South Florida's
Best Lawyers 2025
Featured in Best Lawyers
Andrew Ellenberg is an AV rated lawyer, Martindale‑Hubbell’s highest peer rating for legal ability and ethics. A trial lawyer since 1988, Andrew’s expertise spans the range of cases that make up a plaintiffs’ personal injury and wrongful death practice – representing individuals and families who have suffered catastrophic loss as a result of medical negligence, defective products, auto accidents and aviation accidents, and cases involving abuse or neglect of vulnerable...
Florida attorney, Jay Cohen focuses his practice in Plaintiff Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice. As a senior partner at Cohen, Blostein & Ayala, P.A. , he represents individuals and families who have suffered catastrophic loss due to the negligence of others. His experience and professionalism have earned him membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates, peer recognition from Super Lawyers, Florida’s Legal Elite and The Best Lawyers® in America, and an AV Preeminent...
Stephen focuses on complex litigation and appeals. He has tried cases to verdict in state and federal courts and has argued more than 50 appeals. His practice spans class actions, personal injury, aviation accidents, complex commercial disputes, defamation, professional malpractice, and whistleblower claims. His abilities have been recognized in numerous publications. Benchmark Appellate observed that Stephen “possesses the rare skill set allowing him to excel at both trial and appellat...
Abigail M. Cohen is a Senior Associate at Gladstone, Weissman, Hirschberg & Schneider, P.A. She is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by the Florida Bar and a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Ms. Cohen earned her J.D. (magna cum laude) from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she was ranked 7 out of 238 in her graduating class. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida. Since her admission to the Florid...
David L. Hirschberg is a Principal/Shareholder at Gladstone, Weissman, Hirschberg & Schneider, P.A. He is a graduate of the University of Florida Levin College of Law, cum laude (J.D., 2003) and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, with honors (B.A., 2000). Mr. Hirschberg is Florida Bar Board Certified in Marital and Family Law, a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, and is AV Preeminen...
Denise L. Schneider , Principal/Shareholder, is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Marital and Family Law and a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Ms. Schneider earned her J.D. (magna cum laude) as well as her Bachelor of Science from Nova Southeastern University. Prior to joining the firm in 2007, Ms. Schneider worked in several Fort Lauderdale area boutique marital and family law practices. Following her admittance to The Florida Bar in 2002, Ms. Schneider has strictl...
Jeffrey A. Weissman is a Principal/Shareholder of the law firm of Gladstone, Weissman, Hirschberg & Schneider, P.A. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D., 1994). Mr. Weissman is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law and is AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale- Hubbell. He is a Fellow in the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is also a Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator and is formally trained in Collaborative Law. Mr. Weissman was rece...
When it comes to federal appeals, Dorothy is a nationally recognized author who literally wrote the book: Successful Federal Appeals in All Circuit Courts: A Practical Guide for Busy Lawyers. Dorothy appreciates the value of hard work, perseverance and tenacity. She grew up on a farm, learned to drive a tractor, and worked on a forestry logging crew for room and board as an undergraduate in the mountains of North Carolina. Dorothy has a Master of Science, summa cum laude, in forest genetics f...
David A. Ludgin is Counsel in Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group and is based in the Bonita Springs office. His practice focuses on estate planning and administration, charitable planning and closely-held business succession planning. He has implemented numerous estate and business succession plans, having prepared irrevocable life insurance trusts, charitable remainder and lead trusts, grantor retained interest trusts, shareholder agreements and stock purchase agreements. His cl...
David M. Halpen is Principal-in-Charge of the Palm Beach office of Cummings & Lockwood. David has over twenty years of broad-based legal experience in trusts and estates planning, estate settlement, trust administration, business succession planning, and U.S. and international tax planning for a variety of high net worth clients. Prior to joining Cummings & Lockwood, he was a shareholder with Dunwody, White & Landon in their Naples and Palm Beach offices.
Featured in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch
JOSHUA L. PLAGER is a Senior Associate of the law firm of Gladstone, Weissman, Hirschberg & Schneider, P.A. Josh graduated from the University of Florida with honors in 2006, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Warrington College of Business. Following undergrad and before law school, Mr. Plager was a Series 7 and Series 66 registered financial advisor at AIG, assisting clients with financial planning and investing, including 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, and I...
Tova N. Tsikis, Senior Associate, earned her J.D. (summa cum laude) from Nova Southeastern University - Shepard Broad Law Center, where she ranked No. 5 of 244 in her graduating class. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ramapo College of New Jersey (summa cum laude). In addition, Ms. Tsikis spent a semester abroad at Neve Yerushalayim College in Jerusalem, pursuing International Studies. Ms. Tsikis joined the firm after working as a law clerk at Gladstone, Weissman, Hirschberg &a...
Bonie S. Montalvo focuses her legal practice in the areas of estate planning, business succession planning, tax planning and nonprofit law. Bonie works with individual and corporate clients to understand their estate planning goals and devises tailored plans to help her clients meet those goals while maximizing their tax advantage. Bonie drafts wills, trusts and other estate planning documents, and assists with probate administration in several Southwest Florida counties. She also has experie...
ROBERT (“Beau”) E. BLUMBERG is a Partner with the trial law firm of Deutsch, Blumberg & Caballero P.A., where he practices personal injury, medical malpractice, and product liability law. Mr. Blumberg is admitted to practice in Florida and before the United States District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. He is a member of The Florida Bar (Member of the Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration Committee 2017- 2023, Member of the Code & R...
Featured "Lawyer of the Year" Honorees
Mr. Needle, a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. Mr. Needle's courtroom victories include multi-million dollar verdicts in cases that have often pushed the outer boundaries of existing legal precedent. For six years he was a member of the Florida Bar's Board of Governors, which sets policy and discipline (under the auspices of the Florida Supreme Court), for all lawyers practicing in the state of Florida. Andrew Needle has been an editorial consultant to Matthew Bender Law Books: Florida Tor...
Peter L. Gladstone is a Principal of the law firm of Gladstone, Weissman, Hirschberg & Schneider, P.A. He is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law (1999) and a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (2003), having practiced exclusively in this field since 1988. Mr. Gladstone is AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been repeatedly selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America (2005-2025 editions), Florida Trend Legal Elite magazine, Florida Super Lawyers (“To...
