FPPTA Legal Panel
Ken Harrison; Sugarman Susskind Braswell & Herrera —Moderator
Adam Levinson; Klausner Kauffman Jensen Levinson
Ron Cohen and Ricki Levy; Lorium Law

 

Kenneth Harrison, Esq., Sugarman & Susskind, PA
Ken Harrison holds a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Miami School of Law, a Masters of Science Degree in Management from Biscayne College (St. Thomas University) and a Bachelor of Business Degree accounting major from the University of Miami. He is a founding member of the Florida Pension Trustees Association (FPPTA), currently serving as Director Emeritus and is a Certified Public Pension Trustee. In 1991 Mr. Harrison completed a 27-year law enforcement career, when he retired from the City of Miami (Florida) Police Department as Assistant Chief. For 16 years during his career in law enforcement he served as a trustee for Miami’s Police and Fire Pension Funds. Additionally, for 10 of his years in law enforcement, Mr. Harrison was active in police labor organizations at the local, state and national levels. Mr. Harrison completed over 30 years of military service in 2002 when he retired from the United States Coast Guard Reserve as Captain (Colonel). Mr. Harrison has been with the Coral Gables law firm of Sugarman & Susskind since 1997.

Adam P. Levinson Esq., Klausner, Kaufman, Jensen & Levinson

Adam Levinson is an associate with the law firm of Robert D. Klausner, P.A. Upon graduation from the University of Miami School of Law in 1995, Mr. Levinson clerked for Chief Judge Alan R. Schwartz at the State of Florida Third District Court of Appeal. After completing his judicial clerkship, Mr. Levinson worked as a commercial litigator. Since joining the law firm of Robert D. Klausner, P.A., Mr. Levinson has specialized in the representation of public sector pension plans, with an emphasis on plan drafting, board counseling, and fiduciary responsibility in the area of pension investing. Mr. Levinson was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1970. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1995 and is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, and the United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Levinson graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Michigan in 1992, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science. Mr. Levinson received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and served as an articles and comments editor for the University of Miami Law Review .

Ronald J. Cohen, Lorium Law

Ronald J. Cohen heads the labor, employment and employee benefits practice at Lorium Law.  Mr. Cohen has an extensive practice representing public pension plans, employees and employee organizations.  He is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Labor and Employment Law, indicating that he is a Specialist in those areas. He is also rated AV by Martindale Hubbell which is its highest rating and signifies that his peers rank him at the highest level of professional excellence. Ron is the long-time General Counsel for the FPPTA.

Ricki Levy, Esq., Lorium Law

Ricki is a senior attorney with Lorium Law. She graduated from the University Of Miami School Of Law, cum laude and has been an attorney for over twenty-five years. She worked in New York and New Orleans and has extensive experience in representing both private and governmental pension plans and employee benefit plans. Ricki worked for the City of New York as corporate counsel where she received extensive litigation training and continued in Florida on behalf of union Taft-Hartley plans, prior to turning her primary focus to the representation of governmental pension funds and public employee benefit plans. As general counsel for public funds, she has focused considerably on disability cases and tax issues affecting these plans, as well as educating trustees on their fiduciary duties. Ricki is a member of the Florida Bar, and is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. She is a member of the Florida Bar’s Sections on Labor and Employment Law, Healthcare Law, and Local Government Law.

Ricki is a dedicated member of the Weston Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and has been named Operations Manager for the City of Weston CERT. She regularly teaches training classes and conducts workshops in volunteer first aid and response for CERT. She is CPPT certified through the FPPTA and has spoken at the Trustee School, and is a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys, and the American Association for Justice. Ricki is also an involved member in the Broward County Women’s Lawyers Association and a member of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers. She is a regular speaker for FPPTA and a panel member for Practice Law Institute’s Women Leaders in Law.