RAQUEL M. MATAS Residence: 820 Valencia Avenue, Coral Gables, Florida 33134 Office: University of Miami School of Law 1311 Miller Drive, Room B357 Law Library Coral Gables, Florida 33146 Phone (305) 284-3418 | Facsimile (305) 284-3745 [email protected]
EDUCATION
May 1981 Northeastern University School of Law Juris Doctor Boston, Massachusetts
May 1978 Regis College B.A. in Economics, Magna Cum Laude Weston, Massachusetts
May 1974 Colegio Espiritu Santo High School Diploma Hato Rey, Puerto Rico
EMPLOYMENT
June 2005 - University of Miami School of Law Present Coral Gables, Florida
Appointed Associate Dean for Administration and Counsel to the Dean. Works closely with the Dean of the Law School in the law school operations, with focus on strategic planning, legal review and compliance, business alliances, and a broad range of other areas such as facilities, budget, and human resources.
July 2001 - Ferrell Worldwide May 2005 Miami, Florida
Partner in Miami office of international law firm, and co-chair of real estate department. Practiced real estate law and business transactions, representing lenders, developers, and investors.
June 1998 - Carlton Fields July 2001 Miami, Florida
Shareholder in Miami office of large statewide full service law firm, and member of real estate department. Practiced in the areas of real estate and business transactions, representing lenders, developers, and investors.
Rev. 07/23/12 1 January 1995 - Law Offices of Raquel M. Matas, P.A. June 1998 Coral Gables, Florida
Shareholder and President of my own law firm. Practiced in the areas of real estate, corporate, and business transactions.
August 1989 - University of Miami School of Law January 1995 Coral Gables, Florida
Appointed Assistant Dean of the Law School. Worked closely with the Dean of the Law School in the performance of the administrative functions of the Law School, and represented the Dean and the Law School in Florida Bar committees and activities.
August 1987 - Paul, Landy, Beiley & Harper, P.A. August 1989 Miami, Florida
Associate in medium-sized law firm. Practiced in the areas of real estate and business transactions.
December 1985 - Salley, Barns, Pajon, Guttman & Del Valle August 1987 Miami, Florida
Associate in medium-sized law firm. Practiced in the areas of real estate and business transactions.
January 1983 - Law Offices of Jose Diaz-Asper December 1985 Coral Gables, Florida
Associate in small law firm. Practiced in the areas of real estate and business transactions.
September 1981 - Law Offices of Paul H. Nathan July 1982 Boston, Massachusetts
Associate in small law firm, in general practice of law.
TEACHING UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF LAW
2014 Marriage Equality Series – Co-teacher and Co-Creator of innovative course on post-DOMA legal issues.
2013, 2014, 2015 Mindfulness and Leadership Course – Co-teacher and Co-Creator, with Professor Scott Rogers, Director of the Law School’s Mindfulness and Law Program
2012 and 2013 Visiting Teacher in Professor Mary Doyle’s Elements Class: Eminent Domain and Underwater Mortgages.
2010 Co-teacher with Professor Mary Doyle, Property - Chapters on The Real Estate Transaction and Title Assurances. Rev. 07/23/12 2
1991 - 1995 Adjunct Professor, University of Miami School of Law - Seminar on AIDS and the Law (Fall 1991 and Fall 1993); Co-Director - Seminar on Homelessness and the Law (Summers 1994, 1995).
ELECTED POSITIONS
1992 - 1996 Florida Bar Board of Governors
Elected two terms as member of the governing body of the Florida Bar, with over 100,000 lawyers. The 51 members, elected to the board from each of the state’s 20 judicial circuits, formulate and adopt all matters of policy and regulations concerning the activities of the Bar and its members. Committees: Budget Committee (1993-1996); Disciplinary Review Committee (1992-1993); Public Relations Committee (1992-1994, Chair 1993-1994); Disciplinary Procedures Committee (Vice-Chair 1994- 1995), Pro Bono Committee (1995-1996); Access to the Legal System Committee (1995-1996).
APPOINTMENTS, PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
Florida Supreme Court Appointments
2006 – Present Florida Supreme Court Standing Committee on Fairness and Diversity
Appointed by Florida Supreme Court’s Chief Justice to statewide committee created to aid the state court system’s efforts to eliminate bias in the court’s operations.
1990 - 1995 Florida Supreme Court Gender Bias Implementation Commission
Appointed by Florida Supreme Court’s Chief Justice to statewide commission to implement the more than 100 recommendations outlined in eight different areas of the Gender Bias Report.
1987 - 1990 Florida Supreme Court Gender Bias Study Commission
Appointed by Florida Supreme Court’s Chief Justice to statewide commission to document areas of gender bias in Florida’s judicial system, and recommend measures to correct such bias. The Commission issued its 239-page Gender Bias Report in 1990.
