Press Release

Date:  1/7/2010

Broad and Cassel Announces Five New Partners

ORLANDO, Fla.; January 7, 2010 — The Florida-based law firm Broad and Cassel is pleased to announce that five attorneys have been named Partners with the firm effective January 1, 2010: Jonathan Etra, George Mahfood, Thomas Rebull, Stephanie Russo and George "Trey" Tate.

Jonathan Etra joined the Firm in 2009 as Of Counsel in the firm’s Miami office. He is a member of the firm's Commercial Litigation and White Collar Criminal and Civil Fraud Defense Practice Groups. He received his bachelor's degree from Columbia College in 1988 and his juris doctor in 1991 from Columbia University School of Law. Etra represents business clients in complex litigation matters, with an emphasis on the prosecution and defense of civil racketeering, fraud, receiverships, and partnership disputes. His practice also includes white-collar criminal defense, regulatory matters, and Bank Secrecy Act compliance. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and he also participated in the U.S. Department of Justice's terrorism investigations following September 11th. He is involved in various community and professional organizations and is also a frequent legal commentator in the media.

George Mahfood also joined the Firm in 2009 as Of Counsel in the Miami office and is a member of the firm's Commercial Litigation Practice Group. Mahfood attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1975 and his juris doctor in 1978. He has brought to the firm over 30 years of trial and appellate experience in civil and criminal litigation including securities, insurance, contracts, real estate, products liability, class actions, criminal defense and environmental matters. He has represented corporate officers and businesses in litigation involving corporate control disputes, breach of fiduciary duty claims, breach of contract claims, real estate development disputes and environmental regulatory actions. He has been named in the South Florida Legal Guide as a "Top Lawyer" for four consecutive years, as well as a "Florida Super Lawyer" by Law & Politics magazine in 2007 and 2008 and has also published a number of articles for TRIAL Magazine.

Thomas Rebull joined the firm in 2001 as Senior Counsel within the Miami office. He is a member of our Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Litigation and Labor and Employment Practice Groups. Rebull received his bachelor's degree from Boston University in 1992, and attended American University, Washington College of Law to receive his juris doctor in 1995. His work mainly focuses on general business litigation. He is skilled in complex commercial litigation, including that of business torts, contract law and employment. He regularly counsels employers regarding a variety of employment issues arising under federal, state, and local law. Rebull has also successfully resolved numerous employment disputes both before any action has been filed and after a judicial or administrative proceeding has begun. He has been recognized with an AV Rating with Martindale-Hubbell and as a 2008 "Up-and-Comer" in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Labor and Employment by the South Florida Legal Guide, and as a 2009 "Florida Legal Elite" in Florida Trend magazine.

Stephanie Russo joined the firm in 2007 as Of Counsel in the Miami office. She is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Health Law Practice Groups. She attended Rutgers University where she received her bachelor's degree in 1992, then went on to University of Miami School of Law, receiving her juris doctor, cum laude, in 1996. Russo advises institutional and individual healthcare providers regarding health care operations, compliance, transactions, and litigation issues, including HIPAA, EMTALA, False Claims Act, Stark, anti-kickback, government investigation and subpoenas, bioethics, peer review and medical staff issues, and commercial litigation. Russo achieved an AV Rating with Martindale Hubbell and was recognized in 2009 by Chambers USA: A Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers in Healthcare.

George "Trey" Tate joined the firm in 2003 as an Associate in the Orlando office. He is a member of the Construction Law and Litigation and Commercial Litigation Practice Groups. Tate attended Princeton University, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1996, then received his juris doctor, Order of Barristers, in 1999 from Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law. He concentrates his practice in the area of complex construction litigation with a special emphasis on lien and bond claims. He also handles delay claims, construction defect claims and payment disputes for his construction clients. Tate was designated a "Florida Legal Elite Up & Comer" by Florida Trend Magazine in 2008 and named a "Rising Star" in the 2009 "Florida Super Lawyers" by Law & Politics magazine.

Broad and Cassel is one of Florida’s most prestigious corporate law firms, serving clients worldwide from Boca Raton, Destin, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa and West Palm Beach. Founded by Alvin Cassel and Shepard Broad in 1946, the Firm has more than 175 attorneys with extensive experience in a wide variety of practice areas including: Corporate and Securities; Construction Law and Litigation; Real Estate Development; Estate Planning and Trusts; Commercial Litigation; Health Law; Law Use and Environmental Law; Taxation; Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights; Labor and Employment; Eminent Domain; Auto Dealership/Repair Shop Defense and Regulatory Compliance; Appellate Law; Public Finance and Capital Projects; and White Collar Crime and Civil Fraud Defense. For more information, please visit us online at www.broadandcassel.com.

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For more information, contact:
Jessi Blakley, Consensus Communications
407.608.5905
jessi@onmessage.com