The Urge Crowned Champions of Dade Legal Aid’s Ninth Annual Battle of the Legal Bands
The Florida Bar News | March 19, 2024
The Urge, featuring lawyers from Bilzin, Clyde & Co US LLP, and Meland Budwick, won first place at the Ninth Annual Battle of the Legal Bands March 9, reclaiming their title and bragging rights.
The event raised $25,000 for Dade Legal Aid.
“It’s always an honor and a pleasure to help support Dade Legal Aid and to participate in the annual Battle of the Legal Bands,” said Fred Fein, managing partner of Clyde & Co US LLP, in Miami. “There is always so much great talent and the competition is fierce yet friendly. We are honored to have won this year and send our congratulations to all the bands for a fun night of great performances. A special thanks to Karen Ladis, Steve Paulson, and their team who always put on a first class event enjoyed by all. We play a lot of charitable gigs, but the Dade Legal Aid battle is our favorite and we appreciate the opportunity to help give back to the community by helping Dade Legal Aid provide a variety of legal services to those who can’t afford it. Can’t wait to do it again next year.”
“We are so grateful to all of our rock star bands, Chillable Hours, Crazy Talk, LLP, the 540s, The Urge, our master of ceremonies Mark Stein, the sponsors, fans, and groupies who came out to support Legal Aid at this rocking event that no doubt recruited countless new pro bono volunteers,” said Ladis, director of Dade Legal Aid.
Here are bios of all the bands:
The Urge is a multi-genre cover band playing together in various incarnations since 1996 and has performed in this event every year since its inception. With hundreds of songs in their repertoire, The Urge features Fred Fein of Clyde & Co US LLP; Mark Meland of Meland Budwick, P.A.; Joe Hernandez of Bilzin Sumberg; and Frank Del Campillo.
LLP has been playing together for seven years and features John Meagher of Shutts & Bowen’s Miami office; Joanne Meagher; Jake Monk of Shutts & Bowen; and Damien Reynolds of Maynard Nexsen; Jose Godur; and Dimitri Godur.
Chillable Hours, comprised of 100% lawyers, includes Jeff Kucera of K&L Gates; Joe Wasserkrug of McDermott Will & Emery; Jordan Shaw of Zebersky Payne Shaw Lewenz; Daniel Silver of PraDa Law; and Freddi Mack, a senior assistant city attorney with the City of Miami Beach.
The 540s features Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Carlos H. Gamez; Miami-Dade County Court Judge Christopher A. Green; Michael A. Mesa; Richard Santos; Alejandro Herrera; and Adam Weirich.
Crazy Talk, a rock and country band that’s been performing for over 20 years, includes Steven Paulson, a senior supervising domestic violence attorney at Dade Legal Aid; Fernando Fuentes; Manny Sardina; and Mark Ochoa.