Leslie Tomczak serves as managing partner of Akerman’s Fort Lauderdale office. She is a construction attorney, Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Construction Law, whose practice focuses primarily on the representation of lenders, developers, owners, landlords, contractors, subcontractors, architects and other design professionals, in a wide range of complex construction contract, project administration, lien, and construction litigation matters. Leslie is also a LEED® Accredited Professional who represents clients with respect to sustainable (e.g. "green") building issues. Leslie's notable projects include the representation of various clients involved in the development, leasing, design, and construction of shopping centers, mixed use high-rise buildings, hotels, resorts, apartment complexes, condominium buildings, stadiums, arenas, office buildings, houses of worship, cultural arts centers and facilities, airport projects, schools, hospitals, medical offices and campuses. Leslie has extensive experience in drafting and negotiating development agreements, construction contracts, design (engineering, architect, etc.) agreements, consulting agreements, design-build agreements, integrated project development agreements, requests for proposals, invitations to bid, and all of the various ancillary contract administration and project management agreements such as change orders, waivers and releases of lien, payment applications and affidavits, claims of lien and payment and performance bonds. Due to Leslie's prior experience as a commercial leasing lawyer and member of Akerman's Retail Leasing and Development practice group, she also has specific experience with respect to the unique issues surrounding construction within leased/tenant occupied premises and the interplay between the key terms of the lease and those of the design, construction and loan documents. Additionally, Leslie has extensive litigation and alternative dispute resolution experience, is an active member of the Construction Law Committee (CLC) of the Florida Bar, and writes frequently on matters relating to construction contracting in Florida.

Beth Joined AECOM in 2016 as a regional business line leader with the responsibly to grow and diversity AECOM’s the practice in strategic markets. In this role, her true passion was in the strategic development of client relationships and in working with the firm’s market-based practice groups in securing key clients. Beth serves as Principal in Charge for key client relationships and significant programs. She remains active in the day-to-day project design activities to assure that AECOM is delivering the best value and design talent to the client. She is the co-leader of the firm’s eVTOL initiative that consists of a multi-disciplinary team of Aviation and Transportation professionals. In addition, to her Tech and Logistics focus, she is responsible for the successful strategic direction and operation of AECOM’s region’s four south east offices of Atlanta, Orlando/Tampa and Miami. Beth serves on several task forces within the firm looking at strategic issues affecting the firm’s success in the Global Market place such as Alternative Project Delivery. Beth Graduated with honors from the University of Arizona in 1982 with a Degree in Interior Design. She lives in Palm Harbor, Florida and serves as a Board member in several community-based organizations. She is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and a LEED Accredited Professional.

Ms. Brumley is responsible for developing and maximizing the value of University-owned and operated real estate, while providing strategic vision, leadership, coordination and administrative oversight to services that enhance the academic, clinical, and research experience of faculty, students, staff, patients, and the local community. Ms. Brumley is responsible for the following departments: Campus Planning, Design and Construction, Facilities & Operations, Parking and Transportation, Emergency Management, Real Estate, Environmental Health and Safety, Clinical Engineering/Compliance, Replacement & Renewal, and Space Management. She has contract administration responsibilities for a number of subcontracted University services. Ms. Brumley was formerly Vice President for Facilities Management at Nova Southeastern University, where she was responsible for a $140 million operations and capital budgets. She led efforts in delivering critical design, construction, acquisition, emergency management, environmental health and safety, security, and operational support to a 314-acre campus, as well as over 20 campuses, clinical locations, and administrative sites throughout South Florida and Puerto Rico. During her tenure at NSU, she developed more than 1.6 million square feet of classroom, clinical, office, and simulation spaces. She also implemented efficiencies in facilities management processes to improve service to the end user. Also at Nova Southeastern University, she served as Executive Director of Facilities Management, and Director of Design and Construction. Prior to this, she served in facilities and construction roles at both, Toyota and AutoNation. Ms. Brumley holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a board member with March of Dimes and member of the Urban Land Institute. In 2015, Ms. Brumley was a South Florida Business Journal’s 40 under 40 award winner.

Danet Linares is Executive Vice Chairman of Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Inc., the leading independently owned commercial real estate services firm in Florida and has more than 25 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. On behalf of the firm, Ms. Linares leads in the leasing of significant office projects such as MiamiCentral, Brickell City Tower, The Plaza Coral Gables, 396 Alhambra and Royal Palm Office Park. She was an integral part of the team involved in several of South Florida’s largest real estate transactions including the Miami Herald’s relocation to Doral and has served as a real estate advisor to notable companies including The Knight Foundation, Miami Foundation, White & Case, Lydecker Diaz, Endeavor Miami, and NovoPayment. Since joining the firm in 2009, she has completed over 4 million square feet of office lease transactions throughout South Florida on behalf of owners and users of commercial real estate. Prior to joining Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Ms. Linares served as Senior Vice President for Blue Capital where she led the leasing and marketing strategy for Miami Tower and successfully brought the building from 74% to 97% occupancy within four years. She also held the position of Senior Leasing Manager at Shorenstein where she managed leasing and marketing for Southeast Financial Center, the tallest office tower in the state of Florida with over 1.2M square feet of office space and increased the occupancy to 97%. Ms. Linares attended St. John’s University in New York. She is also an active leader in the South Florida community and fluent in Spanish and English.

Arden Karson is the Managing Principal of Karson & Co, a real estate brokerage, advisory and development company created to transform the South Florida real estate industry in the face of challenges related to COVID-19 and to target opportunities for the future. A graduate of Tufts University and Harvard Business School, Arden is a lifelong resident of South Florida. She has an extensive background in sales and marketing, development, acquisition, asset management, leasing and financing of commercial properties across all asset types. Over the course of her career, Ms. Karson served in executive and leadership roles at CBRE, Related Group, Lennar/LNR, Bank of America and PWC. Arden is active with many industry organizations and has been recognized by the media as a Miami Herald Power Leader and a Real Deal Top Business Woman. Arden serves on the Board of Advisors of the Friends of the Underline, the University of Miami Masters in Real Estate + Urbanism program and the Urban Land Institute Southeast Florida / Caribbean.