The honorees for the 2019 AL DÍA Lawyers Forum & Reception event has been announced.

AL DÍA will be honoring the three of the top lawyers at the annual event. 

Daniel Mateo, of Holland & Knight, will be the recipient of the Law Firm/Corporate Counsel Award. Carmen Garcia, of the New Jersey State Parole Board, will be the recipient of the Government/Non-Profit Counsel Award. William Gonzalez, of Ceiba, will be the recipient of the Gus Garcia Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Mateo represents on matters ranging from complex breach of contract disputes, commercial real estate and leasing disputes, consumer class action suits, trademark disputes and non-compete litigation.

With nearly 25 years of litigation and arbitration experience, Mateo is a skilled and confident advocate, who recognizes that successful outcomes require a strategy that is informed by the nature of the dispute, the amount in controversy, the client’s objectives and risk tolerance, the adversary, and the venue. 

Mateo is an active and engaged member of the Hispanic National Bar Association, and a past president of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey. He regularly mentors young lawyers and strongly supports bar association diversity and inclusion initiatives. 

Garcia is a former Chief Judge of the Municipal Court for Trenton, NY. She served with distinction as a municipal jurist for 16 years. In that time, she developed and administered New Jersey's first Municipal Drug Court Program, which provided diversionary treatment to first time offenders. She was the first Hispanic appointed to the bench in Mercer County, and the second Latina ever appointed to the bench in the State of New Jersey. 

Though recently retired from State service, Garcia is a recognized community leader who remains actively involved in numerous professional, civic and volunteer associations and activities.