Intellectual Property Law Certification in Florida

MIAMI, October 18, 2006 – Kluger Peretz Kaplan & Berlin is pleased to announce that Michael B Chesal, a Member of the firm, practicing in Intellectual Property Law, has been appointed by the Florida Bar President, Henry M. Coxe, III, to serve on the Intellectual Property Law Certification Committee which will oversee the inaugural board certification processes for Intellectual Property Law.  The nine-member certification committee will review credentials for the first class of applicants, develop policy to implement standards approved by the Florida Supreme Court, and draft and administer the first examination.

The rules regulating the Florida Bar require the initial appointees to the Certification Committee to be “eminent attorneys in the practice field, members in good standing and admitted to The Florida Bar no less than 10 years.”

Chesal holds a J.D., cum laude, from the University Of Miami School Of Law and a B.S.B.A., cum laude, from the University of Florida. A member of the Florida Bar since 1988, Michael joined Kluger Peretz Kaplan & Berlin in May of 1991 where he followed his interest in developing a practice protecting and defending trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property. He is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

“We are extremely honored and pleased to have Michael serve on the Committee,” said Howard Berlin, Managing Partner, Kluger Peretz Kaplan & Berlin. “Michael is an exceptional lawyer with outstanding credentials and a longstanding devotion to the law.”

Chesal has been designated “Best Lawyers in America” in intellectual property law since 2005 and is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.**  He was named “Outstanding Member of the Year,” by The Florida Bar Business Law Section in 2006, was named to the “Legal Elite” by Florida Trends magazine, and “Top Lawyers” by South Florida Legal Guide.

Certification is the highest level of recognition by the Florida Bar of the competency and experience of attorneys in the 22 areas of law approved for certification by the Florida Supreme Court.  Attorneys who become board certified also are evaluated as to their character, ethics, and professionalism.

Florida Bar members appointed to the Intellectual Property Law Certification Committee:

James, A. Gale, Chair, Miami

Ava K. Doppelt, Vice Chair, Orlando

Michael Bruce Chesal, Miami

George Donovan Conwell, Jr., Tampa

Robert C. Kain Jr., Fort Lauderdale

Jeff Lloyd, Gainesville

Stephen E. Nagin, Miami

Mark Evan Stein, Coral Gables

Stefan Vaughn Stein, Tampa

For more information on certification, visit  http://www.floridabar.org/ or contact The Florida Bar’s Legal Specialization & Education Department at 850/561-5842.

About Kluger, Peretz, Kaplan & Berlin, P.L.

Florida-based Kluger, Peretz, Kaplan & Berlin P.L. is a boutique law firm with offices in Miami and Boca Raton.  Providing a broad range of legal services across a diverse and global business portfolio, the firm’s 50-plus attorneys are engaged principally in the practice of commercial litigation and dispute resolution, bankruptcy and creditors' rights, intellectual property law, and corporate and real estate transactions.  Please visit us at www.kpkb.com for more information.

**"CV, BV and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies."