HAYDEE SERA, ESQ.
PRESIDENT
Haydee Sera represents municipalities on a broad range of issues such as contracts, elections, ethics, public records, procurement, and sunshine law compliance. In that capacity, Haydee drafts and reviews proposed legislation, resolutions, and agreements on a variety of matters, always with an understanding of the broader implications of her clients’ interests. Haydee also provides counsel to elected officials on legal matters, including compliance with state and local ethics laws.
KAREN CESPEDES
VICE PRESIDENT
Karen Cespedes is a complex litigation consultant at Esquire Deposition Solutions, LLC, a national provider of deposition management solutions. As a proven sales professional and legal strategist, Karen works with corporations, law firms, attorneys and their teams to effectively manage the deposition process. In 2017 Karen earned the Publico Award by the Cuban American Bar Association for providing relief to Hurricane Irma victims by recruiting and coordinating volunteering for legal clinics.
She attended Florida State University and completed her master’s at Florida International University in international relations and East Asian studies. She is a former state department fellow and led impressive portfolios during her tenure at the American Institute in Taipei, Taiwan. She currently sits on The Florida Bar’s Statewide Citizens Advisory Committee and The Florida Bar’s 11th Circuit Grievance Committee.
JOSHUA P. PADRON, ESQ.
SECRETARY
Joshua Padron is the founder of Padron Trial Law, P.A., a firm devoted exclusively to representing victims of personal injury and wrongful death. With a deep passion for justice and a track record of success, Joshua has built a reputation as a relentless advocate who ensures his clients receive the compensation they deserve. Joshua’s legal journey began at the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, where he honed his courtroom and litigation skills handling a wide range of criminal cases. Joshua handled cases including armed trafficking, attempted murder, DUI, sexual assault, and traffic homicides.
He has served as a Board of Director for the Cuban American Bar Association (CABA). Joshua is also an active member of the Miami Dade Trial Lawyers, Miami Dade Bar Association, Florida Justice Association, and the Coral Gables Bar Association.
ALEXANDER PEREZ, CPA
TREASURER
JORDI MARTÍNEZ-CID, ESQ.
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Jordi Martínez-Cid is the founder of Martínez-Cid Law and focuses on complex commercial litigation, particularly matters involving international clients, financial institutions, and media companies. Previously, he was a partner at León Cosgrove Jiménez LLP where he led sensitive internal investigations, handled high-profile extradition matters and achieved significant results in class actions and complex commercial disputes.
His earlier experience includes serving as in-house litigation counsel for NBCUniversal and Telemundo Enterprises, overseeing global litigation and compliance matters, and as an associate at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. He was a law clerk for the Hon. Federico A. Moreno of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Martínez-Cid has received various professional honors, including recognition as a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America and On the Rise award from the Florida Legal Awards.
He earned his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School where he was a Jack B. Tate Memorial Scholar. He also served as an editor of the Yale Journal on Regulation and was a member of the Latino Law Students Association. He received his Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from the University of Michigan, graduating with honors and earning recognition as a James B. Angell Scholar and Michigan Community Scholar.
MELISSA C. PALLETT-VASQUEZ, ESQ.
SECRETARY
Melissa C. Pallett-Vasquez, Esq. is a partner in Bilzin Sumberg’s trial and litigation group and handles complex business disputes in both federal and state courts, as well as arbitration. She is also the firm’s hiring partner, leading recruitment efforts.
Pallett-Vasquez has been active with the American Bar Association since 2016 and currently serves as the budget officer for the international law section and the finance officer class representative for the Section Officers Conference. She is also a member of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, serves as volunteer attorney ad litem for lawyers for Children America, and is president of the South Florida Chapter of the McGill Alumni Association.
She has been honored with distinctions such as recognition by Chambers USA, the litigation award for General Commercial, and an Innovators Honoree title from the Daily Business Review. Additionally, she is recognized as a Florida Trailblazer by the Daily Business Review, a Crisis Leadership Trailblazer by the National Law Journal, and listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation. Pallett-Vasquez earned her Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law and received her Bachelor of Arts from McGill University.
JAVIER A. LEY-SOTO
DIRECTOR
Javier Ley-Soto currently serves as the General Counsel for Miami Dade College, the largest campus-based institution of higher learning in the United States with over 165,000 students, overseeing all general counsel matters, including employment, contractual, risk management, public records and general administration, for the college and its eight campuses. Immediately preceding this position, Ley-Soto served as the Chief Legal Counsel for the Florida Department of Children and Families managing the Department’s regional general counsel matters for Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, and personally handled numerous administrative hearings, trials and appeals in all the courts of Florida. He started his legal career at a boutique law firm on Miami Beach handling commercial litigation matters. Ley-Soto also clerked at the Third District Court of Appeal for the Honorable David M. Gersten. He has been a member of CABA since graduating from St. Thomas University School of Law where he was the Student Bar Association President, Student Senator and founding member of the St. Thomas More Catholic Law Society. He was awarded 2010 Assistant General Counsel of the Year award by the Florida Government Bar Association, a Finalist for the Miami Chamber of Commerce 2011 and 2014 HYPE Awards Go-Getter Award and recognized for Outstanding Humanitarian Support during Operation Repatriation following the 2010 Haiti earthquake. He currently serves president of the Cuban American Bar Association and member of the Neighborhood Improvement Committee for the Town of Miami Lakes, and previously as Treasurer the Gator Club of Miami.
