Berger Singerman Elevates Three to Partner

MIAMI, FL – January 5, 2015 – Berger Singerman, Florida’s business law firm, is pleased to announce that Paul A. Avron, Gavin C. Gaukroger and Jeffrey S. Wertman have been elevated to Partner, and David L. Gay and Andrew M. Hinkes to Of Counsel. Gaukroger, Wertman and Hinkes were previously associates and are members of the firm’s Dispute Resolution Team and resident in the Fort Lauderdale office; Avron, formerly Of Counsel, is a member of the Business Reorganization Team, resident in the Boca Raton office; and Gay, formerly an associate, is a member of both the Business Reorganization and Dispute Resolution Teams, resident in the Miami office. 

“At Berger Singerman, we pride ourselves on having a collaborative team of talented attorneys who relentlessly advance the interests of our clients,” said Paul Steven Singerman, Co-Chair of Berger Singerman. “Gavin, Paul, Jeffrey, David and Drew are committed to our mission. Each of them has demonstrated the ability to contribute to creative and effective business solutions for our clients and to advance our cultural aspirations within our firm. These elevations are well deserved and a testament to the value these team members bring to our clients on a daily basis. Our entire team congratulates each of them on their achievement.”

Avron began his tenure at Berger Singerman in 2000. His practice primarily focuses in the areas of corporate reorganization, bankruptcy law and creditors’ rights. He has significant experience in appellate litigation in both state and federal courts and has been involved in nearly 35 appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Avron was previously a Director of the Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida for three years and is ranked as an AV® Preeminent™ rated lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell. He received his B.A. from Florida Atlantic University and his J.D. from Cumberland School of Law.

Gaukroger joined Berger Singerman in 2009 and handles complex commercial disputes in trial and appellate courts. He has extensive experience litigating contract disputes, fiduciary duty and fraud claims, trade secrets and unfair and deceptive trade practices. Gaukroger is on the Board of Directors of 2-1-1 Broward and the Broward County Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He was a writing coach for Posse Miami and a graduate of Leadership Broward Class XXX. In 2014, he was listed in Florida Trend Magazine’s “Legal Elite” as a “Top Up and Comer” and in Florida’s Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star.”  Gaukroger received his B.A. from the University of Washington and his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.  

Wertman joined the firm in 1997.  He focuses his practice in the areas of banking litigation, commercial and complex litigation, and real estate and construction related litigation in state, federal and appellate courts and in arbitration proceedings.Wertman was previously a Director of Junior Achievement of South Florida and a graduate of Leadership Broward Class XIII.  He is ranked as an AV® Preeminent™ rated lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell.  He received his B.S., magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Albany and his J.D. from American University Washington College of Law.  

Gay joined the firm in 2009.  His practice includes representation of various parties in insolvency and restructuring matters, and a wide range of litigation matters in both federal and state courts, at the trial and appellate levels.  Prior to attending law school, he served as a Military Intelligence Officer in the United States Army.  Gay is a graduate of Leadership Miami’s Class of 2013, is a coach/judge for the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, and is listed in Florida Super Lawyers.  He received his J.D. cum laude from University of Florida Frederic G. Levin College of Law, where he was the co-founder and Vice President of the University of Florida Association for Law & Business, and his B.S.B.A. from the University of Florida.

Hinkes has been with Berger Singerman since 2007. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, including contract litigation, business torts, and fiduciary representations.  He also has experience in the areas of electronic discovery, and emerging legal issues related to Bitcoin, Blockchain 2.0 innovation and electronic privacy rights.  Hinkes is on the E-Discovery Committee of the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar and is a Young President of the Mt. Sinai Medical Center Foundation. He is listed in Florida Super Lawyers for 2014 and in Florida Trend Magazine’s “Legal Elite” as an up and comer in 2013.  He received his A.B. cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis and his J.D. cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law.