Spanish-Speaking Attorneys

Stephanie B. Kantor

Encino, CA

Stephanie practices exclusively in the area of labor and employment law on behalf of employers. She represents employers from a broad range of industries in litigating the entire spectrum of employment litigation matters, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour claims. Stephanie also counsels employers concerning all matters pertaining to the employment relationship and employment law compliance. She provides day-to-day advice on employment matters, including investigations, discipline, and terminations. She also represents employers in government agency investigations. Stephanie has experience preparing and opposing appeals before the California Court of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, and has argued before the California Court of Appeal. Stephanie recently had the privilege of having one of her cases go before the United States Supreme Court, where the Supreme Court affirmed the grant of summary judgment that Stephanie had achieved on behalf of her client. Stephanie was selected to the 2014-2020 Southern California Rising Stars list for excellence in the practice of law. She is conversational in Spanish, Hebrew, and Farsi.

Rhoda Daniels

Louisville, KY

Rhoda Daniels began practicing law over 30 years ago diligently representing her clients in their pursuit of disability benefits. She began her career in legal medical issues with her internship in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology on the campus of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. This internship provided insight into the legal and medical issues people face when trying to win their Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. Rhoda graduated from Boston University, received her Master’s Degree from Temple University, and her law degree from the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. She also taught at Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, George Washington University, and Catholic University, inter alia. Rhoda passed away suddenly in 2015 after having fought a battle with complications associated with diabetes. Rhoda certainly had empathy and compassion for her clients and this mindset was instilled in her practice and her employees.

Brian Banner

Mission Viejo, CA

Brian Banner has advocated for the wrongfully injured for over a decade. He has first-hand understanding of clients' experiences due to his own accident and fights aggressively for their rights.

Joseph C. Ponitz

Marengo, IL

Born and raised in Marengo, Illinois, Joe Ponitz has strong ties to the community and values providing legal help to his hometown. He was a prosecutor with the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office, gaining experience in criminal and general civil litigation. He believes in consistent open communication and speaks fluent Spanish. Joe is actively involved with his family and community, serving as an Arbitrator with the 17th Judicial Circuit and volunteering with Healing Pathways Cancer Research Foundation.

Maximillian F. Van Orden is an attorney at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton, P.A., a Maryland medical malpractice law firm. He is listed in Super Lawyers and is BV® Distinguished™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®.

Patricia M. Lee

New York, NY

Patricia M. Lee is a Senior Attorney with Urban Thier & Federer, P.A., based in the Orlando office. Her practice focuses on family and estate law, including child custody, support, alimony, equitable distribution, and international family law matters such as the Hague Convention. She has over 25 years of experience and is a referral attorney and mentor for the U.S. Department of State, Office of Children's Issues. She is a member of the Florida Bar and proficient in Spanish and German.

Seth Chastain

Seattle, WA

Seth, a shareholder in the firm, is admitted to practice in Washington. Seth’s practice focuses primarily on construction defect litigation, business disputes, general civil litigation, and commercial collections. His clients include business owners, contractors, homeowners, and material suppliers. Seth graduated law school with Cum Laude honors. Just prior to law school, Seth resided in Argentina for almost a year, where he developed his Spanish speaking abilities. During law school, Seth worked for Judicial Magistrates in Uganda, where he assisted the Magistrates in making the Ugandan court system more efficient. He also studied International Law in Johannesburg, South Africa. Super Lawyers recently named Seth to its list of Rising Stars for the second year in a row, which only recognizes no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in Washington state. Also, Seth just prevailed in a private arbitration related to a seller’s failure to comply with a contract to sell real estate to his plaintiff client.

Jeffrey Schwab

Moses Lake, WA

Jeff began working for Calbom & Schwab in 1989, first as a paralegal while attending Gonzaga Law School, then as an attorney. His work experience has always involved helping others. He has carried this desire to help other people into the practice of law. Since joining the law firm, Jeff has focused his practice on helping injured and disabled people. Jeff knows from personal experience what it is like to be disabled, having been limited to a wheelchair and a hospital bed for six consecutive months, and unable to take his first steps without a walking support device for another three months after that. Jeff understands what it is like to depend on others for just about everything from this experience as a temporarily disabled person. His passion for helping his clients is further impassioned by this experience. Jeff has litigated worker’s compensation cases all the way up to the Washington State Supreme Court. In fact, you may have even seen his oral argument at the Washington State Supreme Court when it was broadcasted on CSPAN-2. He has also litigated Social Security Disability/SSI cases from the hearing level up to the United States District Courts in Washington State. Jeff speaks English and Spanish and has recently undertaken to learn Russian. Outside of the practice of law, Jeff enjoys weightlifting, tennis, playing guitar, and landscape photography. But his biggest joy is always the time he spends with his two adult daughters and their families. And when the Seahawks play, his friends and relatives know not to try to interrupt him as he is glued to the TV and often wears a Seahawks jersey, convinced that this counts for some small percentage of their victories.

