Portuguese-Speaking Attorneys

Elizete Velado

Sarasota, FL

A member of the Florida Bar since 2012, Elizete Velado initially decided to become an attorney because she viewed it as an opportunity to work on behalf of disenfranchised individuals. She continues this pursuit at Mallard Perez by protecting the legal rights of those who have been severely injured and are being mistreated by an insurance company. She works hard to secure the best outcome possible for her clients and is in the process of working towards board certification in Civil Trial Law. Elizete earned her Bachelor of Arts from Florida State University and later earned her Juris Doctor with Honors from Florida State University College of Law. As a law student, Elizete used her strong leadership ability to excel in academics. She earned two “Book Awards,” a distinction given to the student that achieved the highest grade in a particular class. She also worked as an editor for the FSU Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law and was recognized as an Outstanding Articles & Notes Editor in her third and final year. An accomplished writer, Elizete is published in the FSU Journal of Transnational Law and Policy and has contributed to trade publications including the Florida Justice Association’s FJA Journal. Her first few years of practice focused on legal writing and research for complex insurance bad faith and catastrophic injury cases at both the trial and appellate level. Since then, she has transitioned to a more active role in litigating these types of cases and more, where her writing skills and ability to craft legal arguments serve her and her clients well. Her personal injury practice includes motor vehicle accident, premises liability, wrongful death, institutional child abuse, and sexual assault cases. Elizete is fluent in Portuguese and continues to improve her working knowledge of Spanish. She is an active “Eagle Member” of the Florida Justice Association and President of the Sarasota Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers. She is an active member of the Judge John M. Scheb American Inn of Court, an organization that promotes and recognizes professionalism in the practice of law, and the Sarasota Bar Association. Currently, Elizete is licensed to practice before all Florida state courts, the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

John M. Alston

Mesa, AZ

John Alston is a partner with Smith Alston Darner & Lee. Mr. Alston received a Bachelor of Science in Management from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. After which, he attended Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas, and then returned to Arizona to actively practice law. Mr. Alston was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona in 2005. He is admitted to practice in the Arizona Supreme Court, Arizona Court of Appeals and the United States District Court of Arizona. Mr. Alston is a member of the Arizona Association for Justice/Arizona Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Alston served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Mr. Alston is a native of Arizona and is actively involved in his community. Mr. Alston served as a Town Councilman for the Town of Queen Creek, Arizona, from 2010 to 2012, and in the capacity of Judge Pro Tem for the Maricopa County Superior Court in 2012. Mr. Alston speaks Spanish and Portuguese. Mr. Alston is married and has three children.

Robert K. Weinberg

Los Angeles, CA

Robert K. Weinberg is an experienced defense attorney and former prosecutor specializing in professional license defense, criminal and DUI defense, and federal criminal defense. He has handled over 5,000 cases and over 100 jury trials, and is fluent in Spanish, Italian, Hebrew, and Portuguese.

Alex Senft

Dania Beach, FL

Alex Senft is a personal injury lawyer at The Law Offices of Scott Jay Senft, part of a multilingual team serving clients in English, Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese.

Scott Senft

Dania Beach, FL

Scott Senft is a personal injury lawyer and the founder of The Law Offices of Scott Jay Senft, with over 30 years of experience helping accident victims recover compensation. He is part of a multilingual team serving clients in English, Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese.

Giovanna Mabile

New York City, NY

Prior to working at Merson Law, Ms. Mabile was a lawyer in Brazil working for the government, as a judicial law clerk. Ms. Mabile then came to the United States and earned her law degree from Brooklyn Law School. She is licensed to practice law in the State of New York. Giovanna frequently appears in Court, taking and defending depositions on wrongful death, birth injury and child abuse cases. The cases are very challenging for the client and Ms. Mabile offers compassion to her clients, but is also a zealous advocate on their behalf.

