Speaker Bios
Sandra M. Upegui is currently Senior Legal Counsel with Dufry, a leading global travel retail company publicly listed on the swiss stock exchange with operations in 65 countries. Ms. Upegui currently oversees litigation and human resource matters for Dufry worldwide. She has also handled a variety of transactional matters for the company in multiple countries throughout Latin America, the Middle East and Australia, including acquisitions, corporate matters, concessions and various other contractual matters.
Ms. Upegui started her career at Shutts & Bowen LLP as a summer associate and upon graduating from Florida State University College of Law she returned full time to Shutts & Bowen LLP as an associate in the litigation department. She eventually became a litigation partner in the International Litigation Practice Group focusing her practice in various industries, including banking, real estate, insurance and healthcare.
After 9 years with Shutts & Bowen LLP, she decided it was time to make a career change and she joined the University of Miami as Assistant General Counsel. At the University of Miami, Sandra Upegui advised senior management in various legal matters, including privacy and security, healthcare, contracts and litigation. She stayed with the University for 5 ½ years and then decided it was time to take a world sabbatical for a year and traveled to 17 different countries during that time.
Upon her return, Ms. Upegui opened her own solo practice representing various companies on a diverse range of business legal matters, including corporate law, contract negotiation, employment matters and litigation. She acted as general counsel for a high-end jewelry company during this time and eventually decided to join the Dufry Group legal team.
Janet C. Tacoronte manages the legal department at Selina for the United States and United Kingdom focusing on business development and real estate. As the first hire in this position at Selina, Janet has created and formed the legal department to work efficiently with business development and expanded the amount of new locations to 30 in 8 months and on par for 20 more by the end of 2019.
Prior to Selina, Janet was an Associate General Counsel at Diamonds International a vertically integrated global luxury retailer in Miami, Fl, practicing international and transactional law. She transitioned to in-house after ten years of running a successful bankruptcy, real estate, and litigation practice.
Janet has written and lectured on topics related to bankruptcy, real estate, and private practice. She has served in multiple leadership roles with legal organizations. She is a 2018 Poder25 GC Ready Participant (HNBA) and has been awarded the distinction of the 2015 Honorable Cornelius Blackshear Fellowship and 2014 Next Generation Class from the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges. She is also Vice-Chair of the Affordable Housing Board for the City of Sunrise.
Currently enrolled at Colorado State University pursuing a Masters in International Management with a specialization in Project Management. She is admitted to the bar in the State of Florida and in the Southern District of Florida. Janet is bilingual ENG/SP and also has familiarity with Italian and Portuguese.
Lorna R. Simms is Assistant General Counsel, Securities and Transactions of Office Depot, Inc. In this role, Simms has responsibility for the company’s securities and compliance matters, including SEC periodic reports, Section 16 filings, annual proxy statements, annual reports, earnings releases/calls, investor presentations, and compliance with the Nasdaq requirements. She assists with matters related to meetings of the Board of Directors and its committees, including the preparation of meeting materials, resolutions and minutes. She advises on Regulation S-K, Regulation FD, non-GAAP measures disclosures, insider trading programs and policies, related party transactions matters, and governance matters, including Delaware corporate law questions. She also assists other Legal team members and internal business owners in connection with M&A and other strategic transactions, structuring, drafting, reviewing and negotiating a variety of commercial agreements, and providing timely and practical commercial legal guidance on a broad range of business topics. Prior to her current position, Simms served as Vice President, Chief Securities Counsel and Corporate Secretary of The ADT Corporation, Senior Counsel and Assistant Secretary of The Williams Companies, Inc., Senior Corporate Counsel of UST, Inc., Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Blyth, Inc., as well as an associate for several New York City law firms. She is a member of Corporate Counsel Women of Color, the National Bar Association and the Society of Corporate Governance. Simms received her B.A. from Boston University, cum laude, and her J.D. from the New York University School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the state of New York, the District of Columbia and authorized in-house counsel in Florida.
Lauren Brunswick serves as Corporate Counsel for The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®), where she provides legal support to multidisciplinary teams across the organization. She joined the ASPCA after spending nearly 15 years in private practice in Boston and Miami with an international law firm and a boutique law firm. She is a former Director of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (MDFAWL), and currently serves on the Board of the MDFAWL Foundation and as Co-Chair of MDFAWL’s Mentoring Committee. She received her bachelor’s degree from Brown University (A.B., 2001), and her law degree from University of Pennsylvania (J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, 2004) where she was Senior Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.
