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Maintaining integrity in the legal profession

Andrew Hall is the founder and managing partner of Hall, Lamb and Hall, a Miami law firm specializing in complex corporate and business litigation matters. He frequently sues law firms for legal malpractice and also serves as a plaintiff lawyer in securities and general business disputes.

Hall's most famous clients were John D. Ehrlichman, President Richard Nixon's former senior advisor for domestic affairs, in the Watergate trials, and former Ambassador Marvin L. Warner in proceedings following the failure of Ohio's state-insured savings and loan industry.

Through his 42-year career, Hall has won a number of cases which have changed the law and resulted in multi-million dollar verdicts for such clients as Security Pacific Bank, Union Bank, Spanno Corp., Georgetown Manor, Burger King Corp and victims of terrorism. His largest verdict to date: $100 million.

10 stories that drove Florida's economy in 2009

Economic gloom picked up steam in 2009, then retreated a bit in the face of renewed confidence. The real estate market may have finished its race to a historic new low. But employers continued slashing jobs, undermining an already battered economy. A great big cruise ship arrived to cheer up Fort Lauderdale's gloomy hotel market.

Economic gloom picked up steam in 2009, then retreated a bit in the face of renewed confidence. The real estate market may have finished its race to a historic new low. But employers continued slashing jobs, undermining an already battered economy. A great big cruise ship arrived to cheer up Fort Lauderdale's gloomy hotel market.

This was a grueling, volatile and action-packed year for business news. But which stories stood out from the thousands The Miami Herald covered over the past 362 days? See the answer below, as Business Monday presents its 2009 Money List -- the Top 10 Business Stories of 2009.

Greenberg Traurig Executive Chairman Cesar Alvarez shares his insights

At 62, Cesar Alvarez can't envision the day when he will take a decent vacation or socialize on a golf course. Leisure just doesn't suit him. For the past 14 years, Alvarez had arrived at his law office each morning, often on weekends, eager to make the tough decisions and deal with the challenges the CEO of a giant law firm must tackle. It is Alvarez's vision and energy that drove Greenberg Traurig from a small but prestigious Miami law firm known for corporate and real estate into a giant multi-state powerhouse with 1,750 lawyers and a variety of practice areas.

Now, a transition is underway, and Alvarez greets it with a mix of relief and enthusiasm. Alvarez says it took a lot of pushing uphill to build the firm that exists today and that he was ready to turn the CEO job over to a younger partner. Last week, he officially gave up the hot seat, bestowing the position on Richard Rosenbaum, 55, his handpicked successor. It is a position that comes with unusual power, including the decision making

Dealing with succession is `smart business'

At 62, Cesar Alvarez can't envision the day when he will take a decent vacation or socialize on a golf course. Leisure just doesn't suit him. For the past 14 years, Alvarez had arrived at his law office each morning, often on weekends, eager to make the tough decisions and deal with the challenges the CEO of a giant law firm must tackle. It is Alvarez's vision and energy that drove Greenberg Traurig from a small but prestigious Miami law firm known for corporate and real estate into a giant multi-state powerhouse with 1,750 lawyers and a variety of practice areas.

Now, a transition is underway, and Alvarez greets it with a mix of relief and enthusiasm. Alvarez says it took a lot of pushing uphill to build the firm that exists today and that he was ready to turn the CEO job over to a younger partner. Last week, he officially gave up the hot seat, bestowing the position on Richard Rosenbaum, 55, his handpicked successor. It is a position that comes with unusual power, including the decision making

Fontainebleau battling creditors

As the Fontainebleau Las Vegas battles creditors in a bankruptcy fight, its namesake, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, faces claims of unpaid bills, too.

More than 30 construction companies, designers, installers and others hired for the $500 million renovation of South Florida's largest resort have filed court claims totaling nearly $65 million -- the result, they say, of bills still unpaid nine months after the 1,504-room oceanfront property reopened amid a global financial crisis.

The litigation adds to the pressure facing Jeffrey Soffer, the Aventura developer who launched both Fontainebleau projects at the height of the real estate boom. His lawyers are suing to force major banks to resume funding construction on the stalled Vegas Fontainebleau, while lenders say the 3,800-room tower on the Strip isn't worth enough to justify more construction dollars.