MIAMI – Carlton Fields Shareholders Cristina Alonso, James B. Baldinger, and Michael K. Winston were recently recognized by the Daily Business Review as being among 2009’s “Most Effective Lawyers” in South Florida.

Each year, the Review recognizes South Florida lawyers who achieved the biggest jury verdicts or appellate decisions, negotiated the most beneficial settlements, cut the most salient deals, won in criminal court, or achieved significant decisions affecting public policy or business over the previous year.

Alonso, a member of the firm’s Appellate Practice and Trial Support Practice Group, was selected as a finalist in the Appellate Law category for a case involving a custody battle between a same-sex couple who had adopted each other’s biological children while living in Washington state and whose relationship ended in Florida. The trial court found that the adoptions need not be recognized in Florida because Alonso’s client is a homosexual. But Alonso successfully argued that both state and federal constitutions required that out-of-state adoptions must be recognized in Florida. The appellate court agreed, reversing the trial court’s decision and holding that Florida must give full faith and credit to adoptions granted by other states.

Baldinger, a member of the firm’s Business Litigation and Trade Regulation, Class Action Litigation, Telecommunications, and Intellectual Property & Technology Practice Groups, was selected as a finalist in the International Law Category for his numerous court victories on behalf of Tracfone, AT&T, and other wireless telecommunications carriers whose business has been affected by international traffickers of prepaid mobile phones.

Winston, a member of the firm’s Business Litigation and Trade Regulation Practice Group, was selected as a finalist in the Class Action Category for his representation of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware in a “bet the company” case stemming from a massive HMO class action, multi-district litigation matter consolidated in the Southern District of Florida. While about 60 Blue Cross licensees chose to settle the case for hundreds of millions of dollars, Winston resolved the case successfully for his client, obtaining a dismissal with prejudice on the merits.