Julie O. Bru
City Attorney
 

     Ms.  Bru was appointed by the City of Miami Commission as City Attorney on March 13, 2008.  Ms. Bru brings to the position extensive experience, having practiced law for over 18 years, most of which has been with the City of Miami.  She was serving as Deputy City Attorney prior to her appointment overseeing the management and administration of the Office. Ms. Bru has litigated in areas of tort, civil rights, labor and employment. Among notable work she has done, Ms. Bru represented the City during its acquisition of the 200,000-square-foot Miami Riverside Center and headed the legal team representing the City’s recovery task force in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.

     Ms. Bru is Board Certified, City, County and Local Government Law.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (1988), Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida.

Warren Bittner
Deputy City Attorney
 

    As Deputy City Attorney, Mr. Bittner is the Chief Litigator for the City of Miami responsible for overseeing all litigation in which the City or its agencies is involved.  Mr. Bittner was recruited from a private practice to join the Office of the City Attorney in 1989.  In addition to his supervisory responsibilities, he maintains a litigation practice in both State and Federal Court, with an emphasis in Civil Rights and Police Misconduct cases.  

  Education:

LL.M in Admiralty (1986), Tulane University of Louisiana; Juris Doctor (1983), University of Miami; Bachelor of Science (major in Mathematics)(1980), University of Miami; Bachelor of Arts(major in Anthropology) (1980), University of Miami.

     Mr. Arango  joined the Office of the City Attorney in March, 2008. He is presently assigned to the Litigation Division where he handles litigation in state court in the areas of Torts, Subrogation and Commercial law. Prior to becoming an Assistant City Attorney, Mr. Arango worked as a Legal Consultant within the Litigation Division where he provided litigation support services in the areas of Torts, Civil Rights, land use, code enforcement and general municipal law matters.

  Education:

 Juris Doctorate (2006), St. Thomas University School of Law.

Gail Ash Doston
Assistant City Attorney
 

  
     Ms. Dotson joined this office, April 2007. Previously, she was an Assistant County Attorney with the Miami-Dade County Attorney. Prior to the aforementioned, she was an associate attorney with Fowler White Burnette Hurley Banick & Strickroot. She has served as Assistant Dean, Career Planning, Florida International University College of Law. In June 2006, she was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush as a Judge of Compensation Claims.

She received a law degree from the University of Miami where she was awarded the Bill Colson Scholarship and Earl Warren Legal Scholar. She also served as Associate Editor, Business Law Journal and on the Moot Court Board.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (1991), University of Miami School of Law in Miami, FL.

Iliana Forte
Assistant City Attorney
 

     Ms. Forte joined the Office of the City Attorney in January, 2007. Prior to being hired as an Assistant City Attorney, Ms. Forte handled worker’s compensation cases for 16 years in private practice, including appeals before the First and Third District Court of Appeals.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (1990), University of Miami School of Law in Miami, Florida.

John A. Greco
Assistant City Attorney
 

      Mr. Greco joined the Office of the City Attorney in June 2008 where he handles appeals. Previously, Mr. Greco worked in the public and private sector. In private practice, he handled appeals and litigation support as well as tort, insurance and business litigation. He also worked as an Assistant Attorney for the Miami-Dade County School Board and held clerkships at the Florida Second District Court of Appeal and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate, cum laude (1993) University of Miami School of Law; Associate Editor, Inter-American Law Review.

Christopher A. Green
Assistant City Attorney
 

     Mr. Green joined the Office of the City Attorney in October 2000. His practice area is in Civil Litigation and Appeals.  He handles litigation in State and Federal Courts in the areas of Torts and Civil Rights. Before joining the Office of the City Attorney, Mr. Green was an associate at Cole, White & Billbrough. He has also served as an Assistant Public Defender in Miami-Dade County for more than six years. He is a member of the Florida Bar’s Judicial Administration and Evaluation Committee and the Dade County Bar’s Professionalism Committee. 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (1992), Nova Southeastern University.

Deanna Gross-Rasco
Assistant City Attorney
 

     Ms. Gross Rasco joined the Office of the City Attorney in 1994 to handle commercial litigation matters for the City, including foreclosures, code enforcement, quiet title action and lien litigation. Ms. Gross Rasco commenced her legal career as an associate at Blackwell & Walker, P.A. where she specialized in real estate and commercial litigation and transactions.

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (1988), University of Miami School of Law in Miami, Florida.

