WSHC+B advised Ocean Aviation throughout the development and approval process, including negotiations with the Miami-Dade Aviation Department and matters involving land use, environmental regulations, labor, financing, security, and real estate. The firm also managed government relations efforts to secure the necessary county approvals.

Backed by a $67 million investment, the project will feature up to 400,000 square feet of hangar space, including shared and private facilities, along with a premium terminal and dedicated fueling infrastructure.

Mitch represents major companies in transportation, aviation, construction, and environmental sectors, negotiating public contracts, airport concessions, and multi-modal infrastructure agreements. He also serves as legal counsel for multiple local government entities, advising them on a range of legal matters.

Fabio is a corporate and real estate attorney and is Board Certified in International Law by the Florida Bar. He specializes in cross-border transactions involving clients based in the United States, Europe, and Latin America.

Alex represents private clients in land use, zoning, and development matters, drawing on his prior experience as an in-house municipal planning attorney. He also serves as legal counsel to local government entities.

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This year’s process was the most competitive in the history of the award, with more than 475 nominations submitted. Tania’s recognition is a true testament to her diligence, commitment and professional excellence.

Tania has more than 16 years of experience representing clients in complex litigation cases throughout the state of Florida. She handles various civil trial and appellate matters for her clients, including complex commercial disputes, civil rights claims, and torts.

Tania and the other recipients will be honored at the annual Award Ceremony on November 18 at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.

Register here: https://www.miamidadebar.org/circleofexcellence/event-details/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

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• Milton R. Collins (Labor & Employment, Employee Benefits)
• Michael Kantor (Labor & Employment Litigation)
• Caroline G. Salemi (Labor & Employment, Government Agencies)
• Brett J. Schneider (Labor & Employment, Litigation, Collective Bargaining)
• Alison F. Smith (Labor & Employment, Litigation, Collective Bargaining)

According to Lawdragon, “These Labor & Employment lawyers advise companies large and small on their most pressing workplace needs.”

Their selection process involves a proprietary process that combines independent research, submissions, and thorough vetting.

View the full guide here.

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WSHC+B Partner Edward G. Guedes, Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group, was elected President of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers for the 2027 calendar year. The Academy is an invitation-only national association of respected appellate lawyers.

As President, Ed will help guide the Academy’s strategic direction and policy and preside over an organization that provides a trusted national network of appellate counsel. Ed has been a Fellow of the Academy since 2019.

Founded in 1990, the Academy has grown from Fellows in a handful of states with robust appellate bars to 355 Fellows from all 50 states. Fellows must have at least 15 years of appellate practice and receive unsolicited nominations from two current Fellows. Each nomination then undergoes a rigorous vetting process before the Academy’s Board of Directors votes on it. The Academy’s officers serve one-year terms and are elected by the Board.

“It is a tremendous honor to be chosen to lead the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and I am grateful to my fellow Board members for their confidence,” Ed said. “The Academy brings together the finest appellate advocates in the country, and I look forward to working with them to strengthen the appellate bar, promote the highest standards of advocacy, and advance the fair administration of justice.”

Ed is widely known for representing business and government clients in high-stakes appeals. He has litigated more than 150 appeals before the Florida Supreme Court, Florida’s district courts of appeal, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals, in matters ranging from constitutional litigation, including First Amendment claims, election law, land use and zoning, commercial litigation, premises liability, intellectual property, and labor and employment. He is Board Certified in Appellate Practice by The Florida Bar and is ranked in appellate law by Chambers USA.

In 2008, Ed was a finalist nominated to fill a vacancy on the Florida Supreme Court.

Among his notable victories, Ed represented more than 40 Florida cities and counties in defending a $200 million federal class action involving red-light camera programs. That work culminated in a unanimous Florida Supreme Court decision upholding the legality of the programs throughout the State of Florida. On behalf of the City of Homestead, he secured a precedent setting en banc decision from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals realigning its First Amendment jurisprudence with U.S. Supreme Court precedent. Most recently, he argued the case that secured, on behalf of Publix Super Markets, Inc., a Florida Supreme Court decision modifying decades of Florida precedent and setting a new standard for fraud on the court dismissals.

Ed is a longtime leader in the Florida legal community, including service as President of the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society from 2017 to 2019. In 2025, the Miami-Dade Bar honored him with its Circle of Excellence Award. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Amherst College.

