A recognized analyst and strategist, JC represents businesses and government entities and officials, focusing his practice on trial and appellate litigation. 

Recognized multiple times as a Super Lawyers Rising Stars in Florida since 2016, JC represents a broad range of corporate and government clients in federal and state courts, arbitrations, and before administrative agencies. 

As an appellate lawyer, JC has successfully represented institutions and individuals in a broad range of matters in state and federal appellate courts, including all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the Florida Supreme Court. As part of his appellate practice, he also provides litigation support to trial attorneys, including in the preparation of complex pre-trial and dispositive motions, jury instructions, post-trial motions, and trial consulting to optimize our clients’ position for success at the trial and appellate levels.

In his business practice, JC has represented from local businesses to multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies, in defense and prosecution of disputes involving claims of breach of contract, business torts (such as fraud, fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation, RICO, defamation, tortious interference with business relationships, and breach of fiduciary duty), employment and labor disputes (such as state and federal claims of discrimination, wrongful termination, and wage and hour violations), and consumer protection class actions. JC has also successfully represented and advised corporate officers involved in such matters. 

JC’s government practice encompasses representation of municipalities, state agencies, federal agencies, universities, school boards and districts, charter schools, water management districts, and state and federal officials, in claims ranging from general torts—such as general negligence, premises liability, negligent security, negligent supervision, and the like—to civil rights violations, constitutional claims, exercise of eminent domain, and state and federal statutory actions.  

Before founding Llopiz Wizel, JC chaired the appellate practice division of a national defense firm and was a supervising partner in the general litigation practice group in South Florida. 

JC is a graduate of St. Thomas University School of Law, ranked first in his class. During his legal studies, JC served as a judicial intern to The Honorable Raoul G. Cantero, III, former Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, and as a judicial extern to The Honorable Leon M. Firtel, Circuit Court Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida.

Bar Admissions

State of Florida, 2007 
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
United States District Court for the Middle District Florida

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Leadership and Membership

Highest Tuition Scholarship 
Book Awards in Criminal Law, Constitutional Law I, Sales, and Sports Law
Law Review, Articles Editor
Moot Court, Competitor
Research Assistant, Legal Ethics
Tutor of Professional Responsibility
Teacher Assistant of Legal Research and Writing

Awards and Recognitions

2021, Rising Star, Super Lawyers
2020, Rising Star, Super Lawyers
2019, Rising Star, Super Lawyers
2017, Rising Star, Super Lawyers
2016, Rising Star, Super Lawyers
Chair, Appellate Practice Division

Education

J.D., St. Thomas University School of Law, magna cum laude, ranked 1st in class, 2006
B.A., Finance, University of Puerto Rico, magna cum laude, 2004

News & Publications

DBR: Sales Agent or Chinese Translator? Decision Stands on Commissions for $20M Sale of Miami Condos (Aug. 9, 2018)
Course & Scope of Employment vs. Scope of Employment: Sometimes, Neither is it the Same Nor is it Equal by Onier Llopiz and Joan Carlos Wizel (Oct. 2016)
Miami Herald: Walmart wins challenge over Midtown Miami store (Aug. 29, 2015)
DBR: Verdict Overturned on Appeal Based on Attorneys' Comments to Jury (Aug. 3, 2016)
FDIC Wins $4.9M From WaMu’s Title Insurer For Loan Fraud (Sept. 4, 2014)
CBS News: City Commissioners Reject Appeal To Block Midtown Miami Walmart (Nov. 21, 2013)
Miami Herald: Walmart gets OK from zoning appeals board for Midtown store (Oct. 2, 2013)
DBR: Insurers Need Not Be Afraid Of Reporting Suspected Insurance Fraud (April 29, 2013)
FDIC Sues 2 Title Insurers Over $7.7M WaMu Fraud (Oct. 4, 2012)

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Significant Representations & Experience

▪ Successfully represented government officials in charge of enforcement of overcrowding ordinance in matter involving equal protection claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in federal trial and appellate courts, and obtained award attorney’s fees and costs.

▪ Successfully represented public university in appeal involving intricacies of the relationship

between the university and leaders of student-led and student-run organizations in relation to the limited waiver of sovereign immunity in tort actions under section 768.28, Florida Statutes.

▪ Successfully represented police officer in federal trial and appellate courts defending against allegations of warrantless arrest without probable cause, excessive force, unlawful seizure, and deliberate indifference to medical needs under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for violations of the Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.

▪ Successfully defended appellate challenge to favorable ruling for insurer in declaratory judgment action.

▪ Successfully represented school board in trial and appellate courts in high profile case involving duty to students and the general public to supervise off campus student motor vehicle operation and habitually truancy standards.

▪ Successfully represented international real estate brokerage company and real estate broker in appeal involving determination of the procuring cause of multi-million-dollar investment by foreign company in South Florida market.