Shelly Northover is the Vice President, Risk and Compliance, Risk and Compliance Officer and Privacy Officer for Orlando based Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated (formerly Orange Lake Resorts), a fast-growing hospitality company in the timeshare space. She oversees their corporate Ethics, Risk and Compliance and Privacy programs and is responsible for restructuring and embedding the Enterprise Risk Management Program into the culture of the organization. She is the Chair of the Risk Committee and works closely with the Executive team and business units to establish best practice standards, set up effective and efficient controls and processes, develop policy, facilitate mitigation and remediation of risk and compliance issues related to both legal and regulatory matters, while driving organizational change and supporting the compliant culture within the organization.
Before Joining Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated in 2018, Shelly spent over 24 years in the Insurance industry working in various roles. For over 12 years Shelly has brought her depth of experience and knowledge in risk and compliance to companies like Nationwide Insurance, Kemper Property & Casualty, both in Texas, and Esurance, located in California, before moving to Florida.
Shelly has an undergraduate degree from Rice University and obtained her JD from South Texas College of Law, both in Houston Texas. She was as a Prosecutor with the City of Houston in Texas and is a former NCAA Collegiate track and field athlete.
Danielle Kirby currently serves as in-house Legal Counsel for all mergers and acquisitions, business development, and project finance for Sonnedix USA Services Limited which, together with its affiliates, forms part of the Sonnedix Group. The Sonnedix Group is an Independent Solar Power Producer in the global solar PV industry with a significant combination of energy production in operation and under construction, development, and/or documentation in eight countries. Prior to Sonnedix, Danielle spent her career at Holland & Knight in New York practicing in the International and Cross Border Group, with primary focus on domestic and cross-border mergers, asset acquisitions, private equity and joint venture transactions in Latin America, Europe and China across a wide range of industries. Danielle previously served as a coordinator of Holland & Knight’s Women’s Initiative in the New York Office; an executive member of the New York Bar Association Corporate Law Committee; and associate editor of the Hofstra Law Review. Prior to joining Sonnedix Danielle also briefly spent time as Senior Legal Counsel with the Dufry Group in Miami advising on all legal matters relating to the group’s operations in Mexico, Chile, Peru and Colombia.
Nisha Bhatia serves as General Counsel for Pensam Residential. Nisha first joined the firm as an intern in 2009. Nisha’s responsibilities include: ensuring internal corporate regulatory compliance, drafting and reviewing loan documents, corporate structuring, and assisting outside counsel in transactional work, including conventional mortgage loans, mezzanine financing, loan assumptions, loan structuring, and real estate acquisitions.
Nisha is a graduate of Rutgers University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 2007. She earned a Juris Doctorate from the University Of Miami School Of Law in 2010. While at the University of Miami School of Law, Nisha served as a member of the Student Bar Association, the Admissions Committee and the Orientation Committee.
Nisha is a member of the Florida Bar.
Janna Maland currently serves as Associate General Counsel at Banco Santander International, which is part of the Spanish Grupo Santander’s Private Banking business. At Santander, Janna focuses on advising internal clients on structuring the bank’s investment products and drafting and reviewing documentation for credit transactions, as well as providing guidance regarding business development, marketing, third-party-agreements and corporate governance. Prior to joining Santander in 2018, Janna spent her career at Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York City, where she practiced in the general corporate and finance groups.
Originally from Germany, Janna obtained her LL.B. degree from Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany, and her J.D. from Fordham Law School in New York City, and is licensed to practice in Germany, New York and Florida.
Leslie Fischer serves as Senior Counsel in the Supply Chain Division of Ryder System, Inc., a Fortune 500 transportation and logistics company. Ryder employs more than 36,000 people, manages a fleet of more than 250,000 commercial vehicles, and operates more than 50 million square feet of warehouse space. Leslie works closely with management of the global supply chain division and advises on matters related to risk management and internal policies. Her responsibilities include drafting and negotiating contracts related to numerous supply chain functions including warehousing, distribution management, and final-mile transportation and delivery. Leslie obtained her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.
Carolyn is chair of the firm’s Hospitality Practice Group and former co-chair of the Labor and Employment Department. Her practice largely consists of representing and counseling employers in the hospitality industry, specifically restaurants, hotels, caterers, night clubs, lounges and fitness centers. In particular, Carolyn has extensive experience litigating wage and hour class actions, restrictive covenants and employment discrimination cases. She also counsels clients extensively with respect to workplace issues such as the hiring process, diversity awareness training, union avoidance, employee handbooks and other policy initiatives.