Henry J. Hunnefeld
Assistant City Attorney
 

     Mr. Hunnefeld is the supervisor of the Litigation Division handling litigation in State and Federal Courts in the areas of Government, Commercial, Civil Rights and Negligence. He has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Civil Trial. As a member of the Civil Trial Certification Committee, he drafts and grades portions of the Certification exam. Mr. Hunnefeld was Associate Editor of the International Law Journal at the University of Miami School of Law and an adjunct professor of International Business Law at the University of Miami Graduate School of Business.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (1982), University of Miami School of Law in Miami, Florida.

Robin Jones Jackson
Assistant City Attorney
 

     Ms. Jackson joined the Office of the City Attorney in July 2004. Ms. Jackson was an associate with the law firm of Willkie, Farr & Gallagher in New York City immediately after law school and moved to Miami in 1990 to work with the law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey. In addition to her experience as a public finance attorney, Ms. Jackson has worked with governmental, foundation and corporate grants programs, community service programs, public and not-for-profit boards, and has been an adjunct professor for Nova Southeastern University and Miami Dade College.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (1984) Washington & Lee University School of Law.

Kevin R. Jones
Assistant City Attorney
 

 
    Mr. Jones joined the Office of the City Attorney in June 2006. He is assigned to the litigation Division and Labor Division where he handles litigation in state court in the areas of torts and represents the City before the Civil Service Board. Before joining the Office of the City Attorney, Mr. Jones was in private practice and handled both civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts. Prior to private practice, Mr. Jones was an Assistant State Attorney for the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office where he served as a member of the Violent Career Criminal Unit specializing in the prosecution of violent repeat offenders.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (1997), University of Florida School of Law.

William A. Juliachs
Assistant City Attorney
 

 
     Mr. Juliachs joined the Office of the City Attorney in January, 2007. Prior to being hired as an Assistant City Attorney, Mr. Juliachs handled worker’s compensation cases for 15 years in private practice.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate with honors (1990), University of Florida College of Law.

Victoria Mèndez
Assistant City Attorney
 

  
     Ms. Mèndez joined the Office of the City Attorney in March 2004. She is the Supervisor for the Environmental and Quality of Life Division, dealing with legal matters in the area of land use and environmental law, code enforcement, platting, unsafe structures, and eminent domain. Ms. Mèndez began her career as an Assistant State Attorney for Miami-Dade County prosecuting criminal cases at the Circuit and County levels.

     Ms. Méndez began her fifth term as Director for the Cuban American Bar Association; serves as Chair of a Florida Bar Grievance Committee; and is a Trustee for the Miami-Dade County Law Library.

 

  Education:

Juris Doctor (1999), University of Miami School of Law.
Master of Public Administration (1999), University of Miami.

Barnaby L. Min
Assistant City Attorney
 

 
     Mr. Min joined the Office of the City Attorney in July 2008 and is currently assigned to the Quality of Life and Environment Division where he handles code enforcement, foreclosure, and other general land use matters. Prior to joining the Office of the City Attorney, Mr. Min was Bar Counsel with The Florida Bar where he was responsible for investigating and prosecuting attorneys who committed ethical violations.

     Mr. Min is currently the President-Elect of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association, volunteers as a Guardian Ad Litem, and serves on the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (2000), University of Connecticut School of Law.

Richard S. Otruba
Assistant City Attorney
 

     Mr. Otruba joined the Office of the City Attorney in 1999. He is presently assigned to the Litigation Division, where he handles litigation in State and Federal Courts in the areas of Negligence, Civil Rights and Commercial law. He has also handled the litigation defense of Workers' Compensation claims. In private practice prior to joining the City, Mr. Otruba represented plaintiffs and claimants in personal injury and Workers’ Compensation litigation, and represented a broad range of clients in commercial litigation and corporate and transactional matters.

  Education:

Juris Doctor (1988), St. Thomas University School of Law.

Olga Ramirez-Seijas
Assistant City Attorney
 

     Ms. Ramirez-Seijas has been with the Office of the City Attorney since 1994, and handles most of the commercial matters for the City, including acquisitions, contract preparation and review and special projects. She is assigned to represent the Downtown Development Authority,  the Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority, and the Bayfront Park Management Trust of the City of Miami. Ms Ramirez-Seijas commenced her legal career as an associate at Holland & Knight. Prior to joining the City of Miami, Ms. Ramirez-Seijas was a stockholder at Valdes-Fauli, Cobb, Bishoff & Kriss, where she specialized in real estate and commercial transactions.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctor with honors (1980), Florida State University School of Law.