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NACOLE is a non-profit organization that supports independent civilian oversight entities working to make law enforcement agencies, jails, and prisons more transparent, accountable, and responsive to their communities. The Task Force provides guidance and strategy to oversight agencies when they are faced with existential threats, including legislation, court cases, elections, budget reductions, or actions that seek to eliminate or limit the effectiveness of an oversight agency. 

John has been recognized as a Certified Practitioner of Oversight by NACOLE since 2019. He served for many years as Independent Counsel to the City of Miami Civilian Investigative Panel, and has represented civilian oversight interests before the Florida Supreme Court.

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• Howard D. DuBosar (Complex Litigation, Financial, IP, Real Estate)
• Anne R. Flanigan (Complex Commercial Litigation)
• Edward G. Guedes (Appellate)
• Ronald S. Nisonson (Commercial Litigation, Construction, Insurance)

The annual guide recognizes leading litigators across the country based on Lawdragon’s independent research, submissions and vetting process.

View the full guide here.

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Her first article, “Why Your Exit Starts Years Before You Sell,” Jessika discusses the importance of building optionality by creating a business that gives founders choices, whether they decide to sell, raise capital, bring on a strategic partner, or continue growing. She addresses reducing founder dependence, documenting key aspects of the business, and making decisions with its future value in mind.

Her second article, “Due Diligence Doesn’t Start With a Buyer. It Starts With You,” Jessika explains why due diligence begins well before a buyer enters the picture. She highlights considerations including organized corporate records, clear intellectual property ownership, well-maintained customer agreements, and systems that can build confidence and create leverage in a future transaction.

Jessika is an Expert Council Member of Entreprenista, contributing insights informed by her practice, which focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions and strategic business matters. She represents founders, privately held companies, entrepreneurs and investors in middle-market transactions, with particular experience guiding business owners through the sale of their companies.

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Fernandez strengthens WSHC+B’s Construction Claims and Defense, Complex Commercial, and Construction Contract Drafting and Negotiation practices. Levy enhances the firm’s Labor & Employment Litigation, Counseling and Risk Management Services, and Workplace Investigation practices. Schiff bolsters WSHC+B’s Municipal Counsel, Public Sector Land Use and Zoning, and Governmental Affairs and Procurement practices.

“These three attorneys each bring focused experience and a strong work ethic to their practice areas,” Firm Chairman Chad Friedman said. “Their arrival reflects our continued commitment to building deep, dedicated teams so we can keep delivering the level of service our clients expect throughout South Florida.”

Based in the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office, Fernandez focuses her practice on construction law and high-value development disputes, working closely with contractors, developers, engineers, consultants, and property owners to navigate issues ranging from Chapter 558 claims to active litigation, including construction liens and contract disputes.

Before joining WSHC+B, Fernandez practiced in a construction and property law group, where she advised on matters from initial dispute through resolution, including construction contracts, property damage, and first-party property insurance coverage cases. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law and graduated magna cum laude from Florida International University with a degree in Criminal Justice. Fernandez is proficient in Spanish.

Based in the firm’s Boca Raton office, Levy represents clients in employment litigation matters in state and federal court, including claims involving discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, and wage and hour disputes arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. He also represents employers before federal and state administrative agencies such as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Florida Commission on Human Relations.

Levy earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law, where he served as a teaching assistant for sports law courses covering name, image, and likeness (NIL), professional athlete representation, and the negotiation and drafting of sports venue agreements. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication – Media and Society, with a concentration in Sport Management, from the University of Florida.

Also based in Boca Raton, Schiff represents government entities, developers, businesses, and private clients in a broad range of local government matters. As counsel to municipalities, he regularly attends meetings of elected officials and advises on land use and zoning, contracts and procurement, ordinance and resolution drafting, code enforcement, and compliance with public records and Government in the Sunshine laws.

Before joining the firm, Schiff served as Director of Government Affairs at a strategic consulting and government relations firm and as Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. He earlier gained legal and public policy experience through clerkships and internships with the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and a U.S. Senator. Schiff earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and graduated cum laude from the University of Florida with a degree in Political Science.