▪ Successfully represented on appeal professional appraisers and appraisal companies in series of cases filed by a Texas investment company specializing in purchasing assignments of interest in which it had no stake or claim in order to file lawsuits against property appraisers, seeking to hold them responsible for the market-based crash of 2008.

▪ Successfully represented big-box retailer in zoning challenges at trial and appellate levels.

▪ Successfully represented mayor of municipality in appeal overturning a temporary injunction which stripped him of his authority as mayor.

▪ Successfully represented police detective at the trial and appellate court levels in case involving claims of malicious prosecution and false arrest resulting from the detective’s arrest of individually charged with sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.

▪ Successfully represented on appeal former candidate for commissioner seat in election-related dispute, obtaining reversal of finding of actual malice in making false statements about an opposing candidate and incumbent.

▪ Successfully represented municipality in original proceeding seeking to prevent it from conducting discovery into allegations of criminal conduct by former mayor.

▪ Successfully represented on appeal luxury resort in putative class action seeking damages for violation of the Florida Minimum Wage Act and the Minimum Wage Constitutional Amendment of the Florida Constitution.

▪ Successfully represented on appeal insurer in malicious prosecution suit for reporting individual of suspected insurance fraud.

▪ Represented governmental agency responsible for managing and protecting water resources of South Florida in case involving, inter alia, complex claims and issues of inverse condemnation in trial and appellate courts, achieving favorable resolution.

▪ Represented multiple of municipalities in trial and appellate courts involving matters of public concern.

▪ Successfully represented local establishment in appeal overturning the then-reported largest verdict in Okeechobee County in a case that clarifies the protective nature of the DRAM Shop Act and the interplay between it and the Responsible Vendor Act.

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Appeals

▪ Jacqueline Gore v. Martin County, 4D2024-0207 (Fla. 4th DCA) (pending)

▪ Pirita Investments & Development Fund, LLC. v. Robin Cruise, 4D2023-3011 (Fla. 4th DCA)

(pending)

▪ Alexander v. City of Stuart, 22-13566 (11th Cir. June 15, 2023)

▪ Diplomat Golf Course Venture, LLC v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyds, 22-12713 (11th Cir. March 16, 2023)

▪ Cynthia McCormick v. Somerset Academy, Inc., 4D2022-3403 (Fla. 4th DCA Feb. 10, 2023)

▪ Mark Brodsky v Martin County School District, 4D2022-2485 (Fla. 4th DCA March 28, 2023)

▪ Town of Miami Lakes v. State of Florida, Dept. of Mgmt. Svcs., 368 So. 3d 499 (Fla. 3d DCA

2023)

▪ Gomez v. City of Doral, No. 21-11093, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 85, at *1 (11th Cir. Jan. 3, 2022)

▪ Paylan v. Alvarez, 323 So. 3d 171 (Fla. 2d DCA 2021)

▪ Wrinn v. Town of Davie, No. 4D20-280, 2021 Fla. App. LEXIS 11415, 2021 WL 3199240 (4th DCA July 29, 2021)

▪ Oakwood Insurance Company v. North American Risk Services, 20-14176 (11th Cir. Jan. 22,

2021)

▪ Wummer v. Town of Lake Park, 305 So. 3d 555 (Fla. 4th DCA 2020)

▪ DHBH Atl. L.L.C. v. City of Delray Beach, 293 So. 3d 487 (Fla. 4th DCA 2020)

▪ Collar v. Wilson, 19-12027 (11th Cir. Sept. 22, 2020)

▪ Somerset Acad., Inc. v. McCormick, No. SC19-1635, 2019 Fla. LEXIS 1727, 2019 WL 4732474

(Sep. 27, 2019)

▪ Derek Bell v. Senior Resource Association, Inc., 4D2019-0433 (Fla. 4th DCA Aug. 2, 2019)

▪ Pizzi v. Town of Miami Lakes, 286 So. 3d 814 (Fla. 3d DCA 2019)

▪ Llano Fin. Grp., LLC v. Salabarria, 272 So. 3d 1273 (Fla. 3d DCA 2019)

▪ Miami Real Estate Invest, LLC v. Beini Xu, 252 So. 3d 292 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018)

▪ Llano Fin. Grp. LLC v. Neese, 253 So. 3d 1085 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018)

▪ Llano Fin. Group, LLC v. Nyitray, 232 So. 3d 448 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018), rev. SC18-254 (Fla. Dec. 14, 2018)

▪ Murano Grande at Portofino Condo. Ass’n, Inc. v. City of Miami Beach, Florida, 3D17-2356 (Fla. 3d DCA Dec. 11, 2018)

▪ Llano Fin. Group, LLC v. Neese, 2D16-5087, 2018 WL 2749792 (Fla. 2d DCA June 8, 2018)

▪ Pagan v. Brent, 4D17-3962 (Fla. 4th DCA March 28, 2018)

