Spanish-Speaking Attorneys

Jennifer Felipe

Miami, FL

Jennifer Felipe is the owner and founder of Felipe Law. She is a lawyer who is board-certified in construction law. She handles personal injury and construction law cases, offering personalized attention to clients. She is fluent in Spanish.

Dale E. Ellsworth

Lehi, UT

Dale E. Ellsworth is an associate attorney with Anderson & Rogers. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in international relations and received his law degree from the University of La Verne. He is licensed to practice law in California, District of Columbia, and Utah. Over the past five years, he has successfully represented clients in a variety of cases including Adoption, Child Support, Contract Disputes, Custody, Divorce, Eviction, Guardianship, Personal Injury, Probate, Real Estate Disputes, and Shelter Hearings. He speaks Spanish.

Patrick M. Groom

Greeley, CO

Patrick joined Witwer, Oldenburg, Barry & Groom in 1996. Since then he has represented a wide variety of clients, from individuals to institutions, in a wide variety of civil matters, from litigation to complex transactions. Patrick is the Public Administrator of Weld County and speaks both Spanish and French.

Veroly Calderone

Arlington Heights, IL

Veroly Calderone is an associate attorney at Newland & Newland, LLP. Veroly’s practice focuses on tort litigation representing plaintiffs in personal injury and workers’ compensation cases. She is dedicated to advocating for individuals who have been harmed, ensuring they receive the compensation they deserve. Prior to practicing law, Veroly worked at a clinical research institute that specializes in the rehabilitation of electric shock survirors. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Veroly enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, cycling, and running with her dog. ¡Veroly habla español!

Jeffrey A. Sheare is an experienced trial lawyer at Liss & Marion, P.C., dedicated to representing individuals with debilitating injuries. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Temple University and his law degree from Western Michigan University, Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Jeff is admitted to practice law in Oklahoma and has a diverse background in criminal defense and personal injury law, transitioning to a prominent 'Big Law' firm in 2017.

Richard Smith

Greenville, SC

In his 30 years of practicing law, Richard Smith has always fought for the working person, never representing insurance companies or large corporations. His philosophy is to fight for what is fair. He has handled personal injury, vehicle collision, workers’ compensation, and social security disability cases in Upstate SC for 30+ years and Western NC for 25+ years, offering clients the advantage of familiarity with local doctors and juries. Each case is personally handled by Richard or his partner, Scott. Coming from a working-class family, Richard understands the value of hard work and money, and is committed to helping injured individuals receive the compensation they deserve.

Dalia Astalos

San Diego, CA

Dalia Astalos is an Associate Attorney at Hoffman & Forde, with practice areas including Real Estate Litigation, Commercial and Residential Landlord-Tenant law, Personal Injury claims, Disability, and Insurance Law. She has a background interning for the District Attorney and Public Defender’s Office and working for the San Diego City Attorney's Office.

Rodrigo Arcuri

New York, NY

Mr. Arcuri joined the firm in April of 2013. However, since 2009, Mr. Arcuri has dedicated his legal practice to assisting disabled individuals secure all of the benefits they are entitled to. Mr. Arcuri specializes in the areas of workers compensation, social security disability and New York State disability retirement cases. Mr. Arcuri has extensive courtroom litigation, deposition and negotiation experience in all facets of his specialized areas of practice. Mr. Arcuri is also fluent in Spanish to help you better understand your rights. Mr. Arcuri dedicated his practice to disability matters after seeing first hand how a work related injury and disability impacted a close family member. Mr. Arcuri is sympathetic to the complications and stresses that are created by these injuries. When not furthering the plight of the disabled individual, Mr. Arcuri enjoys both watching and participating in sports. Mr. Arcuri is an avid fan of the New York Giants and Buffalo Sabres. Additionally, Mr. Arcuri enjoys attending live music events.

William H. Kotar

Akron, OH

William “Bill” Kotar, a seasoned civil trial attorney, recently joined HCP’s general litigation group. With over twenty years of experience, Bill has successfully handled a wide range of issues, including automobile, construction, consumer sales practice act claims, product liability, landlord tenant, bodily injury and wrongful death. His experience extends to both defense and prosecution of insurance subrogation actions, making him a versatile and reliable legal professional. No one wants to be a defendant in a lawsuit. Bill understands that his client’s involvement in litigation was often due to no fault of their own. Every case has different fact patterns with unique individuals. Bill views the attorney-client relationship as a cooperative process in which open lines of communication between the lawyer and the lawyer’s client increase the likelihood of a positive outcome. Litigation is a foreign arena for most of his clients, and his goal is to help guide them through the intricacies of the legal process and keep his clients timely advised of developments in their case. He strives to provide his clients with legal analysis, which empowers them to make informed decisions regarding the outcome of their individual case. Bill is a native of northeast Ohio and attended Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. After high school, he served in the United States Army. He attended the University of Akron and received a B.S. in Labor Economics. He then graduated from law school at the Cleveland Marshall College of Law.

