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Summary: Richard E. Berman and Jose Riguera have joined Blank Rome’s Fort Lauderdale office.
Blank Rome has announced that Richard E. Berman and Jose R. Riguera have joined the firm’s commercial litigation group in the Fort Lauderdale office as partner and of counsel, respectively. Berman and Riguera will also provide guidance and support to the firm’s consumer finance litigation practice.
In January, John Adkins joined the Houston office.
Berman’s experience in complex litigation includes corporate, commercial, bankruptcy advocacy, and real estate litigation of various types. Before joining Blank Rome, Berman was a shareholder at Berman, Kean & Riguera, PA.
Berman is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator and a Broward County Qualified Arbitrator. Berman has practiced in construction defect, probate, and trust litigation. He has also practiced in intellectual property litigation and various areas of bankruptcy law. He has prevailed in many high-profile cases in both state and federal court, most notably the successful defense of former President Gerald Ford; the former president of Citicorp; the former chairman of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and the retired dean of the Harvard Business School in a $300 million ERISA claim.
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Berman graduated magna cum laude from the Syracuse University College of Law.
The firm also plans to open a Pittsburgh office.
Riguera practices a wide range of complex commercial and civil matters, including corporate and real estate litigation. Prior to joining Blank Rome, Riguera was a shareholder at Berman, Kean & Riguera, PA.
Riguera has represented clients in claims involving negligence, fraud, breach of contract, interference with business relationships, in addition to breach of confidentiality and non-competition agreements. He is also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator, and is the former chair of the Florida Bar’s Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee “I.” He is involved in the Florida Bar Justice Teaching Program, in which he teaches kids ranging in age from elementary school to high school about civics and the justice system. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami Law School.
Alan J. Hoffman, the chairman and managing partner of the firm, said, “We are excited to welcome Richard and Jose to our Fort Lauderdale office. 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.”
Litigation partner Les Corwin, who is assisting with the firm’s expansion 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.”
From left: Corwin, Hoffman, Berman, Riguera
In November, Rick Antonoff joined the New York office.
Berman added, “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. 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.”
Riguera added, “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.”
Photo credit: Philadelphia.in24race.com, blankrome.com (attorneys)