Michael Orozco focuses most of his practice in complex commercial litigation, criminal defense, franchise law and personal injury claims at both the federal and state level. He is an experienced trial attorney and has been lead counsel in over 50 trials, most of them jury trials, in both federal and state court, in both criminal and civil proceedings. Michael is also an experienced transactional attorney, having represented a multitude of businesses in the purchase or sale of assets. He has represented multi-national corporations in complex civil matters, individuals charged under federal and state criminal statutes, and the victims of catastrophic accidents suffering from permanent and debilitating injuries. Michael believes that every case is different, and there is no common road to success other than aggressive and proactive representation. Michael has achieved tremendous success in New Jersey as well as New York, where his is also admitted. Past and recent success stories include: (1)back to back hung juries in New York federal criminal court in one of the highest profile first amendment cases in recent history; (2) sentence of probation for a doctor charged in federal criminal court with violations of the anti-kickback statutes; (3) successful civil suit against insurance company to compel coverage for property loss due to client’s fire at home; (4) not guilty verdict for a client charged with murder; (5) $720,000 settlement in slip and fall case; (6) sentence of probation for client who was charged with first degree armed robbery and who was subject to 20 years of incarceration; (7) dismissal of murder charges against client after filing motions to suppress; (8) dismissal of civil complaint against construction company alleging millions of dollars of damage by plaintiff/homeowner; (9) dismissal of second degree charges for maintaining a drug manufacturing facility; (10) dismissal of civil suit against former employee alleging theft of millions of dollars and breach of contract, and; (11) non prosecution of client who faced potential charges for millions of dollars in financial crimes under federal tax laws. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the New Jersey Supreme Court. Michael has also argued before the New Jersey Appellate Division, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the New Jersey Supreme Court. In 2019 Michael prevailed in his argument before the New Jersey Supreme Court in State v. Fede, resulting in the Court vacating his client’s conviction despite it having been affirmed in three prior appeals. Prior to joining Price, Meese, Shulman & D’Arminio, P.C., Michael was a partner in a small practice in Newark, concentrating in personal injury, business formation and representation and criminal defense. In addition to being admitted in the states of New Jersey and New York, Michael is admitted to practice in numerous federal courts across the country. He frequently travels across the country to give his clients first hand assistances in their legal matters. He has over a dozen years of legal experience, beginning with a judicial clerkship for the Honorable Thomas O’Brien, where he saw numerous trials first hand and assisted in crafting legal opinions regarding issues of law.

Mr. Sommerfeld's practice areas include insurance disputes law, business litigation, and personal injury. He is also an author and instructor on trial advocacy.

Robert Anthony Alvarez

Wyoming, MI

Robert Alvarez co-founded Avanti Law Group in 2010. He is a seasoned litigator with over two decades of courtroom experience, focusing on employment law, civil RICO, immigration and deportation defense, federal criminal defense, and general civil litigation. He is admitted in Michigan and multiple federal jurisdictions, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He is bilingual (English/Spanish and some Brazilian Portuguese) and has been recognized as Hispanic Person of the Year for his leadership in civil rights litigation.

Matthew Viveiros

New Bedford, MA

Matthew Viveiros is a graduate of the Roger Williams University School of Law and Providence College. Attorney Viveiros has been admitted to practice in both state and federal courts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He specializes in the representation of injured seamen and their families, Jones Act and wrongful death claims, injured construction workers in both workers’ compensation and third-party liability claims, individuals injured in motor vehicle accidents, and other accident claims. Attorney Viveiros is also fluent in Portuguese.

Daniel Benchimol

Orlando, FL

Daniel Benchimol, a first-generation Brazilian-American, was born in Miami, Florida. He earned a B.A. in Philosophy from Florida International University and a Juris Doctorate from Florida Coastal School of Law. After working as a certified legal intern and then with the Public Defender’s Office, where he represented over 3,000 clients and conducted jury trials, he began representing injured individuals. He joined The Pendas Law Firm in March of 2021, focusing on personal injury cases.

