Robert L. Kaye, Esq., BCS

Robert L. Kaye is Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law. Mr. Kaye attended Michigan State University, graduating with a B.B.A. in General Business in 1976. In 1986, Mr. Kaye graduated from the Detroit College of Law, magna cum laude. Mr. Kaye initially practiced tax law for the firm of Raymond, Rupp, Weinberg, Stone & Zuckerman, P.C. in Troy, Michigan, before moving to South Florida in 1987, joining Becker & Poliakoff to concentrate in the area of community association representation. In 1991, Robert Kaye left that employ to start Kaye & Roger, P.A. He was the managing shareholder of the Firm from its inception, directing all legal operations and overseeing its growth to represent over 1,000 Communities in South Florida at the time of its name change to Robert Kaye & Associates, P.A. on January 1, 2003. On January 1, 2009 Mr. Kaye joined with Michael Bender to form Kaye & Bender n/k/a Kaye Bender Rembaum. Mr. Kaye serves on the Florida Bar’s Grievance Committee, the Committee on the Unlicensed Practice of Law and is a member of the Condominium Committee of the Real Property Section of The Florida Bar. He also lectures on Community Association law and is regularly published on the subject. Mr. Kaye hosts KBR’s appearances on the radio show, ‘Ask the Experts’, from 6pm to 7pm, the first Thursday of each month.

Michael S. Bender, Esq. BCS

Michael S. Bender is Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of California Hastings College of Law in 1993 and became a member of the California Bar in 1993 and the Florida Bar in 1994. Mr. Bender has been concentrating in the area of Community Association law for more than 20 years, assisting Communities in all aspects of representation. He started working with Robert Kaye in 2001 and continued until January 1, 2009 when he joined with Robert Kaye to form Kaye & Bender (n/k/a Kaye Bender Rembaum since 2012).

Mr. Bender is active with the Community Associations Institute (CAI), serving on the Board of Directors of Southeast Florida Chapter from 2003‑2015 and 2016‑present, and as the Chapter representative to the Florida Legislative Alliance (FLA) since 2009. Mr. Bender has been the Chairperson of FLA since 2018.  He also serves as a Legislative Liaison to Broward Coalition, and is a member of the Condominium Committee of the Real Property Section of the Florida Bar.  Mr. Bender is a frequent lecturer on community association law throughout South Florida and has been published in several business and legal periodicals. He just completed his second 3‑year term on the Florida Bar’s Grievance Committee.  Mr. Bender was appointed to the RESET Task Force, as a representative for Community Associations, working with Governor DeSantis to help with the reopening of Florida’s economy amidst the Covid-19 crisis. He is also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator.

Jeffrey A. Rembaum, Esq., BCS

Jeffrey A. Rembaum is Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law with considerable experience representing countless community associations that include condominium, homeowner, commercial, cooperative associations, and mobile home parks. He regularly provides legal representation to new and established associations, developers, and their members. He has experience in a vast number of real estate and land use related matters such as site acquisition and reconfiguration, land entitlements, commercial and residential leasing, foreclosures, real estate closings, zoning, variances, code enforcement, civil litigation, eminent domain, and Division of Condominium arbitration. He is most adept at identification and implementation of creative strategies to accomplish his clients’ goals. Mr. Rembaum is a frequent lecturer to board members and fellow lawyers and regularly published in the area of community association law including Rembaum’s Association Roundup, a bi-weekly publication. Mr. Rembaum is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator.

In 2015, Mr. Rembaum was one of 56 Florida real estate lawyers named to the “Legal Elite” by Florida Trend Magazine. Every year since 2012, Mr. Rembaum has been selected to the Florida Super Lawyers list. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.

After earning his law degree, Mr. Rembaum was an Assistant Public Defender for the 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County and, thereafter, he gained critical experience as a commercial litigator. Prior to joining Kaye Bender Rembaum, he worked with several prestigious community association law firms in Palm Beach County. Prior to earning his law degree, Mr. Rembaum worked for the Development Corporation for Israel selling Israel bonds and worked for General Mills Corporation.