Carolyn is also counsel to a number of employers in the retail, financial services, healthcare and manufacturing industries. She frequently provides union avoidance and sexual harassment training, and represents employers before a variety of state and federal agencies.
In 2019, Cornell University’s ILR School awarded Carolyn the Judge William B. Groat prize, the school’s highest honor.
Increasingly, Carolyn is called upon by her peers in the legal community to mediate difficult disputes in the wage and hour and discrimination areas. The respect she enjoys on both sides of the bar and her deep understanding of the legal issues and needs of all parties for practical solutions has made her a sought-after mediator.
Nellie Camerik is a partner in Weil’s Real Estate practice and is based in Miami. Ms. Camerik has extensive experience in representing financial institutions, corporations and other institutional clients in a broad range of real estate and public finance transactions and in a variety of capacities including as borrowers, lenders, owners, agents, participants, credit enhancers, joint venture partners, bond purchasers and underwriters.
Ms. Camerik is recommended for Real Estate by Legal 500 US. Her experience in real estate transactions includes the acquisition, sale, financing, development, leasing and management of all types of commercial real estate and in all kinds of commercial real estate transactions including the creation of joint ventures, mortgage and mezzanine financing, loan syndications and participations, restructurings and workouts, real estate acquisitions and dispositions, section 363 sales and other bankruptcy restructurings, portfolio and multi-asset transactions. She has extensive experience representing clients in public finance matters including the credit enhancement of tax-exempt bonds, the purchase and sale of bond-financed projects and the workout and restructuring of defaulted bond issues, both in and out of bankruptcy court proceedings. She has also been involved in numerous significant bankruptcy and restructuring matters.
With more than 15 years of experience, Michele is a seasoned business litigator and Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator who dedicates her practice to representing individuals and a variety of businesses, including insurance companies, for-profit entities, and health care organizations, with their litigation needs. She also works closely with transactional attorneys to analyze risk during the inception of a business relationship and engages with clients in various industries both during and after litigation.
When Michele is not busy advocating for her clients, she enjoys volunteering in the Tampa Bay community and spending quality time with her husband and two sons.
Zamira Zapata Valdés is the Vice President and General Counsel for Diageo’s Central America, Caribbean, Free-trade zone and Border business, and in addition to overseeing corporate security and brand protection, she leads the company’s compliance team in this region. She also plays a relevant role on the CCA Executive Committee and the Executive Committee for the Zacapa business.
Prior to this role, she was the VP and General Counsel for Diageo’s Mexico branch. During her assignment in Mexico she led the legal team, and was a key member of the Executive Committee and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Mexican companies.
Before joining Diageo she was the Legal Corporate Director in Genomma Lab, a leading Mexican public company in the pharmaceutical and personal care products segment, with an increasing international presence in the U.S.A. and Latin-America. Zamira has also worked for Mexico’s federal government. Later she served as Head of the Unit for Promotion of Trade and Investment at the Ministry of Economy.
Margaret is Vice President, Regulatory, Compliance and Safety at Global Widget. She holds a Doctor of Law from North Carolina Central University.
Kim Gerber is General Counsel of L’Oréal Travel Retail Americas, a US-subsidiary of the world’s largest beauty company. In this role, Kim manages all legal functions for L’Oréal in the travel retail channel throughout the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and serves as strategic advisor to the management team. She manages corporate governance and regulatory compliance, drafts and negotiates commercial contracts, promotes best practices, and oversees brand protection for the company. Kim sits on the company’s Management Committee.
Prior to this role, Kim was General Counsel of the Supply Chain Division of Ryder System, Inc., a Fortune 500 transportation and logistics company. Before moving in-house, Kim worked as a corporate associate at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York and at Stearns Weaver Miller in Miami.
Kim is a summa cum laude graduate of Duke University and obtained her J.D. from NYU Law.
Aliette DelPozo Rodz is a partner in the Miami office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where she is a member of the Business Litigation Group and Chair of the Cuba Task Force and the firm’s Diversity Committee. She is Chair of the firm’s Focus on Women Group. Aliette serves as lead trial counsel for companies involved in disputes in state and federal courts, in arbitration and before administrative agencies. She handles all aspects of litigation including preliminary and permanent injunction hearings, evidentiary hearings, bench trials, arbitrations and jury trials.
