Corporate Litigation Defense and Fraud Prevention

Kevin graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 2009. While in law school, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Inter-American Law Review and a 2009 Who's Who Among Students recipient. As a 1L, he and his partner won the John T. Gaubatz 1L Moot Court competition, an exercise in brief writing and appellate advocacy. A three-year Dean's Merit Scholarship winner, Kevin received a Dean's Certificate in Achievement for Legal Research and Writing and a CALI Excellence for the Future Award in his Internet Law class. He also received an Honors grade for his participation in the school's acclaimed Litigation Skills program and appeared on the Dean's List multiple times.

Following his first year of law school, Kevin interned with the Honorable A. Jay Cristol of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. He then worked for the in-house legal department of a global aviation commercial sales and leasing company during his second year of school and was a summer associate at an Am Jur 100 law firm in Miami.

Kevin graduated cum laude from Davidson College in North Carolina with a bachelor's degree in English. Kevin attended Davidson on an ROTC scholarship and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army upon graduation. Following his officer basic course and Ranger school, he served for almost six years as an Infantry platoon leader and staff officer, including a six-month tour in Kosovo and a one-year assignment in Korea.

Published Work

• "Caveat Lessor: U.S. Aircraft Financiers Beware - 11 U.S.C. § 1110 Expectations May Not Be Met in Cross-Border Insolvencies," 7 BYU Int'l L. & Mgmt. R. (forthcoming Apr. 2010).

Professional & Community Involvement

• Fairchild Palms Young Professionals
• Dade County Bar Association
• Davidson College Young Alumni
• Member, American Legion Post #222

Vastly Experienced Practitioner in the Field of Immigration Law

Juan received his B.A. from Florida International University in 1985, with honors, and his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1989. Upon graduation from law school, he clerked for the Honorable Philip Carchman of the Superior Court of New Jersey before joining the American Friends Service Committee, Central American Asylum Project as a staff attorney where he coordinated the outreach program focusing on representing Salvadoran and Guatemalan refugees in immigration proceedings.

In 1992, Juan became a staff attorney for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, South Florida Chapter Pro Bono Project/Legal Services of Greater Miami where he continued his immigration work representing poor undocumented people in immigration proceedings.

Juan joined East Little Havana Legal Services as a project director in 1994, and, in 1996 he co-founded the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center to provide free legal services to undocumented individuals. Since 1996, Juan has been in private practice handling immigration and civil matters.

Juan has won asylum for persons fleeing persecutions from countries ranging from Eritrea and Rwanda to Colombia and Venezuela. He has gained waivers of inadmissibility for persons with multiple felony convictions. He also obtained visas for investors, executives, managers, and professionals at consular posts on every continent in the world.

Juan has also served as an adjunct faculty member at St. Thomas University School of Law since 2000 teaching courses including Immigration Law, Administrative Law, and Remedies.

Juan is Of Counsel to Lewis Tein.

Estate Planning, Probate and Estate and Probate Litigation

From 1965 to 1984, Bill was a partner at the Miami law firm of Smathers and Thompson and chaired the real estate practice area. In 1984, Bill took over his father's practice which involved estate planning, probate and estate administration. Since that time, Bill's practice has been in this area.

Bill is Of Counsel to Lewis Tein.

Corporate Litigation Defense, Fraud Prevention, and Complex Federal Criminal Matters

From 2003 to 2004, Guy served as the Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys in Washington, D.C., providing guidance and oversight for all 93 United States Attorneys.  Prior to serving as Director of EOUSA, Guy served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.  As chief federal law enforcement officer, Guy concentrated his efforts in a number of areas, including public corruption, healthcare fraud, securities fraud, and complex grand jury investigations.  While U.S. Attorney, he served as the Chair of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force (HIDTA), the nation's largest drug trafficking and money laundering task force.  He also served as the Co-Chair of the Anti-Terrorism Regional Task Force established after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

Prior to being sworn in as U.S. Attorney in 2000, Guy distinguished himself as a career federal prosecutor, serving as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Section and an Assistant U.S. Attorney.