Patricia Garcia Pantaleon

Maspeth, NY

Patricia Garcia Pantaleon is a Trial Lawyer at Musa-Obregon Law PC, focusing on immigration, criminal, and civil cases. She represents clients in New York and New Jersey courts, including immigration, criminal, and family courts. Prior to joining the firm, she worked as a public defender in Louisiana, specializing in immigration status. She earned her Master of Law in Criminal Law from the University at Buffalo Law School and her Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) from Universidad Iberoamericana in the Dominican Republic. She is a member of the New York Bar Association.

Philip J. Velez

Maspeth, NY

Philip J. Velez is a Trial Attorney at Musa-Obregon Law PC, primarily handling complex immigration cases involving waivers, appeals, and motions to reopen. He represents clients in New York and New Jersey, and other regions of the United States, dealing with asylum applications and cases based on the Geneva Convention. He earned his Juris Doctor from Hofstra University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland. He is fluent in Spanish and a member of the New York Bar Association.

Aimee E. Sportini

Hartford, CT

Attorney Aimee E. Sportini is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac University School of Law. During her time at Quinnipiac, she was an associate editor of the Probate Law Journal and was an active member in the Human Trafficking Prevention Project. Her practice is focused on the areas of personal injury and workers' compensation. Attorney Sportini is involved in all aspects of the firm's cases from intake to resolution, including negotiating settlements and through litigation. She is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, including the Litigation Section, Young Lawyer's Section and Workers’ Compensation Section. She is also involved in the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, the American Bar Association and the American Association for Justice. Attorney Sportini loves spending time in the gym and trying new restaurants and enjoys returning to her hometown of Stratford, CT to spend time with her family.

Barbara Melendez

Salt Lake City, UT

Barbara chairs the firm’s Immigration Law practice group. She focuses primarily on family and employment immigration, as well as employment immigration compliance matters. She represents multi-national corporations, educational institutions, religious organizations, and employers on all immigration-related matters including inter-company transfers, temporary and permanent work visas, and investment visas.

Luciano Oliveira

Frisco, TX

Mr. Oliveira is an attorney licensed in Texas and California. His experience in personal injury and litigation has helped clients like you get the compensation they deserved.

Oscar H. Lopez

Brownsville, TX

Oscar H. Lopez was born and raised in Robstown, Texas. After graduating magna cum laude from Texas A&M University, he worked as a legislative aide. He then attended the University of Texas School of Law, graduating in 1998 with Honors, and entered private practice in 1999.

Armando J. Córdova

Pearland, TX

Armando Córdova is a managing attorney at J.D. Silva & Associates, focusing on personal injury litigation. He has nearly 10 years of experience in the legal industry, handling civil litigation and criminal defense. He is a bilingual Houstonian, serving both Spanish and English-speaking clients. His experience includes an internship with the Harris County Attorney’s Office, providing him with valuable courtroom and investigative insight.

Jean-Paul C. Lundy

Beverly Hills, CA

Jean-Paul holds a J.D. from Trinity Law School and is the Business Director at Etehad Law, APC. His focus is on the firm’s operational systems, business development, litigation management, and third-party referrals. While in law school, Jean-Paul studied East African and Humanitarian Law in Mukono, Uganda, studied at the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, and led a team in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in presenting on the challenges facing the fight against human trafficking in the western region of the United States. Prior to joining Etehad Law, Jean-Paul honed his skills helping plaintiffs in construction defect, sexual abuse, insurance bad faith, and pandemic-related business interuption cases. He also attained tremendous respect for defense work while working at a medical malpractice defense firm. While on the defense side, Jean-Paul prepared for trial and acquired invaluable knowledge from some of the most renowned medical malpractice defense attorneys in California.

Jonathan O. Peña

Fresno, CA

Jonathan has assisted disabled individuals for over a decade. First as a paralegal at a disability office, and then as a solo practitioner. Jonathan’s office is supported by seven legal assistants and two clerks. Jonathan was raised in the city of Sanger, California in Fresno County. His migrant parents instilled in him the notion that we all deserve compassion, decency, and the ability to live with dignity. His parents aimed to teach him the very common lesson in migrant communities: work hard and study even harder. Jonathan worked during the summers and winter vacations in the chili fields and grape vineyards. Jonathan attended Fresno City College and then transferred to Fresno Pacific University where he obtained a Bachelors Degree in Organizational Leadership. He then attended San Joaquin College of Law where he obtained a Juris Doctor degree. Jonathan has a long history of advocating for the underprivileged. While attending Fresno Pacific University and the San Joaquin College of Law, Jonathan assisted disabled children and adults applying and appealing for Social Security benefits. After law school, Jonathan continued his fight to serve those who need it the most. The Social Security Administration is bound to many regulations and internal instructions that often go ignored. Social Security often denies valid claims. Sometimes, claimants feel that if the agency denied it once, they are likely to deny it again. That is just not true. Social Security has a very high reversal rate once the case reaches the Hearing Level. The ability to navigate the minefield of Social Security law can be the difference between a never ending cycle of denials and a favorable decision, allowing a claimant to move forward with his / her life. As a solo practitioner, and as a partner in the Peña & Bromberg office, Jonathan has used technology to provide a modern approach to representation, utilizing legal research tools. At the offices of Peña & Bromberg, the staff is required to be well versed in the area of Social Security law. Jonathan provides ongoing continuing legal education opportunities for his staff. Jonathan has previously stated, “My primary focus is helping the disabled apply or appeal for disability benefits under the Social Security Act or for Veterans Disability benefits. I represent disabled children, adults, workers, veterans, and the vulnerable. I do not charge my clients any upfront fees. We work harder than any firm because we use technology to the advantage of our clients. Our attorneys are well versed in the regulations that govern Social Security law and push for the enforcement of the regulations and administration instructions that the agencies too often ignore. We believe that a disabled individual already faces so many barriers, the law should be the vehicle by which the quality of life is improved, not made worse.” The fight for Social Security benefits is a long one. Jonathan believes that having a well prepared attorney by a claimant’s side is the best way to approach the Social Security Administration.

