• Lillian M. Arango (Real Estate, Transactions, Finance, Leasing)
• Maria Victoria Currais (Real Estate Transactions, Public Finance)
• Fabio Giallanza (Real Estate Transactions)
• Rana M. Gorzeck (Real Estate Transactions)
• Eduardo M. Soto (Commercial Real Estate, Lending, Transactions)
• Susan Trevarthen (Real Estate, Zoning, Land Use)
  

According to Lawdragon, this annual guide recognizes legal “advisors who specialize in a vast range of skills – development, finance, leasing, litigation, REIT structuring – on a range of property.”

The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers guide is a respected publication that recognizes lawyers who have shown exceptional skill in real estate-related practices. Their selection process involves rigorous research, including submissions from peers and analysis by Lawdragon’s editorial team. The guide is an essential resource for identifying top legal professionals in the real estate sector, highlighting those who excel in areas such as transactions, development, and finance​. Honorees are selected through a proprietary process, combining journalistic research and vetting, as well as submissions from peers, competitors and firms. The winners were selected from a pool of thousands of lawyers considered for this guide.

View the full guide here.

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Thirty-eight lawyers were recognized across nineteen distinct practice areas, and thirteen attorneys were recognized as Ones to Watch.

Two of our attorneys received “Lawyer of the Year” honors. Miami Office Managing Director Mitchell A. Bierman was recognized for his work in Administrative / Regulatory Law in Miami, and Partner Michael J. Kurzman was recognized for Litigation – Construction in Fort Lauderdale.

Best Lawyers has employed the same transparent methodology for more than 35 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 (Commercial Litigation, 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)
• Edward O. Martos (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Anthony L. Recio (Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Paul Ryder (Employment Law – Management)
• Joseph H. Serota (Commercial Litigation)
• Eduardo M. Soto (Real Estate 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)
• Stephanie Herbello (Ones to Watch: Land Use and Zoning Law)
• Judelande Jeune (Ones to Watch: Municipal Law)
• Pooja Patel (Ones to Watch: Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• Emma Rodgers (Ones to Watch: Real Estate Law)
• Katharine Rodriguez-Wilson (Ones to Watch: Real Estate Law)
• Roger C. Pou (Ones to Watch: Municipal Law)
• Blayne Yudis (Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation)

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 (Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Real Estate Law)
• Michael J. Kurzman (Construction Law, Litigation – Construction)
• Matthew H. Mandel (Commercial Litigation)
• Matthew J. Pearl (Community Association Law)
• Lori Smith-Lalla (Municipal Law)
• Eric L. Stettin (Commercial Litigation)
• Susan L. Trevarthen (Land Use and Zoning Law, Municipal Law)
• Peter D. Waldman (Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law)
• Bryan C. Siddique (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)
• 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)

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Miami, Fla. — Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman (WSHC+B) tapped partners Maria Currais and Ed Soto to serve as co-chairs of the law firm’s thriving real estate practice. The accomplished attorneys take the helm of the division at a time when WSHC+B is expanding in lockstep with South Florida’s tremendous growth.

The firm’s real estate attorneys advise private investors, developers, lenders, and local governments in all phases of complex commercial real estate transactions. The practice blends WSHC+B’s vast private sector and municipal law expertise to implement innovative approaches to real estate-related matters. Currais and Soto have several decades of combined real estate law experience.

“Maria and Ed are ideally suited to oversee a top-drawer real estate practice and outstanding team of brilliant attorneys,” said Mitch Bierman, Partner and Miami Office Managing Director at WSCH+B. “The real estate team is also supported by Florida’s most talented and creative land use and environmental practice. We look forward to continuing to deliver client-centric, outcome-driven, and forward-thinking legal counsel to our real estate clients in Florida and beyond.”

Currais handles real estate, banking and public finance matters (with an emphasis on municipal and commercial real estate transactions and public financing for multifamily developments), and condominium filings. In Florida’s continually changing economy, Currais advises and guides her clients on the issues impacting their industries, including the purchase and sale of real estate, condominium developer work, mortgage lending, government lending, public/private transactions and municipal real estate matters.

After earning her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from the University of Miami, Currais received her Juris Doctor from Columbia University. Before joining WSHC+B, she represented banks in commercial loan closings and private clients in acquisitions and financings.

Soto’s practice focuses on commercial real estate, commercial lending, and transactional matters. He has substantial experience in all aspects of real estate-secured and asset-based loans and has represented both lead and participant lenders in syndicated transactions and other co-lending arrangements. A problem solver who seeks practical solutions to achieve his clients’ objectives, Soto regularly represents developers and investors in the purchase, sale, and development of real property.

A University of Florida graduate with a Bachelor of Arts, Soto earned his Juris Doctor from University of Tennessee College of Law. He also received a Master of Laws (LLM) in Taxation from the University of Miami.

Currais and Soto are both based in WSHC+B’s Miami office.

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About Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman, P.L.:
Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman, P.L. is a prominent Florida law firm serving corporate, governmental and individual clients with an integrated array of professional services including commercial litigation, land-use and real estate law, construction law, telecommunications law, labor and employment law, government law and governmental relations. The firm has offices in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Tampa and Gainesville. For more information, visit www.wsh-law.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss.

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Maria’s work produced a win-win for all parties. “If the buyer, seller and their respective attorney work in a cooperative manner, it is much easier to resolve any issues that arise throughout the transaction,” she said, encapsulating the WSHC+B approach to complex transactions.

Maria’s practice includes complex real estate, banking, and public finance matters with an emphasis on commercial real estate transactions.

Click here to read the full article.

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On November 2, 2018, the firm was honored to receive the “Law Firm of the Year” award from the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  Partner Dan Espino accepted the award on behalf of our firm, along with firm members, Lilly Arango and Ed Guedes, and firm attorneys Maria Currais, Haydee Sera, Justin Luger and Jose Arango.  The event took place at the Ritz-Carlton resort in Key Biscayne. The Sunshine Awards are awarded to companies for “their leadership, contributions, successes, and participation & involvement in the Hispanic community.”

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