United States District Court Appointment
2002 Appointed to Nominating Committee for Selection of Federal Magistrate in Southern District of Florida.
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Rev. 07/23/12 3 COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Current Leadership Roles
2015 Co-Chair, Americans for Immigrant Justice’s Strategic Planning Group
2014 – Present Chair, LGBT Division of the Hispanic National Bar Association (“HNBA”)
2013 – Present Chair, Aqua Foundation Latina Lesbian Leadership Initiative
2013 – Present Chair, Scholarship Committee, Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW)
2012 – Present Chair, Risk Committee of the Board of Directors of TotalBank
Current Membership Roles
2013 – Present Member, University of Miami LGBT Task Force
2012 – Present Advisory Board, Aqua Foundation for Women
2010 – Present Member, Hispanic National Bar Association
1996 - Present Board of Directors, TotalBank, a Florida based community bank with $2.6 billion in assets and member of Grupo Banco Popular Español.
1994 - Present National Advisory Board, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Other
2011 – 2012 Member, Planning Committee, Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), Miami
2009 – 2012 Board of Trustees, Coral Gables Congregational Church
2004 – 2006 Law School Liaison to Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Committee.
2001 - 2005 Board of Governors, Miami City Club
1995 -1996 Board of Directors, Trade National Bank (merged with TotalBank in 1996)
1995 -1999 President (Founding President), Board of Directors, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, k/n/a Americans for Immigrant Justice
1995-1998 Women’s Fund of Dade County
March 1995 Dade County Eleventh Judicial Circuit - Comprehensive Master Plan Committee
1994 -1998 South Florida Water Management District - Hispanic Leaders Roundtable
1992 - 1995 Pediatric AIDS Health Care Demonstration Project Advisory Committee
Rev. 07/23/12 4 1992 - 1995 Dade Community Foundation AIDS Partnership Advisory Council
1991 -1998 Dade-Miami Criminal Justice Council (Vice-Chair 1995)
1990 - 1995 Florida Bar Student Education and Admissions to the Bar Committee
1990 - 1992 Board of Directors, Florida Bar AIDS Legal Defense and Education Fund
1990 - 1992 Dade County HIV Services Planning Council - Advised the Miami-Dade County Commissioners and Mayor on all matters related to the expenditure of funds received under the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resource Emergency Act
1990 - 1992 Florida Bar Victims’ Rights Committee
October 1990 Steering Committee, American Jewish Committee’s Conference Miami’s Women: Breaking Barriers — Building Bridges
June 1990 Steering Committee, Women Judges Fund for Justice: “You be the Judge Seminar” for the State of Florida
1988 - 1992 Founding Member and President, Body Positive Resource Center, a Miami-Dade County non-profit AIDS service organization
1987 - 1989 Dade County Commission on the Status of Women
1987 - 1988 Community Coalition for Women’s History Month
STATE AND FEDERAL BAR MEMBERSHIPS
1985 United States District Court, Southern District 1983 Florida 1982 United States Circuit Court of Appeals, First Circuit 1981 Massachusetts
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
American Bar Foundation - Fellow Commercial Real Estate Women Association Florida Association for Women Lawyers Hispanic National Bar Association National Association of Corporate Directors
AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS
Martindale Hubbell Rating Rated AV Preeminent (highest rating)
2005 Named in Florida Trend’s Magazine as one of Florida’s Legal Elite
2004 Named in the Miami Metro Magazine’s South Florida Legal Guide as one of South Florida’s top lawyers.
Rev. 07/23/12 5 2003 Selected as one of the Best of the Bar, South Florida Business Journal.
2000 Named in the Miami Metro Magazine’s South Florida Legal Guide as one of South Florida’s top lawyers.
2000 Named by the Miami Herald as one of twelve women in South Florida who “Set the Agenda” in their fields.
1991 Dade County Bar Association Pro Bono Service Award.
1989 Business and Professional Women’s Club Woman of the Year.
1986 Business and Professional Women’s Club Florida Young Career Woman in 1986.
ARTICLES AND PUBLICATIONS
Contributing Editor, with Doyle, Florida Pleading and Practice, Volume 2 - Real Property (1995)
Contributing Editor, with Doyle, Florida Jur Forms - Legal and Business, Volumes 1 & 2 -Real Property (1994).
With Doyle, Report of the Housing and McKinney Act Working Group of the Homestead Air Force Base Re-Use and Economic Redevelopment Committee (February 1994).
“Women and AIDS” chapter included in AIDS: A Comprehensive Manual of Legal and Policy Issues, published by the Florida AIDS Legal Defense and Education Fund, 1992.
“AIDS Legal and Ethical Issues” training module included in materials prepared by University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry Biopsychosocial Learning Center on AIDS, 1992.
“Florida’s Scales Of Justice Are Tilted Against Women,” The Miami Herald, May 5, 1990.
PRESENTATIONS AND SPEECHES
September 2014 Moderator, “The Changing Legal and Litigation Landscape After the End of DOMA,” at the Hispanic National Bar Association Annual Meeting
March 2014 Panelist, “Unconscious Bias in the Workplace,” at the Hispanic National Bar Association Mid-Year Meeting
February 2013 Presenting Comments, Aqua Foundation for Women’s Ally Award Honoree Cristina Saralegui
January 2013 Moderator, Panel discussion on Marriage Equality following UM Law’s stage production of “8,” which chronicles constitutional challenges to California’s proposition 8
October 2012 Moderator, “Gay Adoption in Florida,” co-sponsored by UM Law’s OUTLaw and Family Law Groups.
