Spanish-Speaking Attorneys

Anthony L. Conte, Esq. is an Associate at Beninato and Matrafajlo, Attorneys at Law, LLC. Most recently, Anthony worked as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Dara A. Govan, J.S.C. at the New Jersey Superior Court, Union Vicinage. Anthony earned a merit scholarship to attend Rutgers Law School. He sought practical experience throughout school. Anthony worked as a law clerk at Florio, Kenny, Raval, LLP, a civil defense firm in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Anthony also gained experienced in worker’s compensation and real estate law at Kaplan and Kaplan, PC, in North Haledon, New Jersey. Anthony earned credit towards his law degree with the Rutgers Law Associates, where assisted in family law matters.

Alejandra M. Gonzales

Jacksonville, FL

Alejandra Gonzales is an associate attorney at Ansbacher Law. She assists homeowner and condominium associations throughout Florida with general matters, including covenant and bylaw enforcement, legal opinions, and contract reviews.

Andrea Velasquez

New York, NY

Andrea Velasquez is an Associate at Barasch & McGarry handling 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) claims. Andrea was born in Lima, Peru. She immigrated to Queens, New York when she was 9 years old, but has never forgotten where she comes from. Andrea is the first and only attorney in her family. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice, and a minor in Latino/a Studies from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Andrea attended the City University of New York School of Law (CUNY Law), where she was a Law Review Staff Editor, member of the Latin American Law Students Association, and recipient of the Hon. Diccia T. Pineda -Kirwan Fellowship. While at CUNY Law, Andrea interned at The Legal Aid Society, the Urban Justice Center, and the Door Legal Services Center. She was also part of the Immigrant & Non-Citizen Rights Clinic at CUNY Law. After graduation, Andrea joined Brooklyn Defender Services as a Staff Attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice. She handled numerous cases from misdemeanors to low-level felonies in Kings County Criminal and Supreme Courts. Andrea then joined Barasch & McGarry as their first Spanish-speaking attorney, to continue doing what she loves the most, advocating for clients in every way possible. She is very determined to make sure all clients, including minorities, receive the compensation they are entitled to.

Jonathan Chavez

Cottonwood, AZ

Jonathan Chavez offers comprehensive litigation perspective, with experience in both private practice and prosecution, including first-degree murder trials. He previously represented investors and developers in complex development projects and handled contract negotiations, lease reviews, and compliance matters. He also clerked and externed with organizations like the Arizona Commerce Authority and the Arizona State Senate. He is fluent in Spanish.

Julie Vergara Duque

Greensboro, NC

Becoming a lawyer has been part of Julie Vergara Duque’s game plan since childhood. From the time she enrolled in law school, she knew she wanted to use her expertise to improve other people’s lives and help them navigate legal challenges.

Associate at Epstein Ostrove, LLC in the Personal Injury Department. Focuses on obtaining maximum compensation for injured clients, prosecuting bad faith cases against insurance carriers, and pursuing spoliation counts. Graduated from Florida International University and New York Law School. Fluent in Spanish.

Albert J. Alvarez is an attorney with experience in both public and private sectors, including serving as a law clerk in the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division. He has extensive experience as a defense attorney litigating criminal matters, DWI defense, and civil litigation including contract disputes, debt collection, and landlord-tenant matters. He is fluent in Spanish and German.

Louis Lyons was admitted to the California Bar Association in May 2012 after graduating from the University of Oregon School of Law. He focuses his practice on Bankruptcy Law, debt relief, and Family Law. A native of Visalia, he works with his father, Scott Lyons, in their Visalia office.

Damien W. Sanchez

Grand Rapids, MI

Mr. Sanchez is a litigator for clients on family law, criminal defense, first- and third-party insurance, contracts, and landlord-tenant cases. Mr. Sanchez also represents clients who are Spanish-speaking in all of these practice areas. El Abogado Damien Sanchez también representa clientes que hablan español en estas ramas de la ley. Born and raised in a small town in Michigan, Mr. Sanchez attended the University of Michigan for his undergraduate studies, and he earned his Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law, where he served as an executive editor on the Law Review. Mr. Sanchez’s passions for helping people and fighting for justice have always been a driving force in his life. Before coming to Wheeler Upham, Mr. Sanchez spent his law career in several different areas of law practice ranging from employment law, unemployment benefits law, family law, criminal law, bankruptcy law, and immigration law. Mr. Sanchez prides himself on his ability to offer empathy and sharp instincts while developing strong working relationships with clients. He is dedicated to tirelessly advocating for his clients and understands the importance of getting into the trenches and tenaciously fighting for them. When not in the courtroom, Mr. Sanchez enjoys traveling with his wife and golfing. He is also a volunteer for the First Tee of West Michigan, and he is a lifetime Michigan sports fan.

Stephanie M. Davis started practicing juvenile dependency law in January 1989. She has represented parents, relatives, children, and foster parents in juvenile dependency courts. She also spent many years as a juvenile dependency appellate attorney and served as a judicial officer in the Los Angeles Juvenile Court for over 16 years before rejoining the firm.

Attorney Paulo Tanasio is a Rhode Island and Massachusetts licensed real estate attorney with over 24 years of experience helping clients purchase, sell, lease, and develop real estate. He is fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese. Paulo is passionate about protecting his clients and helping them achieve their goals. He is an excellent communicator and is well known for his skills in explaining the law in a clear and understandable manner. He is empathetic and will work very hard getting his clients what they want, when they want it.