Mr. Rembaum is active in a variety of civic, professional and political organizations in Palm Beach County. He is a member of the Real Property Section of the Florida Bar and is very active with its Condominium Planned Unit Development sub-committee. In addition, he was a member of the National Community Association Institute where he served on its Amicus Curie Brief Committee and is a member of the Community Association Institute, Gold Coast Chapter.

Mr. Rembaum received his Bachelor’s Degree from Florida State University (B.A. 1987) and his law degree from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center (J.D. 1996).

Peter C. Mollengarden, Esq., BCS

Peter C. Mollengarden is Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law and has spent his entire 32 year legal career concentrating on community association law; including several years as an attorney in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area representing developers and preparing condominium and homeowners association documents. Since 1992, he has represented community associations in South Florida regarding all aspects of community association law. Mr. Mollengarden has also been a frequent lecturer for organizations serving community associations and related businesses and is currently the co-host of “Condo Solutions”, a call-in radio program that airs every Monday morning from 9:05 to 10:00 a.m. on WSTU 1450 AM in Stuart, Florida. Mr. Mollengarden graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia in 1981, and the University of Miami School of Law in 1984.

Deborah S. Sugarman, Esq.

Deborah Sugarman graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology. She then relocated to South Florida where she received her Juris Doctor in 1993 at Shepard Broad Law Center at Nova Southeastern University. In 1993, she also became a member of the Florida Bar and an associate of Kaye & Roger, P.A. and then Robert Kaye & Associates, P.A., where she had been the supervising attorney for collections and foreclosures for the Firm since 1996. Ms. Sugarman continues in this role at Kaye Bender Rembaum. Her other areas of emphasis include covenant enforcement, commercial litigation, probate, and guardianship matters.

Andrew B. Black, Esq., BCS

Andrew B. Black, Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law, obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Miami (B.A. 2003), and his law degree from Nova Southeastern University (J.D. 2006). He joined Robert Kaye & Associates, P.A. in 2007, and continues to work at Kaye Bender Rembaum, P.L., and was elevated to a Member of the Firm in 2016. He assists the Firm’s Association clients on all aspects of Community Association operation, and has been a frequent lecturer on various topics of interest to boards of directors, managers, and owners.

Gerard S. Collins, Esq.

After graduating from Boston College, Gerard Collins received his law degree from Western New England College School of Law in 1996, where he participated in the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. He practiced civil trial litigation for seven years in the Massachusetts and Connecticut State and Federal Courts before moving to Florida in 2004, where he continued his practice in insurance litigation and community association representation. Prior to joining Kaye Bender Rembaum, Mr. Collins practiced extensively in community association law, including covenant enforcement, foreclosure, commercial litigation and construction litigation.

Shawn G. Brown, Esq., BCS

Shawn Brown is an attorney in Tampa, Florida. Mr. Brown is Board Certified in Condominium & Planned Development Law by The Florida Bar. Prior to joining Kaye, Bender, Rembaum, P.L, Shawn was a partner in the Tampa law firm of Frazier & Brown, Attorneys at Law and the law firm of Redding & Brown, PLLC. Shawn was also a partner in the St. Petersburg firm of Lang & Brown, P.A. Mr. Brown is a graduate of Stetson University and Stetson University College of Law. Mr. Brown was a recipient of the United States Senator Max Cleland scholarship and served as an intern to United States Senator Connie Mack in his Washington D.C. office while attending American University.

Mr. Brown is the co-Vice Chair of the Condominium & Planned Development Committee, the Real Property Litigation Committee and the Problem Studies Committee of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar.  Mr. Brown is the chair of the Condominium & Planned Development Committee’s Safe Harbor Subcommittee and the chair of the Real Property Litigation Committee’s Judicial Litigation Support and Education Subcommittee.  He is also a member of the Condominium & Planned Development Committee’s legislative review group and is tasked with reviewing and providing comments and edits to the legislation affecting community associations each legislative session.  As a member of this committee, Mr. Brown will also review and approve applications of attorneys seeking to become board certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law. Mr. Brown also served as a member of the Auxiliary Committee reviewing and editing different chapters in the 4^th Edition of the Florida Condominium and Community Association Law published by The Florida Bar.

