New and expanded offices, new hires, new partners underscore firm’s success
Law firm Lydecker Diaz continues to grow its national footprint, marking its 15th anniversary year with the opening of a new office in New Jersey, expanded offices and new hires in Florida and the naming of new firm partners. Collectively, these additions build on the firm’s decade-long growth trajectory and position it for future expansion. Founded in Miami, Lydecker Diaz now encompasses twelve offices across Florida and the Northeast specializing in complex commercial litigation, insurance defense, government liability and labor & employment law.
“I’m proud of our firm’s growth and excited to be expanding into new markets, while building our presence in the cities we already serve,” said Richard Lydecker, founding partner of Lydecker Diaz. “The fact that we are in a position to continue growing our practice is a direct testament to the legal professionals who make up our team. Their expertise and successful client representation speaks clearly for itself, and I couldn’t be more grateful for their efforts.”
Lydecker Diaz began 2018 with the opening of a new office in Jersey City, New Jersey’s booming Exchange Place financial district, located directly across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan and the Wall Street financial district. The new office at One Evertrust Plaza is being led by Partner Robert Pariser, who specializes in employment law, accounting malpractice, professional liability, and real estate, among other areas of law. Pariser leads the team of nine attorneys whose areas of focus include complex commercial litigation, accounting malpractice, labor & employment law and general civil litigation. The New Jersey office adds to Lydecker Diaz’s growing presence in the greater New York City area, joining the firm’s offices in Mid-Westchester, New York and Melville, New York, which both opened in 2015.
In Florida, Lydecker Diaz is in the process of adding ten new attorneys to its team to better serve its clients. The new hires will bolster four of the firm’s six Florida offices, with a total of: two new associates and one new partner at its Orlando office; four new associate-level hires in its Miami office; one new associate-level hire in its Boca Raton office; and two new associates at its Tampa office. The addition of new attorneys is prompting the firm to build out new office space within its existing Boca Raton location, as well as at its burgeoning Tampa practice.
Along with building its team of legal professionals and offices, Lydecker Diaz has also promoted several members of its existing team to partner, including:
Jason Bloom, Miami Office: Mr. Bloom focuses his practice on coverage analysis and bad faith litigation. He has prior experience in criminal defense, as well as consumer and commercial litigation.
Emanuel K. Caros, Miami Office: Mr. Caros concentrates his practice on first-party property defense litigation, with an emphasis on bad faith litigation, fraud investigation, and coverage issues. He also has significant civil litigation experience in first-party property insurance litigation, including pre-suit coverage decisions.
Miguel J. Chamorro, Miami Office: Mr. Chamorro’s diverse practice focuses on litigation and transactional work with an emphasis on business law and real estate law. He has extensive experience with appeals, arbitration, bankruptcy, construction law, consumer law and corporate matters, among other practice areas. He regularly represents companies, governmental entities and individuals in the property management, hospitality and financial industries.
Kevin Clinton, NY/NJ Office: Mr. Clinton has extensive knowledge of employment law and its interplay with insurance coverage. He defends employers in all manner of cases, including those alleging discrimination, harassment, retaliation, discharge and demotion. He also defends administrative proceedings at the federal, state and municipal levels and represents employers in wage and hour audits. Additionally, Mr. Clinton litigates commercial cases and insurance coverage disputes.
Meaghan Franks, Miami Office: Ms. Franks assists in the defense and trial of personal injury actions, premises liability matters, government liability claims, construction defect matters, and employment related claims. Her practice areas include complex commercial litigation, environmental law, general civil litigation, negligent security, toxic/mass torts.
Erik J. Gruber, Miami Office: Mr. Gruber concentrates his practice in first-party property defense litigation, with an emphasis in bad faith litigation, fraud investigation, water damage claims, and windstorm coverage issues. He has significant litigation experience in the areas of insurance defense and commercial litigation.
Peter Harutunian, Miami/NY Offices: Mr. Harutunian has litigated numerous bankruptcy, commercial, and employment cases in federal and state courts in Florida and New York. Previously, he negotiated and litigated matters in large scale bankruptcy cases, including complex claims. Mr. Harutunian has also litigated a variety of commercial disputes involving shareholder liability, insurance law, sales agreements, and other matters.
Lee Patten, NY/NJ Offices: Mr. Patten focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation and general civil litigation. Prior to joining Lydecker Diaz, he gained extensive trial experience prosecuting criminal traffic, misdemeanor, and felony level charges. He also litigated dependency issues and prosecuted in termination of parental rights cases.
Kirsten Wegel Freiheit, Miami/Orlando Offices: Ms. Wegel Freiheit practices general civil litigation with an emphasis on commercial litigation. She has previous experience handling complex transactions and aviation matters.
About Lydecker Diaz
Lydecker Diaz is an AV-rated full-service national law firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Bonita Springs, Jacksonville and Tampa. The firm’s attorneys have extensive experience in the areas of commercial and financial litigation, intellectual property, labor & employment, appeals, and corporate & business transactions. www.LydeckerDiaz.com
