Matthew H. Mandel – Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman https://www.wsh-law.com At the Crossroads of Business, Government & the Law Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:45:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 WSHC+B Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshcb-attorneys-selected-for-inclusion-in-the-best-lawyers-in-america-2/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:17:13 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=13400 Congratulations to all our attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.  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 […]

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]]> Congratulations to all our attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. 

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

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Boca Raton, FL

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]]> WSHC+B Welcomes Three New Of Counsel Attorneys to Miami Office https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshcb-welcomes-three-new-of-counsel-attorneys-to-miami-office/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:50:01 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=13342 Experienced attorneys expand firm’s depth across insurance defense, appellate practice, and complex commercial litigation WSHC+B announces that Christina Hamalian, Michael Ferral, and Stephanie Peral have joined the firm as Of Counsel in its Miami office. Hamalian strengthens WSHC+B’s Labor and Employment, Litigation, Complex Commercial, and Insurance and Workers’ Compensation Defense practices. Ferral enhances the firm’s […]

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]]> Experienced attorneys expand firm’s depth across insurance defense, appellate practice, and complex commercial litigation

WSHC+B announces that Christina Hamalian, Michael Ferral, and Stephanie Peral have joined the firm as Of Counsel in its Miami office.

Hamalian strengthens WSHC+B’s Labor and Employment, Litigation, Complex Commercial, and Insurance and Workers’ Compensation Defense practices. Ferral enhances the firm’s Civil Rights and Torts, Complex Commercial, and Construction Claims and Defense practices. Peral bolsters WSHC+B Appellate, Civil Rights and Torts, Complex Commercial, Construction Claims and Defense, and Constitutional Challenges practices.

“Christina, Michael and Stephanie each bring a depth of experience and track record of delivering results for their clients,” said Matthew H. Mandel, Partner and Chair of the firm’s Litigation Division. “Their diverse backgrounds across litigation, appellate work, insurance defense, and complex commercial matters expand the range of high-quality legal services we are able to offer clients throughout South Florida and beyond.”

Hamalian focuses her practice on insurance defense and related civil litigation matters, defending clients through all phases of litigation, from pre-suit investigations through trial preparation.

Before joining WSHC+B, Hamalian practiced at a South Florida litigation firm, where she represented clients in general liability and automobile accident matters, managing discovery, drafting dispositive and non-dispositive motions, and advocating for clients in and out of the courtroom. Hamalian earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law, where she served as Notes Editor of the Alabama Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review and participated in the Mediation Clinic. She graduated magna cum laude from Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University with concentrations in Political Science and Economics.

Ferral represents businesses, insurers, and institutional clients in a wide range of civil litigation matters, including general liability, premises liability, automobile negligence, construction-related disputes, and complex commercial litigation. He guides clients through all phases of litigation, from early case evaluation and discovery through dispositive motion practice, mediation, and trial. Before joining WSHC+B, Ferral served as department managing attorney at a full-service law firm, where he oversaw litigation operations across multiple offices and served as trial counsel in numerous jury trials.

While in law school, Ferral served as a congressional law clerk for the Honorable Blake Farenthold in the U.S. House of Representatives. He earned his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a major in Political Science. Ferral is admitted to practice law in Florida and California.

Peral has litigated matters in state and federal courts involving contract disputes, fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties, and claims under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Florida Security of Communications Act, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

She has also represented clients in connection with investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Communications Commission Office of Inspector General. Peral earned her Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law, where she served as a staff editor on the Duke Journal of Constitutional Law and Public Policy. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami with a degree in English and is proficient in Spanish.

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]]> WSHC+B Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshcb-attorneys-selected-for-inclusion-in-the-best-lawyers-in-america/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Thu, 21 Aug 2025 15:21:00 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=12391 Congratulations to all our attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.  Thirty-eight lawyers were recognized across nineteen distinct practice areas, and eleven attorneys were recognized as Ones to Watch. Two of our attorneys received “Lawyer of the Year” honors. Miami Office Managing […]

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]]> Congratulations to all our attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. 