Mr. Brown’s focus has been exclusively on the practice of all aspects of community association law, including regularly practicing before the trial and appellate levels of state and federal courts, including arguing before the Florida Supreme Court and administrative agencies such as the Florida Division of Condominiums.  He also represents individuals in real estate transactions and litigation.  Mr. Brown devotes his practice to working with his clients on a broad range of legal issues that community associations, property owners and buyers and sellers of real estate face on a regular basis.  He has extensive experience in all aspects of community association law and real estate law.  Mr. Brown represents condominium and homeowner associations, handling issues ranging from collection of assessments and foreclosures to covenant enforcement and litigation.  He provides proactive, common sense counseling and guidance to community associations on every aspect of the association-owner relationship, including litigation avoidance.

In addition to his work on various legislative projects, Mr. Brown routinely is requested to provide both association board of directors and community association managers with regular legislative and case law updates. He has also presented various topics at continuing legal education seminars for the Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section of The Florida Bar, including presenting on collections, liens and foreclosures for the Condominium & Planned Development Certification Review Course.

Jeffrey D. Green, Esq.

Mr. Green is a Martindale Hubbell “AV” rated Member of the Firm that has a broad range of experience in the areas of civil litigation, complex and commercial litigation, construction litigation, arbitration and appeals. Mr. Green routinely represents Community Associations in multi-million dollar construction defect disputes, construction and accounting turnover claims involving the transition of control of Community Associations from developers to the non-developer owners, lien claims, bond claims, insurance coverage disputes, code enforcement actions and other complex litigation matters from inception through appeal.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

• J.D., University of Florida Levin College of Law, 2006
• Honors: cum laude; Dean’s List
• B.A., University of Florida, 2003

ADMISSIONS

• Florida, 2007
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 2010

REPRESENTED CASES

• Ramblewood E. Condo. Ass’n, Inc. v. Kaye Bender Rembaum, P.L., 294 So. 3d 923 (Fla. 4^TH DCA 2020)
• Mt. Hawley Ins. Co. v. Galleon Condo Apts., Inc., No. 19-60267-CIV-JEM, 2019 WL 8164395 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 15, 2019)
• Lenzi v. Regency Tower Ass’n, Inc., 250 So. 3d 103 (Fla. 4^TH DCA 2018), review denied, No. SC18-1450, 2018 WL 6619774 (Fla. Dec. 17, 2018)
• M & M Prop. Mgmt., LLC v. Palm-Aire Country Club Condo. Ass’n No. 2, Inc., 209 So. 3d 57 (Fla 4^TH DCA 2016)
• Circle Prop. Owners’ Ass’n, Inc. v. Circle One Condo. Ass’n, Inc., 159 So. 3d 423 (Fla. 4^TH DCA 2015)

Allison L. Hertz, Esq., BCS

Allison L. Hertz is a senior associate with the Firm, and is Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law. Ms. Hertz has exclusively represented community associations and unit owners since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2007 and is a Palm Beach County native. She graduated from Rollins College in 2004, and Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center in 2007. Ms. Hertz enjoys public speaking, including providing Board Certification Courses to volunteer board members, and providing continuing education courses to property managers.  Ms. Hertz is an active member of the Florida Bar’s Condominium & Planned Development Committee, and she is currently the Co-Vice Chair for the Committee.  She is also the Vice Chair of the Condominium & Planned Development Law Certification Review Committee. She was recently the Chair of the Condominium & Planned Development Committee’s Hurricane Protection Subcommittee and a member of the Committee’s Emergency Powers Task Force. She also serves on the Committee’s Legislative and Nonresidential/Mixed Use Condominium Subcommittees. Ms. Hertz prides herself on providing a practical, real-world approach to solving her clients’ legal issues.

Emily E. Gannon, Esq.