▪ Twomey v. Boca Park Condo. Ass'n, Inc., 238 So. 3d 310 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018)

▪ Ironshore Specialty Insurance Company v. Conrad & Scherer, LLP, 4D2017-1480 (Fla. 4th DCA July 11, 2017)

▪ Rosario v. Wilson, 228 So. 3d 726 (Fla. 5th DCA 2017)

▪ Pizzi v. Town of Miami Lakes, 232 So. 3d 1012 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017)

▪ Llano Fin. Group, LLC v. Krogman, 5D17-2916 (Fla. 5th DCA) (2017)

▪ Llano Fin. Group, LLC v. Kellog, 227 So. 3d 784 (Fla. 5th DCA 2017)

▪ City of Satellite Beach v. Goersch, 226 So. 3d 848 (Fla. 5th DCA 2017)

▪ Alvarez v. Allen, 3D17-674, 2017 WL 3842089 (Fla. 3 DCA 2017)

▪ Sanchez-Morales v. ESA P Portfolio Operating Lessee, LLC, 5D17-1533 (Fla. 5th DCA) (2017)

▪ Ironshore Specialty Insurance Company v. Conrad & Scherer, LLP, 4D17-1480 (Fla. 4th DCA)

(2017)

▪ 01-22-28 LLC v. King, 224 So. 3d 226 (Fla. 2d DCA 2017)

▪ Hargreaves Associates, Inc. v. City of Miami Beach, 230 So. 3d 852 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017)

▪ Okeechobee Aerie 4137, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Inc. v. Wilde, 199 So. 3d 333 (Fla. 4th DCA

2016)

▪ Suker v. White Family Ltd. P’ship, 193 So. 3d 1028 (Fla. 4th DCA 2016)

▪ VP Props. & Devs., LLLP v. Seneca Specialty Ins. Co., 645 F. App'x 912, 913 (11th Cir. 2016)

▪ Pfeffer v. City of Miami, 208 So. 3d 93 (Fla. 3d DCA 2016)

Pfeffer v. City of Miami, Florida, 14-492 AP (Fla. Cir. Ct. Aug. 24, 2015)

Pfeffer v. City of Miami, Florida, 14-004 AP (Fla. Cir. Ct. Oct. 14, 2014)

▪ Magnum Construction Management Corp. v. The City of Miami Beach, Florida, 209 So. 3d 51

(Fla. 3d DCA 2016)

▪ Navigators Mgmt. (UK) Ltd. v. Am. S.S. Owners Mut. Premium, 209 So. 3d 590 (Fla. 3d DCA

2016)

▪ City of Miami Beach v. M. Vila & Associates, Inc., 229 So. 3d 1234 (Fla. 3d DCA 2016)

▪ Bacas v. Nadler, 4D15-4639 (Fla. 4th DCA Aug. 12, 2016)

▪ Integon Indemnity Corp. vs. Armstrong-Mujica, 2D16-3147 (Fla. 2d DCA 2016)

▪ Odekirk v. Chiappa Firearms, Ltd., 4D15-4529 (Fla. 4th DCA 2016)

▪ Wixson v. School Board of Martin County, 15-13423 (11th Cir. 2016)

▪ Titleworks of S.W. Florida v. Trakhtenberg, 184 So. 3d 531 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015)

▪ Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. v. Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund, Inc., 15-11224 (11th Cir.

2015)

▪ Cano v. WHM, LLC, 195 So. 3d 386 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015)

▪ Evans v. McCabe 415, Inc., 168 So. 3d 238 (Fla. 5th DCA 2015)

▪ Murray v. Palm Beach County, 160 So. 3d 449 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015)

▪ Card v. Town of Carmel, 607/2008 (N.Y. App. Div. 2015)

▪ Florida Office of Ins. Regulation v. Florida Dept. of Fin. Services, 159 So. 3d 945 (Fla. 1st DCA

2015)

▪ Cooper v. Cedar Point Vill. 8 Ass’n, Inc., 150 So. 3d 1163 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014)

▪ Langelier v. Seven Seas Cruises S. de R.L., 14-13682 (11th Cir. 2014)

▪ Modernad Media v. Datran Media Corp., 138 So. 3d 462 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014), reh’g denied (Apr. 25, 2014)

▪ Galvin v. Equity Lifestyle Properties, 4D13-4693 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014)

▪ Torres v. FCCI Ins. Co., 108 So. 3d 1103 (Fla. 3d DCA 2013)

▪ Dan Euser Waterarchitecture, Inc. v. City of Miami Beach, 112 So. 3d 683 (Fla. 3d DCA 2013)

▪ Gardner v. Dwyer, 110 So. 3d 504 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013)

▪ Greer v. Town of Davie, 105 So. 3d 536 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013)

▪ Young Apartments, Inc. v. Town of Jupiter, Fla., 503 Fed. Appx. 711 (11th Cir. 2013)