Guy has tried over 60 federal jury trials to verdict, and has extensive experience prosecut ing public corruption, white collar, espionage, and money laundering cases.  He has also handled scores of complex grand jury investigations.

From 1989 to 1994, Guy served as co-counsel in the landmark trial of United States v. General Manuel Antonio Noriega, which resulted in a conviction after a seven-month trial.  Guy also oversaw the post-Valujet crash prosecution, the American Airlines prosecution for hazardous-materials violations, the Carnival Cruise Lines dumping prosecution, the Fine Air crash prosecution, the largest multiple defendant espionage case ever prosecuted in the United States, and the indictment of one of the largest police corruption cases in Mi am i history.

Guy has briefed and argued numerous appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

He is also an Adjunct Professor of trial advocacy and litigation at the University of Miami School of Law.

Current & Past Positions

• 2004 to 2005 Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.
• 2002 to 2004 Director, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys
• 2002 to 2004 U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
• 2000 to 2002 U.S. Attorney for the Southern, District of Florida
• 1997 to 2000 First Assistant U.S. Attorney
• 1994 to 1997 Deputy Chief, Narcotics Section
• 1988 to 1994 Assistant U.S. Attorney
• 1987 to 1988 Law Clerk to the Honorable Wilson Cowen
• 1987 to 1988 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Washington, D.C.
• 1986 to 1987 Law Clerk to the Honorable Thomas E. Scott, U.S. District Court

Litigation & Trial of Complex Commercial & White-collar Cases

Mike specializes in litigation and trial of complex commercial and white-collar cases. He represents numerous high profile corporate and individual clients in both civil and criminal matters, in state and federal court, as well as before state and federal administrative agencies. Mike tries several cases every year.  To date, he has tried over 50 federal and state cases to verdict and argued over 45 federal and state appeals.

Mike's reputation as a highly skilled trial lawyer in and out of court is well-recognized. Recently, Chambers & Partners, the independent attorney-review publication that mentions only the highest peer-rated attorneys, called Mike "an excellent, well-prepared lawyer," and observed that he "is seen as part of the next wave of talented attorneys in the state."

Mike represents Florida trial judges and attorneys in ethics investigations by the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission and the Florida Bar.  He has also successfully represented numerous federal prosecutors in investigations by the Office of Professional Responsibility and several federal law-enforcement special-agents in agency probes.

Mike is recognized as an accomplished litigator with a national reputation by Who’s Who in AmericaFlorida Super Lawyers and Florida Trend Magazine. For the past six years, Mike has been selected from among trial lawyers around the nation to be invited to teach trial skills at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.  Mike recently received the high honor of being appointed as Receiver by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida in two separate enforcement actions, one brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the other by the Federal Trade Commission.  Mike served as SEC Receiver’s counsel in the KL Financial case, a major hedge-fund fraud.

Mike lectures around the nation on the subjects of trial skills, corporate compliance, white-collar criminal defense and legal ethics. He recently completed terms as a member of the Coral Gables Planning and Zoning Commission and the Southern District of Florida’s Local Rules Committee. He presently sits on the Miami-Dade County Bar Association Committee on Professionalism and is general counsel for a national non-profit breast-cancer advocacy organization.

From 1995-2000 Mike was a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney's Office in Miami. During that time, he successfully prosecuted numerous high-profile and widely publicized cases involving fraud, public corruption and organized crime; received the U.S. Army Commander’s Medal for Public Service was awarded the Executive Office Director’s Award for Superior Performance; and received a commendation from the U.S. Attorney General for professionalism in the prosecution of a high-profile civil-rights matter.

From 1993 to 1995, Mike was an associate in the Litigation Department of Steel Hector & Davis, specializing in complex commercial litigation.

From 1992 to 1993, Mike served as law clerk to then-United States District Judge Stanley Marcus, presently of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

While in law school, Mike was a research and teaching assistant for the Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., the late Chief Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and was an Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Mike won his first acquittal for a client when he was a third-year law student in the clinical program at the Philadelphia Defender’s Office.

Mike is the author of the frequently cited civil-rights article, “Devaluation of Non-White Community in Remedies for Subsidized Housing Discrimination,” 140 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1463 (1992).

