Sonia Escobio O'Donnell
Partner

Florida

Email: seo@jordenusa.com
Phone: 305.347.6848
Fax: 305.372.9928

Ms. O'Donnell is a Partner in the Firm's Miami office. Following her clerkship for the Honorable Peter T. Fay in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, she became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida where she was involved in civil and criminal trials and appellate litigation. As an Assistant for approximately sixteen years she participated in criminal cases, wrote and argued criminal appeals, supervised the appellate division and became the Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney and Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney. As the Executive Assistant she had management and supervisory duties for all areas of the office, she reviewed and approved indictments, she coordinated and created the program for the Drug Task Force in Miami (HIDTA) and drafted and/or argued major motions such as the U.S. opposition to Panamanian head-of-state Manuel Noriega's jurisdictional motion to dismiss his indictment and Noriega's motion to dismiss based on sixth amendment issues. As Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, she advised the U.S. Attorney on major legal issues in the office. She was assigned to the civil division for three years where she defended lawsuits against the United States.

In private practice she has represented corporations in civil litigation in both the trial and appellate levels. She advises clients on issues of grand jury subpoenas and white collar defense. She has also litigated, in both trial and appellate levels, Indian tribal sovereignty and immunity issues, Indian gaming issues (Indian Gaming Regulatory Act), constitutional issues and environmental issues. She has filed merits and amicus briefs, as well as certiorari petitions, in the United States Supreme Court.

Representative Matters

• SFWMD v. Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, 541 U.S. 95 (2004). The Tribe sued the South Florida Water Management District to enforce the Clean Water Act. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Tribe on the question presented (Supreme Court Brief).
• Negrete v. Allianz, 523 F.3d 1091 (9th Cir. 2008) reversal of trial court's jurisdiction prohibiting Allianz from settling cases in other forums that might affect claims of class members (appeal).
• Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida v. EPA, 105 F.3d 599 (11th Cir. 1997) and unpublished opinion, 1998 WL 1805539 (S.D. Fla. 1998). Clean Water Act challenge to Florida's Everglades Forever Act (litigation at trial level and appeal).
• Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. v. State, 656 So. 2d 505 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995). Case against the State of Florida involving request for rulemaking to set phosphorus level in surface waters of the Everglades at ten parts per billion. The Third District Court of Appeals held that the Tribe had been denied procedural due process (appeal).
• United States v. Roggio, 863 F.2d 41 (11th Cir. 1989). Mail and bank fraud case involving major financial institutions (trial and appeal).
• United States v. Casamayor, 837 F.2d 1509 (11th Cir. 1988). Racketeering (RICO) and conspiracy case against police chief and other members of Key West Police Department (appeal).
• United States v. Noriega, No. 88-0079-CR (S.D. Fla.). Head-of-state issues, international jurisdiction issues, sixth amendment issues based on recording by prison officers of General Noriega's prison conversations (litigation at trial level).
• United States v. Cortez, 757 F.2d 1204 (11th Cir. 1985). Case involving federal charges against officials of the Cuban government for narcotics trafficking (appeal).
• United States v. Marino-Garcia, 679 F.2d 1373 (11th Cir. 1982) - challenge to federal statute's extension of U.S. jurisdiction over stateless vessels on the high seas; United States v. Romero-Galue, 757 F.2d 1147 (11th Cir. 1985) - challenge to federal statute's extension of jurisdiction to foreign vessels on the high seas (appeals).
• Florida Paraplegic, Ass'n. v. Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, 166 F.3d 1126 (11th Cir. 1999). Tribal sovereignty decision in which the Eleventh Circuit found that the Americans with Disabilities Act did not provide a private cause of action against Indian Tribes (appeal).
• Tamiami Partners, Ltd. v. Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, 177 F.3d 1212 (11th Cir. 1999). Involved issues of contract, jurisdiction, sovereign immunity and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (litigation at trial level and appeal).
• Lobo v. Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, Eleventh Circuit case no. 07-15073-JJ. (The Eleventh Circuit found that the Fair Labor Standards Act did not apply o Indian Tribes (appeal)
• Friends of the Everglades v. SFWMD, No. 02-80309, 2006 WL 3635465 (S.D. Fla. Dec. 11, 2006) (litigation support at trial level and appeal).

Speeches and Publications

• ABA Appellate Publication (to be published) (chapter on Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals rules and procedures)
• Instructor, United States Attorney General's Appellate Advocacy Institute, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. (Criminal Appeals) (1987, 1998) (Civil Appeals) (1990)
• Florida Bar First Amendment Seminars 2000, 2001 and 2002 (panelist).