Law Offices of Roberto Villasante  ·  Established 1985

When the Stakes Are High
and the Law Is Unsettled

More than four decades of complex civil litigation, federal appellate advocacy, and precedent-setting victories before state and federal courts. Available as first-chair trial counsel and trial support to out-of-state, international, and fellow South Florida attorneys. Co-counsel relationships spanning three continents.

40+
Years of Practice
$150M
EB-5 Fraud Settlement
Supreme Court
of the United States
Bar Member Since 1999
As Featured In
Law360 Daily Business Review Chicago Tribune South Florida Business Journal Miami Patch Fordham Law News

“Some cases don’t just resolve disputes — they change the rules for everyone who comes after. For more than four decades, this practice has taken on the complex matters that create new precedents and protect fundamental rights.”

Roberto Villasante  ·  Coral Gables, Florida  ·  Florida Bar No. 437141

Notable Cases

Cases That Changed the Rules

Behind every precedent is a person who refused to accept “no” for an answer. These cases shaped the law — not just for our clients, but for everyone who comes after.

11th Circuit Court of Appeals · 2022
Rodriguez v. Branch Banking & Trust

A Venezuelan family lost $861,000 to identity thieves who fraudulently accessed their bank account. The bank claimed they had waited too long to report it — citing a 30-day window buried in the account agreement.

The 11th Circuit ruled that banks — not account holders — bear the risk of fraudulent wire transfers for the first year following the transfer. Banks cannot contractually shorten that statutory protection.
Coverage: Law360 · Widely regarded as pivotal for UCC causes of action against banks
Florida Third District Court of Appeal · 2020
Island Travel & Tours v. MYR Independent

Civil theft claims were filed against a travel agency to pressure a settlement — a tactic that exploits the threat of treble damages and attorney’s fees even when the underlying facts do not support criminal intent.

The Third DCA established that parties filing baseless civil theft claims are liable for attorney’s fees under § 772.11, creating a powerful deterrent against lawsuit abuse in Florida.
Coverage: Daily Business Review / ALM
Florida Third District Court of Appeal
Quiroga v. Citizens

A question of first impression: whether insurance proceeds retain the constitutional protections afforded to homestead property under Florida law.

The court found that insurance proceeds are imbued with homestead protection privilege — a ruling with lasting significance for Florida homeowners and creditor proceedings.
34 So. 3D 101 (Fla. 3d DCA)
Miami-Dade Circuit Court & Federal Class Action · 2016
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Fraud — $150 Million Settlement

Eight foreign families invested their life savings through the federal EB-5 program, trusting in the promise of U.S. residency. They were defrauded by the operators of the investment project.

Mr. Villasante’s state court action on behalf of eight foreign families ran concurrent with a federal class action handled by class counsel. The parallel proceedings resulted in a $150 million recovery for defrauded investors — one of the largest EB-5 fraud settlements on record.
Coverage: Miami Patch · VT Digger
Federal Administrative Courts · Active
OMHA · MAC · DAB Medicare Appeals

Healthcare providers treating diabetic ulcers, pressure sores, and chronic wounds with FDA-approved skin substitute grafts face systematic Medicare payment denials — restricting patient access to specialized wound care and threatening provider viability.

Post-Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, agencies must support factual determinations with substantial evidence. Our firm is bringing forward challenges on this cutting-edge legal principle to hold Medicare accountable for template denials that fail this standard.
Active matters before OMHA ALJs, Medicare Appeals Council · Potential Federal Court escalation
Current & Developing
Manufacturer Liability · Class Action · Active
When the Manufacturer Is the Source of the Problem

Healthcare providers who purchased skin substitute or advanced wound care products from a manufacturer that represented the product as Medicare-reimbursable — only to face systematic payment denials and recoupment demands — may have direct legal claims against that manufacturer. The cause of action does not challenge Medicare’s coverage decision. It targets the manufacturer’s own commercial misrepresentations about billing code validity and reimbursability that induced the purchase.

“I know this pattern is not isolated. Healthcare providers who have been misled by a manufacturer’s misplaced reimbursability assurances — and are now bearing the Medicare consequences — call my office for guidance with some regularity. I am always glad to take those calls, whether from the provider or from their counsel.”
305.373.6548  ·  rvvillasante@villasantelaw.com
Practice Areas

Where the Work Takes Us Today

Complex matters in federal administrative courts, commercial litigation, and appellate practice — handled with experience accumulated over more than four decades at the highest levels of advocacy.

Federal Administrative Appeals

Representing healthcare providers in Medicare appeals involving six- to seven-figure disputed reimbursements. Post-Loper Bright, agencies must provide substantial evidence — not just interpretive deference. Medicare’s template denials routinely fail this standard.

OMHA · MAC · DAB · Federal Court
Complex Commercial Litigation

Trade secret disputes, breach of fiduciary duty, corporate liability, and business tort claims requiring sophisticated legal theories and meticulous discovery management. Every interrogatory and document demand must build toward a unified strategy.

Trade Secrets · Corporate Liability
Appellate Practice

Established precedent in both state and federal appellate courts — from the 11th Circuit to Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal. Precise legal analysis, compelling brief writing, and the experience to know when to appeal and how to win.

11th Circuit · Florida 3rd DCA
Bar Admissions & Court Memberships
Florida Bar (1984) Supreme Court of the United States (1999) U.S. Court of Federal Claims (2002) U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit U.S. District Court, S.D. Florida U.S. District Court, N.D. Florida Pro hac vice appearances nationwide & internationally
About

Roberto Villasante

A graduate of the University of Florida School of Law, Roberto Villasante has practiced complex civil litigation in Florida for more than four decades. His practice spans the full range of complex civil litigation — from high-stakes commercial trials, many involving international parties, before state and federal courts, through federal administrative appeals, to briefing and argument before appellate tribunals at every level.

“Born in Havana. I arrived in 1961, one of 14,000 unaccompanied minors in Operation Pedro Pan. That experience informs how I approach every matter where people’s lives and legal rights are at stake.”

Former adjunct professor at FIU’s Legal Studies Institute. Former co-chair of ATLA’s Vaccine Litigation Group. Frequent speaker at Mealey’s Lexis and ACI national conferences.

International Collaboration

Over the course of a four-decade practice, Mr. Villasante has developed working relationships with counsel across three continents — collaborating with trial attorneys in South Korea, Spain, Portugal, and throughout Latin America on matters requiring coordination between U.S. and international proceedings. He is available as first-chair or support counsel to international clients and foreign law firms requiring experienced U.S. trial and appellate representation.

  • Florida Bar No. 437141 · Admitted 1984
  • Supreme Court of the United States · 1999
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims · 2002
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, S.D. Florida
  • U.S. District Court, N.D. Florida