Board Of Directors

Sandra Ferrera, Chair

Email: sferrera@melandrussin.com
Biography: Sandra is a proficient transactional real estate attorney.  Sandra focuses her practice on the development, acquisition, financing and construction of projects throughout the state of Florida.  Sandra represents real estate developers in all phases of complex commercial real estate transactions, including the negotiation, documentation, and closing of the acquisition and sale, development, and financing of commercial real estate.  Sandra also represents both financial institutions and borrowers obtaining acquisition and construction financing, and has handled the resolution of complex title issues.    More

 

Annie Hernandez, Vice-Chair

Email: ahernandez@pathmanlewis.com
Biography: Annie Hernandez, is a senior associate at Pathman Lewis LLP.  Ms. Hernandez's main area of practice is commercial litigation, including lease disputes, title insurance litigation, collection actions, foreclosures, and general business disputes.

Ms. Hernandez received her juris doctor with honors in May, 2001 from University of Miami School of Law.   While at the University of Miami, she served as the Executive Vice President of the Moot Court Board from 2000 through 2001, and received the Book Award in Bankruptcy.  Ms. Hernandez's undergraduate degree in History and Political Science was obtained from Florida International University in December, 1997.  More

 

Roland Sanchez-Medina, Vice-Chair

Email: Roland@smgqlaw.com
Biography: Roland Sanchez Medina is a founding partner of Sanchez-Medina, Gonzalez, Quesada, Lage, Crespo, Gomez & Machado, LLP, and concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, securities law, divestitures, joint ventures, finance, board governance, real estate transactions, including real estate financing, tax planning and structure, and international tax planning for inbound transactions. Mr. Sanchez-Medina represents a wide variety of public and large closely held businesses, both domestic and international. Mr. Sanchez-Medina was previously a Partner in the Miami office of McDermott Will & Emery, LLP. More

 

Staff

Raul Flores, Esq.
Executive Director
raul@cabaonline.com

Jacqueline Rodriguez
Intake Specialist
jacque@cabaonline.com

Rosalba Penaherrera
Legal Assistant
rosalba@cabaonline.com

Past

I recently had the opportunity to sit and speak with one of CABA's past presidents, Mr. Junior Garrido who was very much involved with the establishment of CABA's Pro Bono Project from its inception in 1984. The Project was established with the persistence and perseverance of a number of our past president's including, Manuel Morales, Jr., Rene Murai and Junior Garrido. Each of them had a strong belief that CABA with its membership base was ideally situated and qualified to assist the needs of indigent Spanish speaking individuals who did not otherwise have access to Spanish speaking lawyers who can assist them with legal matters. With the assistance of Marcia Cypen, from Legal Services of Greater Miami, CABA was able to hire a paralegal to perform intake at various locations throughout Little Havana, including, San Juan Bosco, Gesu, and the Little Havana Activity Center, to be placed for pro bono legal representation with CABA members. In 1992, CABA's Pro Bono Project was nationally recognized as a Point of Light by President George H. W. Bush. In 1996, the Project partnered with the Florida Immigration Advocacy Center ("FIAC") and for several years specialized in placing immigration and uncontested divorce matters with the assistance of a paralegal and managing attorney of FIAC. During this time, the Project also conducted quarterly divorce clinics at no cost to pro se litigants.

Present

With heartfelt conviction and desire of expanding the Project's reach to provide representation in additional legal areas and to serve more clients, on March 29, 2007, CABA's Board, incorporated a separate 501(c)(3) entity for its Pro Bono Project, the "Cuban American Bar Association Pro Bono Project, Inc." The recently formed entity has its own separate board of directors overseen by CABA's board who meet on a quarterly basis. The Project is presently housed at the "Law Center" located in 1898 NW 7th Street, Miami, Florida and staffs three employees. The Project is fortunate enough to have its charitable pro bono mission overseen by Raul Flores, Executive Director. For those of you who do not know Mr. Flores, he received his JD from the University of Miami School of Law in 1996 and his MS in Criminal Justice from Florida International University. Prior to joining CABA's Pro Bono Project, Mr. Flores had a solo practice professional association where he practiced civil litigation in the areas of corporate, labor, family and real property. Mr. Flores is suitably qualified to oversee the administrative and referral functions necessary to effectively run the Project with the help and assistance of the Project's two staff employees, Jacqueline Rodriguez and Rosalba Penaherrera. Ms. Rodriguez, who used to be an attorney in Cuba, has been with the Project since 2007 and handles all of the initial intake and eligibility procedures. Ms. Rodriguez is also able to help clients with various other non-legal issues that arise in the office such as assisting clients filling out immigration forms, applying for benefits, etc. Ms. Penaherra serves as Mr. Flores' assistant and handles the various day to day administrative functions needed at the Project.

