Panelist Bios

Michael Goldberg

Akerman Bankruptcy Partner Michael Goldberg chairs the firm’s Fraud and Recovery Practice, which is focused on unraveling high-profile investor fraud, including Ponzi schemes and EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Program wrongdoing. Michael has served as court-appointed receiver in many of his cases over the past two decades, helping victims maximize potential returns by identifying, securing, and monetizing potential assets as quickly and efficiently as possible. He currently serves as Receiver for the Champlain Tower South Condominium Association, Inc. following the horrific collapse of the Champlain Tower South Condominium in Surfside, Florida, in June 2021. In this capacity, he and his team oversaw all expert testing and led the negotiations on the $120 million purchase contract on the site, and interfaced with all government entities with respect to the collapse. The team was instrumental in obtaining the $1.1 billion settlement—which the judge in the case approved on June 23, 2022—from a class action lawsuit over the disaster.

Matthew B. Gorson

Matt Gorson currently serves as Senior Chairman of Greenberg Traurig, LLP. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the firm’s Southeast and California offices and previously served as the firm’s President and Chairman. Matt joined Greenberg Traurig in 1973 as the firm’s 14th lawyer, and became one of the most prolific and in-demand real estate attorneys in South Florida. His work over the last five decades has played a key role in revitalizing the urban landscape and changing the skyline of Downtown Miami, Brickell Avenue, Miami Beach and Sunny Isles. As the former chair of the firm's national Real Estate Practice, Matt was instrumental in developing the firm's reputation as a real estate powerhouse.

Matt focuses his community involvement on areas in which he can make a difference. He is Founder and past Chairman of the Downtown Miami Charter School. Matt currently serves as Chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami. He is a former Board Member and Campaign Chairman of United Way of Miami-Dade and a Former Board Member of the New World Symphony, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the City of Miami Downtown Development Authority, Mt. Sinai Hospital, the 11th Judicial Circuit Historical Society, and Friends of the Underline. Matt is a Board Emeritus Member of Tulane University and founder of both Mt. Sinai Hospital and Baptist Hospital.

Michael A. Hanzman

Michael A. Hanzman, Former Florida Circuit Court Judge, is Senior Counsel in the firm’s Litigation Group, where he focuses his practice on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), including private judging, arbitration and mediation. Michael also employs his extensive experience and legal acumen to strategize and consult on trial and appellate matters.
 
Michael served as a Circuit Court Judge for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida for 12 years, building on his decades-long success as a commercial litigator in private practice. As a Circuit Judge and Appellate Judge by designation, Michael authored more than 200 published legal opinions and orders during his tenure and presided over a number of seminal cases in the state, including the $1 billion settlement in the high-profile Surfside condo collapse case. In addition to his most recent role as a Complex Business Litigation Division Judge, he also worked in the Circuit Court’s juvenile and criminal divisions. 
 
During his time on the bench, Michael was a passionate advocate of children’s rights, taking on issues involving adoption, mental health services, and funding for caregivers of foster children. He has also been recognized with multiple awards and honors, including the 2022 William H. Hoeveler Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Miami School of Law’s Center for Ethics & Public Service, the 2022 Equal Justice Judicial Leadership Award from Legal Services of Greater Miami, and the 2022 William Hoeveler/Jack Welsh Innovation Award from the American Inns of Court.

Harley Tropin

Harley Tropin is a founding partner of Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton. Mr. Tropin concentrates his practice on high stakes business litigation. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and a member of its Board of Directors. He has been awarded “Lawyer of the Year” for Miami Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions (2014-2019). Mr. Tropin has taught trial advocacy at Miami Law for the past thirty years and has served on the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission. Harley was recognized by the American Jewish Committee for his outstanding legal work and community contributions with the 2016 Learned Hand Award. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America since 1989 and is in the top-tier litigation category, “Bet-The-Company Litigators.” He has been awarded “Lawyer of the Year” for Miami Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions for 2014-2019.

He has led teams that have recovered billions of dollars in monetary recoveries and additional billions in structural relief in the HMO industry, for victims of Ponzi schemes, and most recently, for the Champlain Towers victims. He has acted as lead or co-lead counsel, in most of the significant class or group actions in the Southern District of Florida over the last thirty years, including: In Re: U.S. Oil & Gas; Securities and Exchange Commission v. Premium Sales Corporation; In Re: Managed Care Litigation, MDL No. 1334; the recent Jay Peak litigation: Daccache v. Raymond James & Associates, Inc.; and the Scott Rothstein Fraud litigation: Razorback Funding v. Rothstein; and In Re: Champlain Towers South Collapse Litigation.

Rachel Wagner Furst

Rachel received her A.B. degree magna cum laude from Princeton University. She then received her J.D. from the University of Florida, where she served as an editor of the Florida Law Review and graduated magna cum laude, with admission to the Order of the Coif. Rachel clerked for the Honorable Ursula Ungaro, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida.  Before joining Maderal Byrne & Furst PLLC, Rachel was a partner at Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen, where she handled significant cases on behalf of plaintiffs, and practiced in the commercial litigation department of the international law firm, White & Case, defending corporations against complex claims, including consumer class actions and professional malpractice.

Rachel litigates class actions and individual claims of personal injury, wrongful death, professional malpractice, deceptive consumer practices, product liability, and breach of fiduciary duty. She represents plaintiffs in state and federal courts and handles appeals.

Rachel has taken a leading role in high-profile class actions and multi-district litigation. She served as Co-Chair Lead Counsel of the Champlain Towers South Collapse Litigation, in Florida Circuit Court, which resulted in a record-setting $1.2 billion settlement. She also presently serves as the Liaison Counsel in the January 2021 Short Squeeze Trading Litigation, a multi-district litigation pending in the Southern District of Florida.  Rachel is also class counsel in a pending case against Ford Motor Company including eight certified state classes, and in a case against the City of Miami for the imposition of an unconstitutional taxing scheme.

Rachel is a respected member of the local and Florida bar, serving on the executive board of the Federal Bar Association and having been appointed to consecutive terms on the federal court practice committee of the Florida Bar by its president. Rachel has also been appointed by the Chief Judge in the Southern District of Florida to serve on numerous Magistrate Judge Selection and Retention Committees for the Miami Division.

Rachel is a Florida native and lives in Miami with her husband, Joseph, and their two daughters, Jane and Rose.