Aliette has been recognized by South Florida Business Leaders, is a recipient of the In the Company of Women Government & Law Award, the Women Extraordinaire award and a finalist of Businesswomen of the Year, and has received recognition from Outstanding Lawyers of Miami-Dade County. Aliette has built a reputation as a tenacious commercial litigator who advocates for U.S. and foreign companies, institutions in national and international disputes, and individuals in court or through alternative resolutions.
Aliette has experience litigating across numerous industries, including real estate, banking, creditors’ rights, election litigation, construction, insurance, gaming, professional services and aviation. She has represented oil companies, banks, casinos, funds, hospitals, large land proprietors and developers in complex business disputes, commercial and residential foreclosures, bank and creditors’ rights litigation, insurance litigation, consumer credit, contract disputes, ERISA, landlord-tenant litigation, libel, negligence, and personal injury.
She also represents international businesses with claims in the U.S. as well as American clients with claims abroad. She has handled all forms of international discovery and Hague Convention procedures, and has worked on International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitrations. Aliette is a member of the Cuban-American Bar Association, heads the firm’s Cuba Task Force and regularly assists clients with their business prospects in Cuba based on the changes in U.S./Cuba regulations.
Outside of her practice, Aliette is dedicated to supporting women in business and numerous nonprofit organizations. She is the Chair and one of the pioneers of the firm’s Focus on Women Group and is a longtime supporter of The Commonwealth Institute for Women and Casa Valentina, as well as organizations such as Educate Tomorrow, which serves foster youth. She is a board member of the Ladies Empowerment and Action Program, Inc. (L.E.A.P.), a non-profit organization that empowers and educates women to make positive life changes transcending into the business community after prison. She is also on the Executive Leadership Team of the American Heart and Stroke Association and served as Chair of the 11th Judicial Circuit’s Florida Bar Grievance Committee. Aliette is also over a decade long board member of the Zoological Society of South Florida for the benefit of ZooMiami.
While at the University of Florida, she was on the executive board of the John Marshall Bar Association and was an active member of the University of Florida’s trial team.
Katherine M. Paisley is General Counsel & VP of Compliance for Exacta Systems, the leading producer of historic horse race wagers and terminals across the United States. Katherine graduated magna cum laude from Boston University with a degree in English, which prepared her for both nothing and everything. While at the University of Kentucky College of Law, Katherine participated in mock trial events, winning her regional tournament, and participating in the American College of Trial Lawyers’ national competition in Austin, TX. Katherine segued her advocacy skills into five years of criminal trial practice, first as a felony prosecutor and then as a criminal defense attorney. During that time, Katherine tried thirteen cases with a record of 11-1-1, and earned a reversal of a client’s conviction with a unanimous ruling by the Kentucky Supreme Court. Subsequent to trial work, Katherine was appointed by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear as Deputy General Counsel for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, during which much of her work focused on the legality of historic horse racing. Through that work, Katherine became a leading expert in the niche market of historic horse racing and now serves as counsel for the leading company in the field.
Provides legal advice on all corporate matters, regulations, internal policies, risk management and minimization, business initiatives, new projects, investment agreements, joint ventures, financing and monitor judicial and extrajudicial litigation for USA, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean (except for Cuba).
Heather Brigolin is Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Mortgage Operations for Carrington Mortgage Holdings, which owns and operates multiple businesses in the mortgage, real estate, and securities industries. In her role, she monitors changing lending laws and regulations to advise company executives and strategize about company processes.
Heather has more than 10 years of experience in the legal financial space, helping lenders, real estate companies, and lead generators comply with ever-changing regulations. She addresses behind-the-scenes functionality of complex finance industry regulatory requirements to help create a seamless, compliant customer experience.
Previously, Heather was the Assistant General Counsel at Lending Tree, where she was hired to advise the CEO of RealEstate.com, Tree.com’s real estate division and later retained to counsel the mortgage division. She also spent four years as Associate Corporate Counsel at Quicken Loans, where she advised executive management on federal and state mortgage lending regulations and general corporate matters. Prior to that, she was a Law Clerk for the Administrative Law Division of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and a Law Clerk for the Office of the Chief Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.
Heather received her Juris Doctor from the Michigan University College of Law. Additionally, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Oakland University and worked in the Marketing and Public Relations fields before attending law school.
