Your Claim Has Gone to Court: Understanding What Happens & What to Expect

Ra?l chairs MG M's Maritime Practice and represents clients facing litigation in a variety of areas, including maritime, personal injury, products liability, premises liability, infectious disease counseling and litigation, COVID-19, and commercial litigation. He has extensive experience as national and local counsel for various insurers and corporate entities handling litigation in general liability, maritime, transportation, USCG administrative proceedings and various recreational industry–related matters.

He has represented clients from jurisdictions as far north as Canada and throughout the Continental United States, Hawaii, the Caribbean and South America, and has tried over 100 cases to verdict in the state and federal courts of Florida. He is regularly appointed to act as national and local counsel by insurance companies on admiralty and maritime matters. Ra?l has served in executive capacities on the Florida Bar Admiralty & Maritime Law Board Certification Committee, the Florida Bar Maritime Law Committee, the Cuban American Bar Association, and the League of Prosecutors. He is an adjunct professor of Marine Insurance Law at the University of Miami School of Law, and is Board Certified in Admiralty and Maritime law by the Florida Bar. He has been published, including as a co-author of Florida Maritime Law Practice and Procedure, and has presented on various topics, including maritime law and practice, handling maritime claims in the United States, management of maintenance and cure, risk shifting in maritime contracts, products liability, and analysis of US Supreme Court decisions. Ra?l and other MG M maritime attorneys partner with 360 Coverage Pros to man a 24/7 legal hotline and provide insured crews with skilled legal representation in maritime law issues, including related to marine licenses, insurance, depositions, court proceedings, witness statements and responses to letters of warning notices.

Ra?l earned his JD from the University of Miami School of Law in 1993. He graduated with a BSEE from the University of Miami College of Engineering in 1990. He is admitted to the Florida Bar, US District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida, and the US Court of Appeals of the Eleventh Circuit. Ra?l is AV? Preeminent rated. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers, Top Lawyers in Florida (Admiralty & Maritime Law), Top Rated Lawyer (Commercial Litigation), Top Attorneys in Florida, Best Lawyers listing for Admiralty and Maritime Law, and the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.

Stephanie Chesney is an experienced litigator with significant experience defending a wide variety of civil cases from pre-suit through trial. Her experience includes representing clients in a variety of business and commercial litigation matters, including employment matters, general liability, education, transportation, products liability, construction, and premises liability. Stephanie also handles professional liability matters in the defense of health care providers and institutions. She has extensive courtroom experience defending claims in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts and Maine. Stephanie has additional experience providing risk transfer and tender advice to clients, as well as advising regarding risk mitigation strategies.

Prior to joining MG M, Stephanie practiced with a number of regional law firms where she specialized in a variety of complex litigation matters, primarily related to professional liability and the defense of health care providers. She was recognized as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer's Rising Star from 2012-2018, 2020-2021 and as a Rising Star by the National Bar Journal in 2015. In addition, Stephanie was an adjunct professor at New England Law Boston from 2011-2019 where she enjoyed teaching first year law students Legal Research and Writing.