Rev. 07/23/12 6 September 2012 Presenter, “LGBT Family Issues in the Latino U.S. community,” to the U. S. Department of State’s Latin American LGBT delegation, part of its International Visitor Leadership Program
April 2012 Coordinator/Moderator, “Women at the Top,” Panel discussion for Commercial Real Estate Women, Miami Chapter
April 2010 Speaker, “Thoughts on Empowerment,” at the Women’s Empowerment Lunch of the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
November 2005 Panelist, “Building a Better Board of Directors,” part of “The View From Above: How To Take Your Business to the Next Level” Conference
April 2003 Keynote Speaker, YWCA, Annual Awards Lunch, “Commitment to Eliminate Discrimination and Hate”
April 2000 Panelist, Commercial Real Estate Women, “Leasing to the Dot Com Tenant”
January 2000 Guest, Hispanic Cablevision Program, Temas de Mujer, “Shattering the Glass Ceiling”
January 1998 Coordinator/Moderator, Florida Bar’s All Bar Conference Panel on “Delivering Legal Services to the Middle Class”
October 1996 Coordinator/Moderator, Hispanic National Bar Association Convention, “Legal and Ethical Aspects of HIV/AIDS in the Hispanic Community”
December 1995 Presenter, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Nurses HIV Training Session, “HIV Legal Issues”
November 1995 Panelist, University of Miami, School of Law, “Women in the Practice of Law”.
October 1995 Presenter, Jackson Memorial Hospital/Health Crisis Network, Primera Conferencia en español sobre HIV/SIDA, “Aspectos Legales de HIV/SIDA”
June 1995 Presenter, Dade County Juvenile Court, “HIV and the Juvenile Justice System”
August 1994 Presenter, Internal Revenue Service, Southern District, “Women United for a Positive Change”
July 1994 Keynote Speaker, Florida Association for Women Lawyers Installation Luncheon, “The Role Of FAWL in the Advancement of Women Lawyers”
July 1994 Speaker, Jackson Memorial Hospital OB/GYN Open Hearts HIV Network, “HIV Legal Issues Status Report”
December 1993 Presenter and Workshop Coordinator, Annual Education Meeting of the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges, “AIDS and the Courts”
Rev. 07/23/12 7 July 1993 Presenter, Dade County Bar Association Pro Bono Project, “Women and AIDS”
June 1993 Facilitator, National HIV/AIDS Educational Leadership Council, panel on “Hispanic Women and HIV/AIDS: Legal and Ethical Issues”
June 1993 Presenter, Jackson Memorial Hospital OB/GYN Research Project on HIV/AIDS, “Women and AIDS”
June 1993 Keynote Speaker, Northeast Association of Pre-Law Advisors, “Women in the Legal Profession”
April 1993 Speaker, St. Thomas University School of Law, “Minorities, AIDS, and the Law”
April 1993 Participant, U.S. Public Health Service Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, “A Workshop for Judges in HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis”
March 1993 Speaker, University of Miami’s A Week for Life, “AIDS and the Law”
March 1993 Panelist, Miami Women Cable Television Program sponsored by Miami Commission on the Status of Women, “Women and the Law”
March 1993 Speaker, United States Coast Guard, Seventh District, “Women on the Move”
February 1993 Guest, Hispanic Cablevision Program, Temas de Mujer, “Women in the Profession”
January 1993 Panelist, Dade County Y.W.C.A., “Women and the Law — A Status Report”
October 1992 Presenter, Turner Guilford Correctional Institute’s Correction Health Services, “AIDS in the Correctional Setting”
April 1992 Panelist, Coalition of Hispanic American Women, “Women and AIDS”
January 1992 Presenter, Association for Retarded Citizens of the U.S. — Stopping AIDS through Functional Education (SAFE) Project, “AIDS and Adults with Developmental Disabilities”
January 1992 Panelist, Florida Bar Mid-Year Meeting/Florida Association for Women Lawyers Panel Discussion, “Gender Bias in the Legal Profession”
January 1992 Presenter, Florida AIDS Legal Defense and Education Fund’s Update on AIDS Legal and Ethical Issues, “Women and AIDS”
March 1991 Speaker, American Association of University Women, “Gender Bias in the Florida Courts”
March 1991 Panelist, Miami Women’s Health Center at North Shore Hospital, “A Feminine Renaissance”
Rev. 07/23/12 8 March 1991/1989 Speaker, Business and Professional Women’s Club Downtown Chapter, “Why We Celebrate Women’s History Month”
June 1990 Speaker, Business and Professional Women’s Club Florida State Convention, “Gender Bias in the Courts”
September 1988 Panelist, Ninth Annual Statewide Conference of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, “Reality: An Update of Findings of the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Gender Bias”
September 1988 Guest Speaker, Hispanic National Bar Association’s Cable Tap Series: Legal Impact, “Gender Bias in the Courts and the Profession”
OTHER
Languages – Spanish – read, write, and speak fluently
Hobbies – Running (marathoner), Yoga, Sailing, Golf
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