English-Speaking Attorneys

Caleb Payne

Winter Park, FL

Caleb co-founded Payne Law in 2019 to deliver swift justice and elite representation to policyholders across Florida. Since 2012, he has fought wrongfully denied and underpaid property-insurance claims statewide-ranging from single-family water-damage losses to condominium communities devastated by hurricanes-and has helped thousands of Florida homeowners recover the money their carriers owed under the policy. As Managing Partner, Caleb pairs disciplined case strategy with trial-ready advocacy and efficient negotiation to drive meaningful results. Beyond first-party property work, his practice experience spans First Amendment matters and international contract negotiations. He is admitted to practice in Florida and Washington, D.C., and in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Florida, and he is also a licensed FIBA agent.

Vicente Mendoza

Turlock, CA

Vicente Mendoza is an attorney fluent in English and Spanish, licensed in California and Mexico. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and holds three Master's degrees: one from Universidad de Deusto in Bilbao, Spain, and two additional Master's degrees (corporate law and tax law) from Tecnologico de Monterrey. He previously served as head legal counsel at Tecnologico de Monterrey and worked as an associate attorney for an Immigration Law Firm before joining the Law Offices of Axel B. Gomez. He is also a faculty member at Merced College, teaching Court Interpreting.

Mr. Purcell concentrates his practice in the areas of land use, planning and telecommunications law and is knowledgeable in all areas of local zoning law, and state development regulations including applications under the Highlands and Pinelands Preservation laws. Mr. Purcell is experienced in guiding projects through the redevelopment process and is an experienced affordable housing attorney. Mr. Purcell is also knowledgeable with respect to New Jersey’s Right-to-Farm law. Mr. Purcell has lectured and written widely on areas related to telecommunications, public rights-of-way, land use and municipal law. He serves as a trustee of the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys and as an editor of the New Jersey Local Government Law Review. Mr. Purcell is also an editor of the Land Use Citator, a yearly compilation of land use decisions published by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education. He also formerly served as a Director of the New Jersey State Bar Association Land Use Law Section. He is treasurer of the Somerset County Bar Association, serves as co-chair of the SCBA’s Land Use Section and coordinates its annual land use symposium. Previously, Mr. Purcell served as Associate Counsel to the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

Benjamin A. Ayala

Los Angeles, CA

Benjamin Ayala is an Associate Attorney at Brock & Gonzales handling Employment cases in our Spanish speaking department, and Personal Injury cases. Ben was born and raised in Southern California. Prior to joining Brock & Gonzales, Ben worked for an employment law firm, where he represented employees who were victims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. He also has experience representing clients who have sustained injury through no fault of their own. Ben is committed to his clients and zealously advocates for them in all phases of the litigation process. He understands the difficult nature of litigation and prides himself on defending his clients’ rights and bringing them closure. During his time at Loyola Law School, Ben was selected to participate in the Poehls/Hobbs District Attorney Practicum where he received intensive trial advocacy training. As part of the practicum, Ben also completed an externship as a Certified Law Clerk with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, where he conducted several preliminary hearings. Ben was also a member of La Raza de Loyola, a student association committed to giving back to the Latinx community, a mission Ben holds close to his heart. Following law school, Ben was selected to take part in the prestigious Victor E. Chavez American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) Fellowship program.

Alexander Markman

Maitland, FL

Alexander Markman is an attorney and shareholder at Jackson Law International, with an office and practice in San Diego, California. His law practice focuses on immigration and civil litigation matters. Prior to joining Jackson Law International, he was in private practice since 1997. Born and raised in Baku, Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan, he is a native Russian speaker. He immigrated to California in 1991 and subsequently pursued a career as an attorney, graduating from Tulane Law School. He is licensed to practice law in California and admitted before various Federal courts.

Blake D. Freeman

Corbin, KY

Blake D. Freeman was born in Corbin, Kentucky on February 8, 1988. Mr. Freeman recieved his business degree from Eastern Kentucky University in 2011, and went on to earn his J.D. from Salmon P. Chase College of Law from Northern Kentucky University in 2015. He was admitted to the Kentucky Bar Association in 2015.