I am a citizen of the world. I was born in Venezuela from a Cuban father and a Colombian mother. I came to the US when I was 11 years of age and have lived and studied in Florida since that time. I earned my JD at University of Florida (“UF”) and my Bachelors at Florida International University (“FIU). I am licensed to Practice Law in FL, NJ, PA, and CT. I help make wishes come true as a Wish Granter for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
I am corporate counsel at Paradise Architectural Panels and Steel. Paradise is certified by Miami-Dade County as a CSBE, DBE, SBE. A One Stop Full Service company that manufactures, fabricates and installs architectural and artistic panels, and architectural metals and canopies, expansions, sidings, claddings, etc. (Projects: MIA, Port of Miami Terminals DEF, Ft.Lauderdale/Hollywood Airport, All Aboard, etc.)
Prior to coming to Paradise, I was Senior Commercial Services Counsel at North American National Title Solutions providing Escrow, Closing and Title Services for general and complex real estate transactions nationwide. Prior to that, I was Associate Chief Legal Officer and Compliance Officer for a multi-jurisdiction firm. I guided the firm’s operations overseeing all legal processes while representing mortgage servicers, investors and institutional lenders. Prior to it, I served as "Of Counsel" Attorney with two Miami firms. In one, I supervised the firm’s litigation and closing department. Prior to that, I was the Managing Attorney at another multi-jurisdiction firm. There I acquired extensive experience in litigating real property issues.
Cristina Scarano is Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Latin America and U.S. Hispanic. In this role, she structures and negotiates all international and domestic television content distribution deals and licensed formats of BBC programs to broadcasters throughout the region. She collaborates with executives from various divisions to promote best practices, regulatory compliance, and global ethics, and serves as strategic advisor to the senior executive team on key matters affecting the business.
Cristina has over a decade of experience in the highly complex international broadcast media industry and has a winning track record of establishing strong relationships across borders.
She joined the team in Miami in 2016. Prior to this, she held key positions at Telemundo Network Group where she focused primarily on the acquisition of third party content, literary acquisitions (both books and scripts for television adaptation) and production and development deals for a youth-oriented channel (which one?). She then led, as General Counsel, the Business & Legal Affairs department of FremantleMedia’s Latin America division and handled all production-related legal matters in connection with formats including Got Talent, Idol and X Factor.
Cristina graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed her J.D. from the University of Miami School Law. As an undergraduate, Cristina obtained a certificate in Critical Studies with a focus on French Film from the Sorbonne in Paris and studied Renaissance Studies in Italy.
Pandora Strasler is General Counsel of PPI Technologies Group, a global manufacturer of StandUP pouch and end of line machinery, contract packaging, liquor distribution and consumer natural wellness products. She has extensive experience in corporate commercial law with a special emphasis upon corporate finance and merger transactions. She is qualified to practice law in New York and Ontario, is a member of the Roll of Solicitors of England & Wales and Florida Bar Authorized House Counsel. She has a distinguished career and prior to joining PPITG, practiced law at Latham & Watkins LLP in New York City and Osler Hoskin LLP in Toronto. Ms. Strasler is a contributing author to the Lexis Practice Advisor. At PPITG, she is responsible to oversee all legal matters, including risk assessment and commercial arrangements of the organization. She also serves on the Management Committee. She supports pro bono legal activities for our brave Veterans.
Joelle represents broker-dealers and registered representatives in customer and employment disputes, including expungement proceedings, in state and federal court, and in arbitration proceedings throughout the United States before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). She also has experience defending corporate clients in complex commercial and tort litigation, including class action litigation, in both state and federal courts.
Joelle is a member of Bressler's Senior and Vulnerable Investor Group. The lawyers in this group have a shared interest in providing counsel to corporate clients who confront issues affecting seniors.
Joelle is an active member and serves on the advisory board for the Southeastern Women in Financial Services (“SWIFS”) organization. She also volunteers on committees for the South Florida chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
A cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, Joelle was a Dean’s Merit Scholarship recipient, served as a staff editor of the University of Miami Law Review, and authored a published Note while in law school. She received her undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Richmond, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
Donya is a Vice President & Associate General Counsel for Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group. SNC has over 50,000 employees, and is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, connecting people, technology and data to shape the future of the engineering industry and the world around us. Donya supports SNC’s US Region Department of Transportation, Industrial Engineering, and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) businesses. Her practice includes providing guidance on the mitigation of legal risks for large Public Private Partnership/Design Build projects, litigation management, contract negotiation IP licensing and protection. As a new attorney, Donya clerked for a criminal and civil judge in the Superior Court of New Jersey. Subsequently, she worked as in-house litigation counsel until an opportunity was presented to work for Parsons Brinckerhoff (now known as WSP USA), a large and prominent multinational civil engineering firm. Donya is a graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law and a member of the New York State Bar. Outside of work, Donya is a wife and mom of two beautiful children ages 8 and 6 and enjoys traveling, swimming and doing Barre Pilates.