Lupe Morales

Santa Ana, CA

Lupe Morales is an attorney at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, specializing in workers' compensation for over 36 years. She practices in Southern California (Los Angeles, Orange County, Van Nuys, Pasadena, Norwalk, Long Beach, Santa Ana, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego) and Nevada. Ms. Morales was admitted to practice law in California in December 1989, after earning her Juris Doctorate from Western State University in 1987 and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Irvine in 1980. She is fluent in Spanish, enabling her to effectively communicate with the Spanish-speaking injured worker community. Her experience includes representing both plaintiffs in civil actions and self-insured employers, before exclusively representing injured workers since 1998. She is a member of the California Applicant’s Attorney Association, Orange County Bar Association (workers’ compensation section), and Latino Comp organization.

Christopher H. Morris

Louisville, KY

Christopher H. Morris is the youngest partner at Hargadon, Lenihan and Herrington, dedicating 90% of his practice to litigation. He has achieved successful results in numerous high-profile cases, earning him a certified life membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates and Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He is fluent in Spanish and licensed in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, and Wyoming.

Michelle Jaglal

Hialeah, FL

Michelle Jaglal, Esq., is an accomplished legal professional with a passion for advocating for others and facilitating positive change in her community. Her journey in the field of law began at the Miami Dade State Attorney's Office, where she dedicated a decade of service, initially in Human Resources and later as a Paralegal Specialist in the Court House Center division, assisting victims of domestic violence. Michelle completed her undergraduate studies in Criminal Justice at Florida International University. She pursued her Juris Doctorate at Western Michigan Cooley Law School, earning recognition on the Dean's List and a Certificate of Merit in Business Planning. Her personal experience with hardship, including filing for bankruptcy in 2018, provides her with a unique perspective and empathy for others facing similar challenges. Michelle has been with Del Pino and Granados since 2023, where she helps clients navigate complex financial matters. She is a member of the Florida Bar and admitted to the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Southern and Middle District of Florida.

Rodrigo E. Horna

DUBLIN, OH

Rodrigo joined Arenstein & Andersen Co., LPA as a full-time associate attorney in December 2024. Rodrigo advises clients on areas of business law, real estate, estate planning, tax, and trust and estate administration. Originally from Peru, Rodrigo is bilingual, which makes him uniquely positioned to assist the Spanish-speaking population, as well. Rodrigo focuses his business practice on mergers and acquisitions, business law, real estate, taxation, and other corporate matters. His experience includes drafting asset and equity purchase agreements, real estate purchases, lease agreements, and various business contracts. Rodrigo also has experience with entity formation, governance, operations, and general taxation matters. His estate planning practice focuses on providing legal advice and representation for individuals, families, and businesses. He represents clients in matters pertaining to trusts and wills, and trust and estate administration while advising on general aspects of federal, state, and local taxation. Prior to coming to the United States for law school, Rodrigo lived in Lima, Peru where he graduated law school at San Marcos University. He also completed a thesis dissertation focused on business succession planning in Latin American countries. While attending law school at the University of Cincinnati, he served as a research assistant for Business Associations and Property Law and served as a law clerk for a Dayton-based law firm focusing on estate planning and tax.

Erika assists the firm in commercial litigation, real estate litigation and insurance litigation. Erika’s diverse expertise encompasses both litigation and corporate matters. She is extremely accomplished in the preparation and negotiation of complex commercial projects as she handles a myriad of complex litigation cases for the firm. Erika was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida. She received her bachelor’s degree from the Florida State University and graduated with her Juris Doctorate from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center. During law school Erika worked at the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office as a Certified Legal Intern. At the SAO, Erika gained valuable trial experience and tried cases to verdict before graduating law school. Erika represents clients in litigation and real estate matters. Her expertise includes commercial litigation, general litigation, legal representation relating to the negotiation and termination of business agreements, joint ventures, partnerships and shareholder agreements, shareholder disputes, buy sell agreements, and residential and commercial real estate closings. Erika also helps the firm with complex and large scale losses involving insurance. Erika represents individuals and corporations located in the United States and Latin America both in litigated matters and corporate matters. She is fluent in English, Spanish and conversational in Hebrew. Erika is married to Brett Schlacter and they together have two beautiful children. Family is an integral part of Erika’s life and she takes the same approach when dealing with clients. Her passions include real estate and travel. Erika is a University of Miami Executive Donor and Champion.

John E. Juergensmeyer served as President of Illinois Bar Association Committees and Elgin Law Association of Local Government. He was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois, and Assistant State Attorney and Assistant Public Defender for Kane County. He was appointed to the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science by President Reagan. Dr. Juergensmeyer was a professor of Constitutional Law and Political Science at Judson College, and served on the faculty of the University of Illinois, Northern Illinois University, and the University of Hawaii. He was admitted to the bar in Illinois in 1963 and practiced law for over half a century. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa since 1955 and served with the United States Air Force Intelligence Service in the Far East, exiting as a Reserve Captain.

Scott C. Hammersley

Denver, CO

Scott C. Hammersley is a sharp, forward-thinking attorney focusing on criminal defense, civil litigation, and appellate matters. He brings analytical precision, clear strategy, and unwavering dedication to defending clients' rights across Colorado.