Cynthia A. Braun

Santa Fe, NM

After graduating from the George Washington University School of Law in 1991, Cynthia A. Braun moved to the Land of Enchantment and embraced the culture and the people. While she started her career with an insurance defense firm, Cynthia later switched to plaintiff’s work to help folks who have been injured by negligent wrongdoers. Cynthia practices in both New Mexico and Arizona, handling cases ranging from motor vehicle crashes to nursing home neglect/abuse and medical malpractice.

Elizabeth F. Echavarria

San Antonio, TX

Elizabeth Francine Echavarria was born and raised on the Texas-Mexico border in Del Rio, Texas. She graduated from Del Rio High School in 1996. She completed her undergraduate career at the University of Texas at Austin and graduated in December 1999 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism. After working for four years in the financial industry with Charles Schwab, she decided to pursue her law degree and enrolled in law school at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. During her time in law school, she worked with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid and the Bexar County Battered Women’s Shelter. Elizabeth graduated from St. Mary’s Law School in May 2007 with a Juris Doctorate and was licensed to practice in November that same year. Elizabeth began her legal career as a prosecutor for the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office in 2008, where she worked until 2010. Since then, she has focused her practice on immigration law, primarily in the areas of legalization, citizenship, and work visas. During her career she has also been involved in pro-bono events to encourage and assist lawful permanent residents to become U.S. citizens. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and licensed to practice in the United States District Court of the Western District of Texas. She has been a guest presenter for various events, including the Bexar County Paralegal’s Association and Boerne Bar Association to provide information on current issues and changes to immigration law in the United States. Elizabeth is a compassionate and dedicated attorney who loves her work helping the immigrant community and their families.

Jadeann B. Martinez

Dallas, TX

As a first-generation Mexican American woman, Jadeann B. Martinez has always had a passion to help those in need, especially the Hispanic community as they are often underrepresented. Jadeann began her legal career working in immigration law, where she advocated for individuals in immigration court and before other immigration officials. Her desire to help others has prompted her to expand into other areas of law, namely personal injury, as she believes it is important that those who have been injured have access to proper representation, regardless of background, socio-economic status, or upbringing. As a Spanish speaker, Jadeann can effectively communicate with clients about their needs or concerns.

Lauren Dayani is an attorney at Dayani Law Firm, specializing in personal injury law. She began her career as a trial attorney at the Attorney General’s Office, handling cases of child abuse and neglect. In 2014, she transitioned to private practice focusing on personal injury, guiding clients through insurance complexities and advocating for fair resolutions. She joined Dayani Law Firm in 2018, working alongside her husband Andre. Her legal style is direct and focused, aiming for efficient and optimal client outcomes. She is communicative and responsive, ensuring cases are handled promptly.

Matthew Hillix is a trial lawyer dedicated to advocating for injured victims, having recovered millions for clients. He earned his B.A. from UC San Diego in 2010 and his J.D. from Loyola Law School in 2015, graduating with honors. He is a member of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, and the American Association for Justice.

Michael J. Guerra

Brownsville, TX

Michael J. Guerra was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. He attended Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Science with a focus on Criminal Justice in 2007. Shortly after, he attended Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 2011. Upon passing the Texas Bar, Mr. Guerra returned home to Brownsville to serve the people of his community as an Assistant District Attorney at the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office. During his tenure at the District Attorney’s Office, Mr. Guerra handled, prepared, and tried various criminal matters ranging from Class C Misdemeanors up to Capital Felonies. Mr. Guerra ultimately became the Chief Felony Prosecutor for Judge Janet Leal of the 103rd Judicial District Court in Cameron County. Mr. Guerra joined Lawler • Leandro in June 2018. Since joining Lawler • Leandro, he has become an effective and respected advocate, managing a docket of approximately 70 cases. Mr. Guerra handles motor vehicle accidents, premises liability cases, trucking cases, construction defect lawsuits and medical malpractice lawsuits. Mr. Guerra has been a member of the Cameron County Young Lawyers Association as well as a Board Member of the Cameron County Bar Association. Mr. Guerra is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Mr. Guerra is also fluent in Spanish.