Prior to going to law school, Mike was a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs & Co., in New York.

Mike has been rated by his peers at the highest level for skill and ethics in practice, “AV,” as reported by Martindale-Hubbell.

Recent Successes

• Defense verdict in wrongful-death airplane-crash jury trial with multiple fatalities.
• Defense verdict in a Whistleblower Act trial against a major Florida employer.
• Defense verdict in wrongful-death automobile accident case.
• Defense verdict in trial of a well-known Florida politician.
• Defense judgment in primary election challenge on the eve of the general election.
• Dismissal of a $200-million copyright lawsuit for Fernando Botero, world-renowned Colombian artist.
• Dismissal of SEC charges against two senior executives in reinsurance matter.
• Dismissal of IRS charges against prominent Broward businessperson.
• Dismissal of Florida Bar ethics complaints against several prominent attorneys.
• Dismissal of complaints against prominent trial judges by Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
• $7 million settlement on the eve of trial for New York financier in shareholder dispute.
• $4 million settlement for prominent Washington, D.C. executive in compensation dispute.
• $3 million settlement for a estate beneficiary in Florida probate litigation.
• Reversal of an extradition order against a U.S. citizen already ordered by a federal judge to be extradited to the Dominican Republic.
• Declination by U.S. Attorney’s Office of prosecution of an individual in alleged $20 million tax-fraud case.
• Declination by U.S. Attorney’s Office of prosecution of senior federal law-enforcement agent on corruption charges.
• Declination by U.S. Attorney’s Office of prosecution of corporate executive on securities-fraud charges.
• Declination by U.S. Attorney’s Office of prosecution of U.S. Army Colonel on espionage charges.
• Declination by U.S. Attorney’s Office of prosecution of federal law-enforcement agent on obstruction-of-justice charges.
• Successful defense of Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission investigations of prominent trial judges accused of misconduct and ethics violations.
• Successful defense of Florida Bar investigations of prominent attorneys accused of ethics violations.
• Declination by Justice Department of prosecution of corporation for alleged multi-million-dollar tax-evasion scheme.
• Declination by U.S. Attorney's Office of prosecution of individual for alleged million-dollar tax-evasion and structuring scheme.

White-collar Criminal Defense and Regulatory Matters

Kate’s practice focuses on white-collar criminal defense and regulatory matters. She has represented clients in investigations and prosecutions involving charges of fraud, insider trading and other securities violations, money laundering, commercial and public bribery, and tax evasion. She has handled matters pending in state and federal courts in both Florida and New York, and before the SEC, the NASD and the New York Stock Exchange.

Kate also has experience handling complex civil litigation matters involving securities fraud, business torts, breach of contract, estate issues, and disputes with foreign sovereigns over state-sponsored terrorism.

Kate attended Washington University in St. Louis, from which she earned both her undergraduate and law degrees. While in law school, Kate served as Managing Editor of the Washington University Law Quarterly, and as a teaching assistant. She graduated Order of the Coif.

After law school, Kate served as law clerk to the Honorable Thomas Collier Platt of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Kate then joined the New York office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she specialized in securities litigation. After leaving Skadden, Kate joined Stillman & Friedman, a white-collar criminal defense firm in New York City, where she worked on a number of high-profile criminal and regulatory matters.

Appeals and General Litigation

Michael focuses his practice on civil and criminal litigation, with an emphasis on appeals. Appellate victories include Republic Props. Corp. v. Grand Jury Presentment on the City of West Palm Beach, Part A, Fall Term 2006, 971 So. 2d 289 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008) (3-0 decision) (reversing trial-court order denying motion to expunge portion of grand-jury report), and Art Brokers USA, Inc. v. Botero, 980 So. 2d 1078 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008) (unpublished table decision) (affirming dismissal of $200-million copyright lawsuit for lack of personal jurisdiction).

Michael received his law degree, with honors, from the University of Florida, where he was editor in chief of the law review. Michael also holds a master's degree from the University of Iowa, and a Bachelor of Philosophy, summa cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh.

Michael's previous experience includes teaching at Capital University Law School and Florida Coastal School of Law; teaching in the MBA programs at the University of Florida; and practicing in the Miami office of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart (now K&L Gates).

