Akerman LLP has added three partners in middle market M&A, real estate transactions, and complex commercial and insurance litigation in South Florida. The new partners include corporate lawyer David Gellen at the Boca Raton office, real estate lawyer Michelle Gonzalez in Miami and litigator Stacey Ibarra in West Palm Beach. Ibarra also strengthens the firm’s capabilities in white collar crime and government investigations, with experience in healthcare, insurance, mortgage and bank fraud.
Gellen joins the Corporate Practice Group after serving as senior vice president and general counsel of a leading Internet-based social networking and technology company. He represents public and private companies and entrepreneurs in a wide array of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt transactions, corporate restructurings, private equity and venture capital transactions and joint venture and strategic licensing arrangements.
Gonzalez represents investors, developers, owners, operators and financial institutions in various commercial real estate transactions. She regularly represents lenders in connection with the origination of commercial real estate construction and permanent loans, as well as affordable housing loans, and in restructurings and workouts for distressed loans.
Ibarra has joined Akerman’s Litigation Practice Group. She focuses on the investigation and litigation of insurance and healthcare fraud as well as complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts. A former assistant state attorney and an assistant statewide prosecutor under the Office of the Attorney General, Ibarra also brings in-depth experience in business and employment litigation, toxic torts, and white collar criminal and government investigations, including cases involving money laundering, racketeering, as well as bank and mortgage fraud.
Ibarra is a recipient of the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, and has been an instructor for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement involving the use of racketeering laws to combat organized crime.
Visit LawCrossing.com for latest law firm attorney jobs in Florida.