Barry E. Somerstein

Jonathan S. Marcus is chair of the firm's Residential and Master Planned Communities Team. His practice includes residential community and commercial acquisitions, sales and development. Mr. Marcus currently represents many residential real estate developers, including several of the largest in the United States and South Florida, together with large local and national retail companies in the negotiation and drafting of complex purchase and sale agreements, financing documents, assorted easem...

David L. Hirschberg is a Principal/Shareholder at Gladstone, Weissman, Hirschberg & Schneider, P.A. He is a graduate of the University of Florida Levin College of Law, cum laude (J.D., 2003) and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, with honors (B.A., 2000). Mr. Hirschberg is Florida Bar Board Certified in Marital and Family Law, a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, and is AV Preeminen...

Harry J. Friedman has a wide-ranging experience in the area of general business tax planning, including the formation of joint ventures, limited partnerships and limited liability companies, consolidated tax returns, and mergers and acquisitions of both private and public corporations. In addition, Harry provides advice and counseling to tax exempt organizations including hospitals, private schools, and scientific research organizations on maintaining tax-exempt status, unrelated trade or bus...

Martin Burkett serves as co-chair of Akerman’s M&A and Private Equity Practice. Martin represents public and private companies and private equity funds in a variety of corporate transactions, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions. Martin’s practice includes structuring and negotiating complex business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, going private transactions, venture and growth capital investments, debt and equity fi...

Andy Robins serves as the co-chair of Akerman’s Hospitality Sector Team, a multidisciplinary group providing an extensive range of legal counsel and services to lodging and lifestyle companies. In this capacity, he works on a broad variety of hotel and resort development, operations and regulatory matters, including the evaluation of litigation. Andy is recognized nationally by Chambers USA as a leading authority on the development and structuring of mixed-use real estate projects throu...

Elissa Weiss concentrates her practice on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including industrial, office, and retail leasing and development, as well as the acquisition and disposition of office buildings in various states such as Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and Georgia.

Geoff Sherman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Geoff, who practices law in Weston, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Geoff is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

William S. Kramer is a Florida Bar Board Certified Real Estate lawyer, specializing in both real estate law and business/corporate law. With more than 30 years of experience, he represents banks and other lenders, investors, developers, builders, buyers and sellers, and landlords and tenants in a wide range of complex real estate matters in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. He also serves as outside counsel to large and small closely held businesses and health care practices. Mr. K...

Suzanne Bogdan is the managing partner in the Fort Lauderdale office. She handles all types of employment-related matters, including claims for age, race, sex, disability, religious, and national origin discrimination arising under the various civil rights laws, as well as claims involving family leave issues, wage hour matters, and breach of contract. Suzanne's practice includes preventive counseling, training, audits, policy reviews, drafting of contracts, defense of claims in the administr...

John L. McManus concentrates his practice on representing businesses in complex commercial litigation in Florida federal and state courts. He has experience in representing financial institutions, insurers, specialty finance companies, and their officers or directors in a wide variety of litigation and arbitration disputes. John represents buyers, sellers, and private equity groups in disputes involving mergers, acquisitions, and ongoing business operations. These disputes typically involve p...