Selected Publications

• Article, Circuit Court Review: 11th Circuit Takes on Tough Cases—No Blinking, National Law Journal
  November 1, 2004 (co-author).
• Case Comment, Florida Constitutional Law: Disregarding the Florida Constitution’s Independent Prohibition Against “Unusual Punishment”:
  Jones v. State, 701 So. 2d 76 (Fla. 1997), 51 Fla. L. Rev. 161 (1999).
• Case Comment, Constitutional Law: The Redefinition of “Minority” and Its Impact on Political Structure Equal Protection Analysis:
  Coalition for Economic Equity v. Wilson, 110 F.3d 1431 (9th Cir. 1997), 9 U. Fla. J.L. & Pub. Pol'y 121 (1997).

Professional & Community Involvement

• American Bar Association Coeditor in chief of Conflict Management
  (publication of the Section of Litigation’s ADR Committee), 2004-05
• The Florida Bar Editorial Board, Florida Bar Journal and Florida Bar News
  2004-05
• Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center Association Board of Directors, 1998-05

Complex Litigation in Tort and Contractual Cases

Vivian was formerly a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney's Office in Miami for over thirteen years. During that time, she successfully prosecuted numerous narcotics cases, and obtained the first court-authorized wiretap in Key West which resulted in thirteen convictions. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Vivian also was assigned to the Civil Division defending the United States in cases involving the Federal Tort Claims Act, and allegations of discrimination and civil rights violations. While assigned to the Civil Division, Vivian served as an instructor for the Department of Justice, Civil Trial Advocacy Program. Vivian was awarded the Executive Office Director’s Award for Superior Performance.

In 1990, Vivian was offered a partnership at the firm of Galfand, Berger, Lurie & March in Philadelphia where she specialized in products liability and construction litigation cases. From 1986-1988, Vivian worked as an associate at Pepper, Hamilton & Scheetz in Philadelphia, specializing in construction litigation.

Between 1984 and 1986, Vivian clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit where she was admitted en banc by the late Honorable Leonard Garth.

During the summer of 1982, Vivian interned with the Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., the late Chief Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

White Collar Criminal Defense and Commercial Litigation

Susan attended the University of Florida from which she earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Elementary Education. She obtained her Juris Doctor from the Florida International University School of Law.

While in law school, Susan served as Comments Editor of the Law Review, was elected class representative of the F.I.U. Student Bar Association, and appeared on the Dean's List. After winning the F.I.U. Intramural Moot Court Competition, she competed in the Orseck Moot Court Competition. Susan graduated third in her class.

Prior to graduating from law school, Susan worked for over twelve years as an elementary school teacher for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Professional & Community Involvement

• Member Hispanic National Bar Association
• Member Cuban American Bar Association

Commercial Litigation and White-collar Criminal Cases

Simon focuses his practice on a broad range of commercial litigation and white-collar criminal cases.

Simon conducted his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida and Florida International University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Simon obtained his law degree from the University of Florida where he graduated with honors. While in law school, Simon was a board member of the Justice Campbell Thornal Moot Court Team and often appeared on the Dean's list.

Prior to entering law school, Simon worked as a consultant advising clients on a variety of employment and related matters.

Defense in a Wide Range of Criminal, Civil, and Regulatory Matters

Beau's practice focuses on a wide range of criminal, civil, and regulatory matters including intellectual property and complex commercial litigation.

Beau obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law. While in law school, Beau participated in the nationally acclaimed University of Miami Litigation Skills Program in which he received Honors. During his last year at the University of Miami, Beau was elected Student Bar Association Secretary.

After Beau's first year of law school, he returned to his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia where he clerked for the Honorable Gail S. Tusan of the Superior Court of Fulton County and the Atlanta Judicial Circuit. Beau completed a clinical placement at the Miami Beach City Attorney's office in Fall 2006.

Beau joined Lewis Tein, P.L. in May 2006.  At Lewis Tein, Beau has handled cases involving complex commercial litigation, administrative law, and in the cutting-edge area of intellectual property internet law.  He was recently responsible for the successful cyberpiracy litigation on behalf of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida to enforce the Tribe's trademark rights on the internet.  He has also been involved with various aspects of corporate law including a $20 million dollar Medicare breach of contract dispute.

