Gable Estates_Sept16

HOW GABLES ESTATES RESIDENTS HAVE HELPED SHAPE SOUTH FLORIDA & THE NATION!

Meet Your Gables Estates Neighbor

AUDREy ROSSPhotography By: Anita Andrade

Life in the EstatesA NEWSLETTER EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE RESIDENTS OF GABLES ESTATES

SEPTEMBER 2016

Life In The Estates • September 2016 September 2016 • Life In The Estates2 3


Daniel P. [email protected]

Anita AndradeAnita Andrade Boutique Photography Studio

Grant McGuginT. Julian BellEric Sykora

AREA DIRECTOR

PhOTOgRAPhER

CREATIvE TEAm

© 2016 Neighborhood Networks Publishing, Inc.www.n2pub.com

I M P O RTA N T

INFORMATION

DISCLAImER: N2 Publishing is not affiliated with or contracted by the Gables Estates Club, Inc. (the “Club”). This publication, including the content of articles and advertisements contained herein, is not authorized or endorsed by the Association. Any articles included in this publication and/or opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the views of N2 Publishing but remain solely those of the author(s). The paid advertisements contained within the Life in the Estates magazine are not endorsed or recommended by N2 Publishing or the publisher. Therefore, neither N2 Publishing nor the publisher may be held liable or responsible for business practices of these companies. NOTE: When community events take place, photographers may be present to take photos for that event and they may be used in this publication.

Gables Estates Homeowners Association

Coral Gables Utilities

Hospital (with 24 hour emergency room)

Coral Gables City Numbers

Other

Schools

305.667.9031

305.665.7477

305.460.5000

305.442.5003

786.662.4000

786.308.3000

911

305.442.1600

305.460.5771

305-446-6800

305-460-5210

305-444-1138

305-460-5235

305.270.4916

305.661.0664

305.666.7937

305.223.8600

305.446.5673

305.460.8800

Main Office

Water and Sewer Department

Public Works & Waste Management

Florida Power & Light

South Miami Hospital

Doctors Hospital

Emergency

Police Department

Fire Department

City of Coral Gables

City Clerk

Coral Gables Tag Agency

Building Division

Miami-Dade County Tax Collector

South Miami Post Office

Gulliver School

Belen Jesuit Preparatory School

Carrollton School

Ransom Everglades


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GENERALCONTRACTOR/BUILDER/REMODELINGCisca Construction &Development, Inc.(305) 595-2246www.CiscaConstruction.com

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JEWELRY &WATCH SALES &REPAIRSMorays Jewelers(305) 374-0739MoraysJewelers.com

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Publisher’s NoteHello Residents of Gables Estates,

We are pleased to bring you your first Gables Estates newsletter and hope you will enjoy the monthly publications of Life In The Estates. This publication is a private newsletter and it is designed to help the residents of Gables Estates connect with each other and stay informed about the remarkable people that live in the Gables Estates community.

We believe there’s value in helping you connect with your Gables Estates neighbors. When you receive Life In The Estates each month, you will find information that is unique and private to Gables Estates. The publication will reflect who you are as a community and include stories and activities that your neighbors engage in.

A typical publication will include: interesting and informative stories about your Gables Estates neighbors, philanthropic activities and social event information specific to the residents of Gables Estates, business information about Gables Estates residents, pictures of beautiful homes located in Gables Estates, and other information specifically tailored to your neighborhood.

We provide this publication free of charge to you as a homeowner as the cost of producing, printing, and mailing each newsletter is covered by the advertising partners that you see in each issue. We try our best to screen our advertisers to ensure that they can provide the types of services you may desire as a homeowner. If you currently utilize a business that does excellent work, please let us know as they may want to partner with us.

We believe that having a strong sense of community will help Gables Estates become an even more valuable place to live. Along with the magazine, we may host social events to help bring the community together. We will communicate to you the various events we are hosting through the newsletter and emails. If you wish to be included in the invitations, please email me at [email protected].

We are not an extension of your HOA; therefore, we will not be the “voice” of your HOA or Property Manager. If you have questions regarding anything that involves the HOA, please contact your Property Manager, Guilaine Sosa, at (305) 667-9031.

Our sincere hope is to become a valuable resource in helping neighbors build a strong community within Gables Estates. Look forward to receiving your Gables Estates newsletter each month, and if you have an interesting story to tell, or know someone who does, feel free to contact me at: [email protected].

I’d like to personally thank all of our business sponsors who partnered with us making the magazine free to all residents, as well as the many residents who contributed to the first issue and future issues. Just know that Life In The Estates would not exist without you!

I look forward to meeting each of you in the near future! Thank you and God bless you and your family!

