Rebecca M. Plasencia

Rebecca M. Plasencia is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Appellate and Litigation Practice Groups. Her practice areas include appeals, complex commercial litigation, product liability and creditors' rights. Since joining Holland & Knight's Appellate Team, Ms. Plasencia has argued appeals in the Florida District Courts of Appeal and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Ms. Plasencia has also worked on numerous appeals before the Florida Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. She has also litigated cases in state and federal courts and worked on several arbitration disputes.

In her commercial litigation practice, Ms. Plasencia has defended hotels in consumer class actions arising from the imposition of automatic gratuities and service charges at restaurants. Ms. Plasencia also represents financial institutions and law firms in cases alleging a variety of tort claims, including aiding and abetting fraud, aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, and conspiracy. She has also represented a wide range of clients in claims arising from employment agreements, including obtaining emergency injunctions to prevent dissemination of trade secrets.

Ms. Plasencia routinely assists trial lawyers from the inception of a case, using her appellate knowledge to ensure that legal issues arising during the course of litigation are well-positioned for a favorable outcome, both at the trial and appellate levels. Ms. Plasencia has extensive experience in litigating nuanced jurisdictional and venue issues, including forum non conveniens motions and motions to compel arbitration. She also assists in litigation matters that arise after appeal, including postjudgment execution and enforcement of creditors' rights.

Before entering private practice, Ms. Plasencia served as a law clerk to the Honorable Paul C. Huck of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, from August 2004 to September 2005. While at the University of Miami School of Law, Ms. Plasencia was a member of the University of Miami Law Review and the Moot Court Board. As a Moot Court Board member, Ms. Plasencia participated in numerous competitions and received the Best Oral Advocate Award for her participation in the Advanced Moot Court Competition in 2002. Ms. Plasencia interned for the Honorable Rodolfo Sorondo Jr., at the Florida Third District Court of Appeal and served as a Constitutional Law Dean's fellow to Professor Keith Rosenn at the University of Miami School of Law. She also interned at the Florida Office of the Attorney General, Criminal Appeals Division, during which time she argued several cases before the Florida Third District Court of Appeal.