Julian Catala

Carl A. Fornaris is Co-Chair of the firm's Financial Regulatory and Compliance Practice. With 20 years of legal experience, Carl concentrates his practice on the representation of financial services firms in all aspects of their business. In particular, he represents U.S. and non-U.S. firms on finance and corporate matters, and provides supervisory and compliance counseling for institutions regulated by the Federal Reserve, OCC, FDIC, FinCEN, CFPB, SEC, FINRA, Florida Office of Financial Regu...

Katharine Menéndez de la Cuesta is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Arbitration, Commercial Litigation and International Arbitration - Commercial. Katharine, who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Katharine is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Kaari-Lynn S. Gagnon was born in Seoul, Korea and grew up near Albany, New York. She graduated from Tufts University in May 2004 with a B.A. in Sociology, and then earned her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in May 2007. During law school, Ms. Gagnon clerked for Zarco Einhorn Salkowski, P.A. and gained practical experience as a summer intern at the Public Defender's Office of Rensselaer County, New York. Ms. Gagnon has been a dedicated member of Zarco Einhorn Salkowski, P.A. si...

Norman J. Benford counsels high-net-worth individuals and families in connection with estate planning and other complex tax issues, as well as business succession and other non-tax family matters. Norm also counsels individuals and institutions serving as fiduciaries of estates, trusts and guardianships in connection with administrative matters and disputes with the Internal Revenue Service.

Jonathan Awner serves as Co-Chair of Akerman’s Corporate Practice Group. Ranked by Best Lawyers in America , Chambers USA , and The Legal 500 as a preeminent corporate lawyer, Jonathan Awner advises clients in automotive retail, aviation, distribution, hospitality, logistics, manufacturing, services, technology, waste management and other industries. Described by a client quoted in Chambers USA as a “top-notch” lawyer who is “smart, hard-working and practical,” J...

Himanshu Patel brings significant experience and legal insight to Zarco Einhorn Salkowski, P.A., located in Miami, Florida. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Economics in December 1994 and obtained his J.D. from the University of Louisville School of Law in May 1998. During his time in law school, Himanshu worked with various law firms in Louisville, Kentucky, where he developed his skills in corporate, tax, and probate law. His involvement in t...

Dennis A. Kerbel is chair of Akerman’s Florida Land Use and Entitlements Practice. Dennis has extensive experience in the full range of local government law issues, with a particular legal concentration in land use law. He focuses his practice on helping clients achieve optimal results from governmental approval processes and, where appropriate, litigation. Dennis has experience in federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate levels. He handles a broad variety of cases, incl...

Marko Cerenko is a go-to commercial and real estate litigator known for taking on the most complicated and sophisticated legal issues and business disputes. Marko is known for consistently shaping winning litigation strategies for clients by developing creative approaches that create successful results around high-level commercial, real estate and business tort cases. As a strong advocate for his clients’ interests and by custom tailoring his approach based upon specific needs or goals,...

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...

Robert Friedman practices in the area of ERISA, employee benefits and executive compensation. Since 1996, he has been the head of the firm's national Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and ERISA Practice Group. Mr. Friedman is also co-chair of the ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) Practice Group. His clients include private, non-profit and governmental employers. He is a frequent speaker on employee benefits, ERISA fiduciary matters and pension and tax planning. Mr. Friedman’...