About the Firm
Built at a global firm and the government.
Perfected as a boutique.
Fridman Fels & Soto, PLLC is a federal criminal defense and investigations boutique based in Coral Gables, Florida. Former federal prosecutors. Am Law 10 alumni. Veteran-owned. Trilingual.
The Firm
Who we are.
Fridman Fels & Soto, PLLC is a boutique law firm based in Coral Gables, Florida. The firm focuses on federal white-collar criminal defense, SEC and regulatory enforcement defense, and cross-border legal work in Latin America.
The five partners Daniel Fridman, Adam Fels, Alejandro Soto, Eric Bustillo, and Michael Garcia spent significant portions of their careers in government or at AmLaw 10 firms before joining FFS. Between them, they have served as federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida, as Senior Trial Attorneys at the SEC, and as partners at White & Case. Mr. Bustillo is the former Regional Director of the SEC's Miami Regional Office. They are former government lawyers who have prosecuted the exact types of cases they now defend.
Daniel Fridman is Chambers USA Band 1 ranked in White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Florida) and holds separate rankings from Chambers Latin America and Chambers Global for cross-border corporate investigations.
Fridman Fels & Soto is a veteran-owned business. Founding Partner Alejandro Soto served in the United States military prior to his legal career. The firm practices in English and Spanish, with Portuguese reading ability for Brazil-focused work.
Recognition
Ranked by the leading independent directories.
Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 rank lawyers and firms through independent research, peer review, and client interviews — not firm size or paid placement. Daniel Fridman is ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA for White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations in Florida, and has been listed continuously in Chambers Latin America for cross-border corporate investigations.
The Legal 500 ranks Fridman Fels & Soto Tier 1 for White-Collar Crime among U.S. boutique firms and in Miami — placing a five-partner firm in the same tables as practices with hundreds of lawyers. Chambers uses "Band" rankings and The Legal 500 uses "Tier"; both reflect the firm and its lawyers measured against the broader market.
How We Practice
What sets us apart.
Partner-level attention on every matter
Every client of the firm — regardless of matter size — receives direct representation from a partner. We do not staff matters with senior associates while partners handle origination. This is not a pledge or a marketing statement; it is how the firm is structured.
Federal practice, done right
The five partners have served as federal prosecutors, SEC enforcement attorneys, and senior litigators at major international firms. That training shapes how we approach every matter: with disciplined preparation, realistic advice, and the institutional knowledge that only comes from having prosecuted these cases from the other side.
Genuine cross-border capability
Our Latin America practice is not a marketing description applied to one or two international matters per year. Our partners are fully bilingual in Spanish, read Portuguese for Brazil-focused work, have conducted investigations across more than a dozen Latin American jurisdictions, and maintain ongoing relationships with leading counsel throughout the region.
Boutique attention, major-firm depth
We operate with the overhead structure of a boutique but with the substantive depth of a firm several times our size. Our partners trained at White & Case, served at the DOJ and SEC, and bring that combined experience to bear on matters that, at larger firms, would be staffed from the bottom of the pyramid.
The Firm
In the office and across the region
History
Milestones.
October 2019
Founding
Daniel Fridman, Adam Fels, and Alejandro Soto founded the firm in Coral Gables after careers at White & Case, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the SEC. The founding premise: that the quality of white-collar representation available to individuals should not depend on whether they can afford to retain a large law firm.
2020
Victoria Pantin Joins FFS as its First Hire
Following a career at Holland & Knight, LLP and Baker McKenzie, Victoria Pantin joined FFS in 2020 as a paralegal and remains the heart of the firm's client experience.
March 2020
Anel Viamontes Joins the Firm as the First Associate
Just a week before the start of the pandemic, Anel Viamontes moved from the State Attorney's Office in Palm Beach and joined FFS as the first associate we hired. She is now a senior associate at the firm.
2024
J-1 International Law Clerk Program Begins
In 2024, the firm established an annual J-1 trainee program that brings an experienced Latin American lawyer to Miami for one year of intensive training in U.S. federal practice. It is modeled after a similar program Daniel Fridman managed at White & Case, LLP that brought an international lawyer to learn white collar investigations in the U.S. The program is designed to develop the next generation of cross-border practitioners and to strengthen the firm's network across the region. Over the years, we have been proud to host Santiago Nieto (Argentina), Martin Ferraudi (Argentina), and our current law clerk Roberto Potter (Brazil).
2025
Michael Garcia joins as Partner from White & Case, LLP
Michael Garcia, a former White & Case and Holland & Knight partner, joined the firm as its fourth partner. Garcia brought a rare combination of Am Law 10 training and CPA-level financial expertise.
Julu 2026
Eric Bustillo Joins FFS as Partner
Our Office
Coral Gables, Florida
150 Alhambra Circle, Suite 715
Coral Gables, FL 33134
+1 (305) 569-7701