Emily E. Gannon received a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a member of the Dean’s List. She then continued her education at Wake Forest University School of Law where she received her Juris Doctor in 2005. As a law student, she interned at the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.  Following law school, Ms. Gannon practiced criminal law and gained experience handling personal injury, misdemeanors and felonies, including a murder case. She then transitioned to civil litigation and practiced bankruptcy law at one of the biggest mortgage foreclosure firms in Florida, focusing on chapter 7, chapter 11 and chapter 13 bankruptcies. Prior to joining Kaye Bender Rembaum, Ms. Gannon assisted community associations with their bankruptcy, collection and lien foreclosure matters. Ms. Gannon joined Kaye Bender Rembaum in April 2012 to assist the Firm’s association clients on all aspects of community association operation.

Danielle M. Brennan, Esq., BCS

Danielle M. Brennan is a Board Certified Specialist in Condominium and Planned Development Law. Ms. Brennan joined Kaye Bender Rembaum as an Associate Attorney in the Firm’s community association department in the Palm Beach Gardens’ office in April 2013, and assists clients on all aspects of community association operations. She became a member of the Florida Bar in September 2012. In May 2012, Mrs. Brennan graduated cum laude from Shepard Broad Law Center, Nova Southeastern University, receiving her Juris Doctor degree. During law school, Mrs. Brennan received the “Book Award” in Corporate Finance, an award given to the student who achieved the highest score. She was a founding member of “Beyond the Game”, an organization developed in partnership with the Miami Dolphins Director in Youth and Community Programs and former NFL player, Twan Russell, that informs and educates high school student athletes on contemporary legal issues affecting youth today. Mrs. Brennan served as a “Law Student Advisor” and is a member of the prestigious Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity. She also achieved Gold Level Status in her law school’s Pro Bono Honor Program by donating over 300 hours of her time to the Office of the General Counsel of the Broward Sheriff’s Office. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Florida in 2009.

Lauren T. Schwarzfeld, Esq.

Lauren Schwarzfeld received a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from the University of Florida and then attended Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, where she earned her Juris Doctor in 2011.  As a law student, Ms. Schwarzfeld served as President of the Nova Trial Association and competed in trial competitions around the country.  She began her practice of law representing clients in employment discrimination cases and also handled mortgage foreclosure matters for lenders.  Ms. Schwarzfeld recently joined Kaye Bender Rembaum, P.L. as an associate attorney in the general civil litigation department, handling all aspects of the diverse litigation practice of the Firm.

Jay S. Levin, Esq.

Jay S. Levin graduated cum laude from Duke University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in History.  He subsequently attended the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida, graduating cum laude with his Juris Doctor in 2011 and remained at the University of Florida to earn his Master of Laws in Taxation in 2012.  Mr. Levin has been a member of the Florida Bar since 2011, and began his career practicing tax, corporate, estate planning and community association law at a small firm in St. Augustine.  Prior to joining Kaye Bender Rembaum, Mr. Levin was an associate at a South Florida law firm where he focused on all aspects of community association law.  Mr. Levin recently joined Kaye Bender Rembaum as an Associate Attorney in the Firm’s general civil litigation department.

Karina N. Skeie, Esq.

Karina N. Skeie received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a minor in Psychology from Florida State University, where she graduated with honors. She then continued her education at Florida State University College of Law, where she graduated cum laude in 2018. As a law student, Ms. Skeie served as a Judicial Extern at the Fourth District Court of Appeal. She was also selected to participate in the Florida House of Representatives Legislative Intern Program while attending law school. After law school, Ms. Skeie worked at a large firm, practicing civil litigation. Ms. Skeie recently jointed Kaye Bender Rembaum, P.L. as an associate attorney to assist the Firm’s association clients on all aspects of community association operation.

Olivia L. Cato, Esq.

Olivia Cato received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Florida State University. She continued her education at the Florida State University College of Law, where she graduated cum laude in 2019. As a law student, Ms. Cato served as a senior staff editor of the Florida State University Law Review. She became a member of the Florida Bar in September 2019. Ms. Cato recently joined Kaye Bender Rembaum in the Firm’s community association department in the Palm Beach Gardens’ office, and assists clients on all aspects of community association operations.

Kerstin Henze, Esq.

