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"Criminal Liability for Corporate Officers-The Resurrection of the Park Doctrine in Food and Drug Cases" by Robert J. Becerra
Robert J. Becerra co-authored the following article titled: "Criminal Liability for Corporate Officers-The Resurrection of the Park Doctrine in Food and Drug Cases" in Practical Trade & Customs Strategies published by WorldTrade Executive/Thomson Reuters, www.wtexecutive.com, on April 15, 2013.
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Criminal Liability for Corporate Officers-The Resurrection of the Park Doctrine in Food and Drug Cases |
Robert J. Becerra Speaking Engagement
South Florida Legal Guide Recognizes Four Devine Goodman attorneys
Four attorneys have been included in the 2013 edition of the South Florida Legal Guide’s “Top Lawyers” listing:
Robert J. Becerra - Criminal Defense/Criminal Law
John W. Devine - Corporate and Business, Real Estate
Abigail Watts-FitzGerald - Corporate and Business, Securities
Diane Noller Wells - Corporate and Business Litigation
The South Florida Legal Guide continues to be recognized as an invaluable source of information for both the business and legal communities. Top Lawyers are selected based on a peer nomination procedure. Lawyers chosen are well regarded in the legal profession, have many years of experience and have a distinguished record of achievement.
Abigail Watts-FitzGerald joins the firm as a Shareholder
Devine Goodman welcomes Abigail Watts-FitzGerald as a shareholder to the firm, which will now be known as Devine Goodman Rasco Watts-FitzGerald & Wells, P.A. Abigail is a highly-regarded corporate attorney in the South Florida business and legal communities whose wealth of experience will be of tremendous benefit to the firm’s clients. She is a long-time friend of John’s and Diane’s from their days at Steel Hector & Davis. Please join us in welcoming Abigail!
Diane Noller Wells Named in Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers
Diane Noller Wells has been selected again for inclusion in the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers™ (2013). This listing is exclusively for women attorneys who have received the highest possible rating in legal ability and ethical standards from their peers.
“South Florida’s Top Rated Lawyers” Recognizes Six DGRW Attorneys in the 2012 Edition
This annual publication from LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell recognizes John W. Devine, Robert J. Kuntz, and Diane Noller Wells in the area of “Business & Commercial” law, Lawrence D. Goodman and Guy A. Rasco in “Commercial Litigation,” and Robert J. Becerra in "Criminal Law" in its list of South Florida’s Top Rated Attorneys. The list is limited to lawyers who have been rated by their peers to be “AV Preeminent” – the highest Peer Review Rating available from Martindale-Hubbell.
Diane Noller Wells Named in Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers
Diane Noller Wells has been selected again this year for inclusion in the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers™ (2012). This listing is exclusively for women attorneys who have received the highest possible rating in legal ability and ethical standards from their peers.
Florida Trend Magazine Recognizes Mark D. Hobson as Legal Elite
Florida Trend magazine’s 2012 Florida Legal Elite has recognized Mark D. Hobson as among the most highly esteemed attorneys in Florida. This prestigious roster represents only 2% of the more than 67,000 attorneys actively practicing in Florida, according to the results of the magazine's statewide attorney surveys. Attorneys recognized by Florida Legal Elite are selected by their peers, who are asked to name those attorneys whom they hold in the highest regard and would recommend to others.
Congratulations Mark!
Robert J. Becerra joins DGRW as Of Counsel
Robert J. Becerra has joined the firm as Of Counsel in the Litigation group. Prior to joining DGRW, he was a Senior Attorney at the Miami law firm of Fuerst Ittleman. Bob focuses his practice in the areas of litigation and arbitration, white collar criminal defense, grand jury investigations, corporate compliance and internal investigations, and administrative and judicial proceedings related to international trade matters. He has significant experience handling civil litigation involving international trade issues, such as trademark infringement, cargo loss, errors and omissions by logistics providers and disputes that arise between exporters and importers.
Bob holds a J.D., cum laude, and a B.B.A. from the University of Miami.
DGRW Attorneys Recognized in the 2012 Edition of Florida Super Lawyers
Devine Goodman Rasco & Wells is pleased to announce that all four of its shareholders have been recognized in the 2012 issue of Florida Super Lawyers magazine. Each year, only five percent of the lawyers in Florida receive this honor. Additionally, Lawrence D. Goodman was ranked by the magazine within its lists of the “Top 100 Miami Florida Super Lawyer."
Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. For more information, visit www.superlawyers.com.
The DGRW lawyers included on this list are:
• John W. Devine – Real Estate
• Lawrence D. Goodman – Business Litigation
• Guy A. Rasco – Business Litigation
• Diane Noller Wells – Bankruptcy & Debtor/Creditor Rights
Corporate Advisory
A guaranty can lower your risk if a debtor defaults or a deal goes bad. But one size does not fit all. Maximum protection comes from suiting the particular guaranty to the particular deal.
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Corporate Advisory: Guaranties |
Devine Goodman Rasco & Wells is Ranked Among Nation's "Best Law Firms" by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers®
U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers® released the 2011-12 “Best Law Firms” rankings in which Devine Goodman Rasco & Wells, P.A. received three Metropolitan rankings as follows:
- Banking and Finance Law - Tier 1 Ranking
- Litigation - Banking & Finance; Litigation – Bankruptcy - Tier 2 Ranking
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law - Tier 3 Ranking
These rankings, which are presented in tiers, showcase 9,633 different law firms ranked nationally in one or more of 75 major legal practice areas and in metropolitan or state rankings in one or more of 119 major legal practice areas. Achieving a high ranking is a special distinction that signals a unique combination of excellence and breadth of expertise.
