutions, Inc.
- Lewis Jack, Law Office of Lewis N. Jack, Jr., P.A.
- Jose M. Rodriguez, JAMS
- Scott R. Schomber, Upchurch Watson White & Max
- Caroline Soret, Diamond Mediation
Appellate
- Kimberly Boldt, Ratzan, Weissman & Boldt
- Jenna Fischman, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
- Thomas Kroeger, Colson Hicks Eidson
- Eugene “Gene” Lindsey III, Gunster
- Catherine McManus, 11th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
- William D. Mueller, Kula & Associates, P.A.
- Rodolfo “Rudy” Sorondo, Private Resolutions, Inc.
Bankruptcy
- Eric N. Assouline, Assouline & Berlowe, P.A.
- Daniel Nagler, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
- Luis Salazar, Cole Schotz P.C.
- Amanda Vasquez, Bast Amron LLP
Business Corporate
- Elisa D’Amico, D’Amico Law Firm PLLC
- Samuel Ludington
- Ian Illych Martinez, BMR Law Group
- Eric Paul Gros-Dubois, EPGD Attorneys At Law
- Maria Piva, Goldstein & Company
- Alexis Sverdlik, Holland & Knight LLP
- Brett Trembly, Trembly Law Firm
Business Litigation
- Jacqueline Arango, Akerman LLP
- Mark S. Auerbacher, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC
- Mark Cheskin, Hogan Lovells US LLP
- Ariella Gutman, Haber Law
- Elizabeth B. Honkonen, Sperling Kenny Nachwalter, LLC
- Utibe Ikpe, Meland Budwick, P.A.
- Julian A. Jackson-Fannin, Duane Morris
- Russell Landy, Damian Valori Culmo
- Jordi Martinez-Cid, Martinez-Cid Law
- Veronica A. Meza, GrayRobinson, P.A.
- Bernard Pastor, Shutts
- Brandon Sadowsky, Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton
- Ashley Saul Robinson, Mark Ferrer & Hayden
- Daniel Tropin, Heise Suarez Melville
Civil Litigation
- Andrew S. Brenner, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP
- Stephanie Casey, Colson Hicks Eidson
- Reginald Clyne, Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A.
- Alan T. Dimond, Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
- Douglas E. Horelick, Clyde & Co. US LLP
- Jeffrey Leavitt, Vedder Price
- Romy Miller, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
- Katie Mitchell, Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton
- Fernando A. Prego, Perez Mayoral, P.A.
- Tania Varela, Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman
Construction Litigation
- Jackeline “Jackie” Rodriguez, Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel
Criminal Law
- Dianne Carames, Puglisi Carames Law
- Cristina Diamond, Office of the State Attorney
- Susan Dmitrovsky, Kuehne Davis Law, P.A.
- Howard Srebnick, Black Srebnick
- Daniela Torrealba, Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office
Entertainment, Arts and Sports
- Ivan Parron, Parron Law
Environmental and Land Use
- Carlos L. Diaz, Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
- Ben Fernandez, Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes
- Michael Goldstein, The Goldstein Environmental Law Firm, P.A.
- Carter N. McDowell, Bilzin Sumberg
Family Law
- Jordan B. Abramowitz, Abramowitz & Associates
- Laura Davis Smith, Davis Smith & Jean, LLC
- Gerald Kornreich, Kornreich & Associates
- Andy Leinoff, Leinoff & Lemos, P.A.
- Alexandra Mesa, Dade Legal Aid
- Vanessa Vasquez de Lara, Vasquez de Lara Law Group
General Counsel / In-House Counsel
- Alix Apollon, UPS
- Michel Morgan, Universal Property & Casualty Ins. Co.
