Maritime Litigation vs. Transactions | Michelle Otero Valdés

I have achieved fame as the first and only Latina in the State of Florida that is Board Certified in Admiralty and Maritime Law. While this may not get me much except bragging rights, it does say a lot about me. I am tenacious (some would say stubborn), persistent, like to be first, goal-oriented, refuse to accept rejection because of my race or gender and frankly, I believe that my life experiences give me a different perspective than the “other guys” in doing what I do.

I have a laundry list of cases I have handled involving any and all areas of the marine industry and industries supporting the marine industry, but that would just be shameless self-promotion. What I do for all of my clients is provide them what they need—sometimes when they do not even know what they need. I take the time to talk to all of my clients and establish what their “end goal” is. It is amazing to me how many times clients have told me that they have hired numerous lawyers in the past and my talking to them is the first time that they have felt “heard” by a lawyer. I’m sure there are other lawyers out there that listen to their clients, but how many of them can say that they at one time were a client—I was, 8 years as a claims handler for Thomas Miller. I hired lawyers all over the world to defend maritime cases of all sorts—I know what a client needs, the reporting that a client may need to make to “higher ups” and the pressures a client suffers when a litigation drags on or when a transaction gets stalled.

As managing partner of my own firm, I make it a point to make sure that everyone on my team puts the firm’s client's needs first—it is as simple as that.

Law Offices of Michelle Otero Valdés
2030 S. Douglas Road | Suite 117
Coral Gables, Florida 33134
Phone: [phone]