Kerstin Henze attended the University of Miami, from where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies in 2003. During her undergraduate studies, which included a double major in Political Science, she participated in the International Summer Program of the University of Vienna, in Strobl, Austria, with a focus on European studies. Ms. Henze then attended the Shepard Board Law Center at Nova Southeastern University from where she received her Juris Doctor in 2006. While in law school, she published a student paper titled Was the US Justified in Renewing Resolution 1487 in Light Of the Abu Ghraib Prisoner Abuse Scandal in the ILSA Journal of International and Comparative Law, of which she became the Executive Editor in her third year of law school. Prior to joining Kaye and Bender, P.L., Ms Henze was associated with the Law Office of Patrick J. Murphy and Associates, P.A., where her areas of practice included covenant enforcement, foreclosure, commercial litigation, and probate matters. Ms. Henze joined Kaye and Bender, P.L. in 2010 and continues to work at Kaye, Bender, Rembaum, P.L., assisting the Firm’s association clients on all aspects of community association operation. Ms. Henze also conducts Certification courses for association board members on various topics concerning association operations.

Lisa A. Magill, Esq., BCS

Lisa A. Magill is Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law. She has counseled condominium, cooperative, mobile home and homeowners’ associations throughout Florida since 1996. Her work includes advice relative to all facets of community association operations such as interpretation, amendment and enforcement of governing documents, rulemaking, contract negotiations and drafting, compliance with state and federal statutory and administrative requirements, representation before the Division of Florida Condominiums, Time Shares and Mobile Homes, collections and foreclosures, fair housing issues, handling insurance claims and disaster planning, condominium conversions from cooperatives, resolution of developer disputes, transition issues and code compliance issues. Ms. Magill is a member of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law (RPPTL) Section of the Florida Bar and is also a member of the Community Associations Institute (CAI), having served on several Boards of Directors and President of the Southeast Florida Chapter in 2007 and 2008. She has been the co-legislative liaison for the Broward Coalition since 2012. The Broward Coalition is a not-for-profit organization representing the interests of more than 200 Broward County community associations. In 2015, she was appointed by the Southeast Florida Chapter of Community Associations Institute as a Florida Legislative Alliance (CAI-FLA) delegate. In addition, Ms. Magill has given seminars and presented educational offerings for thousands of community association board members and professional Community Association Managers (CAMs).

Ms. Magill is a member of the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL). Only 151 attorneys across the nation have been admitted to this prestigious organization. CCAL members are attorneys who have distinguished themselves through contributions to the evolution and practice of community association law. CCAL fellows are also recognized for committing themselves to high standards of professional and ethical conduct. Ms. Magill has been recognized for her legal accomplishments as well as for her community affiliations. She has been selected by Florida Trend as “Legal Elite;” honored by the Boys & Girls Club of Broward County as 100 Outstanding Women (2015); and rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell, the leading information services company to the legal profession. Prior to joining Kaye Bender Rembaum, Ms. Magill was a shareholder at Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.

Stuart M. Smith, Esq.

Mr. Smith graduated from Nova-Southeastern Law School and has been a member of the Florida and Federal Bars since 1994. Stuart started his practice as an Assistant Public Defender in Broward County, Florida where he was recognized as “attorney of the year” multiple times.

In 1996, Mr. Smith left the Public Defender’s office and began his career in private practice with Robert Kaye, where he developed knowledge of Association and collection litigation and  staff supervision skills. Since 2000 Stuart has both owned a sole practice Firm and served as a managing attorney for a national law firm specializing in representation of major financial institutions.  Mr. Smith has over 27 years of litigation experience and is now practicing in both general association and collection areas at Kaye Bender Rembaum, P.L.

Karen A. Green, Esq.

Karen A. Green received a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida Atlantic University and later, a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English.  She went on to attend Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center graduating in the top 10% of her class and serving over 350 hours of pro bono time, earning her the Law School Pro Bono Gold award.  Early in her career, she focused on real estate law, title law and family law. Before joining Kaye Bender Rembaum, she was a foreclosure litigation attorney working on behalf of lending institutions and mortgage servicers for nearly 15 years, prevailing in hundreds of trials.  Ms. Green now serves as a foreclosure litigation attorney for Kaye Bender Rembaum in the Pompano Beach office.