Best's Recommended Insurance Attorneys - General Defense

• Telephone: 954-761-9900
• Fax: 954-761-9940
• E-Mail: LS@insurancedefense.net
• Website: insurancedefense.net

Established: 1995

• About Us
• Client Information
• Personnel

About Us

Our verdicts tell the story.™ Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo, Cohen & Peterfriend is a Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Florida Corporate & Insurance Defense Litigation firm. The firm defends professionals, corporations and their insurance companies from both Liability and Workers' Compensation claims. From our fourteen offices in Boston, Massachusetts, Providence, Rhode Island and in Florida (Key West, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Stuart, Fort Myers, Tampa, Orlando, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Pensacola), the firm's 210+ attorneys deliver counsel and legal services in over 35 practice areas. The firm has several strategic and innovative practice areas including a dedicated Reptile and Edge Deposition & Trial Strategy Practice Group, Time and Policy Limit Demands and Tenders Practice Group and a Surgical LOP Abuse Practice that handle a number of specialized issues. Members have tried over 200 cases in Florida State and Federal Courts.

Our mission is to provide our clients with legal services that help them manage risk and reduce exposure. Our goal is to ensure that our clients obtain equal justice in the courtroom. The Law Firm is Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is a member of The Gavel.net LLC., Nationwide Claims Defense Network. The firm's Partners are members of the Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA), the Florida Defense Lawyers Association (FDLA), the Defense Research Institute (DRI) and the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM).

Managing Partner Dan Santaniello, Partners Anthony Petrillo (Tampa), Jack Frost (Boca Raton), Luis Menendez-Aponte (Miami) and Juan Ruiz (Orlando) are Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Experts. Construction Law Partners Ashley Graham (Fort Myers), Valerie Edwards (Boca Raton), Hayley Newman (Boca Raton), Christopher Burrows (Boca Raton), C. Eric Bearden (Jacksonville), Patrick Hinchey (Jacksonville), David Rosinsky (Fort Lauderdale) and David Harrigan (Orlando) are Florida Bar Board Certified Construction Law Experts. The firm has a full service Appellate team in South, Central and Northern Florida to assist with summary judgments, motions in limine, discovery objectives, trial strategy and post trial positions.

The Daily Business Review selected Luks, Santaniello as finalists for the Most Effective Lawyers for its innovation in filing a Declaratory Judgment Action in a multiple Wrongful Death claim. These times present extraordinary challenges to businesses and their insurers, who are increasingly faced with expensive, overreaching lawsuits. Let us help even the playing field.

Client Information

Insurance Clients

Non-Insurance Clients

Personnel Information

Members

Jack D. Luks

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Admitted

• Florida, 1987
• New Jersey, 1987
• U.S. District Court, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida including Trial Bar

Education:

• Michigan State University, B.A., 1983
• University of Miami, J.D., 1986

Born: 1961

Anthony J. Petrillo

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Admitted

• Florida, 1991
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, 1991
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 1996
• U.S. District Court, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, 1999

Certifications:

• Florida Bar Board Certified in Civil Trial

Education:

• University of Florida, B.S., 1987
• Nova Southeastern University, J.D., 1990

Born: 1965

Daniel J. Santaniello

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Admitted

• Florida, 1990
• Massachusetts, 1991
• U.S. District Court, Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida including Trial Bar
• U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

Memberships:

• Florida Defense Lawyers Association (President, 2013-2014)
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)

Publications:

• Co-Author: with Alvarez, Rey, "Medicare White Paper," Florida Defense Lawyers Association, 2 June, 2011

Certifications:

• Florida Bar Board Certified in Civil Trial

Awards

• 2025 FDLA Lifetime Achievement Award
• Defense Research Institute (DRI) Exceptional Performance Citation 2013-2014
• 2010 FDLA President's Award for outstanding service

Education:

• Northeastern University, B.S., 1987
• Nova Southeastern University, J.D. (summa cum laude), 1990

Born: 1964

Senior Partners

• Luis Menendez-Aponte
• Christopher H. Burrows
• Thomas Gary Gorday
• Marc M. Greenberg
• Jorge Padilla
• Rey Alvarez
• Christopher Ritchie
• Deana Dunham
• Edgardo Ferreyra
• Marcella L. Garcia
• Patrick Hinchey
• Hayley Newman
• Allison Janowitz
• David E. Maglio

Managing Partners

• William J. Peterfriend
• Stuart Cohen
• Anthony Merendino
• Todd T. Springer
• Michael J. Schwartz
• Sean Fisher
• Patrick Zalman
• Benjamin Pahl
• Andrea Cox
• Patrick Boland
• Paul Michienzie
• Franklin Sato
• Anthony Perez

Of Counsel

• Dorsey C. Miller

Junior Partners

• Jairo Lanao
• Justin Schwerling

Administration

• Sherri L. Bauer, Esq.
• Julie Congress, Esq.
• Maria C. Donnelly
• DeeDee Lozano
• Steven Mootry
• Janine Menendez-Aponte, Esq.
• Glenn Palaia, Esq.

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