Roberto Martinez

Coral Gables, Florida
Partner
phone (305) 476-7400
fax (305) 476-7444
email bob@colson.com

ROBERTO MARTINEZ joined the firm in 1997. His distinguished career includes a broad combination of trial practice in both private and public sectors. Currently, he concentrates his practice in the areas of civil trials and white-collar criminal defense.

Mr. Martinez’ recent litigation experience has included his role as lead or co-lead trial counsel in several multimillion cases. He was co-lead trial counsel in a wrongful death case involving the electrocution death of a 12-year-old boy that resulted in a $65.1 million jury verdict for compensatory and punitive damages against Clear Channel Outdoors. Mr. Martinez also represented as lead trial counsel local racing promoter Ralph Sanchez against the Government of Aruba. A Miami federal district court judge awarded the firm’s client $20.5 million.

In 2000, as co-lead trial counsel he obtained a $32 million jury verdict, including an award of $30 million in punitive damages, on behalf of a Canadian technology company against a Florida telecommunications company for intentional interference with a business relationship. That same year Mr. Martinez was also successful in obtaining an $8 million arbitration award in an accounting malpractice case.

Additionally, Mr. Martinez was co-lead trial counsel in the litigation against the Government of Cuba in the murders of four men who were shot down by the Cuban Air Force while flying a humanitarian mission for Brothers to the Rescue. That litigation resulted in a $188 million judgment in federal court in Miami against the Cuban Government and its Air Force. After the passage of two laws through Congress, in 2001 the victims received approximately $100 million from assets of the Cuban Government frozen by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Mr. Martinez and other members of the firm represented 42 families who lost their loved ones in the crash of an AeroPeru Boeing 757 off the coast of Peru. Through international litigation and arbitration against AeroPeru and The Boeing Company, the firm obtained a settlement with some of the highest compensation ever received for an aviation accident occurring in South America.

Mr. Martinez is currently serving as a federal court appointed receiver in Miami for the Mutual Benefits Corporation, formerly the nation's largest viatical settlement company, which had raised over $ 1 billion from over 30,000 investors for investments in viatical settlement contracts in violation of the securities laws.

In 1992-93, Mr. Martinez was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida where he served as the chief federal law enforcement officer in a district that extends from Key West to Ft. Pierce, Florida. He also served on the United States Attorney General's Advisory Committee. Earlier in his career he was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District for a five-year period, and before that, he was a tax accountant with the accounting firm of Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co.

Mr. Martinez received his J.D. degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and also holds a M.S. in Accounting and a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business.

Mr. Martinez has been an active civic and community leader. He is a past Chair and present member of the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission, Special Counsel to Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist and board member of the Florida State Board of Education.

Additionally, Mr. Martinez has also served as Chairman of the District Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade College; General Counsel to Governor Jeb Bush during the gubernatorial transition; Chairman of Attorney General-Elect Charlie Crist's Transition; Member of Governor Bush's Public Corruption Study Commission; and Adjunct Faculty at the University of Miami's School of Law.

Year Joined Organization:
1997

Areas of Practice:
Civil Trials
White-Collar Criminal Defense
Litigation
Wrongful Death Case

Education:
Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, District of Columbia
J.D.

University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business
M.S.
Major: Accounting

University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business
B.S.
Major: Economics

Classes/Seminars Taught:
Adjunct Faculty, University of Miami's School of Law

Honors and Awards:
Recipient, Special Recognition Award, United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division

Florida Bar's Voluntary Bar Association Pro Bono Service Award

Professional Associations and Memberships:
Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission
Past Chair

Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission
Present Member

Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist
Special Counsel

Florida State Board of Education
Board Member

Miami-Dade College
Chairman, District Board of Trustees

Governor Jeb Bush, Gubernatorial Transition
General Counsel

Attorney General-Elect Charlie Crist's Transition
Chairman

Governor Bush's Public Corruption Study Commission
Member

Past Employment Positions:
Southern District of Florida, United States Attorney, 1992 - 1993

Southern District of Florida, Assistant United States Attorney

Peat, Marwick Mitchell & Co., Tax Accountant