Carlton Fields is pleased to announce that Julie C. Ferguson, Sasha Westerman-Keuning and Anastasios G. Kastrinakis joined the firm’s Corporate, Securities & Tax practice group in Miami. Ferguson is a shareholder and Westerman-Keuning and Kastrinakis are associates.
Dennis J. Olle, Carlton Fields’ Corporate, Securities & Tax practice group leader said, “We are delighted to have Julie, Sasha and Anastasios on board. Their combined experience and demonstrated legal skills bolster the firm’s corporate and international services for clients.”
Ferguson, former founding attorney of Julie C. Ferguson, P.A. and Westerman-Keuning, former associate attorney at Ferguson, P.A., have moved their practice to Carlton Fields, adding a sophisticated immigration planning component to the firm’s International practice.
“Julie has a long-standing reputation in South Florida as one of the top ‘go-to’ immigration attorneys. Her immigration practice enhances our international capabilities that serve clients domestically and internationally across a variety of platforms,” Olle added.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Carlton Fields’ diverse team of professionals,” said Ferguson. “I’m looking forward to building on the strong presence and reputation that the firm and its corporate and international attorneys have.”
Carlton Fields represents international clients with business and investment interests worldwide. As immigration issues continue to grow, Ferguson’s multifaceted practice and experience offers clients additional services to meet their needs on any level.
Ferguson and Westerman-Keuning handle a wide variety of services from employment and family-based immigration to representation of individuals in removal proceedings. Clients include multinational corporations and business organizations that employ foreign nationals on a temporary and permanent basis in the U.S. They also represent individuals seeking temporary or permanent residence and political asylum.
Ferguson has practiced immigration law exclusively for the past 10 years. She is admitted to practice law in Florida, New York and D.C. Ferguson is the author of “The American Immigration Lawyers Association’s (AILAs) Focus on Waivers,” a guide to the most commonly used waivers under the Immigration and Nationality Act. She is a member of AILA and the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild. Currently she is a member of the Board of Governors of AILA’s South Florida chapter. She also chairs the South Florida AILA Asylum Committee and serves on the AILA National Refugee and Asylum Committee.
She speaks English, Spanish and French and has working knowledge of Italian and Portuguese. She received her J.D. from The American University Washington College of Law, her master’s degree in International Affairs from The American University and her bachelor’s degree from DePauw University.
Westerman-Keuning is a member of The Florida Bar and is admitted to practice in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the Southern District of Florida. Prior to Carlton Fields and Ferguson, P.A. she was an associate at Kurzban, Kurzban, Weinger, Tetzeli & Pratt, P.A., serving as the lead associate on a major class action litigation, Chang v. U.S. She is a member of AILA and its South Florida Pro Bono and ICE Detention and Removal Operations Liaison Committees. She is also a member of the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. She is fluent in Spanish. Westerman-Keuning received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Boston College.
Kastrinakis practices in the areas of federal, state and local tax, with a focus on both corporate and individual cross border and domestic tax issues. He has experience structuring tax efficient cross-border transactions, addressing the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, and forming tax efficient alternative investment fund structures for non-U.S. investors. Prior to Carlton Fields, Kastrinakis was an associate at DLA Piper LLC in New York. He is a member of The Florida Bar and New York Bar and speaks Greek and Spanish. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law, his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law, and his B.A. from Cornell University.
