Greenberg Traurig LLP

01 November 2007

Greenberg Traurig LLP in Who's Who Legal: Florida

The firm’s largest contingent can be found in the real estate chapter, with sources commending the “wonderful, very able group”. Firm president Matt Gorson emerges from our findings as one of the leaders in the state and he comes recommended as a “wonderful dealmaker” and “one of the most influential people in Miami real estate”. Albert Quentel was variously praised as “one of the best in the field” and “the dean of condominiums lawyers”. Gary Saul is rated “among the best” and, like Quentel, has a renowned condo practice. Respondents to our survey “can’t say enough good things about” the “spectacular” Burt Bruton who also fared exceptionally well in our survey. Kerri Barsh co-chairs the firm’s national environmental and land development practice and comes recommended as a “highly proficient and experienced practitioner”. Clifford Schulman completes Greenberg Traurig’s excellent showing in the real estate section and his “boundless expertise” in land use and environmental work also gets him listed in the corresponding chapter where he is joined by Alfred Malefatto and David Weinstein. Rivals rate Malefatto as “one of the top land use lawyers in Palm Beach County”. He enjoys a reputation as “an excellent environment lawyer and a gentleman”. Weinstein joined the firm in July 2006 to set up the Tampa office and has a reputation as “one of the best nationally recognised environment litigators”.

Commercial litigation is evidently another strong point at the firm with five highly rated Greenberg Traurig lawyers making the chapter, more than any other featured outfit. Tallahassee based Barry Richard is an “influential” player with a number of “high-profile cases” under his belt and his expertise in government and election litigations was noted on a number of occasions. Hilarie Bass in Miami is the national chair of the firm’s litigation department and her “courtroom savvy” was brought to our attention. David Ross was recommended as a “leading litigator” and he co-chairs the firm’s national product liability and mass torts practice. His “wonderful” reputation in this area sees him listed in the corresponding chapter. Holly Skolnick is evidently another of Florida’s leading litigators and Mark Schnapp is “very highly regarded” in the legal community, having served seven years at the US Attorney’s Office as chief of the criminal division. Schnapp co-chairs the firm’s white-collar criminal practice group and featured prominently in the business crime research, during which he was described as “extremely competent, and good at what he does”. Michael Hornreich is co-chair for litigation in the construction law group and his “in-depth negotiation and dispute resolution knowledge” within the construction industry was brought to our attention. His inclusion in the publication highlights Greenberg Traurig’s dispute resolution credentials.

The strength of the firm’s corporate department is also in evidence, with three highly regarded individuals making it into the merger and acquisitions chapter. Gary Epstein heads the national corporate and securities practice at the firm and was described to researchers as “an absolutely superb corporate lawyer”. Epstein also appears in the corporate governance and capital markets chapters where, respectively, he is joined by the “immensely knowledgeable” Ira Rosner and Donn Beloff. The latter also features prominently in the M&A chapter and is an “impressive, dedicated and effective practitioner”. Robert Grossman completes the firm’s strong showing and was singled out as a “very fine lawyer”. Greenberg Traurig’s banking practice is “absolutely first rate”, according to sources who noted its well-established links with Latin America. Carl Fornaris has a “reputation for excellence” and currently co-chairs the firm’s financial institutions group. Warren Bloom boasts a “first-rate corporate and public finance practice” and comes recommended as “very fine, very experienced”. Jéan Wilson, chair of the firm’s Orlando public finance department, joins them in the banking chapter. The firm’s national business reorganisation and bankruptcy practice is also well regarded and co-chair Mark Bloom fared particularly well in our research. Bloom was variously described as “superb”, a “star”, “as good as it gets”, and “one of the top in the state”.

Barry Weiss represents Greenberg Traurig in the project finance chapter and his work on international energy and infrastructure projects was brought to our attention. The firm also boasts a pre-eminent aviation finance group representing leasing companies, financial institutions, airlines and aviation-related businesses on a wide range of issues. Jeffrey Tenen received more nominations than any other lawyer in the aviation chapter; he is recommended as “a quite exceptional finance lawyer”. Kenneth Hoffman was also consistently endorsed to researchers and strong corporate finance and securities credentials complement his aviation practice.

Peter Zinober received more nominations than any other featured individual in the management, labour & employment chapter, an area in which he “commands the highest regard and respect”. Rated by one source as “the elder statesman of the Florida employment bar” he focuses on the defence of clients’ employment discrimination actions as well as traditional labour law matters. Richard McCrea is also “well regarded” by clients and competitors alike and his “exceptional trial skills” were brought to our attention. The “superb” Joseph Fleming completes the firm’s excellent showing in the chapter. Steven Lapidus is the founder and chairman of the firm’s executive compensation and employee benefits group and features prominently in the corresponding chapter. Lapidus was praised as “very sharp” and “unbelievably smart” and his “innovative and effective” development and implementation of executive compensation strategies garnered praise. The corporate immigration chapter is dominated by specialist boutiques, however one practitioner we spoke to recommended Greenberg Traurig as a “big firm with a credible immigration practice”. “Top tier” Oscar Levin chairs the firm’s immigration department and sources have “heard good things about him”.

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