Francisca D. Morant

Wakefield, MA

Francisca D. Morant is an advocate and counselor with over 30 years of experience, serving as of-counsel at DeMoura|Smith LLP. She represents clients in complex commercial issues, professional liability, products liability, banking, contract, insurance, environmental, real estate, and employment law. She has appeared in Massachusetts state and federal courts, handling all aspects of civil litigation. Her experience includes litigation at Nutter McLennen & Fish LLP and Choate Hall & Stewart LLP, and serving as Associate General Counsel at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center. She also worked as a guardian ad litem for the Juvenile Court. A graduate of New York University School of Law and Harvard University, Francisca is fluent in three languages, including Spanish.

Haoling Zhang is an Of Counsel attorney specializing in estate planning and taxation law, handling trust, probate, and estate disputes. With an advanced tax law degree, she provides comprehensive tax planning and compliance advice to individuals and businesses, aiming to maximize tax benefits and minimize obligations. She also assists families with probate and estate administration, offering compassionate guidance during challenging times.

Michael J. Ciaravino

Lynbrook, NY

Michael J. Ciaravino is a Senior Associate attorney with the Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo. He graduated from New York Law School and Queens College of CUNY. He was admitted to the New York bar in 2000.

Alexandre Ballerini

Tallahassee, FL

Alexandre Ballerini is an international lawyer with prior business experience in venture capital, technology startups, e-commerce, banking, management, real estate, brokerage, finance, and development. His law practice focuses on corporate & partnership structuring, real estate transactions, international taxation, arbitration & litigation. He is fluent in Italian, French, English, and Spanish.

Jennifer A. Braun

Fargo, ND

Jennifer Braun graduated cum laude from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a major in Political Science and a minor in Mathematics. Jennifer attended Creighton University School of Law and later earned her Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law. She provides high-quality representation for people facing criminal charges in state and federal court in North Dakota.

Jonathan Bierfeld

Fort Myers, FL

Attorney Jonathan Bierfeld is a partner at Martin Law Firm and a highly skilled bankruptcy attorney with nearly 15 years of legal experience. He serves individuals, families, and businesses throughout Southwest Florida, focusing on Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Jonathan helps clients navigate financial difficulties, eliminate debt, restructure finances, stop foreclosure, and protect assets. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Public Policy from Duke University and his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law. He has a reputation as a trusted bankruptcy attorney, helping clients understand and navigate U.S. bankruptcy laws and Florida debt relief regulations.

Steven E. Martin

Troy, MI

Before joining Powers Chapman, Mr. Martin was employed by the UAW-GM-Ford Legal Services Plan. There he was a litigation specialist practicing primarily consumer litigation in Oakland County. His other main role was to represent union members and their families in filing bankruptcies in Federal Court in Detroit, Michigan. His focus was seeking relief under Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In June of 1999, Mr. Martin followed former colleague Craig Tarpinian to the growing staff of Powers Chapman. His current areas of expertise include insurance, consumer litigation, collections, traffic law and bankruptcy. Since joining Powers Chapman, Mr. Martin's primary practice continues to be bankruptcy law, counseling hundreds of debtors and creditors in all areas of finance discharge under the Bankruptcy Code. The state of the law has changed significantly after the 2005 changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, which requires additional -means- testing for all cases as well as mandatory paperless filing. Mr. Martin looks forward to continuing to build his successful bankruptcy practice in the Metro Detroit area and beyond.

Susan Seidel Tilghman focuses on estate planning and administration, helping clients navigate the probate process. She has extensive experience with Fiduciary and Federal and State Estate Tax Returns. She is actively involved in community organizations, including Maple Shade Youth & Family Services, Inc., and Beth Israel of Salisbury. She grew up in Salisbury and returned to join her father's law practice.

Raquel M. Teixeira is an associate with O’Cathain Law Group, exclusively practicing family and matrimonial law. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey. She graduated cum laude from Seton Hall University in 2019 and magna cum laude from Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in 2022. Raquel has extensive experience in family law matters, including domestic violence, child custody, and matrimonial matters, and is committed to achieving the best possible resolution for her clients. She is bilingual in Portuguese and English.