IDALBERTO DE ARMAS
DIRECTOR
Idalberto de Armas serves as executive leadership for First Horizon Bank. De Armas serves on the Leadership Florida Board of Directors, the Greater Miami YMCA Board and the Citizens Board of the University of Miami. Early in his career he worked as an aide for the late U.S. Senator Claude Pepper in Washington, D.C.
DANA CLAY, APR
DIRECTOR
Dana L. Clay, APR is a public relations professional and current advisor at EvClay Public Relations, a South Florida boutique PR agency, where she formerly served as president. Clay is an accredited member and counselor of the Public Relations Society of America and a founding member and long-standing professional of various community service organizations. She was a founding member of the Bankers Club, on the advisory panel of Model Cities, and an active member of multiple civic organizations such as Women in Communications, Feeding South Florida, the Junior League of Miami, Audubon Society, Health Systems Agency, The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, St. Thomas Episcopal Parish, and the Latin Chamber of Commerce (CAMACOL).
Clay has been a board member of The Salvation Army for more than 55 years. In 2022, she received their esteemed William Booth Award, the organization’s highest individual recognition, for her outstanding contributions to the betterment of humanity, through personal participation in civic and philanthropic affairs. Clay attended Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina, and earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alabama.
MANUEL L. CRESPO, ESQ.
DIRECTOR
Manuel L. Crespo is a partner in the Real Estate practice group at Greenspoon Marder. He began to practice law with his late father, Honorable Manuel A. Crespo, at Crespo & Crespo, until the latter was elected to the bench. After that, Crespo built a sole-practice and later a firm practice in real estate and litigation.
Crespo feels passionately about the law and about obtaining justice for his clients in a manner that is ethical, thorough, and efficient. For many years, he has concentrated his practice in real estate and commercial transactions, including title insurance, condominium development and the conversion from existing rental unit buildings to condominium ownership. He has litigated real property disputes, contract and title disputes, construction, landlord-tenant, foreclosures, and other real estate matters. His institutional clients have included national banks and real estate developers.
In addition to the practice of law, Crespo has made a significant and continuing contribution to the community. He is past president of the Cuban-American Bar Association (CABA), one of the largest minority voluntary bar associations in Florida. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Dade County Bar Association, Legal Services of Greater Miami, and as Chairman of the Grievance Committee of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit for the Florida Bar. In addition, Crespo has been honored by the CABA and Legal Services of Greater Miami for his indefatigable efforts in providing legal services to the poor and needy. He was also previously appointed to the Chief Justice’s Advisory Committee for the Pro Bono Service Awards by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge LaBarga. The Broward County Hispanic Bar Association recognized him for outstanding leadership. He is also a “Top Producer” for The Fund (Old Republic National Title Insurance Company) for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, a recognition reserved for the top 3% of title agents in a circuit for premiums generated.
Crespo has given many talks on the practice of law and community service and is also a native speaker of Spanish. He was born in Miami and earned his bachelor’s degree at Duquesne University. He received his J.D. at Boston College Law School.
MARIA D. GARCIA, ESQ.
DIRECTOR
Maria D. Garcia is a partner and co–chair of the Healthcare Practice at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, focusing her practice on health care law and commercial litigation. She received her B.A. in political science, magna cum laude, from Florida International University. Garcia then earned her Juris Doctor from Florida International University College of Law.
At her alma mater she taught as an adjunct professor on health-care law: Medicare and Medicaid compliance and reimbursement issues. She is a member of the Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Commission on the Status of Women.
Maria’s work as a health-care attorney has been recognized by Chambers USA, which has ranked her in this category. By Super Lawyers Magazine and the South Florida Legal Guide, Garcia was named a “Top Lawyer” in health care. In addition, Florida Trend Magazine has named her as one of the 500 Most Influential Business Leaders in the state of Florida.
DANIEL R. MARTINEZ
DIRECTOR
Daniel Martinez has over 25 years of banking experience. Martinez is currently chief banking officer and regional market executive at Professional Bank. He attended Nova Southeastern University and studied business administration and management. Prior to joining Professional Bank, he worked for financial institutions, such as Citibank, Union Planters Bank-Private Banking Division and Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust Company. He serviced and formulated relationships with high-net-worth individuals and families as well as professionals within the legal, accounting and medical communities.
SERGIO L. MENDEZ, ESQ.
DIRECTOR
Sergio L. Mendez has more than 35 years of experience in probate, guardianship, and real propriety law. He attended Suffolk University Law School, and has experience as a professor at Florida International University, where he taught wills, trusts and estates. He is a founding partner of the Law Offices of Mendez & Mendez and practiced with his late father for 15 years.
In 1999, Mendez was president of the Cuban American Bar Association. He has been licensed for over 20 years by U.S. Department of Treasury in the office of foreign assets control.
Today, he is one of the few attorneys licensed to handle Cuban asset control regulations. He has handled hundreds of cases across the spectrum of civil litigation and is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.