Jason Wheeless

Portland, OR

Jason Wheeless is a seasoned criminal defense attorney with nearly 20 years experience defending clients in all types of cases from DUII to murder. Jason is also one of a very few Spanish speaking criminal defense attorneys east of the Cascades.

Jorge Montero

Dania Beach, FL

JORGE LUIS MONTERO, ESQ. born in Havana, Cuba, migrated to the United States May of 1980 with his entire immediate family at the age of four during the Mariel boatlift. Mr. Montero graduated May of 1997 from Florida International University in Miami, Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature. Mr. Montero graduated with a Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables, Florida in May of 2000 and was admitted to the Florida Bar in September of 2002. Mr. Montero’s experience includes 26 combined years of experience in insurance litigation (P.I.P., third party and first party representation) for both Plaintiffs and Defendants-insurance carriers. Mr. Montero also has 16 years of experience as a solo practitioner with a concentration in the areas of (representation of individual and commercial contractual matters), probate, estate planning, guardianship and consumer rights litigation in both State and Federal courts. Mr. Montero is also a member of the Southern and Middle, U.S. District Courts of Florida.

Jessica Ayala

Denver, CO

Jessica brings a diverse background and a compassionate approach to her role as an Intake Specialist. With a degree in Music and experience as a classical musician and English teacher, she made a bold shift into the legal field driven by a desire to explore new and challenging paths. Prior to joining Dormer Harpring, she worked at one of Florida’s leading personal injury law firms, handling cases involving medical and dental malpractice, criminal defense, funeral home neglect, and motor vehicle accidents. Fluent in English and Spanish, and with a working knowledge of several other languages, Jessica prioritizes clear, empathetic communication with every client. Her ability to connect across cultures and her commitment to honesty and loyalty guide her approach to intake.

Karla Gutierrez

Louisville, KY

Karla was born in California but spent her childhood in Nayarit, Mexico. Growing up, she actively assisted her parents with their family business. Her grandfather served as the mayor of her hometown, and her father was involved in politics. Karla’s mother frequently engaged in charity activities, often involving Karla and her sister. While their visits to the USA were initially for vacations, in 2007, her mother decided it was time for Karla and her sister to move to Kentucky to learn a second language. Karla attended and graduated from Waggener High School. In 2013, Karla began working in the healthcare field, starting from doctors’ offices to nursing homes due to her passion for helping others and her enjoyment of interacting with people. In 2023, Karla embarked on her legal journey with Bolus Law Offices, where she continued to expand her knowledge about the legal field. Fluent in both Spanish and English and her duties as a law clerk include retrieving information for potential clients, maintaining office files, and requesting and following up on medical records.

Stryder James Wegener

Seattle, WA

Stryder J. Wegener was the founder of Emerald City Law Group, known for his humor, charisma, integrity, and genuine affection. He earned his J.D. in 2004 and practiced in legal services for Spanish-speaking victims of domestic violence before becoming a private defense attorney. In 2014, he co-founded Emerald City Law Group, later assuming sole ownership. He had a gift for making clients feel at ease during challenging moments.

Nicolette E. Tsambis

Lakeland, FL

Nicolette Tsambis graduated Summa Cum Laude from Stetson University with degrees in Finance and Mathematics. After working as an accountant, she studied at Florida A&M College of Law, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2007. Her Florida Bar Exam score was within the top 1% of those who sat for the test. She worked for an insurance defense firm before joining Smith, Feddeler, and Smith, P.A. in 2015, where she now focuses on representing injured workers and aggrieved employees in Florida. She also handles the firm’s appellate work. In August 2019, she obtained her Workers’ Compensation Board Certification.

Mr. Goodrich is a partner in the firm’s litigation department whose practice focuses on representing employers in state and federal court and before administrative agencies such as the Utah Labor Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the Utah Occupational Safety and Health Division, and other governmental agencies. Mr. Goodrich has represented numerous large and small Utah businesses in litigation matters involving claims for wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, overtime and wage issues, workplace safety citations, covenants not to compete, arbitration agreements, and related issues. While Mr. Goodrich’s primary focus is litigation, he also counsels and assists employers regarding Title VII, state and federal wage and hour laws, the ADA, the ADEA, the FMLA, USERRA, classification of employees, terminations, separation agreements, employee handbooks, and other employment issues. In addition to his employment practice, Mr. Goodrich also represents clients in business and commercial matters, including insurance coverage litigation, contract disputes, construction liens, payment bonds, and real property matters.

Jennifer Corbalan

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL

Jennifer Corbalan specializes in Defense Base Act claims, passionate about helping those in need. She previously practiced First Party Property insurance litigation, representing homeowners against insurance companies. She is a native of Queens, New York, fluent in Spanish, and earned her J.D. from Touro College School of Law and B.S. from St. John’s University.

Micah S. Fretz

Hilliard, OH

Micah S. Fretz is a law clerk at Lardiere McNair & Stonebrook Ltd., LPA and a student at Capital University Law School. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Spanish. He has prior experience in family law, debt collection, personal injury, and estate litigation, and his interests include family law, personal injury, and civil litigation.

Michelle Dewkett-Kochhar

Raleigh, NC

Michelle Dewkett-Kochhar specializes in North Carolina Workers' Compensation law, with a passion for serving the Spanish-speaking community. She graduated from Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in 2019.

Gustavo Ponce was born in Mexico and grew up in Concord, California. He attended Holy Names University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. He earned his law degree from the University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law in 2018. He began as an intern at Kazerouni Law Group in 2017 and became an Associate Attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is dedicated to protecting the rights of Nevadans in consumer protection cases and is fully fluent in Spanish.