MIAMI-DADE BAR ANNOUNCES ITS 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

The Miami-Dade Bar On October 10 listed the honorees of its 2026 Circle of Excellence Awards, which recognize the attorneys who "set the standard for skill, integrity, and professionalism in their practice areas across Miami-Dade County."

The Miami-Dade Bar said this year's honorees were chosen after a "rigorous selection process lasting more than two months." The bar said it 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, chair 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."

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.

Highlights of the 2026 selection process included:

• Anyone could nominate a deserving attorney, and nominees could submit additional supporting information. Nominations closed in August.

• The bar collected input from the general public, from its members, and from its committee leadership.

• Each practice area was reviewed to identify the attorneys who best exemplify skill, integrity, and professionalism.

• Final selections were made by a committee composed entirely of previous Circle of Excellence Award recipients.

The 2026 Circle of Excellence Selection Committee was lead by by Scott Merl, and included 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, and Alexander I. Tachmes.

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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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

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

• 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

Labor and Employment Law

• 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.

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.

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

• Location: The historic Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables

Tickets and sponsorships are still available.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.