Board Certified Legal Specialist in Admiralty & Maritime Law; State Bar of California.
Florida and California Super Lawyers: 2006-2024.
AV Preeminent Rated Martindale Hubbell™
Best of the Bar, Florida Trend Magazine
Best of the Bar, Miami Daily Business Review
Best Verdicts, South Florida Business Journal
Best of the Bar South Florida Business Journal
Member Litigation Counsel of America
Former Judge Pro Tem of the Municipal Court of California

ABOUT:

Jeffrey specializes in all aspects of complex litigation, admiralty and maritime law, medical malpractice defense, sexual assault and negligent security cases, disease outbreaks, and corporate crisis management. In over 35 years of practicing law, he has accumulated extensive experience handling a wide array of high profile cases nationwide.

Clients frequently call upon Jeffrey to help their companies effectively respond to major mass casualty and other high profile crisis. He has appeared as an expert on CNN, Court TV, Dateline, Nancy Grace, Anderson Cooper 360, and the Today Show.

Outside the courtroom, Jeffrey frequently lectures on a wide array of human resources and tort issues. He also provides employee training on a wide array of issues. When not practicing law, you can find Jeffrey working at his family’s award winning wineries in California and Colorado.

PUBLICATIONS:

Shipboard Medical Care, Benedict on Admiralty (2015-2024)
COVID-19 and the Cruise Industry, Benedict on Admiralty (2021-2024)
The Seafarer's Ancient Duty to Rescue and Modern Attempts to Regulate the Good Samaritan, Tulane Law Review (2015)
Twas the Night Before Regulations: Foreign-Flagged Cruise Ships and the ADA, 75 Tulane Law Review 1571 (2001
Islands in the Sun, Cruise Line Liability for Water Activities on Private Islands, University of San Francisco Maritime Law Journal (2001)
Jobs in Paradise: The Definitive Guide to Exotic Jobs Everywhere, HarperCollins Publishers (1990, 1993)

Photo of Ana Maltzman partner at Maltzman & Partners — Ana Maltzman

Administrative Partner

EDUCATION:

J.D. University of Miami School of Law (cum laude 1998)
B.A. University of California at Davis (1985)

ADMITTED:

Florida
Washington

HONORS:

Articles Editor, University of Miami Law Review
Law Clerk to the Honorable Ursula Ungaro, United States District Court, Southern District of Florida.

ABOUT:

Ana specializes in employment law and serves as the firm’s administrative partner handling firm administration and Human Resources. She assists the firm’s lawyers with both trial court and appellate briefs, motions for summary judgment, and other complex writing projects.

Education:

University of Florida College of Law (J.D., 2001)
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, 1998)

Admissions:

Florida
U.S. District Courts - Southern and Northern Districts of Florida
11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Honors:

Law Clerk to the Hon. James M. Barton II, Circuit Court, 13th Judicial District, Florida.
Editor, Journal of Technology Law & Policy, University of Florida Levin College of Law.
Phi Beta Kappa

ABOUT:

Steve is a partner in the firm's Coral Gables office.

Steve has more than 30 years experience practicing civil litigation with an emphasis on resort and tourism law and the defense of hotel guest, passenger and crew tort claims. He also handles complex commercial litigation and class action claims. In addition to defending cases in both state and Federal trial and appellate courts throughout Florida, Steve regularly handles international arbitration matters.

Steve began his legal career as the staff attorney to a distinguished judge in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida—Complex Civil Litigation Division. Before entering the legal profession, Steve was a general foreman for a large industrial contractor based in Los Angeles. He brings an in-depth knowledge of our clients resort, tourism and hospitality businesses having grown up in a family that owns and operates a resort hotel in New England.

When not practicing law, Steve can be found exploring his extensive wine collection or listening to his vast collection of vinyl records.

Education:

University of Miami School of Law (J.D., Magna Cum Laude and LL.M. International Law, May 2012);
Washington University in St. Louis (A.B. 2008).

Admissions:

Florida
California
11th Circuit Court of Appeals,
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and Central District of California.

Honors:

Law Clerk to the Hon. Edwin Torres, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Inter-American Law Review, Associate Editor
Writing Dean's Fellow, Academic Achievement Program
CALI Excellent for the Future Award and Book Award
Dean's List
Outstanding Public Interest Scholarship Recipient
Phi Delta Phi

ABOUT:

Rafaela is admitted in both Florida and California and routinely handles matters on both coasts. She specializes in maritime and travel law with an emphasis in international arbitration. Rafaela represents multiple cruise lines and resort hotels in both Federal and state courts. She is originally from Spain and was raised in Puerto Rico. Rafaella speaks English, Spanish, French and Italian.

