Portuguese-Speaking Attorneys

Stephanie A. Casey

Coral Gables, FL

Stephanie A. Casey is a skilled litigator and Partner at Colson Hicks Eidson with over 15 years of experience, focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions, and False Claims Act cases. She represents clients in Florida, New York, and Washington, DC, and has a proven track record of success, including securing $450 million in judgments under the Helms Burton Act and a multi-million-dollar judgment for Brazilian investors. She is recognized by Chambers USA and serves in leadership roles in various legal organizations.

Ana Barros

Cranston, RI

Ana brings a wealth of experience and an incredible work ethic to our team. She is fluent in both Portuguese and Spanish and takes pride in ensuring non-native English speakers have the same access to justice as anyone else. She was born in Portugal and immigrated to the U.S. as a child. Since then, Ana has shown exceptional dedication to her professional and academic pursuits. Ana graduated with honors, cum laude, from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts. After that, she earned her Juris Doctorate from New England Law School | Boston, where she made the Dean's List and graduated in Spring 2024. While in law school, Ana also gained hands-on experience working full-time as a Paralegal for an Immigration, Workers Compensation, and Personal Injury law firm located in Massachusetts. She successfully resolved cases while simultaneously managing her law school courses. Ana's passion for helping the underserved, coupled with her diverse background and unwavering commitment, aligns perfectly with our firm's values.

Brooke J. Elmi

Philadelphia, PA

Brooke Elmi is a Partner at Galfand Berger, LLP, focusing on personal injury matters including products liability, construction accidents, premises liability, and automobile accidents. Since joining in 2018, she has achieved numerous high-value recoveries for injured clients. She successfully argued before the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in Merino v. Repak, B.V. Brooke is fluent in Spanish and conversant in Portuguese, effectively representing diverse clients. She has been recognized on Super Lawyer Magazine’s Rising Stars list.

Orlando Echeverria

Boynton Beach, FL

Orlando Echeverria, born in Cuba, is an Associate Litigation Attorney. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida International University and a JD from Ave Maria School of Law. He specializes in personal injury law and is fluent in English and Spanish, and conversational in Portuguese.

Paul Michael Sahady

Fall River, MA

Paul Michael Sahady is a Partner at Sahady Associates, focusing on personal injury and criminal defense. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1994.

Attorney Christian M. Petrucci is the founder and owner of the Law Offices Of Christian Petrucci. He devotes his practice to workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability law, and advises employees on employment discrimination. With over 20 years of experience, he has secured substantial settlements for clients. He is a monthly columnist for The Legal Intelligencer and has served as co-chair for the workers’ compensation section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer, by U.S. News and World Report (Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms), and received an AV Preeminent Peer Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He speaks Italian fluently and is conversational in Portuguese and Spanish.

John Q. Kelly

Greenwich, CT

Subsequent to his landmark verdict as lead attorney for the Estate of Nicole Brown Simpson in its wrongful death action against O.J. Simpson, John Q. Kelly continues to successfully handle matters that receive national and international coverage, most recently representing President Donald J. Trump in his lawsuits against the major social media companies. Kelly has a reputation as a meticulous, no-nonsense litigator, schooled in the nuances of physical, forensic, and circumstantial evidence, battle-tested in the courtroom on countless occasions, and seasoned by 30 years of deftly interacting with the media.

Carolina Abarca Schottland

Crystal Lake, IL

Carolina Abarca Schottland brings almost twenty years of legal practice throughout McHenry, Boone, Winnebago, Cook and Kane Counties, focusing on general Civil Litigation, Workers’ Compensation and Personal Injury. She is also an adjunct Professor at McHenry County College teaching Business Law and is certified as a judge for municipal administrative proceedings. She graduated as a Chancellor’s Scholar from the University of Illinois with an undergraduate degree in Economics and received her Juris Doctor cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law. She is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

Patricia Cruz Fragoso

Danbury, CT

Patricia Cruz Fragoso is a trial attorney and immigrant to the United States, dedicated to seeking justice for those unjustly harmed. She navigates clients through the civil justice system, relates to them in their own language, and advocates for them in court. She has been recognized as a 'Rising Star' by Super Lawyers since 2012 and has secured significant verdicts and settlements for her clients.

Andrea Mazuera

Lake Mary, FL

Andrea Mazuera is a unique legal professional combining medical and legal expertise. A former Medical Doctor and Pediatrician in Colombia, she later attended Barry University’s Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, graduating Magna Cum Laude and was admitted to the Florida Bar. She founded the Law Office of Andrea Mazuera, LLC, leveraging her dual background to secure fair compensation for personal injury clients.

Peter J. Eliopoulos

New York, NY

Peter J. Eliopoulos has 20 years of experience in personal injury law, battling for clients injured by negligence. With a B.A. in Philosophy from Boston University and a J.D. from Albany Law School, along with a background in marketing and insurance defense, he possesses critical skills for effective representation, including achieving 7-figure results. He is a skilled negotiator and litigator, known for his creativity, wit, and meticulous preparation in court and out.

Maria F. Deaton

Providence, RI

Maria F. Deaton has over 15 years of experience as a litigator, serving as a criminal prosecutor in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. She handled major felony cases, including narcotics, motor vehicle homicides, domestic violence, and sexual assault. She also worked as a Special Assistant Attorney General in Rhode Island, focusing on domestic violence, narcotics, and firearms cases. Later, she opened her own law firm in Arizona, handling personal injury, divorce, child support, child custody, and criminal issues. She has taught at the RI State Police Academy, Providence Police Municipal Academy, and Roger Williams University School of Law.

