Christopher K. Smith

Ricardo L. Fraga concentrates his practice in various areas of real property law. He represents commercial developers in connection with the acquisition, financing, development, construction, leasing and sale of retail, industrial and office projects. He also represents residential developers in connection with the acquisition, financing, development, construction, leasing and sale of multi-family housing, condominiums, townhomes and single family homes. Ricardo has experience in financings, ...

"Helping people regain their lives after catastrophic injury or wrongful death of a family member is not work. It is a noble and rewarding challenge to right a wrong and brings with it great personal satisfaction." Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering from Massachusetts Maritime Academy, acquired three U.S. Coast Guard licenses and worked on offshore drilling platforms for more than seven years, Keith Brais brings an uncommon degree of real world experience...

Melissa Tapanes Llahues has made her mark not only in the legal profession but also in the greater Miami community. She became a named partner at Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin and Tapanes, PLLC in 2020. Melissa represents the interests of landowners, institutional clients, and developers seeking real estate licensing and regulatory approvals from governmental boards and agencies at the local, state and federal levels. She specializes in managing complex and politically sensitive legislative ...

As Managing Partner, Richard P. Cole is responsible for the overall management and supervision of the firm. He is recognized as a Florida Leading Attorney in the areas of personal injury defense law, medical, legal and professional malpractice. Mr. Cole has experience handling Errors and Omissions claims, including those brought against insurance brokers and agents. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida and his Juris Doctor from t...

Monica Lopez-Rodriguez is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mergers and Acquisitions Law and Securities / Capital Markets Law. Monica, who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Monica is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Bernard (Bernie) P. Grondin focuses on representing private equity funds, strategic investors, and founders/owners-operators in complex corporate transactions, including leverage buyouts, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), debt and equity investments and joint ventures. Bernie also has extensive experience advising buyers, sellers, founders and joint ventures partners in negotiating, documenting, facilitating and consummating transactions involving health care companies. He also concentrates...

A well-rounded complex commercial litigator, Bryan West handles matters emanating from Latin American business transactions and has litigated and arbitrated, in both English and Spanish, numerous multi-million dollar disputes involving Argentina, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ecuador, and Venezuela. His matters often require the application of complex federal laws, including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Further deepening Bryan’s pract...

A former Chief Judge of Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal and member of the court for 22 years, Gerald Cope is the chair of Akerman’s Appellate Practice. He represents clients in appellate litigation at the state and federal levels. Ranked by Chambers USA , peers say “He’s superb and doing great work.” He is a founding member of Akerman Bench, an innovative practice including former appellate and trial court judges providing the perspective of both sides o...

Rafael A. Aguilar is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Rafael A., who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Rafael A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Samuel focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation and transactional matters involving computer, technology, and Internet-related issues. He has represented a wide variety of clients including motion picture companies, photographers, internet and computer-related companies, health care providers, and various other corporations seeking to secure rights, protect their intellectual property and defend their rights on the internet. He has also served as outside general counsel to a v...