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Congratulations to Milton R. Collins, Howard D. DuBosar, Alan L. Gabriel, Rana M. Gorzeck, Alen H. Hsu, Michael Kantor, Michael J. Kurzman, Ronald S. Nisonson, Matthew T. Ramenda, Lindsey Ryder, Brett J. Schneider, Marc I. Solomon, Anthony C. Soroka, and David N. Tolces.

The Boca Raton Observer’s Top Lawyers list is compiled in partnership with DataJoe, a leading national research firm. The selection process is based exclusively on peer review, with lawyers across Broward and Palm Beach counties nominating colleagues they believe exemplify excellence in their respective practice areas. 

To view all of the 2026 Top Lawyers, please click here.

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Forty-five attorneys were recognized in Best Lawyers, and thirteen were recognized as Ones to Watch across twenty-five distinct practice areas.

One of our attorneys received “Lawyer of the Year” honors. Fort Lauderdale Office Managing Partner Jamie A. Cole was recognized for his work in Government Relations Practice.

Best Lawyers has employed the same transparent methodology for more than 40 years, based entirely on peer review. 

The following includes all Firm attorneys named and areas in which they are recognized:

Miami, FL

• Lillian Arango (Real Estate Law)
• Mitchell A. Bierman (Administrative / Regulatory Law, Government Contracts)
• Maria Victoria Currais (Real Estate Law)
• Jeffrey Decarlo (Public Finance Law)
• Alan K. Fertel (Sports Law)
• Chad S. Friedman (Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law)
• Jessika Arce Graham (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law)
• Edward G. Guedes (Appellate Practice)
• Stephen J. Helfman (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Juan P. Loumiet (Litigation – Real Estate, Real Estate Law)
• Justin Luger (Commercial Litigation)
• Mariela M. Malfeld (Litigation – Construction)
• Edward O. Martos (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• John Quick (Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• Anthony L. Recio (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Caroline G. Saiz (Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• Haydee Sera (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Joseph H. Serota (Commercial Litigation)
• Eduardo M. Soto (Real Estate Law)
• Samantha W. Soto (Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• Alejandro Uribe (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Richard Jay Weiss (Government Relations Practice)
• Laura K. Wendell (Appellate Practice)
• David M. Wolpin (Employment Law – Management, Government Relations Practice)
• Daniela Cimo (Ones to Watch: Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Kelsie M. Elmer (Ones to Watch: Real Estate Law)
• Cesar Francia (Ones to Watch: Entertainment and Sports Law)
• Stephanie Herbello (Ones to Watch: Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Judelande Jeune (Ones to Watch: Municipal Law)
• Roger C. Pou (Ones to Watch: Municipal Law)
• Katharine Rodriguez-Wilson (Ones to Watch: Real Estate Law)

Fort Lauderdale, FL

• Daniel L. Abbott (Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning)
• Candice Balmori (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Mitchell J. Burnstein (Commercial Litigation, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law)
• Jamie A. Cole (Commercial Litigation, Government Relations Practice, Municipal Law)
• Anne R. Flanigan (Commercial Litigation)
• Alicia Gonzalez (Real Estate Law)
• Michael J. Kurzman (Construction Law, Litigation – Construction)
• Matthew H. Mandel (Commercial Litigation)
• Steven H. Osber (Commercial Litigation)
• Matthew J. Pearl (Community Association Law)
• Lori Smith-Lalla (Municipal Law)
• Alison F. Smith (Employment Law – Management)
• Eric L. Stettin (Commercial Litigation)
• Susan L. Trevarthen (Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Municipal, Municipal Law)
• Peter D. Waldman (Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law)
• Bryan C. Siddique (Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation) 
• Arielle S. Vanon (Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation)
• Michael A. Weitzner (Ones to Watch: Litigation – Labor and Employment)

Boca Raton, FL

• Howard D. DuBosar (Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Bankruptcy)
• Rana M. Gorzeck (Real Estate Law)
• Andrew S. Maurodis (Land Use and Zoning Law, Municipal Law)
• Debra Reese (Land Use and Zoning Law, Municipal Law)
• Brett J. Schneider (Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Union, Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• David N. Tolces (Municipal Law, Real Estate Law)
• Erica Hausdorff (Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation)
• Jeremy S. Rosner (Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation)
• Mikayla T. Taylor (Ones to Watch: Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers)

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