LawFuel.com – Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Richard E. Berman, Partner, and Jose R. Riguera, (pictured) Of Counsel, have joined the Firm’s Commercial Litigation group in the Fort Lauderdale office. They will also support and contribute to the Firm’s flourishing Consumer Finance Litigation practice. Mr. Berman’s complex litigation experience includes commercial, corporate, bankruptcy advocacy, and real estate litigation of all varieties. Mr. Riguera focuses on a broad range of complex commercial and civil matters, including real estate and corporate litigation. Prior to joining Blank Rome, Mr. Berman was a managing shareholder and Mr. Riguera was a shareholder at Berman, Kean & Riguera, P.A.
“We are excited to welcome Richard and Jose to our Fort Lauderdale office,” said Alan J. Hoffman, Chairman and Managing Partner. “With more than 55 years of combined trial practice in state and federal courts, Richard and Jose’s vast experience will enhance Blank Rome’s trial capabilities across practice areas, and further strengthen our expanding Florida presence.”
With three offices in Florida—Boca Raton, Tampa, and most recently Fort Lauderdale—Blank Rome is continuing its strategic expansion in the market to better meet the needs of its clients. Litigation Partner Les Corwin, who joined Blank Rome from Greenberg Traurig last year and is helping the Firm’s expansion efforts in Florida, said, “I have had the pleasure of working with Richard on local matters. Both he and Jose are well-respected and accomplished attorneys who I look forward to closely working with at Blank Rome. They’re excellent additions to our South Florida practice and will enhance our capabilities on both the local and national level.”
“Jose and I are thrilled to join Blank Rome and have the opportunity to expand the breadth of the Firm’s complex commercial litigation practice in the South Florida market,” said Mr. Berman. “We are looking forward to returning to our ‘big law’ roots and providing a greater depth of service to our clients, through the Firm’s diverse service offerings.”
“In addition, we were impressed with Blank Rome’s overall culture, commitment to client service, and strategic focus on expanding its services in both Florida and other markets,” added Mr. Riguera.
Mr. Berman is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator and Broward County Qualified Arbitrator. Within the areas of commercial, corporate, and real estate litigation, Mr. Berman is experienced in construction defect, probate, and trust litigation. He also has experience in intellectual property litigation and counsels attorneys, accountants, architects, and engineers in professional liability disputes. Mr. Berman has additional experience in a number of other areas, including lender liability, eminent domain, and creditor claims in bankruptcy court. He has prevailed in many high-stakes cases in state and federal courts. Most notably, he successfully defended former President of the United States Gerald Ford; the former chairman of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; the former president of Citicorp; and the retired dean of the Harvard Business School in a $300 million ERISA claim.
He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law, where he served as the associate editor of the Syracuse University Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif and the Justinian Honor Society. He earned his B.A. from the University of Buffalo.
For 25 years, Mr. Riguera has handled a broad range of complex commercial and civil litigation matters, including representing clients in claims involving breach of contract, negligence, fraud, conspiracy, and interference with business relationships, as well as breach of confidentiality and non-competition agreements. He also focuses on a variety of real estate-related disputes, including mortgage litigation, commercial landlord-tenant matters, and community association law. Mr. Riguera has extensive jury and non-jury experience, and has briefed and argued appeals before various federal and state courts.
Mr. Riguera is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator, and a former chair of the Florida Bar’s Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee “I.” He is an active participant in the Florida Bar Justice Teaching Program through which he educates elementary through high school students on civics and the justice system. He also served on the board of the Broward County Hispanic Bar Association and the Florida International University Alumni Association. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Miami Law School, where he was a member of the University of Miami Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif and the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. He earned his B.S., cum laude, from Florida International University.
About Blank Rome LLP With more than 500 attorneys serving clients around the globe, Blank Rome represents businesses and organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-up entities. Founded in 1946, Blank Rome advises clients on all aspects of their businesses, including commercial and corporate litigation; consumer finance; corporate, M&A, and securities; environmental, energy, and natural resources; finance, restructuring, and bankruptcy; intellectual property and technology; labor and employment; maritime, international trade and government contracts; matrimonial; products liability, mass torts, and insurance; real estate; tax, benefits, and private client; and white collar defense and investigations. Blank Rome also represents pro bono clients in a wide variety of cases and matters. For additional information, visit www.blankrome.com.
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