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Wolpe Leibowitz Alvarez & Fernandez has represented:
Trial Attorneys:
Joel R. Wolpe | Mark A. Leibowitz | Alexander Alvarez | George L. Fernandez
Otto E. Bergés | Alia A. Szopa
Joel R. Wolpe
Joel Wolpe was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. He moved to Florida as a child and grew up in Coral Gables. Mr. Wolpe attended the University of Florida where he majored in accounting and graduated in 1969. He attended the University of Miami School of Law and graduated in 1973. He was inducted into the Bar and Gavel Legal Honor Society and Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership and Honor Society.
In April of 1982, he formed Wolpe & Leibowitz with Mark A. Leibowitz. Mr. Wolpe's experience has included all forms of civil litigation including, but not limited to, medical, legal and architect/engineer/contractor malpractice defense, personal injury, automobile, product liability, including toxic tort litigation, wrongful death, insurance coverage and general corporate liability defense, commercial litigation including Florida and Federal Fair Debt Collection actions and franchise/franchisee litigation.
Mr. Wolpe is admitted to practice in all courts of the State of Florida and before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He is Board Certified in the area of Civil Trial Law by the Florida Bar Board of Certification. He is "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He has lectured extensively in both continuing legal education seminars and continuing medical education seminars regarding the handling of medical malpractice cases. He has also authored or co-authored materials for several continuing legal education seminars and hospital risk management seminars.
Mr. Wolpe is at present, or in the past, been a member of various bar committees including Florida Bar Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee, Florida Bar Civil Rules Procedure Committee, and Dade County Bar Association Professionalism Committee.
He can be reached by electronic mail at jwolpe@wlaf-law.com.
Mark A. Leibowitz
Mr. Leibowitz, one of the founding partners, is a 1972 graduate of Syracuse University and attended Law School at the University of Miami, where he graduated in 1975. He is a member of the Dade County Bar Association, The Florida Bar, The American Bar Association, The Florida Trial Lawyers Association, The American Trial Lawyers Association and The Professionalism Committee of the Dade County Bar Association. He is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in the area of Civil Trial Law and has been a member of the Judicial Evaluation Committee of the Florida Bar. He was selected as a Leading Florida Attorney by the American Research Corporation, as selected by his peers.
Mr. Leibowitz practices in all courts of the State of Florida and is a member of the Trial Bar of the Southern District of the United States District Court. Mr. Leibowitz was recently selected as one of South Florida’s top professional liability defense lawyers by the South Florida Legal Guide. Mr. Leibowitz is also listed in Marquis’s Who’s Who 2006 Edition.
Mr. Leibowitz has extensive experience in the field of civil litigation, and has concentrated his practice in the area of disputes involving medical malpractice, legal malpractice, dental malpractice, toxic torts and hospital liability. Mr. Leibowitz has represented numerous physicians in medial malpractice cases, as well as administrative proceedings before the AHCA. Mr. Leibowitz also has significant experience in transportation and general liability related matters. He has lectured at programs sponsored by health care providers throughout South Florida regarding professional liability and risk management.
He enjoys golf, skiing, travel and theater. He and his family are supporters of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and the South Dade Jewish Community Center. Mr. Leibowitz is also a participant in the Dade County Pro Bono program.
He can be reached by electronic mail at mleibowitz@wlaf-law.com.
Alexander Alvarez
Mr. Alvarez attended Florida International University (FIU) where, in 1988, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and International Business. Mr. Alvarez received his Juris Doctorate Degree from Florida State University in 1992. At Florida State University School of Law, Mr. Alvarez served on the AFTL Mock Trial team and served as President of the Spanish American Law Association. In his final year at Florida State University School of Law, Mr. Alvarez participated in an externship with the Dade County State Attorney’s Office where he successfully prosecuted second-degree felonies before a jury.
Upon admission to the Florida Bar in 1992, Mr. Alvarez joined a well respected insurance defense law firm dedicating his practice exclusively to the representation of physicians and hospitals against claims of medical malpractice. He handled all aspects of medical malpractice defense from the statutorily mandated pre-suit investigation through trial.
In 1995, Mr. Alvarez joined Frontier Insurance Company as in-house counsel. Mr. Alvarez expanded his practice to include general liability defense involving a diverse scope of issues including negligent security, premises liability, defamation, crane operation, and child care supervision. In 2000, Mr. Alvarez founded his firm which he eventually merged with Wolpe & Leibowitz, L.L.P. to form the current law partnership. Mr. Alvarez has been a guest speaker at multiple continuing education forums where he has addressed physicians, hospital staff and claims professionals. Mr. Alvarez is "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Professional affiliations include the Florida Bar; the Federal Bar, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida; the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers; the Dade County Bar Association (where Mr. Alvarez has served as judge for the High School Mock Trial Competition); and, The Cuban American Bar Association. Mr. Alvarez is also certified in Florida Advanced Work Zone Traffic Control by the American Traffic Safety Services Association.
Mr. Alvarez is fluent in Spanish. He can be reached at electronic mail at aalvarez@wlaf-law.com.