Arden Joseph joined Deutsche Bank in 2015 as Assistant Vice President and Counsel in the Americas Legal Department located in Jacksonville, Florida. In her role, she negotiates derivative contracts for hedge funds, corporate and institutional clients. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, she spent eleven years at Citigroup in New York as a senior member of their capital markets legal team. There, she partnered extensively with various stakeholders as a transactional attorney. She also served as a subject matter expert for the FX prime brokerage desk. Ms. Joseph earned a Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School and her Bachelor of Science in Finance from New York University, Stern School of Business.
Geralyn practices primarily in the area of commercial and complex business litigation with an emphasis on representation of directors and officers, agents and brokers, lawyers and others in professional liability and community association matters. She also handles complex personal injury, toxic tort defense and wrongful death actions, as well as construction and employment liability matters.
Geralyn has tried more than 50 cases to verdict, including four trials in the year 2013, and is also an Arbitrator in consumer and commercial dispute matters through the American Arbitration Association.
Geralyn was recruited by Litchfield Cavo LLP to open its new Fort Lauderdale office in February 2009. Currently, she is chair of the Firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Kathleen brings more than 25 years’ experience to her practice in complex commercial litigation, commercial and residential construction, consumer fraud, mass toxic tort, premises liability, environmental matters, and commercial and personal automobile.
A substantial part Kathleen’s practice includes the defense of employers, malls, restaurants, retail establishments, rental car companies and manufacturing entities with a world-wide presence. She has engaged in a multi-state civil litigation practice with an emphasis on defending all types of claims from initial filing to trial and appeal.
Kathleen is national counsel for a top manufacturing company with a presence in the US and internationally and she has experience with international treaties in relation to her defense of multinational corporations. Kathleen has been involved in several high profile matters ranging from fatalities to defending against a religious discrimination claim which was monitored by national and international groups.
Kathleen is a current member of Litchfield Cavo LLP’s Executive Committee.
Kim Israel has extensive litigation experience in Florida state and federal courts, including handling jury and non-jury trials and appeals.
Kim has a particular focus on business litigation, representing businesses in litigation tangential to day-to-day business operations and in bankruptcy matters. Her practice includes the handling of general civil and commercial matters; contract review, interpretation, negotiation, and disputes; business disputes and litigation; creditors’ rights; mortgage litigation; landlord-tenant law (commercial and residential); domestication and collection of out-of-state judgments; asset protection; and construction litigation. Kim has served as a Court-appointed Receiver in the Fourth Judicial Circuit, Duval County, Florida, on multiple occasions.
An active member of the Jacksonville business and legal communities, Kim is the former President and board member of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Kim was also featured in SkyRadio's "Forbes Business" in-flight segment on "America's Most Influential Women in Business, Technology & the Law" in December 2005.
Erin Kolmansberger practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation in federal and state trial courts and before arbitral panels.
She represents clients ranging from entrepreneurs, receivers, and small businesses to Fortune 500 companies in major litigation, including ADA compliance and litigation, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, class actions, and breach of contract actions.
Melissa Gomberg has experience handling complex litigation matters. She has served as trial counsel in state and federal court jury and bench trials and has appealed multiple matters before the Third District Court of Appeal.
Ms. Gomberg’s practice focuses on business torts, contract disputes, corporate and partnership disputes, real estate litigation, and construction litigation. She has also defended clients in class actions involving claims under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
Prior to joining Nelson Mullins, Ms. Gomberg gained federal court experience representing the FDIC as receiver for failed financial institutions in the prosecution of more than 35 mortgage fraud cases in the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida.
Sabria McElroy is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, where her practice focuses on high risk, complex commercial litigation. She represents clients in a variety of areas, including antitrust, class actions, legal malpractice, and education. Sabria was an early member of a litigation team that brought a nationwide class-action suit on behalf of au pairs. The suit recently settled for one of the highest ever amounts in an unfair wages action.
In addition to practicing law, Sabria is a social entrepreneur. She is the founder of Born To Be, a company that creates sustainably sourced clothes for young girls that celebrate their achievements in STEM, sports, and other areas.
Sabria graduated from Yale Law School, where she received the C. LaRue Munson Prize for excellence in work in the law school clinical program. Before attending law school, Sabria was a public school teacher.
