Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and raised in Central America until moving to South Florida in 1985, I have been exposed to various backgrounds and cultures.​ I am fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese and feel very comfortable representing clients in both of these languages. I have been practicing law for twenty (20) years and have experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants. I spent nearly five (5) years working for a large national insurance defense law firm where I focused in the areas of personal injury, automobile negligence, governmental tort liability, wrongful death, and premises liability. Clients included insurance companies, “Fortune 500" corporations, governmental entities, and individuals. After my work as a defense lawyer, and prior to establishing my own first party property practice, I was the department head of a plaintiff’s personal injury law firm, where I ran a high volume plaintiff’s practice focusing on pre-suit resolution for cases involving various aspects of personal injury including wrongful death, premises liability, and trucking accidents. My primary role was to resolve personal injury claims prior to suit being filed. With an undergraduate degree in psychology, experience representing clients on both sides of the “v”, multiple language skills, as well as a natural affinity and appreciation for people, I bring something a little different to the table-an ability to empower litigants of varied backgrounds to resolve their disputes on their own terms through the elimination of communication barriers.

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EDUCATION

J.D. - Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law - 2003

B.A. in Psychology - Florida International University - 1999

 

CERTIFICATIONS AND BAR MEMBERSHIPS:

The Florida Bar - Member in good standing since 2004.

U.S. District Court for The Southern District of Florida.

Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Circuit Mediator.

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