Overview

Jose A. Casal is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Miami office. Mr. Casal practices in the areas of business and real estate litigation, international litigation and arbitration, and bankruptcy and creditors' rights. He handles civil trials in Florida state and federal courts, and has conducted international arbitrations in Miami and New York. His representative matters include corporate and partnership disputes, real estate and title insurance claims, commercial mortgage foreclosures and commercial landlord/tenant disputes, receiverships, workout transactions, bankruptcy litigation, international litigation, banking litigation, aircraft lease and financing disputes, prejudgment and post judgment remedies, defense of foreign bank account reporting (FBAR) violations, and legal malpractice and ethics claims.

Mr. Casal's recent notable matters include:

  • prevailed at trial on behalf of trustee shareholders who sued a controlling shareholder for breach of fiduciary duty and claims related to shareholder oppression
  • successfully settled $100 million fraudulent transfer claim filed by a Florida bankruptcy trustee against a major New York-based financial institution client
  • successfully resolved a bankruptcy trustee's challenge of a lender client's $35 million mortgage claim over Palm Beach mansion and facilitated sale of asset
  • successfully defended against a commercial lender's claim and negotiated workout on behalf of a client developer in connection with a 2 million square-foot, mixed-used project in Miami
  • convinced bankruptcy court to dismiss two healthcare bankruptcies filed in bad faith
  • advised and counseled founder of boat manufacturer in $100 million-plus sale of company
  • member of Holland & Knight South Florida litigation team that successfully obtained dismissal with prejudice of $50 million aiding and abetting and conspiracy claims prosecuted in federal court against a Brazilian bank
  • managed and advised with Holland & Knight's Mexico City office successful divestiture of Latin American assets and operations of a U.S. waste transportation and disposal company

Mr. Casal is a member of Holland & Knight's Directors Committee and serves as the Professional Responsibility Partner for the firm's Miami office.

While attending law school at the University of Miami School of Law, Mr. Casal was associate editor of the InterAmerican Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

Credentials

Education
  • University of Miami School of Law, J.D., cum laude
  • Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, B.S., International Economics
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Florida
Court Admissions
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Memberships
  • International Bar Association, Section on Insolvency Law, Officer, 2021-2022
  • American Bar Association
  • Dade County Bar Association
  • Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida
Honors & Awards
  • Chambers FinTech, Notable Practitioner, Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies, 2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Commercial Litigation, International Arbitration - Commercial, 2010-2024; International Trade and Finance Law, 2005-2023; Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Bankruptcy, 2013-2024
  • Florida Super Lawyers magazine, 2008-2023
  • Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star, 2021
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Miami International Trade and Finance Lawyer of the Year, 2016
  • Corporate Counsel Edition, Super Lawyers magazine, March 2009
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
  • InterAmerican Law Review, Associate Editor
  • Order of the Coif
Spoken Languages
  • English
  • Spanish

Publications

Speaking Engagements

News