MARIA D. GARCIA

PRESIDENT

Maria D. Garcia is Of Counsel at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, and focuses her practice on health care law and commercial litigation. She has extensive experience in managed care litigation and advising health care providers on various legal issues.

JAVIER A. LEY-SOTO

VICE-PRESIDENT

Currently the Chief Regional Counsel for the Florida Department of Children and Families, Mr. Ley-Soto oversees the general counsel functions of the Department for Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. He worked at a boutique law firm prior to joining the Department handling commercial litigation matters.

RALPH MACNAMARA

TREASURER

Ralph MacNamara serves as Director of Advisory Services for Kaufman, Rossin & Co., one of the largest independent accounting firms in Florida and one of the top 100 CPA firms in the country. He is a member of the firm’s Forensic Advisory and Valuation Services Practice Group and regularly works with attorneys to assist with their forensic accounting, economic damages, e-discovery and expert testimony needs.

KAREN CESPEDES

SECRETARY

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. During her time at Esquire Solutions, Karen has worked as a political fellow for the U.S. Department of State in Taipei, Republic of China, where she helped establish and manage an outreach program to aid human trafficking victims in Taiwan.  Upon Karen’s return from Taiwan after working on Human Rights and Trafficking, Karen forged a new partnership between Esquire Solutions and the Cuban American Bar Association (CABA) to fund and cover the needs of their Pro Bono arm by providing interpreters and court reporters to CABA attorneys who represented Human Trafficking victims on a pro bono basis.  The result was increased numbers of attorneys willing to take on a larger number of defendants due to reduced litigation costs and greater efficiency.

LESLEY MENDOZA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Lesley Mendoza joined CABA Pro Bono Legal Services in February 2013 as Executive Director and is responsible for supervising attorneys and all legal services provided by the organization. In addition, she conducts outreach efforts to educate the community on the services provided as well as recruitment and fundraising.

JORGE PIEDRA

CUBAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

Jorge L. Piedra is a trial lawyer.  Trained and mentored by some of Florida’s top trial lawyers, Mr. Piedra enjoys a reputation as one of the finest commercial litigators in South Florida. Mr. Piedra was admitted to practice law in the State of Florida in 1996.

JAVIER A. LOPEZ

CUBAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Javier Lopez is a partner in Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton and focuses his expertise in complex litigation. Javier has particular expertise in advising and representing international clients in matters brought in U.S. federal and state courts. He has represented many high-profile internationals individuals in entertainment contract dispute, commercial transactions, and intellectual property matters.

DANIEL R. MARTINEZ

Danny Martinez has over 25 years of banking experience. Prior to joining Professional Bank, Mr. Martinez worked for financial institutions such as Citibank, Union Planters Bank-Private Banking Division and Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust Co. where he serviced and formulated relationships with high net worth individuals and families as well as professionals within the legal, accounting and medical communities.

MONICA CUNILL-FALS

Monica Cunill-Fals is a partner at Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Alexrod LLP in the Real Estate Group. Monica represents local, national and international clients in the acquisition, disposition, development, financing and leasing of various types of commercial real estate projects including shopping centers, office buildings, hotels and apartment complexes. She also represents special servicers (including the largest special servicer in the country) of securitized commercial real estate loans with respect to loan modifications, discounted payoffs, partial releases, REO sales, loan sales, loan assumptions and interest transfers.

SERGIO MENDEZ

DIRECTOR

Sergio Mendez was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1985 and has more than 30 years of experience. He practiced with his late father for 15 years. Though his practice is limited to Guardianship, Probate and Real Property Law, he has handled hundreds of cases across the spectrum of civil litigation.