Miguel Planas

Miami, FL

Mr. Planas is part of our Immigration Department and the Immigration Attorney at our Hialeah office where he exclusively practices Immigration and Nationality Law. He attended Inter American University of Puerto Rico where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major in Management and then proceeded to obtain his Juris Doctor. Throughout law school, Mr. Planas was part of the Moot Court Trial competition team, representing his school nationally while learning the ins and outs of litigation. He also served on the board of the Student’s Federal Bar Association. Mr. Planas also earned an award from Pro-Bono Inc., Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico for his zealous advocacy for low-income families in debt collection cases and family disputes. He also participated in providing legal seminars to underprivileged families. Prior to joining our team at the Gallardo Law Firm, he had been part of a nationally recognized immigration law firm. Thus, it is his continuous goal to provide all individuals with an equal opportunity to enjoy the freedoms and liberties that this great country has to offer.

Melissa Emery is the Owner/Managing Attorney at Emery Law Office. She became a lawyer to help others, driven by a personal understanding of life's challenges. She completed law school in just over two years, graduating in the top 10 percent of her class. Licensed in Kentucky and Indiana in 2006, she founded Emery Law Office in 2017. She focuses exclusively on personal injury cases, treating each client as an individual and providing support to help them recover from injuries.

Arlene M. Parra

Totowa, NJ

Arlene M. Parra, Esq., is a Founding Partner at Parra Klein, a law firm based in Elmwood Park, New Jersey. She is the youngest daughter of Colombian and Ecuadorian immigrants and a proud Latina and first-generation professional. Ms. Parra is dedicated to representing clients who have suffered from fall-down accidents, motor vehicle collisions, dog bites, wrongful death cases, product liability, and general civil litigation matters. She has established a strong reputation over the last decade due to her dedication and expertise, acquiring significant experience at esteemed New York and New Jersey law firms. She is licensed to practice law in both New Jersey and New York and is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Italian and Portuguese.

David E. Kovel

New York, NY

David E. Kovel is co-managing partner of the firm and is based in our New York office. A former commodities trader, he has extensive experience representing plaintiffs in groundbreaking whistleblower, commodities, antitrust, securities, and corporate governance matters, including on appeal. His work in these areas, which often deals with fraud related to complex financial instruments, continues to set precedents both in terms of the law and size of settlements. Amongst other recent activities, in 2021, Mr. Kovel obtained the then-largest publicly announced single whistleblower award arising under the Dodd-Frank and IRS whistleblower programs on behalf of a Deutsche Bank whistleblower. He has also successfully worked on appeals reversing lower court rulings that dismissed a large number of banks in a case alleging manipulation of LIBOR and separately obtained a reversal on appeal in a case alleging manipulation of metal commodities by JP Morgan. Mr. Kovel is the head of the litigation section of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Futures and Derivatives Regulation and is a former member of the New York City Bar Association Antitrust Committee. Prior to joining KM, Mr. Kovel practiced at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. He speaks Spanish and at one time played professional soccer in Nicaragua.

Grace K. Yates

Ponca City, OK

Grace K. Yates, a lifetime resident of Ponca City, began practicing with Mr. Holmes in 1999. Grace graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and a minor in Spanish. She received her Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and is licensed to practice in Oklahoma and Kansas, as well as each Federal District Court within this State. Grace served as president of the Kay County Bar Association and on multiple boards for local non-profit organizations. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Oklahoma Bar Association, Kansas Bar Association, Payne County Bar Association and Kay County Bar Association. Grace, her husband, and their two children currently reside in Ponca City.

Karen Schoenfeld

Portland, OR

Karen Schoenfeld graduated from St. Johns University School of Law in 1989. Since 1992, she has dedicated her professional time to representing seriously injured individuals, successfully handling thousands of cases and trying many to a jury. She also specializes in suing PIP carriers for denied medical bills. Outside of law, she enjoys family time, painting, reading, cross country skiing, and cycling.

John M. Hafen

Montrose, CO

Mr. Hafen helps individuals and businesses pursue and defend against civil claims in state and federal courts and before arbitration tribunals. Mr. Hafen has handled a diverse range of complex commercial litigation with a primary emphasis on business, non-compete, trade secret and estate litigation. Mr. Hafen also advises business clients ranging in size from startups to established mid-sized businesses. Mr. Hafen helps businesses assess risks, protect assets and leverage legal strategies to achieve business objectives.

Laura Sigaud

Austin, TX

Laura Sigaud has been practicing law in Texas since 2003, with 19 years in administrative law and policy advocacy on Capitol Hill before moving into insurance defense. She is admitted in all four federal district courts of Texas, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and earned her J.D. from South Texas College of Law in 2002.

Francisco J. Garcia

Chula Vista, CA

Francisco J. Garcia is a co-founder of Gonzalez & Garcia, APC. Francisco grew up in Calexico and graduated from Calexico High School in 1994. After high school, Francisco attended the University of California, San Diego and received his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Spanish Literature. Then Francisco returned to Calexico High School and became a U.S. History, Government and Economics teacher for several years. During this time, Francisco received a Masters degree in Education from the University of Phoenix. Then, he attended California Western School of Law and received his Juris Doctor degree in 2 years.