Daniel P. [email protected]


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W hen it comes to remarkable individuals that live here in

Gables Estates, it is usually easy to say that they were great at one particular thing. “She was a great doctor,” or “He was a great builder or entrepreneur,” etc., but when it comes to describing Audrey Ross you can’t pinpoint her one thing that makes her so distinctive. It radiates from the brightness in her eyes, in her infectious laugh and in her South Carolinian drawl. After only a few minutes with Audrey, you can tell that her outstanding accomplishments also come with some amazing stories to tell. A longtime Gables Estates resident and realtor, Audrey has sold over half a billion dollars in Gables Estates real estate alone, but she didn’t start off just selling homes. In fact, Audrey studied microbiology English, and early childhood education before putting up ‘Just Sold’ signs.

Audrey moved to Coral Gables in 1965 after graduating from the University of South Carolina. During that time, she got her first Miami job in a microbiology lab funded by none other than Howard Hughes, the eccentric business mogul, producer, aviator, and many more titles to the name. Audrey’s studies in microbiology and English, along with her fast typing skills, helped her land the job as the assistant to the head of the

Howard Hughes Laboratories of Microbiology, a Nobel-Prize nominated researcher on kidney transplants. Ironically, Hughes died of kidney failure much later on in his life.

She left the lab and took on a job with “Head Start/Follow Through,” a school program under Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration that was geared

towards early childhood students in inner-cities and continued her studies at Florida Atlantic University, earning a master’s degree in early childhood and followed this by commencing her doctoral studies in education at the University of Miami. Upon completion of a Ph.D in education, Audrey worked for a while as an adjunct professor at UM.

However, Audrey wasn’t just a teacher and a doctoral student. Her doctoral dissertation was a longitudinal study of the effect of one-on-one tutoring, and this inspired Audrey to pioneer Dade County’s first school volunteer program. As Audrey began implementing school volunteer programs in Dade County’s northwest area, the success of her program quickly became recognized. The program went national and became the model program for the U.S. Office of Education. With this in place, in 1976 she became president of the National School Volunteer Program

“ “A longtime Gables Estates resident and realtor, Audrey has sold over half a billion dollars in Gables Estates real estate alone


and chaired a White House Conference on school volunteers in the same year. Her new position required her to regularly travel to the U.S.’s top ten largest school districts. From LA, Dallas, Houston, and NY to San Francisco, Chicago, and back home to Miami, Audrey implemented her tutoring program and provided oversight to help thousands of students get the one-on-one time they needed in order to learn more effectively.

In 1978, after having been a single mom for some years, she met and married H. J. “Jack” Ross. Her husband, Jack, was a renowned engineer and had been living in Gables Estates since 1970. H. J. Ross owned an engineering company that designed the structure for some places you may have heard about: The Shops at Bal Harbor, the Palmetto Expressway, countless schools in Dade County, The Fontainebleau Hotel, The Eden Roc, the test facility for the Apollo Spacecraft engines, and the Flipper Golden Dome at the Miami Seaquarium, just to name a few. His business started in 1947 when he co-founded the engineering firm, Riley and Ross, with a fellow Navy buddy. Ross later obtained total interest in the company and renamed it H.J. Ross and Associates. He built it into a powerhouse before retiring in 1978. “He saw Miami grow from a small, wonderful town to quite a nice, big metropolis,” Audrey said. “He expressed delight, admiration and gratitude for being able to participate in the growth of Miami.” In recognition of the legacy he helped to build, T.Y. Lin International/H.J. Ross still carries his name in its title.

Newly wedded and just having sold his company, Jack asked Audrey to quit working for the university and The National School Volunteer Program so they could travel the world together. She did, but when they weren’t traveling, Audrey stayed at home in Gables Estates, enjoying one of Dade County’s most beautiful waterfront communities. Still, Audrey missed the faster pace of the business life.

Jack suggested that she try real estate as a hobby. He mentioned one day, “Try real estate! A lot of your friends have real estate licenses.” Plus, he had been trying to sell some apartments in Texas that he and a group of friends owned, so it was the perfect opportunity for her to try something new. Audrey thought, “I know how to go to school; I’ve done that a lot.” So she quickly obtained her real-estate license. She didn’t know then that her “hobby” would lead her to become one of South Florida’s most recognized realtors. On the night of getting her license, she went to a cocktail party with Jack and began chatting with Casey Cousins, a fellow South Carolinian. Audrey, excited with the prospect of a new career, mentioned her real estate license and Casey automatically said, “Oh you must come to work for me!” Casey Cousins owned a highly recognized and successful luxury real estate company in South Miami, was on the Federal Reserve Board in Atlanta and was the top luxury realtor in greater Miami at the time. Their amicable conversation was the start of a whole new life for Audrey. She easily acknowledges, “Casey was really my mentor. She taught me real estate.”

