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McKinley Augustin

McKinley Blaise Augustin is an active member of the Florida Bar. He handles personal injury cases throughout Florida, at the trial level. Born to Haitian immigrant parents, he was raised in Pompano Beach FL. The city of Pompano Beach has the second largest percentage of Haitian Americans in the United States. As with most children of Caribbean descent, morals and values were strictly engrained in Mr. Augustin by his parents. Mr. Augustin began his law career as a legal intern in 2014 while attending law school in Atlanta, GA. After graduating in 2015, he returned to Florida and joined a small personal injury in Palm Beach County as an Associate attorney. He gained considerable trial and litigation experience and in 2018 he endeavored to begin his own personal injury practice, the Pompano Beach based Blaise Law Office, P.A. McKinley Augustin has served in Florida as lead counsel in family law, criminal, bankruptcy, and personal injury cases at the trial level. At present day, he represents plaintiffs in personal injury actions. He has served as counsel in several substantial injury cases resulting in six figure settlements. Mr. Augustin is a proud Seminole, earning his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in 2012 and his Juris Doctor from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, in 2015. Admitted to practice Florida Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida Education Florida State University BA, 2011 John Marshall Law School JD, 2015 PROFESSIONAL DISTINCTIONS The Florida Bar, active member since 2016 The National Black Lawyers, Top 40 under 40 Expertise.com, Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Pompano Beach AAVO, 4.8 rating COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Member of Florida Bar, Young Lawyers Section 2016-2021 Member of the F. Malcolm Cunningham, Sr. Bar, YSL, 2017-2019 Member of the T.J. Reddick Bar, 2022-Present Member of the Florida Justice Association, Solo small firm, Auto 2021-Present

Rochelle Wimbush

Rochelle N. Wimbush joined Ver Ploeg & Marino in 2009 and was elevated to Partner in January 2018. Ms. Wimbush is a commercial litigator with a trial practice specializing in insurance coverage and bad faith matters. She represents both individual and corporate policyholders in evaluating and litigating disputes with their insurance carriers. During her tenure at Ver Ploeg & Marino, Ms. Wimbush has successfully second-chaired several trials, including a multi-million dollar jury verdict win for music industry legends, Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Ms. Wimbush has also been instrumental in securing summary judgment wins on complex issues for her clients. Ms. Wimbush frequently authors, co-authors, and lectures on various insurance-related topics.  

Born in Toronto, Canada, Ms. Wimbush received her B.A. from Princeton University in 2005, where she earned a degree in Sociology and was a Third-Team All-American on the varsity women’s soccer team. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 2009, where she was a three-year recipient of the Dean’s Honor Scholarship, an active member of the student government, and an editor for the University of Miami’s Race and Social Justice Law Review.  

 

Education

Awards & Recognition

Anthony Upshaw

Anthony (Tony) Upshaw represents clients in product defense, class actions, mass tort, and complex civil litigation. Over the course of his career, Tony has tried more than 35 civil jury trials to verdict. He is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Often asked by clients and colleagues to “step into the breach” as trial counsel, Tony has been recognized nationally for his ability to relate to juries across the country. He frequently speaks at legal association functions, particularly on voir dire, trial technique, and diversity in the courtroom.

Tony has been a featured speaker at the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA) Congress in Paris, France, presented “Hot Topics in Product Liability Litigation” at the DRI Conference in New Orleans, and testified at the hearings for the American Bar Association (ABA) Presidential Diversity Summit in Boston.

In 2017, Tony was appointed the Firm’s Global Head of Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and continues to serve in that role today. He also holds a seat on the Firm’s Executive Committee.

Results & Representative Matters

Serves as national trial counsel for Bayer/Monsanto in various mass tort litigation.

Member of the McDermott team serving as national coordinating counsel for Honeywell International’s Bendix asbestos docket.

Lead counsel for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in follow-up cases to the national flight attendant class action lawsuit against the tobacco industry.

Represented a major oil company in benzene exposure litigation in Florida and New Jersey.

Defends major companies in product liability class actions, including pharmaceutical, asbestos, and pollution claims.

Recognitions

Community Involvement

Credentials

Education

Admissions

Ramone Reid

Tamika Jude

Tamika Grace Jude, Esq. is an attorney licensed to practice in the state of New Jersey. (If you are located in another state, don't worry. Immigration law is Federal and Attorney Jude is able to practice Immigration Law in all 50 states.) Attorney Jude is an immigrant from the beautiful island of Dominica in the Caribbean. As an immigrant herself, she is very familiar with the immigration process. After completing her Associates Degrees at the Dominica State College, she attended the University of the Virgin Islands where she pursued two Bachelors Degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice. She was very passionate about immigration law and went on to Barry University-Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, where she graduated with her Juris Doctor and a Litigation Honors Certificate. Attorney Jude served as an Associate Editor for the Barry University Environmental Earth Law Journal, served within the Student Bar Association as a senator for all three years of law school, worked in the Immigration Clinic, was a member of the Trial Team and was on the executive board of multiple student organizations on campus including the Immigration Law Society and is a member of Phi Alpha Delta. She was also the recipient of an immigration stipend from Barry University. While at law school she volunteered with a small law firm in Orlando Florida and participated in free naturalization clinics for the community. Since graduation, she served as a law clerk for an immigration firm in Vienna, Virginia. These experiences have equipped her with the knowledge necessary to be a successful immigration attorney. She has filed multiple petitions, represented clients in removal proceedings and prides herself on providing excellent customer service and always being available to her clients.