Thirty-eight lawyers were recognized across nineteen distinct practice areas, and eleven 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

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Boca Raton, FL

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]]> WSHC+B Partner Edward Guedes, Obtains an En Banc Victory in a Precedent-Setting First Amendment Case https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshcb-partner-edward-guedes-obtains-an-en-banc-victory-in-a-precedent-setting-first-amendment-case/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Wed, 25 Sep 2024 18:57:17 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=11384 WSHC+B partner and Chair of the Firm’s Appellate Practice Group, Edward Guedes, obtained a rare unanimous en banc victory, on behalf of the City of Homestead in a First Amendment case before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Ed and the team, including Jeremy Rosner, Anne Flanigan, and Matt Mandel, successfully argued that local governments […]

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]]> WSHC+B partner and Chair of the Firm’s Appellate Practice Group, Edward Guedes, obtained a rare unanimous en banc victory, on behalf of the City of Homestead in a First Amendment case before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Ed and the team, including Jeremy Rosner, Anne Flanigan, and Matt Mandel, successfully argued that local governments can impose reasonable restrictions on speech during public meetings without violating constitutional rights. The ruling establishes that limitations on speech are often necessary to prevent disruption, maintain order, and ensure relevant discussions during public meetings such as city council sessions. 

Speaking to the Daily Business Review, Ed emphasized the importance of this decision: “Absent these restrictions, a public hearing can devolve into chaos as anyone could use limited public hearing time to engage in irrelevant topics or behave inappropriately, distracting from government business.”

This decision establishes a new precedent for the Eleventh Circuit, aligning it with U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence on municipal elected body meetings as limited public forums subject to reasonable, content-neutral speech restrictions.

Ed is Board Certified in Appellate Practice by the Florida Bar and is chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group. He has litigated dozens of appeals before the Florida Supreme Court, Florida’s district courts of appeal, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals in a wide variety of matters, including medical malpractice, premises liability, probate, First Amendment and constitutional litigation, family law, state and federal administrative rule-making and regulation, home rule authority and preemption, election law, civil rights, land use and zoning, intellectual property, and labor and employment issues.

Read the full article in the Daily Business Review here: https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2024/09/17/eleventh-circuit-upholds-limits-on-public-comments-during-city-council-meetings/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

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]]> WSHC+B Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2025 https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshcb-attorneys-selected-for-inclusion-in-the-best-lawyers-in-america-2025/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Thu, 15 Aug 2024 15:21:06 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=11292 Congratulations to all our attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.  Of the 47 lawyers recognized, 12 of the firm’s attorneys were recognized for the very first time and 14 attorneys were recognized as Ones to Watch.  Best Lawyers has employed the […]

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]]> Congratulations to all our attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. 

Of the 47 lawyers recognized, 12 of the firm’s attorneys were recognized for the very first time and 14 attorneys were recognized as Ones to Watch. 

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

Fort Lauderdale

Boca Raton

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]]> WSHC+B Attorneys Selected For Inclusion In The Best Lawyers In America 2024 https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshcb-attorneys-selected-for-inclusion-in-the-best-lawyers-in-america-2024/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Thu, 17 Aug 2023 19:02:12 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=10645 Congratulations to all our attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.  Of the 41 lawyers recognized, 12 of the firm’s attorneys were recognized for the very first time and 12 attorneys were recognized as Ones to Watch.  Best Lawyers has employed the […]

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]]> Congratulations to all our attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. 

Of the 41 lawyers recognized, 12 of the firm’s attorneys were recognized for the very first time and 12 attorneys were recognized as Ones to Watch. 

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

Fort Lauderdale

Boca Raton

Tampa, FL

The post WSHC+B Attorneys Selected For Inclusion In The Best Lawyers In America 2024 appeared first on Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.

]]> WSHC + B Partners Included as “Top Lawyers” by Fort Lauderdale Illustrated https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshc-b-partners-included-as-top-lawyers-by-fort-lauderdale-illustrated/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Mon, 05 Oct 2020 20:47:21 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=8216 Fort Lauderdale Illustrated has published the 2020 list of “Top Lawyers” in Broward County. The magazine partnered with the Professional Research Services to survey licensed Broward County attorneys about who they would recommend, other than themselves, in the area. The list represents the best legal minds practicing in Broward, as chosen by their peers. Included […]

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]]> Fort Lauderdale Illustrated has published the 2020 list of “Top Lawyers” in Broward County. The magazine partnered with the Professional Research Services to survey licensed Broward County attorneys about who they would recommend, other than themselves, in the area. The list represents the best legal minds practicing in Broward, as chosen by their peers.

