Brian L. Lerner

Trisha Widowfield is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm. Trish handles complex civil litigation matters, focusing her practice in the areas of medical malpractice and catastrophic personal injury. She has extensive experience across the State of Florida representing individuals, families, and corporations. In September 2021, Trish served as trial co-counsel, winning a $6.46M verdict for a HPS client, the largest wrongful death medical malpractice jury ver...

Kara L. MacCullough focuses her practice on advising public and private companies on corporate and securities law issues surrounding corporate finance transactions and mergers and acquisitions, including private and public securities offerings (IPOs, follow-on and secondary offerings, convertible notes offerings, PIPEs, high-yield debt and Regulation S/offshore offerings), exchange/tender offers, asset and stock purchases and other commercial transactions in the United States and abroad. She ...

With over 30 years of litigation experience, Mike Grimley represents insurers, corporations, and individuals in a wide range of civil matters. He takes a proactive, early-assessment approach to achieve favorable outcomes through discovery, motion practice, dispute resolution, or trial. Mike has tried numerous jury and bench trials across Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Alabama, and his trial experience informs how he builds each case from the outset. His practice includes first- and third-part...

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...

Robert B. Judd is a shareholder whose practice encompasses estate and healthcare planning, the administration of complex estates and trusts, and probate, trust, and fiduciary related litigation. Originally from upstate New York, Mr. Judd has been a resident of Fort Lauderdale since 1985. He has earned an AV Preeminent rating as independently determined by Martindale-Hubbell, has been designated in “Best Lawyers in America” for several years in the areas of trusts and estates and r...

Cathy Stutin is a partner in the firm's Fort Lauderdale office. She represents employers throughout the United States in state and federal courts, as well as before the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and other state and federal agencies. In her 25 years of practice in management-side labor and employment law, Cathy has tried cases involving claims for sexual harassment, race, religious and disability discrimination, retaliation, and Emplo...

Sarah Baggett is on speed dial for clients facing complex legal issues in bad faith, cybersecurity, liability, and regulatory and compliance. She has litigated and tried cases across Florida, beginning her career in liability defense, including her first trials. Sarah now focuses on developing and overseeing strategies for both litigation and compliance, with a specialty in platform-based businesses. Many of her clients—individuals and businesses—are long-term relationships built ...

Dean Freitag is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Finance Law. Dean, who practices law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Dean is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Carl S. Rosen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Carl S., who practices law in Boca Raton, Florida, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Carl S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Charles (Chuck) Rubin is Florida Bar Board Certified Tax Attorney and managing partner of Gutter Chaves Josepher Rubin Forman Fleisher Miller P.A., a boutique law firm located in Boca Raton which practices principally in the areas of tax, estate planning, trusts and estates, and trust and estate litigation. He has authored numerous publications, including BNA Tax Portolios, books, and articles published in national publications such as the Journal of Taxation and Estate Planning. Since 2005 h...