Broad and Cassel’s Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz Appointed to Florida Judicial Nomination Commission

MIAMI; April 18, 2011 – Broad and Cassel Miami Partner Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz was recently appointed by Florida’s U.S. Senators Bill Nelson andMarco Rubio to the Florida Judicial Nomination Commission (JNC). Representing the Southern District, de las Cuevas-Diaz joins the 64-member commission charged with selecting nominees for presidential appointments to federal judgeships, U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals.

Broad and Cassel Tallahassee Partner Doug Mannheimer was also re-appointed to the Northern District of the JNC.

“It’s long been the tradition of Florida’s senators to work together and keep politics out of the process of selecting candidates for judicial post,” U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said in a media release dated April 8, 2011.

“This commission will be fundamental to finding qualified men and women for consideration and vetting by the Senate,” said Rubio.

The media release also highlights that the first order of business for the JNC likely will be recommending replacements for Judge Alan S. Gold of the Southern District of Florida, Judge Richard A. Lazzara of the Middle District of Florida and Chief United States District Judge Stephan P. Mickle of theNorthern District of Florida. Gold retired in January. Mickle and Lazzara are set to retire in June and December, respectively.

De las Cuevas-Diaz is a member of the firm’s Banking and Institutional Lending, Real Estate and Special Assets Practice Groups. She has extensive experience in complex real estate transactions, for both private and public clients. She also has vast experience in representing institutional lenders in commercial lending of various types of projects and developments in the United States. In addition, she has extensive experience in asset based loans secured by real estate, inventory, equipment receivables and securities.

De las Cuevas-Diaz is an active member of the community. Recently elected to serve as President-Elect of the Cuban American Bar Association (CABA), she has served seven terms on the CABA Board of Directors. She has served as an appointed member to the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors as Legislative Chair since 2009. She is a member of the Latin Builders Association and serves on the Board of Directors for both The Kristi House and The American Red Cross.

De las Cuevas-Diaz was most recently recognized in Florida Trend Magazine as a “Must-Know Floridian,” has been repeatedly listed as a “Legal Elite Up & Comer” and “Florida Super Lawyer.” She was also named among “40 Under 40” by the South Florida Business Journal in 2010. She is a graduate of Florida State University, and received her Juris Doctorate from Tulane Law School.