As editor of the Inter-American Law Review, Rafaela conducted extensive research on international arbitration and the enforceability of international arbitration agreements. She is a former law clerk to the Hon. Edwin Torres at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. She is currently a member of the Hispanic Bar Association, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution and the Young Arbitrators Forum of the International Chamber of Commerce.

education:

University of South Carolina Law School (J.D. 1992)
University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School (CIMA, MPT Executive Education Program, 2008)
Northwood University-Florida, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), 1988

HONORS:

National Semi Finalist, Environmental Law Moot Court
South Carolina Delegate, American Bar Association LSD
Negotiation Team State Representative
Phi Delta Phi.

ADMISSIONS:

Florida
South Carolina
North Carolina
Utah
United States District Court Southern District of Florida

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

Volunteer hammer swinger, Habitat for Humanity
Board Member, North Carolinians against Racist and Religious Violence

about:

Steve has worked in the firm's maritime practice group defending cruise lines in cases involving passenger and crew personal injury, class actions, and medical malpractice. He is also an active member of the firm's emergency mass casualty response team having led one of the team response units in the wake of the Star Princess fire. In addition to extensive experience in personal injury defense, Steve has experience in criminal law and handles a wide range of negligent security and sexual assault matters.

When not working for the firm, Steve is active in his family's real estate development business and is also a licensed Realtor and pilot.

EDUCATION:

J.D., University of Miami
B.S./B.A., Boston University, Question School of Business

ADMITTED:

Florida
U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Central Districts of Florida

ABOUT:

Matt specializes in maritime and business law. He handles a wide array of cruise and yacht related business, litigation and arbitration matters worldwide. He routinely handles complex and serious personal injury and crime matters for the firm’s many cruise line clients.

Matt has a U.S. Coast Guard Master’s license for vessels under 100 Gross Tons. Before completing law school Matt worked as an in-house intern in the legal department at Princess Cruises in Santa Clarita, California and as a Charter Boat Captain and Sailing Instructor at the Boston Sailing Center.

Education:

University of Southern California (J.D., 1987)
University of California at Los Angeles, magna cum laude (B.A., 1983)

Admissions:

California
United States District Court for the Central District of California

ABOUT:

Teresa works out of the firm's Los Angeles office. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Communication Studies from UCLA, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She attended the University of Southern California Gould School of Law on a full academic scholarship. Teresa has over 25 years of litigation experience and has extensive experience handling maritime, resort and tourism related cases. For most of her career, she has defended major insurance companies and self-insured entities in cases involving significant personal injuries and/or multi-million dollar property losses. Teresa has drafted appellate briefs and has argued before the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District. Teresa's experience makes her an effective and efficient litigator.

Angelo Pecorelli is a law clerk in the firm's Miami office, where he supports cases in maritime and general litigation. He is currently in his final year of studies at Saint Thomas University School of Law where he is on the Dean’s List and serves as President of the Maritime Law Society.
Prior to his legal studies Angelo earned a Master’s degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University. He regularly leverages his unique hospitality background to provide valuable insights into cruise and hotel related matters. Born in Italy, Angelo is fluent in English, Italian, and Spanish, which enables him to assist in multilingual negotiations and document reviews. When not immersed in legal research or court documents, Angelo enjoys maintaining a healthy lifestyle through fitness and exploring the rich culinary landscapes that Miami and Italy have to offer..

Emily is a University of Miami law student and law clerk in the firm's Florida office assisting firm attorneys in a wide array of cruise line cases in Federal court. She is a two-time recipient of the Deans’ Certificate of Achievement and winner of the CALI Excellent Award for Legal Research and Communication. She currently serves as Admiral of the University of Miami Maritime Law Society. Prior to joining Maltzman & Partners, Emily clerked for the in-house legal department at MSC Cruises.

Photo of office manager and paralegal Laurie Valqui — Laurie Valqui

Office Manager / Legal Assistant

Laurie Valqui is a paralegal in our firm’s Florida office and serves as the firm’s administrator overseeing operations in our Florida, California, Washington and Colorado offices.

Maegan is a paralegal in the firm’s Florida office handling a wide array of cruise line and resort cases in Florida state and Federal courts.

Bekka is a paralegal in the firm's California office assisting firm attorneys in a wide array of passenger and crew cruise line cases in both state and Federal courts.

Lourdes is the firm’s senior paralegal responsible for all aspects of litigation support and paralegal training. She has 40 years of legal experience, with an extensive background in insurance defense litigation, maritime law and medical malpractice. Lourdes earned an Associate's Degree in Legal Studies from Miami-Dade College and holds a Certificate in Paralegal Studies from the University of Miami.