About U.S. News Media Group
U.S. News has more than two decades of experience in providing the public with the most accurate and in-depth rankings of a wide range of institutions, including America’s best law schools, colleges, graduate schools, and hospitals.
About Best Lawyers
Best Lawyers® is a well-respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. For over a quarter century, the company has helped lawyers and clients find legal counsel in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Best Lawyers® also publishes peer-reviewed listings of lawyers in nearly 70 other countries, covering many of the world’s major legal markets.
Diane N. Wells Named in The Best Lawyers in America® 2012 Edition
Diane Noller Wells was recently selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2012 in the fields of Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Banking & Finance and Litigation - Bankruptcy.
Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 41,000 leading attorneys cast almost 3.9 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
Diane N. Wells Honored in Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers
DGRW Shareholder, Diane N. Wells, has been named to the inaugural edition of the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers™. This designation exclusively identifies women attorneys who have achieved the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards from their peers. Less than 5% of women lawyers have achieved this top rating. This recent recognition by Martindale-Hubbell puts her among the elite women of the legal industry.
Two DGRW Attorneys Recognized as Florida Legal Elite
Devine Goodman Rasco & Wells, P.A. is pleased to announce that attorneys Lawrence D. Goodman and Mark D. Hobson were included in this year’s 2011 edition of Florida Trend’s Legal Elite listing. The Florida Legal Elite is widely regarded as a preeminent referral guide to the legal profession. It recognizes the top tier of attorneys practicing in Florida who have earned the trust and endorsement of their peers.
DGRW Attorneys Recognized Again in the 2011 Edition of Florida Super Lawyers
We are pleased to announce that all four of the firm’s partners have been recognized again in the 2011 issue of Florida Super Lawyers magazine. Each year, only five percent of the lawyers in Florida receive this honor. Additionally, Diane Noller Wells was ranked by the magazine within its lists of the “Top 50 Women.”
Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The magazine names attorneys in each state who received the highest point totals, as chosen by their peers and through independent research. For more information, visit www.superlawyers.com.
The DGRW lawyers included on this list are:
- John W. Devine – Real Estate
- Lawrence D. Goodman – Business Litigation
- Guy A. Rasco – Business Litigation
- Diane Noller Wells – Bankruptcy & Debtor/Creditor Rights
Corporate Advisory
The importance of following appropriate corporate formalities is often downplayed, if not ignored, particularly by small-business owners. A recent 3rd DCA case, however, illustrates the dangers that lurk if one fails to adhere to such formalities.
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Corporate Advisory: Corporate Formalities |
DGRW celebrates 10 years as a proud underwriter of WLRN public radio
National Public Radio touches the lives of millions of Americans every day. DGRW celebrates 10 years as an underwriter of NPR’s South Florida affiliate, WLRN 91.3 FM, and its quality programming.
DGRW Attorneys Recognized in the 2010 edition of Florida Super Lawyers
Devine Goodman Rasco & Wells is pleased to announce that all four of the firm’s partners have been named “Super Lawyers” for 2010 by Super Lawyers magazine. Each year, only five percent of the lawyers in Florida receive this honor. In addition, Diane Noller Wells was cited in the “The Top 50 Women,” listing by Florida Super Lawyers magazine.
Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The magazine names attorneys in each state who received the highest point totals, as chosen by their peers and through independent research. For more information, visit www.superlawyers.com.
The DGRW lawyers named to these lists are:
- John W. Devine – Real Estate
- Lawrence D. Goodman – Business Litigation
- Guy A. Rasco – Business Litigation
- Diane Noller Wells – Bankruptcy & Debtor/Creditor Rights
Mark D. Hobson joins DGRW as Of Counsel
Mark D. Hobson has joined the firm as Of Counsel in the Corporate Group. Prior to joining DGRW, he was a Partner in Shutts & Bowen’s Miami office. Mark focuses his practice on a variety of corporate and commercial matters including mergers and acquisitions, complex purchase and distribution arrangements, commercial finance, joint ventures, asset-based lending matters, Export-Import Bank guaranteed and insured transactions, cross-border transactional matters, corporate governance, and intellectual property matters.
Mark holds a J.D., with honors, from Florida State University College of Law and a B.S., summa cum laude, in Marketing and Management from Tampa College.
Diane Noller Wells is recognized by Florida Trend as a Florida Legal Elite 2010
DGRW Shareholder, Diane Noller Wells has been recognized as a 2011 Florida Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine. The Florida Legal Elite features outstanding attorneys selected by their peers through a voting process in 28 areas of practice and recognizes less than two percent of the 64,000 Florida Bar members practicing in the state.
Joseph M. Berklund joins DGRW as an Associate
Joseph M. Berklund has joined the firm as an Associate in the Litigation Group. Prior to joining Devine Goodman Rasco and Wells, Joe worked as a manager in real estate and mortgage finance, and worked in that capacity full time while completing his final year of law school in South Florida. He concentrates his practice on commercial litigation.
Joe holds a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School and a B.B.A. in International Business from Stetson University.




