Judicial kingmaker Hector Lombana and Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr defector Mary Hoelle are forming Lombana Hoelle Trial Law to focus on complex litigation and commercial disputes.

Lombana is leaving Gamba Lombana & Herrera in Coral Gables effective May 1 after 18 years as a co-founder and serving as managing partner. He is a former president of the Cuban American Bar Association and former chair of the Third District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission.

Lombana has been active in promoting the legal rights of minorities and women and increasing the number of Hispanics, women and African-Americans in the legal profession and on the bench, advising candidates in the judicial election process.

Hoelle was an Arnstein & Lehr partner before the Saul Ewing merger last September, headed the litigation group at Fowler Rodriguez in Miami, was vice chair of the Florida Bar committee on professionalism and served as chair of the Florida International University president's council.

Hoelle has focused on representing corporate clients in complex commercial, civil and products liability litigation with an emphasis on jurisdiction, forum non conveniens, electronic discovery and Latin American cross-border issues. She does trial and appellate work as well as arbitration.

The new partners plan to represent clients in complex tort litigation, medical malpractice, accounting malpractice and commercial litigation.

Lombana relayed a message saying he had no comment. There was no response to calls and email to Hoelle.

There was no comment by deadline from managing partners of the firms they are leaving.

The new firm expects to share space for several months with Lombana's former firm.