Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman announced that Chris Saunders and Elizabeth Coppolecchia have joined the firm.  Saunders is an associate in the general government and land-use divisions, resident in the Fort Lauderdale office. Coppolecchia has joined as an associate in the litigation division and is resident in the Miami-Dade office.

“We are happy to have Chris and Liz on board, and know that their dedication to client service and enthusiasm for their work will be a benefit to both the firm and our clients,” said Jamie Cole, managing director of the firm.

Saunders comes to the firm after two years as the Assistant City Attorney for Hallandale Beach.  Prior to that, he gained experience working for a small insurance litigation firm.

He is active in the community and serves as the Community Service Chair of the TJ Reddick Bar Association and on the Board of the 3G Project, a nonprofit that supports and mentors foster children in Broward and Miami-Dade County.

Saunders earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.  He also earned a master’s degree in higher education at Suffolk University in Boston.  He is a member of the Broward County Bar Association.

Coppolecchia represents private and governmental entities in South Florida in state and federal court. She handles complex commercial and business litigation and also represents municipalities and other governmental entities in disputes throughout Florida. Prior to joining the firm, she practiced complex commercial litigation at two large international law firms where she focused on class action lawsuits, products liability claims, breach of fiduciary duty claims, developer disputes, actions arising under Florida Securities and Investor Protection Act and actions arising under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

She is active in Miami’s art community, currently serving as a member of the Arts and Business Council Miami’s Board of Directors and as a member of Perez Art Museum Miami Contemporaries’ Steering Committee.  She previously served as Vice President of the Bakehouse Art Complex’s Board of Directors and as a member of Locust Project’s Spring Fling Host Committee.  Coppolecchia has also served as a Fellow for Dade Legal Aid’s Leadership Academy II and as a member of United Way Young Leaders.

Coppolecchia earned both her J.D. and her undergraduate degrees from the University of Miami.  She was executive editor of the University of Miami Law Review and was valedictorian of her law school class.