Cohen Seglias is pleased to announce that the firm has expanded into Florida with the opening of a Fort Lauderdale office. Matthew Skaroff, who was previously based in the firm’s Philadelphia office, will be the resident attorney in the firm’s new office. Cohen Seglias is further expanding its presence in Florida by entering into an of counsel relationship with Fort Lauderdale-based attorneys Gary Mansfield, Ronnie Bronstein and David Stone, all members of Mansfield Bronstein & Stone, LLC.
Steven Williams, managing partner of Cohen Seglias, said, “We are proud to establish an office in Fort Lauderdale that allows us to continue to meet the needs of our clients with business interests in Florida and expand our capabilities in the region. We are grateful to Matt for spearheading the opening of our new space. And, the of counsel relationship with reputable practitioners such as Gary, Ronnie and David is a tremendous benefit during this transition.”
Matt, an associate at Cohen Seglias, has years of construction litigation experience representing general contractors, specialty trades, and owners. He guides clients through disputes involving multi-family and mixed-use developments, commercial and large-scale industrial projects, and public works, including bridges, schools, highways, and airports. Matt also has skills in construction contracting and risk management, alongside command of general commercial litigation. He will help facilitate the office operations in Fort Lauderdale, coordinating several Cohen Seglias attorneys’ use of the office space while serving firm clients in the area.
“Entering into a new market that aligns with our goal of strategic growth is incredibly rewarding,” said Roy Cohen, firm founder and chair of Cohen Seglias’ Construction Group. “We have known that Florida was a natural transition with the thriving construction industry, but the additional experience in real estate, corporate transactions, class actions, and product liability done by Gary, Ronnie and David have made this an even more ideal point of entry so we can hit the ground running.”
Mansfield, Bronstein & Stone, a boutique litigation firm, is already collaborating with Cohen Seglias’ Government Contracting Group, currently serving as local counsel in a dispute involving the well-publicized expansion of South Florida’s Brightline rail route and the drawbridge that crosses the St. Lucie River section of the Okeechobee Waterway near Stuart, Florida. The team has worked to protect the interests of local marinas, shipyards, marine service providers, homeowners and boat owners regarding their access to the waterway.
Cohen Seglias and Mansfield, Bronstein & Stone have worked together on a number of other matters, including lawsuits filed in the wake of the Surfside collapse pursuing the rights of the condominium owners as well as construction lien claims for payments owed to contractor clients.
“Our team is excited to work with Cohen Seglias in this of counsel capacity and looks forward to collaborating with the exceptional attorneys at the firm and deepening the services offered to our clients,” said Gary Mansfield, co-founding partner of Mansfield, Bronstein & Stone.
Gary is a corporate and transactional lawyer and former real estate developer with extensive experience selling and acquiring commercial, residential and multi-family properties. He has served as chief executive and president of several public and private companies, giving him unique insight into advising companies regarding raising capital and corporate strategic initiatives, as well as providing legal guidance. Gary also has a background in healthcare, implementing mergers and acquisitions as well as debt and equity financings, and provides counsel to clients on trust and estate planning issues. He earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He also earned a master of law in elder law from Stetson University and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago.
Ronnie Bronstein, co-founding partner of Mansfield, Bronstein & Stone, focuses his practice on real estate, corporate and condominium/HOA representation. He regularly works with real estate developers in the purchase, sale, leasing and financing of commercial and residential properties throughout Florida and has represented condominium and homeowner’s associations in their daily operations. Ronnie also has a residential real estate practice focused on high-end purchases and sales in Florida. He received his J.D. from St. Johns University School of Law and his B.A. from Tufts University.
David Stone concentrates his practice on personal injury and wrongful death matters and has served as lead counsel in nearly 100 complex civil litigation trials in federal and state courts. He represents clients in matters involving traumatic brain injuries, quadriplegia, paraplegia, spinal and nerve injuries, burns, and other catastrophic injuries. He is experienced in all manner of torts, including vehicular and aviation crashes, defective products, medical malpractice, architects’ and engineers’ malpractice, premises liability, roadway and building construction defects, and others rooted in negligence. Additionally, David has experience in cases involving breach of contract claims and has also handled insurance coverage disputes. He is a Certified Circuit Civil Mediator by the Supreme Court of Florida