The Project is funded in large part through grants awarded by the Florida Bar Foundation and through proceeds raised at the annual "Art in the Tropics" fundraising party thrown by CABA for its benefit. In order to continue the work and expand on the services being provided we need to make sure that the Project continues to receive funding and that our members continue taking on pro bono matters.

Future

So far in 2009 the Project has closed 161 cases that have come through its doors. With your anticipated help and cooperation we hope to increase that number in the months and years to come. We as lawyers are each fortunate and privileged to have the necessary skills and education to help those less fortunate than us. It is important to give back to our community that has given so much to us. Doing pro bono work is a moral responsibility to the career choice we have made. I challenge and encourage each and every one of you to take just one (1) pro bono referral case from CABA's Pro Bono Project per year. A little time and dedication on your end will leave a priceless impact in the life of another.

Recent Victories

Congratulations to the Pro Bono Project's team on their latest immigration victory! On June 11, 2009, the team was able to successfully prevent the Department of Homeland Security from removing a Cuban immigrant who had been living in the United States for the past 47 years with parole status as a Cuban Refugee. While in Cuba, the client, LT, had been a strong activist against the communist Cuban regime. Like many other Cuban refugees, LT found it necessary to seek refuge in the United States, to avoid persecution in Cuba. While in the United States, LT continued his strong anti-communist philosophy and he joined many anti-Castro groups when he arrived in 1962. At his hearing, the immigration judge, listened closely to LT's detailed testimony where he had trained for years in the everglades with militant groups, and how they had actually travelled to the Dominican Republic with the aid of the CIA, during President Kennedy's term. Unfortunately, LT never adjusted his immigration status and in 1980 was convicted of a felony in an unrelated matter which resulted in his being placed on Removal Proceedings under Section 240 of the Immigration and Nationality Act in 2006. CABA's Pro Bono Project was able to successfully defend LT's removal and deportation utilizing the I-589 Convention Against Torture Act ("CAT") and LT was awarded asylum and withholding of the removal under Article II of the CAT.

Mission Statement

CABA's Pro Bono Project's mission is to assist the poor and indigent community in Miami-Dade County Florida by serving as a nexus and providing a referral source between needy clients and pro bono attorneys who can provide direct legal services to them. To that end CABA's Pro Bono Project assists in providing well-trained attorney volunteers to help meet the legal needs of our indigent community regardless of race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation or national origin. The Project further strives to support its volunteer attorneys with access to training, CLE education and mentoring.

Honorable Mentions

The Project wishes to extend its warm appreciation to the following CABA Members who have recently taken of their time and skills to take on pro bono representation on behalf of the Project:

Javier Banos, Esq.
Taxes

Manuel L. Crespo, Esq.
Landlord Tenant

Amaury Cruz, Esq.
Child Support Modification

Rogelio Del Pino, Esq.
Removal Proceedings / Immigration

Jorge Del Valle, Esq.
Foreclosure

Sandra Ferrera, Esq./Nora Galego, Esq.
Probate

Manuel Garcia-Linares, Esq.
Divorce with Alimony

Grace M. Gomez, Esq.
Removal Proceedings / Immigration

Patricia Ann Kopco, Esq.
Divorce with Child Abuse

Corali Lopez-Castro, Esq.
Bankruptcy

Nicole Mestre, Esq.
Divorce

Eliana Poveda, Esq.
Mediation

Alicia Santana Torres, Esq.
Custody / Visitation

Robert Wayne, Esq.
Ownership / Real Property



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