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Top-Ranked Bankruptcy Lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.225 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked bankruptcy lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida are Michele A Cavallaro “Michele” (LexRank 80.00), Anthony DiTocco III (80.00) and Michael Charles Foster (80.00).

This ranking lists 25 bankruptcy lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 23 to 49 years in practice. 6 of the 25 list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
25
Fully verified
25 of 25

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    Michele A Cavallaro “Michele”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 34 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  2. No change

    Anthony DiTocco III

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 37 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  3. No change

    Michael Charles Foster

    Young Foster PLLC · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  4. No change

    Richard Steven Gendler

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  5. No change

    Susan D Lasky

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 41 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  6. No change

    Christian Robert Panagakos

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  7. No change

    Jon Loren Swergold

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  8. No change

    Matisyahu H Abarbanel “Matis”

    Loan Lawyers, LLC. · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  9. No change

    Robin LaGeorgia Bodiford

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 33 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  10. No change

    Angelo Anthony Gasparri II “Angelo”

    Offit Kurman, P.A. · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #10?

    Ranks #10 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  11. No change

    Joey Michael Grant

    Lorium, PLLC · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #11?

    Ranks #11 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  12. No change

    Mark Andrew Levy

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #12?

    Ranks #12 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  13. No change

    Nicole Testa Mehdipour

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 27 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #13?

    Ranks #13 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  14. No change

    Robert Francis Reynolds

    Lorium, PLLC · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 27 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #14?

    Ranks #14 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  15. No change

    David Todd Seif

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 32 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #15?

    Ranks #15 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  16. No change

    Zach Barry Shelomith

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #16?

    Ranks #16 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  17. No change

    James D Silver

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 43 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #17?

    Ranks #17 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  18. No change

    Carmen Gricel Soto

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 24 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #18?

    Ranks #18 with 78.80: strongest in Experience (28.8/30) and Data quality (10/10). 1.20 points behind #17, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    1.20 points behind #17 (James D Silver): Experience −1.2.

  19. No change

    Bart Alan Houston

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 39 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #19?

    Ranks #19 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15). 0.20 points behind #18, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    0.20 points behind #18 (Carmen Gricel Soto): Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  20. No change

    Shirley R Palumbo

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 30 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #20?

    Ranks #20 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  21. No change

    Arthur Halsey Rice “Arthur”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 49 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #21?

    Ranks #21 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  22. No change

    Stacy Hope Bressler

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 30 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #22?

    Ranks #22 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  23. No change

    Christopher David Tangora

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 40 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #23?

    Ranks #23 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  24. No change

    Jon Polenberg

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #24?

    Ranks #24 with 77.60: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Data quality (10/10). 1.00 points behind #23, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    1.00 points behind #23 (Christopher David Tangora): Experience −2.4.

  25. No change

    Phillip R. Semenick

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 24 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #25?

    Ranks #25 with 77.40: strongest in Experience (28.8/30) and Professional credentials (15/15). 0.20 points behind #24, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 21)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    0.20 points behind #24 (Jon Polenberg): Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 25 profile pages257 facts for 25 lawyers

Bankruptcy market in Fort Lauderdale

LexRanked tracks 58 lawyers and 8 law firms in bankruptcy law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 58 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 22, 2026.

Lawyers
58
Law firms
8
Verified professional data
58 of 58
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
19 years58 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Fort Lauderdale

What sets these Fort Lauderdale lawyers apart

Every lawyer in this ranking has a The Florida Bar license verified as eligible to practice, and every fact shown links to its source. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 25 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 23 to 49 (median 30)
Languages besides English Spanish (6), French (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school University of Miami School of Law (7 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Fort Lauderdale office address and bankruptcy as a practice area on record. It compares 25 bankruptcy lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in bankruptcy, so the practice area is the one each lawyer lists on their Florida Bar profile, which The Florida Bar does not review. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Bankruptcy is federal law, but Florida decides what property a debtor keeps: filing stops most collection at once, and Florida protects a homestead and a vehicle worth up to $5,000.

Rule What it means
Automatic stay Filing a bankruptcy petition stops most collection actions and lawsuits against the debtor (11 U.S.C. § 362(a))
Credit counseling An individual must take a budget and credit counseling briefing from an approved agency within the 180 days before filing (11 U.S.C. § 109(h))
Repeat Chapter 7 No Chapter 7 discharge if the debtor received one in a case filed within the previous 8 years (11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(8))
Chapter 13 plan A repayment plan runs for at most 5 years (11 U.S.C. § 1322(d))
Meeting of creditors The U.S. trustee holds a meeting of creditors in every case (11 U.S.C. § 341)
Florida homestead A home is protected up to one-half acre inside a city or 160 acres outside one (Fla. Const. art. X, § 4)
Florida vehicle and property A vehicle up to $5,000, and other personal property up to $4,000 if no homestead exemption is claimed (Fla. Stat. § 222.25)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Broward County is in Florida's Seventeenth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

Does filing bankruptcy stop collection calls and lawsuits?

Yes, in most cases. Under 11 U.S.C. § 362(a), filing the petition stops most collection actions and lawsuits against the debtor at once, with the exceptions the statute lists.

Do I need credit counseling before filing bankruptcy?

Yes. An individual must receive a budget and credit counseling briefing from an approved nonprofit agency within the 180 days before filing, under 11 U.S.C. § 109(h), unless an exception applies.

Can I keep my house if I file bankruptcy in Florida?

Florida protects a homestead from forced sale up to one-half acre inside a city or 160 acres outside one (Fla. Const. art. X, § 4). In bankruptcy, federal law caps the protection for home equity acquired in the 1,215 days before filing (11 U.S.C. § 522(p)), so ask a lawyer about your dates.

How often can I file Chapter 7?

A Chapter 7 discharge is denied if you received one in a case filed within the previous 8 years (11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(8)).

How long does a Chapter 13 plan last?

At most 5 years. A debtor whose income is below the Florida median usually has a 3-year plan, which the court may extend to 5 years for cause (11 U.S.C. § 1322(d)).

Which court handles cases in Fort Lauderdale?

State court cases in Broward County are heard in Florida's Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. Bankruptcy cases are filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the federal district that includes the county instead.

Are there Spanish-speaking bankruptcy lawyers in Fort Lauderdale?

Yes. 6 of the 25 ranked lawyers list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile. Each LexRanked profile shows the languages on record.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

25 of the 25 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Michele A Cavallaro “Michele”, Anthony DiTocco III, Michael Charles Foster, Richard Steven Gendler and Susan D Lasky and others.

Which lawyers speak Spanish?

15 of the 58 lawyers in this ranking have it on record, 15 confirmed by a verified fact or an official record. They are ranked separately by the same LexRank score. Top-Ranked Spanish-Speaking Bankruptcy Lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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