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Top-Ranked Franchise Lawyers in Miami, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.29 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked franchise lawyers in Miami, Florida are Dennis Dean Leone (LexRank 78.60), Evelyn I. Suero (65.60) and Christian Jay Sanchelima (64.40).

This ranking lists 9 franchise lawyers in Miami, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 0 to 30 years in practice. 4 of the 9 list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
9
Fully verified
9 of 9

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Dennis Dean Leone

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 30 years experience
    • Franchise
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 10.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.2)

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

  2. No change

    Evelyn I. Suero

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 13 years experience
    • Franchise
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 65.60: strongest in Experience (15.6/30) and Professional credentials (15/15). 13.00 points behind #1, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 15.6/30 (ranking avg 10.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.2)

    13.00 points behind #1 (Dennis Dean Leone): Experience −14.4.

  3. No change

    Christian Jay Sanchelima

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Franchise
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 64.40: strongest in Experience (14.4/30) and Professional credentials (15/15). 1.20 points behind #2, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 10.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.2)

    1.20 points behind #2 (Evelyn I. Suero): Experience −1.2.

  4. No change

    Jonathan Ray Woodard

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 14 years experience
    • Franchise
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 63.05: strongest in Experience (16.8/30) and Data quality (10/10). 1.35 points behind #3, mostly professional credentials.

    Strongest

    • Experience 16.8/30 (ranking avg 10.7)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    1.35 points behind #3 (Christian Jay Sanchelima): Professional credentials −3.8.

  5. No change

    Victoria Alejandra Moreno Pabon

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #5 with 56.00: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (6/30). 7.05 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 6/30 (ranking avg 10.7)

    7.05 points behind #4 (Jonathan Ray Woodard): Experience −10.8.

  6. No change

    Maximillian Scott Matiauda “Max”

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 4 years experience
    • Franchise
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 54.80: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (4.8/30). 1.20 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 4.8/30 (ranking avg 10.7)

    1.20 points behind #5 (Victoria Alejandra Moreno Pabon): Experience −1.2.

  7. No change

    Victor Angel Bruzos

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 3 years experience
    • Franchise
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 53.60: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (3.6/30). 1.20 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 3.6/30 (ranking avg 10.7)

    1.20 points behind #6 (Maximillian Scott Matiauda “Max”): Experience −1.2.

  8. No change

    Kelly Marie Malloy

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 4 years experience
    • Franchise
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 51.05: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (4.8/30). 2.55 points behind #7, mostly professional credentials.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 4.8/30 (ranking avg 10.7)

    2.55 points behind #7 (Victor Angel Bruzos): Professional credentials −3.8.

  9. No change

    Chelsea Barcenas

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 0 years experience
    • Franchise
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 50.00: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (0/30). 1.05 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 0/30 (ranking avg 10.7)

    1.05 points behind #8 (Kelly Marie Malloy): Experience −4.8.

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 · 9 profile pages91 facts for 9 lawyers

Franchise market in Miami

LexRanked tracks 9 lawyers in franchise law in Miami, Florida. 9 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
9
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
9 of 9
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
5 years9 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 Miami

What sets these Miami 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 9 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 0 to 30 (median 5)
Languages besides English Spanish (4), 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 (3 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Miami office address and franchise as a practice area on record. It compares 9 franchise lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in franchise, 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

Federal rules require a franchisor to give you its disclosure document at least 14 calendar days before you sign or pay, and Florida law lets a franchisee recover the money invested when the franchisor intentionally misrepresented the deal.

Rule What it means
Disclosure before signing The franchisor must give a prospective franchisee its current disclosure document at least 14 calendar days before signing or paying (16 C.F.R. § 436.2(a))
Florida misrepresentation It is unlawful to intentionally misrepresent a franchise's prospects for success or the known total investment (Fla. Stat. § 817.416(2)(a))
Florida remedy A franchisee who proves a violation may recover all money invested in the franchise; the court may award attorney fees and shall award costs (§ 817.416(3))
Non-compete clauses A franchise non-compete is enforceable only if signed, reasonable in time, area and line of business, and supported by a legitimate business interest (§ 542.335(1))
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Miami-Dade County is in Florida's Eleventh 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

When must a franchisor give me the disclosure document?

At least 14 calendar days before you sign a binding agreement or pay any money (16 C.F.R. § 436.2(a)).

What can I do if a franchisor lied about the investment or earnings?

Florida law makes intentional misrepresentation of a franchise's prospects or known total investment unlawful. A franchisee who proves it may recover all money invested, plus costs, and the court may award attorney fees (section 817.416).

Is the non-compete in my franchise agreement enforceable?

In Florida, only if it is signed, reasonable in time, area and line of business, and supported by a legitimate business interest (section 542.335).

Which court handles cases in Miami?

State court cases in Miami-Dade County are heard in Florida's Eleventh Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking franchise lawyers in Miami?

Yes. 4 of the 9 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?

9 of the 9 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Dennis Dean Leone, Evelyn I. Suero, Christian Jay Sanchelima, Jonathan Ray Woodard and Victoria Alejandra Moreno Pabon and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Dennis Dean Leone scores 78.60 and Evelyn I. Suero 65.60, a gap of 13.00 points, mostly in experience. Compare them side by side

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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