Included among them are the following Firm attorneys:

To view the full October 2020 issue of Fort Lauderdale Illustrated, please click here.

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]]> WSHC + B Attorneys Recognized as 2020 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshc-b-attorneys-recognized-as-2020-super-lawyers-and-rising-stars/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Tue, 09 Jun 2020 03:29:32 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=7256 The Firm is proud to announce that 9 attorneys have been named to the 2020 Super Lawyers list, while 7 attorneys have been recognized as 2020 Rising Stars. Super Lawyers recognizes distinguished attorneys who have undergone a rigorous screening process and who are ultimately selected for inclusion in their annual list of exceptional legal professionals. […]

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]]> The Firm is proud to announce that 9 attorneys have been named to the 2020 Super Lawyers list, while 7 attorneys have been recognized as 2020 Rising Stars.

Super Lawyers recognizes distinguished attorneys who have undergone a rigorous screening process and who are ultimately selected for inclusion in their annual list of exceptional legal professionals. Published by Thomson Reuters, Super Lawyers is a rating service of attorneys from more than 70 practice areas and determines its rankings through independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Only the top 5 percent of outstanding lawyers in Florida are rated by Super Lawyers, while no more than 2.5 percent of lawyers under 40 years old or who have practiced for fewer than 10 years are selected as Rising Stars.

Elizabeth Coppolecchia and Alicia Gonzalez were recognized as Florida Rising Stars for the first time this year.

The Firm’s recognized attorneys are listed below.

Miami

Recognized as Super Lawyers

Recognized as Rising Star

Fort Lauderdale

Recognized as Super Lawyers

Recognized as Rising Star

Boca Raton

Recognized as Super Lawyers

Recognized as Rising Star

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]]> 18 Attorneys from Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman Make 2019 List of Florida Super Lawyers and Rising Stars https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/18-attorneys-from-weiss-serota-helfman-cole-bierman-make-2019-list-of-florida-super-lawyers-and-rising-stars/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Thu, 30 May 2019 01:49:18 +0000 http://wsh.aplussclients.com/?p=1935 Congratulations to 18 of our attorneys on being named 2019 Florida Super Lawyers and Rising Stars: -Joseph Serota -Jamie Cole -Mitch Bierman -Mitch Burnstein -Brett Schneider -Ed Guedes -Susan Trevarthen -Matthew Mandel -Michael Kurzman -Alison Smith -Alan Fertel -Anthony Soroka -Roger Kobert -Peter Waldman -Justin Luger -Alen Hsu -Michael Kantor -Anne Reilly

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]]> Congratulations to 18 of our attorneys on being named 2019 Florida Super Lawyers and Rising Stars:

-Joseph Serota

-Jamie Cole

-Mitch Bierman

-Mitch Burnstein

-Brett Schneider

-Ed Guedes

-Susan Trevarthen

-Matthew Mandel

-Michael Kurzman

-Alison Smith

-Alan Fertel

-Anthony Soroka

-Roger Kobert

-Peter Waldman

-Justin Luger

-Alen Hsu

-Michael Kantor

-Anne Reilly

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]]> Anne Flanigan, Matthew Mandel and Adam Hapner Sworn in as Board Members of the Federal Bar Association’s Broward Chapter https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/anne-flanigan-matthew-mandel-and-adam-hapner-sworn-in-as-board-members-of-the-federal-bar-associations-broward-chapter/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Thu, 31 Jan 2019 04:16:53 +0000 http://wsh.aplussclients.com/?p=2136 Anne Flanigan, Matthew Mandel and Adam Hapner were all sworn in on Wednesday to the board of directors for the Federal Bar Association’s Broward Chapter.  Anne Flanigan, for the second straight year, will hold an officer position, serving as the chapter’s National Delegate.  Matthew Mandel, the chapter’s past president, and Adam Hapner will both serve […]

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Anne Flanigan, Matthew Mandel and Adam Hapner were all sworn in on Wednesday to the board of directors for the Federal Bar Association’s Broward Chapter.  Anne Flanigan, for the second straight year, will hold an officer position, serving as the chapter’s National Delegate.  Matthew Mandel, the chapter’s past president, and Adam Hapner will both serve as board members. This Broward Chapter was recently named chapter of the year by the Federal Bar Association.

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