Leadership & Career Achievements

Nationally Respected

From 2015-16, Ray served as the President of the Florida Bar Association—the 3rd largest bar association in the United States.

From 2010 to 2013 he served on the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary—the committee charged with making recommendations to the President of the United States of who should fill judicial vacancies at the federal level.

Because of Ray’s extensive trial experience, he was inducted into the prestigious American College of Trial Attorneys in 2015. (Membership is limited to 1% of practicing trial attorneys.)

Ray also served on the American Bar Association President’s Commission on Diversity, which focussed on promoting inclusion and retention in the legal community.

He also serves on the Board of Directors of several large companies.

Cuban American

Proud of his Cuban American heritage, and fluent in both Spanish, and Portuguese, Ray has been active in the Latin American community throughout his legal career.

He served as the President of the Cuban American Bar Association in 2004, and the Cuban American Bar Foundation in 2005.

He received CABA’s “Passing the Leadership” mentorship award in 2009.

For his extensive contributions to the Latino community, Ray received the Broward County Hispanic Bar Association’s Gracias Award and the Haitian Lawyers Association Award Significant Contribution Award in 2014.

Diversity

As a Cuban American, Ramón Abadín knows the understands the struggles of building a successful career as a minority. Throughout his career he has devoted time to helping the next generation of lawyers

He does this because he knows that diversity makes for a better, more productive, and creative world. You can find Abadín making his famous Lechón, whole pig roasted over coals, at an annual Minority Mentoring Picnic for law students, not just because he likes to grill (though he does), but he wants the next generation of lawyers to take full advantage of the opportunities in the world. Just as he did.

Active throughout his career in the Florida Bar Association, Abadín served on the Board of Governors for Membership Outreach (2005-2008), was the Chairman of the Annual Diversity Symposium (2005), and was Executive Counsel of the Equal Opportunity Law Section (2005).

Abadín also served on the American Bar Association’s President’s Commission on Diversity and the Florida Supreme Court Standing Committee on Fairness and Diversity in the Court (2006 – 2008), both of which focussed on diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

For Abadín, adding diversity to the legal practice is about keeping the law fresh and alive. Lawyers work to find creative solutions to complicated problems. New perspectives and approaches help lawyers (and ultimately the clients they serve) to achieve better outcomes.

PRESS

Gender parity

Abadín is not ashamed to admit that he was naive to the inequality women face in the legal profession. As President of the Florida Bar, the third largest mandatory bar in the United States, Abadín invited all members of the Bar to attend his speech on gender bias. Looking out over a packed audience, he saw just one man present. He realized he was preaching to the choir.

As Bar President, Abadin emphasized that where 43% of female attorneys in Florida report gender bias, that number should be zero.

He used his efforts to promote equality serving on the American Bar Association’s President’s Commission on Diversity and the Florida Supreme Court Standing Committee on Fairness and Diversity in the Court (2006 – 2008).

Awards

Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, (2016) Nova Southeastern University School of Law, Miami, Florida

Broward County Hispanic Bar Association’s Gracias Award (2014)

CABA’s “Passing on the Leadership” Mentorship Award (2009)

The Florida Bar G. Kirk Haas Award (2005)

Haitian Lawyers Association Significant Contribution Award (2006)

Trusted Community Member

Experience taught Ramón Abadín the importance of making strong connections in the community and giving back. From a young age, Abadín saw how the Cuban American people that resettled in the Gulf South came to each other’s aid as they rebuilt their lives and a verdant community.

Since 2006, Abadín has served on the Board of Directors of The WestCare Foundation, a national foundation that operates in Florida. WestCare is dedicated to “uplifting the human spirit” by providing health and human services to communities in need. Their services include substance abuse and addiction treatment, homeless and runaway shelters, domestic violence treatment and prevention, and mental health programs. Abadín chairs the Risk Management Committee.

Connecting the community to lawyers, Abadín also served on board of the Florida Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company (FMLIC) from 2004 to 2014, a company owned by its insured lawyers rather than outside investors. He was active on the Investment, Nominating, and Claims Committee.