Scott P. Card is a founding partner with over 22 years of experience, primarily practicing in wrongful death, personal injury, criminal defense, and divorce mediation. He has recovered millions for injured clients and boasts a mediation success rate exceeding 90%. He is also a part-time professor at Brigham Young University and actively involved in local education and community service.

Nelia M. DeStefano

Fall River, MA

Nelia M. DeStefano is the managing partner and Chief Financial Officer for Brian Cunha & Associates, with 25 years of experience. She concentrates her practice in personal injury law and is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She is also Portuguese-speaking.

Samir Hadeed

Pittsburgh, PA

Samir Hadeed is a Pittsburgh criminal and injury lawyer with over 15 years of experience, practicing since 2008. He is a multilingual advocate, fluent in English, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, and Italian, ensuring clear communication and personalized legal guidance for his clients. Known for his compassionate, client-focused service and calculated legal strategies, he is dedicated to fighting for fair treatment and achieving results in criminal defense, personal injury, auto accidents, and traffic ticket cases.

Jeffrey I. Amtman is an attorney admitted to the bar in New York and New Jersey, with over 32 years of experience helping injured people. He is a member of the New Jersey Association for Justice, American Association for Justice, National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives, and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He has also been recognized as a NJ Super Lawyer multiple times.

Americo S. Ventura

Danbury, CT

Americo S. Ventura was the founding partner of Ventura Law, establishing the firm in 1957. He provided legal services built on compassionate service and community giving, and was known for his dedication to helping immigrants navigate the legal system. He was a pioneer in bringing diversity to the local legal profession, hiring the city's first female attorney and first African-American attorney. He continued to practice law until his passing in 2017.

Charles Wade

West Palm Beach, FL

Charles Wade is an attorney in the firm’s Workers Compensation Division. He graduated from Florida Southern College in 2005 and Barry University School of Law in 2013, where he was the Executive Editor of Environmental Law Journal. Since joining the firm in 2014, Charles has exclusively represented injured workers, achieving a high success rate in trials. He is a member of the Robert McAliley Inns of Court, the Palm Beach Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and the National Huguenot Society.

Nicholas "Nick" Denzer

McAllen, TX

Nick Denzer was born in San Antonio, Texas and raised in Beeville and The Woodlands, Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Toledo College of Law, where he was on the Dean’s List and received a top-ranking honor in International and Domestic Arbitration. During law school, Nick was also an associate member and articles editor for the University of Toledo Law Review. Nick received his B.A. from Brigham Young University in Utah. He is also a licensed attorney in Colorado. Prior to moving to the valley, Nick worked as a volunteer attorney in the University of Denver’s Low Income Taxpayer Clinic. Nick works as a trial attorney on wide ranging issues in the areas of civil litigation, insurance defense, and personal injury defense. Nick has also handled appeals to the Texas Supreme Court and 13th Court of Appeals. He has experience in the tax law field and works with cases involving the IRS. When he's not at the office, Nick enjoys watching English Premier League soccer, traveling and volunteering with his local church. Nick and his wife have three children and are happy to call south Texas home.

Jeff Bier

Chicago, IL

I believe in doing what is right, especially what is right for my clients. One of the most important things I can do for you is be available. At Carlson Bier, you will not get passed off to a secretary, paralegal, or some other gatekeeper. You will have my number, so you can call anytime you need guidance. As your personal injury attorney, I will do everything in my power to return your call the same day, showing you the respect you deserve. My primary motivation for practicing law as a personal injury attorney is the positive impact that I can have on people. In the practice of law, when I speak with someone facing a problem, I can immediately have an impact by listening and providing advice. And, at the conclusion of a case, when I have negotiated or litigated a favorable outcome for my client, I have positively influenced the rest of their life. It is very gratifying to know that I have helped someone achieve justice and have a more secure future. I thought about going to law school for a long time. Because I had such a great deal of life experience between undergraduate and law school, I had the opportunity to work with lawyers, both from a corporate standpoint and necessitated by personal need. Getting to know these professionals and understand the work they were doing and how they helped people, including me, provided me with inspiration to become an attorney.

Antonio Fernandes

Danbury, CT

Antonio Fernandes is a problem-solver who helps clients with difficult legal problems, including personal injury, real estate transactions, business formation, and estate planning. He ensures clients preserve their assets through wills, trusts, and advance directives. He previously interned at Ventura Law before joining as an attorney.

Christopher Ross

Salt Lake City, UT

Chris Ross was born in Ogden, Utah, and raised in nearby Hooper, Utah. Chris has been constantly involved in litigation work. During law school, he worked for the Harris County Attorney's office in Houston, Texas. He also worked for the Galveston County District Attorney's office. Chris then worked in the Houston area focusing on personal injury, insurance defense, real property, and family law issues. His practice in Utah is dedicated to family law, criminal defense, civil litigation, and real estate law.

Laura Schultes

Cedar Rapids, IA

Laura Schultes is an attorney at RSH Legal, motivated by the resilience of clients and the opportunity to shape law for greater fairness. She holds a J.D. from the University of Arizona (2009) and has a background in human rights work in South America. She is fluent in Spanish and has reading ability in Portuguese.