Board of Directors

Brianna Sainte, Board President

Email: briannasainte@urbandebate.org

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As an associate in Bilzin Sumberg’s Litigation Department, Brianna focuses her practice on complex civil litigation matters. In particular she provides targeted insights through in-depth research into clients' businesses that help guide the team's approach to each matter. She has been involved in a wide variety of cases from breach of contract, landlord-tenant disputes, antitrust and financial litigation cases. Brianna has federal trial experience at both the district and appellate court level.  Prior to practicing, she attended the University of Miami School of Law where she served as the Eleventh Circuit Editor of the University of Miami Law Review. Additionally, Brianna served as both a Student Clinician in the Innocence Clinic and a Dean’s Fellow for Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, and Legal Communications and Writing I. She graduated in the top 5% of her class with magna cum laude honors and Order of the Coif membership.

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Ben Mitchel, Board Vice President

Email: bmitchel@shubinlawgroup.com 

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Ben Mitchel is an attorney with the Shubin Law Group. Ben has a broad complex commercial litigation practice, regularly handling antitrust, financial services, and other complex civil litigation matters for his clients. Ben is a Double Gator, having graduated cum laude from both the University of Florida (B.A.) and the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law (J.D.) While in law school, Ben served as a Managing Editor of the Florida Law Review. In addition to keeping up with his practice, Ben also serves as the Chair of Bilzin Sumberg’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Recruiting and Diversity Pipeline Subcommittee, as well as serving as the Chair of the Foundation for New Education Initiative’s Young Professional’s Committee.

Alexandra Haller, Board Treasurer

Email: ahaller@bilzin.com

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Alexandra Haller is an attorney with Bilzin Sumberg, where she represents private companies and private funds in formation and governance matters, M&A transactions, securities-related matters, and other strategic transactions. Alexandra lends a strong accounting background to her corporate work from her training as a Certified Public Accountant and from her auditing and investigatory work at major U.S. corporations and the IRS Office of Chief Counsel. She leverages this knowledge to provide clients with additional value on their corporate matters. Her broad experience covers matters in a diverse range of sectors, including software, healthcare, life sciences, e-commerce, renewable energy technology, and the aerospace industry, among others. Alexandra relocated to Miami, Florida from Cleveland, Ohio and is looking forward to giving back to the community she now calls home.

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Osvaldo Garcia, Board Secretary

Email: ogarcia@urbandebate.org

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Osvaldo Garcia is an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, working as a wealth advisor for the bank’s clients in Latin America. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Osvaldo practiced as a Private Client attorney at Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price and Axelrod LLP, as well as Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. Osvaldo has been committed throughout his career to pro bono work and was previously recognized by the Hispanic National Bar Association as Pro Bono Attorney of the Year for his work in founding and running a clinic dedicated to providing legal services to the undocumented immigrant community. Osvaldo received his J.D. from Cornell Law School, with a concentration on Litigation and Advocacy, a specialization in International Legal Affairs and with Dean’s List distinctions. He received an LLM in Tax Law from New York University. He received his B.A. from Florida International University, magna cum laude, where he concentrated on International Relations and Criminal Justice.

Dale Reed, Board Member

Email: dale@merrimacventures.com

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Dale has overseen high-profile, luxury hotel and condominium projects across the U.S. He has worked on thirty-eight projects spanning most of the major metropolitan markets. Dale joined Merrimac Ventures as Senior Vice President in 2014, working on both their real estate development projects as well as a five hundred home single-family rental portfolio in Atlanta, GA and was subsequently promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Dale has an extensive background in construction, sales, marketing, information technology, acquisitions, operations and litigation management. He is also an accomplished executive coach and trainer, having facilitated hundreds of seminars on sales, hospitality service and management for Weichert Realty, Coldwell Banker, Omni Hotels, Brighthouse Communications and other major corporations. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Dale serves as the Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Miami-Dade Urban Debate League.

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David L. Steinberg, Board Member

Email: dave@miami.edu

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David Steinberg is Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Communication Studies and Director of Debate at The University of Miami. He has directed UM’s Debate Program since 1990 and has hosted and served the Miami Dade Urban Debate League throughout its existence. Steinberg is co-author of the leading collegiate textbook on Debate and Argumentation and has served as the President of the Cross Examination Debate Association, the primary organization representing intercollegiate policy debate. His teams are internationally respected and competitively successful.

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Coral Del Mar Lopez, Board Member

Email: coralpur@gmail.com

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Coral del Mar López is an attorney at Stearns Weaver Miller in the Miami Office and she focuses her practice on commercial business litigation, representing clients in class actions, arbitrations, and single-plaintiff actions in multiple jurisdictions. She has litigated a wide variety of disputes in state and federal courts, including matters involving general business concerns, financial services, commercial and residential foreclosures, and leasing disputes, unfair competition and false advertising, corporate control and partnership disputes, state attorney general actions and government investigations, and construction defects.

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Clifford A. Schulman, Board Member

Email: Dadlightaventura@gmail.com

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Cliff Schulman is a renowned Environmental Lawyer with over 50 years of experience in the field. He has consulted on and participated in numerous major development projects across South Florida, from Coral Gables to West Palm Beach. His work includes representing high-rise developers in Sunny Isles Beach for condominium approvals, helping with environmental clean-ups of clients located in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

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Niyala A. Harrison, Board Member

Email: harrisonn@gtlaw.com

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Niyala Harrison is an attorney in the Miami office of Greenberg Traurig. She represents cities, counties, school districts and governmental entities in financing essential public infrastructure projects such as schools, libraries, hospitals, roadways, air and sea ports. Niyala is a proud alumnus of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, having graduated from MAST Academy. She earned a B.A. and M.S. from Florida State University and a J.D. from University of Miami School of Law. Niyala is committed to a number of community and civic causes in South Florida. She has served as a volunteer and author host for Miami Book Fair for more than 20 years and is a fierce proponent of education and literacy. She regularly mentors high school and law school students. An ardent believer that “Service to others is the rent we pay for our room here on earth,” Niyala maintains an active pro bono practice. Niyala is a graduate of Leadership Miami Class 41.

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Tom Kavan, Board Member

Email: Tom.kavan@gmail.com

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Tom began his debate journey at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, where he developed a deep appreciation for the critical thinking and communication skills debate fosters. While pursuing graduate studies at the University of Miami, Tom coached the UM debate team for two years, further solidifying his commitment to the activity. He has continued to support debate education by volunteering with the Ft. Lauderdale High School debate program and serving for over five years as a volunteer judge and Consulting Committee member with the Miami Dade Urban Debate League. Tom is passionate about creating opportunities for students to grow through debate and is honored to join the board of directors. He brings with him years of experience, a dedication to mentorship, and a belief in the transformative power of speech and debate for young people across South Florida.

Devin Rivero Board Member

Email: Devin.rivero@whitecase.com

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Devin Rivero is an attorney at White & Case, based in Miami. She is in the Financial Restructuring and Insolvency Practice and advises debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, and other interested parties with respect to chapter 11 bankruptcies, out-of-court workouts, and related transactions. Devin received her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she served as Production Editor of the Virginia Law & Business Review. She received her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Miami. After graduating from law school, Devin was appointed to the Florida Bar’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, where she worked to improve access to legal information and reduce barriers in the legal profession. Born and raised in South Florida, Devin remains deeply committed to her community and is passionate about expanding educational and professional opportunities for the next generation.

Gavin Williams, Board Member

Email: gavin.williams@HKlaw.com

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Gavin is a real estate attorney. Gavin concentrates his practice in commercial real estate and finance law, including all aspects of real estate acquisition, disposition, financing, leasing and development.