Government / Nonprofit
- Lotoya K. Brown, Dade Legal Aid
- Joseph “Joe” Egozi, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida
- Jeffrey Pierce, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida
- Geoffrey Valdes-Alba, Dade Legal Aid
Health Law
- Sabrina Gallo, Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
Immigration Law
- Maggie Arias, Arias and Pereira, PLLC
- Isadora Velazquez-Rivas, Isa Law PA
Insurance Law
- Ingrid Benson-Villegas, Walton Lantaff Schroeder & Carson LLP
- Jae Lynn Huckaba, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
- Joshua D. Lerner, Rumberger Kirk
- John Murray, The Murray Law Firm, P.A.
- Geoffrey M. Schuessler, Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A.
Intellectual Property
- Tiffany-Ashley Disney, University of Miami
- Tyler J. Litwak, Malloy & Malloy, P.L.
- Elizabeth Milian, Brand Builder Legal
- David R. O’Steen, Assouline & Berlowe, P.A.
International Law
- Peter Quinter, Gunster
Labor and Employment Law
- April Boyer, K&L Gates
- Nina Teresa Martinez, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
- Mark Neuberger, Foley & Lardner LLP
- Kelly Pena, Littler Mendelson
- Audrey-Jade Salbo, Jackson Lewis P.C.
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Kyle Bady, White & Case LLP
- Eli D. Gordon, Holland & Knight LLP
- Jessica Rivero, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
- David E. Wells, Winston Taylor LLP
Personal Injury
- Tiffany Batten Andris, Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A.
- Garret Biondo, The Biondo Law Firm, P.A.
- Robert “Beau” Blumberg, Deutsch Blumberg & Caballero, P.A.
- Sean Cleary, The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary
- Dan Dolan, Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, LLP
- Alaina Fotiu-Wojtowicz, Brodsky Fotiu-Wojtowicz, PLLC
- Igor Hernandez, Cornish Hernandez Gonzalez, PLLC
- Michael Levine, Stewart Tilghman Fox Bianchi & Cain, P.A.
- Douglas McCarron, The Haggard Law Firm
- Guy Kamealoha Noa, SteinLaw
- Skip Pita, Pita Weber Del Prado
- Jocelyn Santana, Goldberg & Rosen
- Andrew Yaffa, Grossman Yaffa Cohen, P.A.
Probate and Guardianship
- Giovanna “Gia” Abreu O’Connor, Fowler White
- Leslie Marenco, Trust Counsel, P.L.
- Dale Noll, Akerman LLP
Real Property
- Erik Andrew Perez, Perez Mayoral, P.A.
- Manuel Crespo, Greenspoon Marder LLP
Securities Litigation
- Josh Bautz, Nelson Mullins
- Matthew C. Dates, Stearns Weaver
- Peter Homer, Homer Bonner
Tax Law
- Megan D. Ferris, Cole Schotz P.C.
Transportation / Maritime Law
- Scott Mebane, Mase Mebane, P.A.
- J. Michael Pennekamp, Fowler White
Workers’ Compensation
- Ivan P. Morales, Morales & Cerino, PA
- Barry A. Stein, De Cardenas, Freixas, Stein & Zachary, P.A.
Join Us at the Biltmore on November 18
The honorees will be celebrated at the 2026 Circle of Excellence Awards Ceremony, the Miami-Dade Bar’s biggest event of the fall. It brings together the county’s legal community, judiciary, and leaders for an evening of recognition at one of South Florida’s most iconic venues.
- Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
- Time: 5:30 p.m.
- Location: The historic Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables
- Tickets: Purchase tickets
- Sponsorships: View sponsorship opportunities
Tickets and sponsorships are still available but expected to go quickly. This is an evening you will not want to miss.
About the Miami-Dade Bar
The Miami-Dade Bar is one of the largest voluntary bar associations in Florida. It serves the legal profession and the public in Miami-Dade County through continuing legal education, professional development, its Lawyer Referral Service, and support of Dade Legal Aid. Learn more at miamidadebar.org.
Media Contact
Miami-Dade Bar 150 W. Flagler Street, Suite 1675, Miami, FL 33130 305-371-2220 · bret@miamidadebar.org
