John Elliott Leighton

Jennifer Junger is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Commercial Litigation. Jennifer practices law in Miami, Florida Best Lawyers has recognized Jennifer Junger since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Jennifer Junger is held by other lawyers.

Clarke S. Sturge is a partner with the firm’s Miami office. He practices in all phases of civil litigation including insurance defense, product liability and toxic tort. Mr. Sturge attended the University of Central Florida where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration and a Master of Arts in Political Science. He then earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law with honors. While in law school, Mr. Sturge was awarded double honors in the Universit...

Carol L. Finklehoffe is a partner at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman , P.A. in Miami, Florida. She has practiced law for more than 30 years in state and federal courts throughout Florida, California, and Massachusetts. Ms. Finklehoffe is AV-rated and board certified in Admiralty and Maritime Law . Her practice focuses on Admiralty and Maritime Law, complex personal injury claims, wrongful death, resort liability , sexual assault cases , and medical malpractice matters . Ms. Finklehoffe repr...

Alex Arteaga-Gomez is a Partner at Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen, representing victims in general liability, mass tort, and medical malpractice matters. Before joining the firm, he acted as an assistant federal public defender at the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, where he represented clients at trial and on appeal. He has tried cases and argued appeals in both state and federal courts and represented clients before the U.S. Supreme Court.Between his ...

Arianne R. Plasencia focuses her practice on US & international tax matters. She provides international and domestic income, gift, and estate tax planning for entities and high-net-worth individuals with a focus on multijurisdictional families and inbound investment planning. She also represents clients in tax audits, offshore voluntary disclosures, and streamlined disclosures as well as advises them on criminal tax examinations and other criminal tax matters. Arianne provides estate and ...

Kevin C. Schumacher is a partner in the firm's Miami office. Mr. Schumacher focuses his practice in the areas of general commercial and civil litigation, with an emphasis in construction litigation, landlord-tenant law, condominium law, banking law and real estate litigation. Mr. Schumacher is a Board Certified Specialist in Construction Law. Mr. Schumacher actively participates in several organizations in the community. He is a former member of the United Way Young Philanthropist steering co...

Edward Diaz is in the firm's Litigation Section and primarily practices in the areas of Labor and Employment law. Mr. Diaz has represented numerous employers in non-compete cases and in litigation of employment discrimination claims before federal and state courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Florida Commission on Human Relations. Mr. Diaz provides counsel to employers on a wide range of issues, including management training, employment audits, drafting employment cont...

Luis A. Perez is the co-chair of Akerman’s Latin America and the Caribbean Practice, an internationally recognized team providing legal counsel across multiple disciplines. He handles commercial litigation and arbitration across the United States, and Latin America for clients in various sectors, including manufacturing, defense contracting, energy, technology, financial services, and medical device. Ranked by Chambers Global , which notes his “deep understanding of legal systems ...

Valerie L. Hooker is a principal in the Miami, Florida, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Her practice focuses on representing employers in workplace law matters, including preventive advice and counseling. Valerie advises and represents employers in a broad range of employment law matters, including those involving discrimination and harassment, wage and hour, wrongful termination, whistleblower and retaliation claims. She also advises managers and supervisors on preventive litigation practices, ...

Peter Prieto is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Compliance Law, Criminal Defense: General Practice, Criminal Defense: White-Collar and Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. Peter practices law in Coral Gables, Florida Best Lawyers has recognized Peter Prieto since 2005. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice a...