Kymberlee C. Smith
Assistant City Attorney
 

      Ms. Smith joined the Office of the City Attorney in July 2007. She is assigned to work predominately in the Quality of Life and Environment area, where she handles zoning, environmental, land use, and code enforcement matters for the City.

     A portion of her practice is dedicated to handling general governmental matters for the City as well.

     She serves as counsel to the Code Enforcement Board. Ms. Smith began her legal career in private practice with an emphasis in real estate and land use.

 

  Education:

Juris Doctor (2005), Boston College Law School; Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (2000), Florida State University.

Rafael Suarez-Rivas
Assistant City Attorney
 

     Mr. Suarez-Rivas rejoined the Office of the City Attorney in 2002, after having served as Miramar City Attorney, Assistant Broward County Attorney, and General Counsel for the Broward Performing Arts Center Authority, and Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Hollywood. He is Board Certified in City, County and Local Government Law. His practice includes Land Use and Environmental Law, representing the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board, the Urban Development Design Review Board, and land use appeals and litigation for the City of Miami.. He has lectured on Sunshine Law, Public Records and procurement matters, and has served as a Broward County Hearing Officer, deciding bid protests.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (1979), Nova Southeastern Law School,
Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Ilene Temchin
Assistant City Attorney
 

     Ms. Temchin handles affordable housing issues and construction loan transactions for the City, as well as contract, real estate, development and general business matters. Before joining the City, Ms. Temchin was in private practice. She brings to the City a wide range of experience in real estate, corporate, regulatory, and banking/lending matters.

     Her career experience includes serving as General Counsel for Barnett Bank of South Florida, N.A., Chase Federal Bank, F.S.B., and Eagle Brands, Inc., and as an Adjunct Professor at St. Thomas Law School.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (1971), University of Chicago Law School in Chicago, IL.

Mimi V. Turin
Assistant City Attorney
 

     Ms. Turin supervises the Labor and Employment practice, overseeing employment matters,  Civil Service, Labor/Collective Bargaining, and Workers’ Compensation.   She defends the City in all areas of employment litigation.   Her background has primarily focused on all aspects of public sector labor and employment law.  Ms. Turin is Florida Bar Board Certified in City, County and Local Government Law.   She is also actively involved in various community activities and as a volunteer with children’s issues.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctor (1989), University of Miami School of Law; Master of Science (Management) (1983), Biscayne College (now St. Thomas University); BA (1979) Criminal Justice and (1983) Psychology .

Diana Vizcaino
Assistant City Attorney
 

         Ms. Vizcaino joined the Office of the City Attorney in June 2008.  She is currently assigned to work in the area of Labor\Employment where she handles employment litigation matters, arbitrations and represents the City before the Civil Service Board.  Prior to joining the Office of the City Attorney, Ms. Vizcaino litigated in Federal Court on behalf of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as well as in private practice.  Ms. Vizcaino also served as an Assistant State Attorney for Miami-Dade County prosecuting violent career criminals.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctorate (2000), St. Thomas University School of Law.

George K. Wysong
Assistant City Attorney
 

     Mr. Wysong serves as the Police Legal Advisor for the City of Miami Police Department. In that capacity, he handles matters which affect the Police Department, and provides counsel and advice to the Chief of Police and his staff, litigates contraband forfeiture cases, prepares legal bulletins for dissemination to the sworn police officers, provides advices and counsel to the City's Emergency Operations Center in times of emergency. In addition to those duties, Mr. Wysong also reviews contracts and agreements relating to the Police Department and drafts legislation relating to quality of life issues.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctor (1993), St. Thomas University School of Law.

Veronica A. Xiques
Assistant City Attorney

   
      Ms. Xiques joined the Office of the City Attorney in March 2007. Presently, she practices in the Transactional Division where she handles contracts, public-private partnership transactions and other general business matters for the City. She also serves as counsel to the Bayfront Park Management Trust, the Miami Downtown Development Authority and the Coconut Grove Business Improvement Committee. Ms Xiques began her legal career in private practice as an associate at Diaz, O’Naghten & Borgognoni, LLP and later with the firm of Piedra & Associates, P.A. where she specialized in commercial and real estate litigation.
 

  Education:

Juris Doctor, University of Florida Levin College of Law, (2002); Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Political Science, Florida International University (1998).