Spencer Slater

Colorado Springs, CO

Spencer Slater is a trial attorney and a personal injury and criminal defense lawyer at Newby Lindley Slater. He is dedicated to defending clients' rights and advocating for those accused criminally. He previously worked as a financial adviser before graduating from Creighton University School of Law. He served as an El Paso County prosecutor, handling cases from domestic violence to murder, and was a member of the vehicular homicide team and white-collar crimes unit. He fluently speaks, reads, and writes Portuguese.

Kyle Wunderli

Dana Point, CA

Kyle J Wunderli is a California native whose life pursuits are driven by a love for learning, people, and a passion for sports and adventure. He established Wunderli Injury Law, PC, in Dana Point, California, driven by a commitment to support personal injury victims, particularly those with brain or spinal injuries. His firm represents the culmination of his expertise and provides a platform for serving the community he holds dear. Known for his competitive spirit and passion for advocacy, he is dedicated to championing the rights of others.

Jack D. Franks

Marengo, IL

Jack D. Franks wanted to be an attorney since he was ten years old, inspired by his father Herb and Clarence Darrow. He values helping people stand up for their rights and fighting against strenuous odds. He has a background in multinational and commercial litigation and extensive federal court experience. Jack also served as Chairman of the State Bank Group and was the first elected Chairman of the McHenry County Board. He was also an Illinois State Representative and Chairman of the State Government Administration Committee of the House of Representatives, instrumental in the impeachment of former Governor Blagojevich.

Todd has lived in Oregon for more than 35 years and graduated from Sandy High School in Sandy, Oregon. After high school, he lived in Brazil for two years as a missionary for his church. He became fluent in Portuguese and grew to love hard work and service to others. He attended Rick’s College in Idaho and then finished his undergraduate degree in psychology at Portland State University. Todd attended Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon. While in law school, Todd worked on cases ranging from probate and family law to criminal defense and personal injury. After law school, Todd was an associate at a firm in Salem and personally worked on and settled more than 1,600 cases involving slip and fall accidents, auto accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death and other serious personal injury matters. In 2012, Todd partnered with Ryan Johnson to form Johnson & Taylor, LLC. Todd focuses on personal injury and wrongful death cases. He is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic advocate who thrives on helping clients through their problems. Todd enjoys spending time with his wife and four kids (and three young grandchildren) while hiking, caring for their backyard pond, and watching sports. He is trying to learn how to golf, too! He has enjoyed some international and domestic travel including two humanitarian trips with two of his kids to the Amazon River to help build schools in the outskirts of Santarem, Brazil.

Jaime Aird

Orlando, FL

Jaime brings to the Sekou Clarke Law Group a tenacious spirit for litigation and trained eye for detail. Having attained his Bachelor of Business Administration at the Florida International University and his Master of Business Administration at Nova Southeastern University, Jaime set his sights on the law. At the Florida International University College of Law Jaime was exposed to varies aspects of the law through opportunities to assist others in the FIU pro bono clinic, where he spent countless hours giving back to those who could not afford to pay for legal services. After graduating Jaime entered into the legal world as a prosecutor, first at the West Palm Beach State Attorney's Office, then later at the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. After learning, training, and fighting for the State of Florida, Jaime decided to enter private practice. Jaime took all of his training and experience and started the Law Offices of Jaime A. Aird, P.A., where he practices criminal defense, driving under the influence, immigration and personal injury in South Florida.

Anthony J. Vignier

Kearny, NJ

Anthony J. Vignier has been practicing law since 1991, specializing in Bankruptcy, Real Estate Transactions, Wills, Estate Planning and Probate, and traffic matters. He is also a Certified Financial Planner, offering clients legal representation, asset and income protection strategies, and investment guidance.