George L. Fernandez
Mr. Fernandez grew up in Miami and attended Miami Senior High School. Mr. Fernandez went on to attend Florida State University, where Mr. Fernandez served as the student senate president, was president of Omicron Delta Kappa, was on the debate team, and was a member of FSU’s Gold Key. Mr. Fernandez was recognized for his leadership by being selected as a Seminole Award winner and was inducted into Gold Key’s Hall of Fame. He received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in communication and psychology in 1990.
Mr. Fernandez received his J.D. in 1992 form the Florida State University College of Law. As a law student, he was the student body attorney general, vice president of the moot court team, and was a member of Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity. Mr. Fernandez was a member of the Mock Trial Team and finished in first place in the Kerrigan, Estess Mock Trial Competition as well as a semi-finalist in the Florida Bar State Competition and the Southeast Regional Competition.
Following graduation from law school, Mr. Fernandez joined the commercial litigation section of a prominent statewide law firm. In 1994, Mr. Fernandez joined Wolpe & Leibowitz, L.L.P., where he practiced in the areas of general insurance defense, premises liability, medical malpractice, and wrongful death. Mr. Fernandez worked on a wide variety of cases and successfully handled a large number of jury and non-jury trials as lead counsel. Mr. Fernandez has lectured physicians offered as continuing medical education to health care providers. In 2000, Mr. Fernandez founded his firm which he eventually merged with Wolpe & Leibowitz, L.L.P. to form the current law partnership. Mr. Fernandez is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer and has been certified as a Circuit Court Mediator by the Florida Supreme Court. He was also inducted as a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He is "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Fernandez is a member of the Florida Bar; the Federal Bar, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida; the Dade County Bar Association; the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers; the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; and the Cuban-American Bar Association. He previously served as Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Lawyer’s Credit Union and previously served as Chair of the Florida Bar Grievance Committee 11J in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Mr. Fernandez is fluent in Spanish. He can be reached by electronic mail at gfernandez@wlaf-law.com.
Otto E. Bergés
Mr. Bergés was born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and moved to Florida as a teen. He obtained his B.S. degree in Political Science from the University of South Florida in 1995 with numerous honors and distinguished awards. Mr. Bergés subsequently enrolled at Stetson University College of Law and received his degree in 1999. While at Stetson, he clerked for the Chief Judge of County Court for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, the Honorable Judge James Barton, II and received the William F. Blews Pro Bono Service Award for his extensive volunteer work in the community. Mr. Bergés also participated in several school organizations such as the Stetson Society of Hispanics and the Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity, among others. Along with his Juris Doctor degree, Mr. Bergés also obtained from Stetson the equivalent of an L.L.M. in International Law.
Mr. Bergés’ legal experience has encompassed a wide range of general liability litigation including wrongful death, mold/construction, medical malpractice, products liability, trucking/transportation, premises liability, and professional errors & omissions. His cases have required him to travel extensively throughout the country and he has appeared as pro hac vice counsel on numerous occasions. Mr. Bergés also worked at Mayor Manny Diaz’s commercial law practice specializing in commercial litigation, appeals, bankruptcy, and employment discrimination. Prior to joining Wolpe Leibowitz Alvarez & Fernandez, L.L.P., Mr. Bergés practiced with a prominent insurance defense firm in Miami.
Currently, he is a member in the American Bar Association, Florida Bar, Dade County Bar and is licensed to practice in the U.S. District Court for Northern and Southern Districts. Mr. Bergés is fluent in both Spanish and Italian. He can be reached by electronic mail at oberges@wlaf-law.com.
Born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, Alia A. Szopa joined the law firm in November 2005. A 2001 cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Communication Studies and Political Science. As an undergraduate, she was the Vice President of Lambda Pi Eta Communications Honorary and on the Executive Board of Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society. Ms. Szopa then attended the University of Miami School of Law where she was conferred her J.D. In addition, she received an M.B.A. with a dual concentration in Finance and Management from the University of Miami School of Business.
While in law school, Ms. Szopa was a member of the Moot Court Board and on the staff of the University of Miami Business Law Review where she served as an Article and Comments Editor. She authored a paper entitled "Hoarding History: A Survey of Antiquity Looting and Black Market Trade" which was published in the Review's Fall/Winter 2004 edition. Ms. Szopa was a recipient of the "Best Brief" award in the Advanced Moot Court Competition and the Dean's Certificate of Achievement (highest grade in the class) in both her Legal Research and Writing class and Globalization and the Law Seminar. Additionally, she was a member of Miami Law Women.
Ms. Szopa has clerked at the Office of the New Hampshire Attorney General and at a small Coral Gables firm specializing in civil defense litigation. She is a member of both the Florida and Washington, DC Bars. Professional affiliations include the Dade County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers. She can be reached at aszopa@wlaf-law.com.
Wolpe Leibowitz Alvarez & Fernandez, LLP
Courthouse Tower
Penthouse
44 West Flagler Street
Miami, FL 33130
305-372-0060
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