At Davidson College, Beau was a four-year letterman on the Varsity Swim Team, received the George Gladstone Memorial Award, an award presented to one rising senior exhibiting high potential for service to mankind as demonstrated through leadership, service to the community and academic record, and was awarded a scholarship for service and leadership from the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

Former Federal Prosecutor in two of America's largest United States Attorney's offices

Dina joined Lewis Tein after an impressive tenure as a federal prosecutor in two of the largest United States Attorney's offices in the country. Most recently, she spent four and a half years at the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where she prosecuted public corruption, fraud, immigration, narcotics, violent crime cases, and appeals. Prior to her time in Philadelphia, she was a federal prosecutor at the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida in Miami where she investigated and tried numerous complex narcotics cases.

Dina has extensive courtroom experience. She has first-chaired twenty federal and state jury trials. She has written over forty federal appellate briefs and successfully argued numerous appeals in the United States Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the Third Circuit. Dina has received several awards from both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Customs Service for her courtroom contributions to federal law enforcement.

Dina attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating with a degree in Journalism. She obtained her law degree with Honors from Florida State University College of Law. During law school, Dina served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review, an active member of the Moot Court Team, and an American Bar Association Appellate Advocacy finalist. During her third year of law school, she served as a Certified Legal Intern at the Leon County State Attorney's Office in Tallahassee where she prosecuted multiple cases in state court.

After law school, Dina served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Peter T. Fay of the United State Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Prior to law school, Dina worked for the St. Petersburg Times in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Federal and State Complex Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law, and Native American Law

Jennifer's practice focuses on federal and state complex commercial litigation, environmental law, and Native American law. Jennifer received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law. During law school, Jennifer was recognized for her excellence in trial advocacy and was awarded Honors in the nationally recognized University of Miami Litigation Skills Program. Jennifer was also the recipient of the John F. Evans Memorial Scholarship for her dedication to trial pratice. After her first year in law school, Jennifer clerked at a real estate and land development firm in Orange County, California. Jennifer joined Lewis Tein, PL in October 2007.

Jennifer also holds a Bachelor of Business Administrator, cum laude, in Finance with a background in accounting from the Honors Program at the University of Miami School of Business. While in school, Jennifer interned in Deloitte's Financial Advisory Services department, focusing on risk management and fraud analysis. Jennifer was also the recipient of the Henry King Stanford scholarship for all four years of college as well as a member of Golden Key International Honour Society.

Professional & Community Involvement

• American Bar Association

Complex Commercial Litigation in State and Federal Courts

Reid obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law, graduating magna cum laude. During law school, Reid completed the nationally acclaimed University of Miami Litigation Skills Program. Reid also served as a member of the University of Miami's Business Law Review, and completed a clinical internship program at the Community Economic Development and Design Clinic hosted by the University of Miami's Center for Ethics and Public Service. Reid joined Lewis Tein, P.L. in September 2008.

Reid has a strong background in economics and finance. He completed his undergraduate degree at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, earning a bachelors of science in economics and a minor in finance. While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Reid became a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, tutored students in business and finance courses, and completed an internship at New England Financial.

Prior to attending law school, Reid worked in the wealth management division of UBS Financial Services, Inc.

Complex Commercial Litigation

Zach received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law in May 2009. While in law school, he was a member of the University of Miami Law Review, on which he served as a member of the editorial staff and publication review panel. He was also a member of the Moot Court Board and participated in interschool and national competitions. Additionally, Zach completed UM's highly regarded Litigation Skills Program. Zach joined Lewis Tein, P.L. in September 2008.

Zach is the author of Florida's "Stand Your Ground" Law: The Actual Effects and the Need for Clarification, 63 U. Miami L. Rev. 395 (2008).

Zach completed his undergraduate degree at Clemson University in 2006, where he earned a B.A. in History, summa cum laude. During his undergraduate career, Zach was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi and Golden Key honor societies and completed an internship with the Greenville County Public Defender.