Erik Alvarez is the founding member of AtoZ Injury Law. He began his legal career after graduating law school, with honors, to advocate for injured victims, inspired by his mother's car accident. He declined a professional baseball career to practice personal injury law in Miami, where he has tried and litigated hundreds of cases, defeating major insurance companies. He is a member of the Million-Dollar Advocates, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates, and was selected to the Top 100 National Trial Lawyers for Civil Plaintiff Lawyers, and Super Lawyers in 2020.

LeRoy W. Sievers

Lincoln, NE

LeRoy Sievers is of counsel at the Knudsen Law Firm, where he previously was a partner. He was admitted to practice law in Nebraska in 1978. His practice areas include natural resources, administrative law, real estate, worker’s compensation, appellate practice and estate planning.

Ellen Bayley Campbell

Norwalk, CT

Ellen Bayley Campbell is of counsel, specializing in residential and commercial real estate transactions, land use, environmental matters, and business law. She is actively involved in various civic organizations.

Ivanesse Lopez

Charlotte, NC

Ivanesse Lopez, is an associate immigration attorney. She has extensive experience in areas such as Special Immigrant Juvenile Visas, U Visas, Adjustment of Status, and Asylum. She has a proven ability to navigate complex legal challenges, build strong client relationships, and achieve successful outcomes. Ivanesse is eager to continue to assist the Hispanic community. She is originally from Puerto Rico. She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico and a Juris Doctor from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Law School. Throughout her career, she has consistently demonstrated a profound commitment to serving those in need. Prior to joining the Latorre Law Firm, Ivanesse served as a Supervising Attorney at a nonprofit organization, where she provided essential legal counsel and representation to individuals facing complex immigration issues. Her work in this role reinforced her dedication to justice, equality, and supporting vulnerable communities.

Joyce Bennett Alvarado

Charlotte, NC

Joyce Bennett Alvarado is an Associate Attorney in the Immigration department at Latorre Law firm. She handles U Visas, Adjustments of Status, and VAWA cases. Mrs. Bennett Alvarado earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of St. Thomas School of Law in 2017. While in law school, she was elected Secretary of the Latino Law Students Association. She received her bachelor’s degree in Law with Magna Cum Laude Honors from Universidad Tecnologica Centroamericana (Tegucigalpa, Honduras). Following her graduation from law school, Ms. Bennett Alvarado began her career as an immigration attorney in 2018. She has experience in humanitarian-based immigration and is passionate about helping clients navigate the complicated immigration system.

Steffi Rodriguez

Charlotte, NC

Steffi Rodriguez is an Associate* in the Immigration department working primarily on family-based applications at Latorre Law Firm. Ms. Rodriguez is originally from Miami, Florida and is of Colombian and Argentinian descent. She is fluent in both English and Spanish. Ms. Rodriguez graduated from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in 2019. While in law school she interned in the legislative department for Florida’s 9th District Congressman, Darren Soto, where she was working on a bill to provide visas for foreign professionals helping and working in Puerto Rico after the Hurricane Maria. In law school, Ms. Rodriguez was involved with Hispanic Organization of Legal Advocates and the treasurer for Help Save the Next Girl, an organization advocating for human trafficking victims. Ms. Rodriguez also volunteered her time as a guardian ad litem in Hillsborough county. Prior to law school, Ms. Rodriguez received her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with Magna Cum Laude Honors from Mississippi Valley State University where she was also a student-athlete and involved in various academic honor societies. Ms. Rodriguez is a member and is licensed in North Carolina.

Gabrielle Becker is a sexual assault civil trial attorney at D. Miller & Associates, PLLC. A San Antonio native, she graduated from South Texas College of Law in Houston and Texas State University. She is bilingual in Spanish and English. Her career includes prosecuting criminal cases, family violence, internet crimes against children, and aggravated assaults at the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, and sexual abuse crimes at the Comal County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. She secured several life sentences for sexual abuse crimes.

Daniel E. Hopper

Fargo, ND

Daniel earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota with a double major in Political Science and History. He went on to complete his Juris Doctor degree at the University of North Dakota School of Law, graduating with distinction. Daniel is the firm's primary attorney in Minnesota for criminal defense cases and is licensed and practices in all courts in the states of North Dakota and Minnesota, as well as Federal Courts of North Dakota and Minnesota.