Suzette A. Ferreira

Milford, MA

Attorney Suzette A. Ferreira was born on February 23, 1973 and is a life-long resident of Milford, Massachusetts. She attended Milford Public School and graduated from Milford High School in 1991. After high school, she attended Boston College where she graduated with Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 1995. While at Boston College, she was a Dean’s List student. In 1997, she accepted a position at Fidelity Investments in Smithfield, Rhode Island where she worked until October of 2001. Her last position there was a policy business analyst. In the fall of 2001, she became the New Construction Manager at D & F Afonso Builders, Inc. in Milford, a position which she held until July, 2006. While working full-time in that position, she enrolled as a student at Suffolk University Law School. She graduated as a Dean’s List student with a Juris Doctor Degree in 2005. Attorney Ferreira was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 2006 and on July 10, 2006, she accepted a position as an associate attorney with Consigli and Brucato, P.C. She is fluent in the Portuguese language and proficient in Spanish. Since joining the firm, Attorney Ferreira has involved herself in real estate, personal injury, criminal, family and workers compensation law. She has appeared in the Probate and Family Court, Superior Court, and several Massachusetts District Courts.

Ricardo Julio

San Antonio, TX

Ricardo Julio was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His family moved to the US at an early age, and he has lived in Texas ever since. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Baylor University in 2009. After graduating, Ricardo attended the night program at St. Mary’s Law School while maintaining a full-time job in Austin. At St. Mary’s, Ricardo was part of the St. Mary’s Civil Clinic where he provided pro bono representation to members of the San Antonio community for family law matters. Prior to accepting an Of Counsel position with Martinez and Associates, Ricardo was a solo practitioner representing clients in family law, estate planning, real estate, and personal injury cases. His background in medical sciences brings a unique perspective to injury cases. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Andressa Pearce Figaro

Melville, NY

Andressa Pearce Figaro is an associate attorney at Chaikin Trial Group, licensed to practice law in New York and Brazil. She focuses on personal injury litigation and is known for her aggressive litigation style and dedication to securing maximum compensation. She is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and English.

Lyle B. Masnikoff

West Palm Beach, FL

The firm is led by Mr. Lyle B. Masnikoff, who has received an “A.V. Preeminent” Rating, the highest possible rating a lawyer can receive from the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory. He graduated cum laude from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law School in 1998 and also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Nova Southeastern University. Mr. Masnikoff has represented thousands of clients throughout Florida, handling Final Hearings, Trials, Mediations, and depositions. He is a member of the Florida Bar and admitted to practice in the Middle and North Districts of the Federal Circuit Courts in Florida.

Ricardeau Lucceus

Tampa, FL

Ricardeau Lucceus is a Tampa-based personal injury attorney serving the Florida community. He earned his JD from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a Baccalaureate in Political Science from the University of South Florida. Admitted to the Florida Bar in 2019, he is known for his dedication to clients, offering services in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Creole. He is also a passionate advocate for public policy, humanitarian issues, and a published author.

Tanya P. Tambling

Oakland, CA

Tanya Tambling is a Partner at Hunter Pyle Law. Tanya was born on the East Coast to immigrant parents who came to this country after World War II. She grew up speaking three languages, Russian, German, and English, and later picked up some Japanese and Portuguese after spending time in Japan and Brazil. Tanya was a single mom when she attended and put herself through UC Davis School of Law. There, she gained invaluable practical experience working at the Immigration Clinic, competing on the Negotiations Team on a regional level, and externing at Solano County Superior Court. She also received the King Hall Certificate in Public Service. From 2016 to 2019, Tanya was recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers, an award given to the top 2.5% of lawyers in California under the age of 40. Every year since 2020, she has been recognized as a “Super Lawyer,” which is only awarded to the top 5% of attorneys in California.

Irvin Cintron

Gaithersburg, MD

Mr. Cintron is an Associate at Antezana & Antezana LLC. and a litigation attorney with more than 10 years of experience in criminal and civil representation. He has represented state and individuals in complex civil rights suits, torts, personal injury, medical malpractice, bond forfeitures, tax suits, motor vehicle accidents and workers compensation.