Emilia A. Quesada

Partner

Emilia A. Quesada is a partner residing in our Miami Lakes office, where she focuses her practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation, with specialized knowledge in insurance coverage, products liability and class action disputes. Ms. Quesada has represented numerous Fortune 500 companies throughout her career, including insurance organizations, financial institutions, retailers, manufacturing concerns, oil and gas companies, chemical companies, as well as publicly-traded entities and privately owned businesses in the prosecution and defense of general commercial litigation matters such as business disputes, business torts, consumer claims issues, insurance coverage disputes, vicarious liability issues, officer/director liability claims, product liability matters, and a variety of civil claims in state and federal courts throughout Florida. Ms. Quesada is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings, the highest rating possible, indicating preeminent legal ability and professional ethics in her areas of practice.

Prior to forming SMGQ, Ms. Quesada was a partner in the Miami office of the national law firm of Adorno & Yoss LLP, where she was a member of the Commercial Litigation Department, and was a senior associate in the Miami office of Hunton & Williams LLP, one of the largest U.S. based international law firms with over 1,000 attorneys worldwide, where she was a member of the Litigation and Intellectual Property Practice Group. Ms. Quesada commenced her legal career as an Honors Attorney, Attorney General Honors Program, for the U.S. Department of Justice in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was selected from over 2,500 applicants for one of eight positions.

Ms. Quesada published a commentary "Comment: Summarizing Prior Witness Testimony," in the Florida State University Law Review (Fall 1996), and is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Florida, including the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

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Notable Recognition

Ms. Quesada served as one of 12 commissioners appointed to the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession by the president of the ABA, and was the first Hispanic appointed to the Commission from the State of Florida. Ms. Quesada was named by Minority Corporate Counsel Association as a "Mover and Shaker" in its Diversity & the Bar magazine, and was featured in their article "Part-Time Partners: Making it Work," as well as in DiversityInc. magazine's article "The Legal Profession & Diversity." Ms. Quesada has been highlighted as a Hispanic leader by Miami Today and South Florida CEO magazine, and was named to Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite as a top up and coming attorney under the age of 40. Ms. Quesada serves on panels and guest lectures on commercial litigation matters, diversity and work/life balance issues throughout the country, including the ABA's Women in Law Leadership Academy, Latina Style magazine's Business Conference Series, Emory Law School's Trial Techniques Program, and University of Miami Law School's Clinical Trial Program.

Notable Representations

  • Representation of a Fortune 100 insurance company throughout state and federal courts in Florida in commercial litigation and first party insurance coverage defense, including structured settlement disputes, vicarious liability issues, agent disputes, bad faith and interpleader actions
  • Representation of a Fortune 100 telecommunications company in general and commercial litigation matters throughout state and federal courts in Florida including breach of contract, consumer fraud claims, consumer disputes, and deceptive trade practices issues
  • Representation of a Fortune 100 chemical company in products liability and commercial litigation matters throughout state and federal courts in Florida including class action defense, breach of contract, breach of warranty, intentional torts, consumer fraud, RICO, and a variety of consumer claims
  • Representation of a Fortune 100 oil and gas company in defense of class actions regarding consumer fraud claims and deceptive and unfair trade practices
  • Representation of a Fortune 100 health insurance organization throughout state and federal courts in Florida in commercial litigation and ERISA-related disputes for breach of contract, tortious actions and bad faith
  • Representation of a Fortune 200 products and services company in commercial litigation matters throughout state and federal courts in Florida, including breach of contract, consumer claims, and consumer tort issues
  • Representation of a Fortune 200 insurance company in defense of multi-billion dollar class action for breach of contract, unfair and deceptive trade practices and consumer claims, wherein class claims were defeated on appeal and case was dismissed with prejudice by appellate court, after class was certified at the trial level
  • Representation of a consumer in a multi-million dollar class action against a Fortune 100 Internet company in federal court in the Middle District of Florida for breach of contract, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and violations of state and federal computer laws wherein class was certified

Professional/Civic Activities

  • Commission on Women in the Profession of the American Bar Association, Former Commissioner (appointed by president of ABA)
  • Woman Advocate, Minority Trial Lawyer, and Commercial and Business Litigation Sections of the American Bar Association, Committee Member
  • Corporate Counsel Women of Color, Sponsor and Member
  • Litigation and Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar, Member
  • Cuban American Bar Association, Member
  • Miami-Dade County Bar Association, Member
  • Miami-Dade County Women's Chamber of Commerce, Member
  • Work/Life Balance Institute, Member
  • The Face Foundation, Inc., Director
  • Florida International University Alumni Association, Former Director, and Co-Chair of Law School Committee
  • Emory Law School, Trial Techniques Program, Guest Lecturer
  • University of Miami Law School, Clinical Trial Program, Guest Lecturer
  • Lawyers for Children America

Bar Admissions

  • Florida
  • Georgia

Education

  • J.D., Florida State University (1996) (cum laude)
  • B.S., Florida International University (1992) (magna cum laude)

Foreign Languages

  • Fluent in Spanish
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