16th Annual Heart of Giving Celebration & Judicial Reception

Over 450 leaders from Miami’s legal, business, and civic communities gathered at the Rubell Museum to honor "Champions of Justice," who are outstanding individuals exemplifying fairness, integrity, and a commitment to equal access to justice.

Monica Vigues-Pitan (Legal Services of Greater Miami); Tracy Nichols (Holland & Knight); Tiffani Lee (Holland & Knight); The Honorable Robert Scola (United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida); The Honorable Roy Altman (United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida); The Honorable Corali Lopez-Castro (U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida); Lilly Ann Sanchez, (The LS Law Firm); The Honorable Laurel Isicoff (U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida) and Karen Lapekas (Lapekas Law)

Over 450 leaders from Miami’s legal, business, and civic communities gathered at the Rubell Museum on for the 16th Annual Heart of Giving Celebration and Judicial ReceptionThe evening honored outstanding individuals who exemplify fairness, integrity, and a commitment to equal access to justice.

The 2025 Equal Justice Judicial Leadership Award was presented to The Honorable Robert N. Scola, Jr., Senior U.S. District Court Judge, recognizing his decades of service and dedication to judicial excellence.  Tiffani Lee, Deputy Managing Partner at Holland & Knight, received the 2025 Equal Justice Leadership Award for her impactful pro bono work and advocacy.
In a moving tribute, the Equal Justice Legacy Award was awarded In Memoriam to Judge A. Jay Cristol, former Chief Judge Emeritus of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Special thanks to our incredible Event Chair, Lilly Ann Sanchez, as well as our Master of Ceremonies, Glenna Milberg, for making the evening truly unforgettable.

We also thank our title sponsors: Ryder, Charles Schwab Bank, and Lauri Waldman Ross, our exclusive liquor sponsor, Bacardi, and all our amazing sponsors and supporters who helped make the event a success.

Jacqueline Scola (Scola Mediation) and The Honorable Cecilia Altonaga (United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida)
Detra Shaw Wilder (Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton); The Honorable Laurel Isicoff (U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida) and Matthew Dates (Stearns Weaver Miller)
Tracy Nichols (Holland & Knight); Monica Vigues-Pitan (Legal Services of Greater Miami) and Tiffani Lee (Holland & Knight)
Tracy Nichols (Holland & Knight); Monica Vigues-Pitan (Legal Services of Greater Miami) and Tiffani Lee (Holland & Knight)
Bernard Zapata-Kim (Jones Day); Laura Zapata-Kim (Ryder System), Linda Valdes and Gabriel Valdes (Sidley Austin)
Peter Smith (Kaufman Rossin); Michael Elkin (Kaufman Rossin), The Honorable Bronwyn Miller (Third District Court of Appeal) and Brian Miller (King & Spalding)
Porpoise Evans (Littler); Elaine Walter (Kula & Associates) and Elliot Kula (Kula & Associates)
The Honorable Bronwyn Miller (Third District Court of Appeal); Pamela Perry (Pamela Perry P.A.) and The Honorable Carroll Kelly (Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida)
Wifredo Ferrer (Holland & Knight) & Gerald Sanchez (Office of the Miami-Dade County Attorney)
Wifredo Ferrer (Holland & Knight) & Gerald Sanchez (Office of the Miami-Dade County Attorney)
Cherine Smith Valbrun (Kim Vaughan Lerner LLP); Tiffani Lee (Holland & Knight); Michele Samaroo (City of Hialeah Law Department) & Janeen “Jae” Lofton (Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A.)
The Honorable Laurel Isicoff (U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida); The Honorable Corali Lopez-Castro (U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida) and Monica Vigues-Pitan (Legal Services of Greater Miami)
David McDonald (McLuskey, McDonald & Hughes); Lisa Riddle (McLuskey, McDonald & Hughes); John Hughes (McLuskey, McDonald & Hughes) and John “Jack” McLuskey (McLuskey, McDonald & Hughes)
Carlos Jimenez (Jimenez Mazzitelli Mordes); Phil Holden (Jimenez Mazzitelli Mordes); Jordan Rosales (Jimenez Mazzitelli Mordes) and Gabriel Mazzitelli (Jimenez Mazzitelli Mordes)
Aleida Martinez-Molina (AXS Law); Porpoise Evans (Littler); Karen Lapekas (Lapekas Law) and Stanley Wakshlag (Sperling Kenny Nachwalter)
Laura Ocana (Schwab Bank); Mey-Ling Perez (First Horizon Bank); Monica Vazquez (Schwab Bank) and Sande Taylor (Schwab Bank)
The Honorable Chiaka Ihekwaba (Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida); The Honorable Andrea Wolfson (Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida) and The Honorable Miesha Darrough (Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida)
Tom Schulte (Hunton Andrews Kurth); Jae Lynn Huckaba (Hunton Andrews Kurth); Walter Andrews (Hunton Andrews Kurth); The Honorable Carroll Kelly (Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida); Yaniel Abreu (Hunton Andrews Kurth) and Adriana Perez (Hunton Andrews Kurth)