MIAMI – Berger Singerman, a business law firm with locations in Boca Raton, Tallahassee, Miami and Fort Lauderdale, recently saw 26 of its attorneys named to Super Lawyers magazine's Florida Super Lawyers list and 10 others on the magazine's Rising Stars list.
Maybe most notably for Berger Singerman was the selection of co-chair of Berger Singerman, Paul Singerman, as the top attorney in Florida for the second year in a row.
Super Lawyers' goal is to create and provide a credible and exceptional resource for both attorneys and consumers. Candidates for Super Lawyers’ honors are nominated from more than 70 practice areas and are run annually on a state-by-state basis.
Super Lawyers begins the process by taking nominations–lawyers cannot nominate themselves. It then does independent research, looking at lawyers' honors and awards, experience, representative clients, transactions, verdicts and settlements, position in the law firm, bar and/or professional activity, pro bono and community services, scholarly lectures and writings, education and employment background, and other achievements that do not fall under those categories.
After evaluation by the Blue Ribbon Panel–composed of candidates with the highest scoring from the independent research–the final selection is made in regards to small, medium and large firms.
Berger Singerman attorneys’ success can mostly be credited to its efforts in treating the clients as ones of the entire firm, rather than of a specific attorney, which helps find the best and most creative solutions to any legal case.
"What drives us is that we are an extraordinarily team-oriented law firm," Charles Lichtman, attorney at Berger Singerman and one of the firm's lawyers to make the Top 100 Florida Lawyers list, told the Florida Record. "The person's work next to you is more important than your own. It makes us work harder to not disappoint the lawyer next to us or down the hall."
This collaborative atmosphere has brought lawyers from all around the country, including ones from big, national firms. The firm receives many high-profile cases, even though they are generally given to firms with a national presence.
"Many law firms expressly adopt or implicitly tolerate a Darwinian model – survival of the fittest," Paul Singerman, co-chair of Berger Singerman, told the Florida Record. "(Berger Singerman) affirmatively rejects the internal competition model."
Berger Singerman also may very well have the lowest turnover level in the commercial law firm market.
Attorneys from Berger Singerman who made the Florida Super Lawyers list include Daniel H. Aronson, Robert W. Barron, James L. Berger, Mitchell W. Berger, Howard J. Berlin, Anthony J. Carriuolo, James C. Cunningham Jr., James D. Gassenheimer, David Gay, Martin J. Genauer, Jordi Guso, Donald J. Hayden, Michael J. Higer, Melanie Ann Hines, Nick Jovanovich, Sharon L. Kegerreis, Charles H. Lichtman, Katie S. Phang, Samuel E. Poole III, Brian G. Rich, Leonard K. Samuels, Frank Scruggs, Marc Stephen Shuster, Paul Steven Singerman, Arthur J. Spector and Daniel H. Thompson.
Those from Berger Singerman who were named Rising Stars, or attorneys younger than 40 or that have been practicing law less than 10 years, are Ashley Dillman Bruce, Jonathan F. Claussen, Gavin C. Gaukroger, Jordan B. Isrow, Iryna Ivashchuk, Barry D. Lapides, Gina Clausen Lozier, Isaac M. Marcushamer, Etan Mark and Lara Escobio O'Donnell.
This article has been update since its original publication. A previous version incorrectly attributed quotes that representatives say came from Paul Singerman.