Jack enthusiastically supported Audrey’s determined efforts to start her own real estate company, with a focus on commercial realty as she set up Ross and Associates in a 2,000 square foot office on the 19th Floor of One Biscayne Tower in 1984. It was a beautiful office with only three people filling the space, but Audrey’s personality immediately drew in more talent. After hearing about her new company, George Jenkins, the then newly retired President of Exxon/Central America, called and asked, “Do you have a desk with a water view?” She said absolutely, and he immediately got a real estate license to join her and fellow associate, Jim Haas. Her team stayed in One Biscayne Tower for 10 years, until Audrey bought a building on Ponce de Leon Boulevard that, till this day, has a “Ross” sign at the top of the building. In 2000, she sold her company to Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell (EWM) Realtors, then Dade County’s largest, privately owned real estate firm, and became a shareholder. In 2003, EWM sold in its entirety to Berkshire Hathaway, and Audrey Ross continued happily doing what she loved to do – selling luxury real estate.

Thirteen years later, Audrey now leads a team of twelve, with the business model being for each team member to work primarily in the neighborhood where he or she lives. That puts Audrey Ross planted on the waterfront of Coral Gables, more specifically – in Gables Estates. “My expertise is matching the right people


to the right property. Like many of my colleagues in the industry, my approach is straightforward: identify the need and persist until you devise the best solution,” she says.

All the while, Audrey has been a bit of a visionary. During her years of association with the U.S Office of Education, the government was forming the internet, and when the question was posed to her, “What address do you want on the web?” Audrey answered, “Miamirealestate.com.” The rest is history from a technological point of view. Audrey has one of the best real estate addresses on the web, and still has one of the most successful Miami real estate apps available from Apple, free from any part of the globe.

Audrey has come a long way since starting her real estate “hobby” 34 years ago. Today she has become a highly recognized realtor, holding numerous EWM Realty International records (selling $63 million in a single week) in addition to being ranked number 12 producer (from over a million agents) in the U.S. as per the Wall Street Journal’s ranking of all U.S. realtors, and being named not once, but four times, Best American Estate Agent by Mercedes Benz/UK and International Homes. Her success in Gables Estates and many other markets is largely due to her warm personality, determination, charisma and relentless work ethic. Audrey’s key to success in growing the Gables Estates market is simply, “I just live here and love it! You know it as a resident, from the inside and out – you can tell both stories, first hand.”

Her business advisor, best friend, and husband, Jack, passed away last year at the age of 93. However, his memory lasts not only in the Miami skyline and the many buildings he helped erect, but also in Audrey’s enormously successful real estate career that he endorsed with pride, after he so enthusiastically suggested, “Why don’t you try real estate?”

We hope you enjoyed getting to know Audrey’s story in this issue of Life In The Estates. We believe there’s value in helping you connect with your Gables Estates neighbors. Our aim, as your exclusive Gables Estates newsletter, is to share remarkable stories like these. Look forward to

receiving your Gables Estates newsletter each month, and if you have an interesting story to tell, or know someone

who does, feel free to contact the publisher at: [email protected].


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of these virtues in their local communities, by ensuring that the Red Cross has the ability to help people prevent, prepared for and respond to life’s emergencies.

Bunny Bastian has been with the Tiffany Circle since its inception in Miami. “It’s composed of people who are really interested in the Red Cross and want to, in some way or another, advance its causes” says Mrs. Bastian. Along with Mrs. Bastian, longtime Gables Estates resident Trish Bell also attended the Girls’ Night Out. For Mrs. Bastian’s neighbor, Ana Milton, it was particularly special as she received her first Tiffany Circle bracelet that evening. Mark your calendars for Tiffany Circle’s first 2017 social season event, which will take place on Wednesday, September 14th at Zoo Miami, and it is being hosted by Ana Milton and Teresita Haskett. For more information about the Tiffany Circle, or if you’d like to make a donation to the American Red Cross, please contact Emily Borababy at [email protected].

We are honored to feature The Tiffany Circle in this issue of Life In The Estates. A very special thank you to Mrs. Bunny Bastian of course, for hosting a magnificent Girls’ Night Out at her Gables Estates home! We enjoy seeing Gables Estates residents contributing to our South Florida community in such remarkable ways. If you have a philanthropic cause that you strongly support, and would like us to feature it in the Gables Estates newsletter, feel free to contact the publisher at: [email protected].

Over a dozen women, several of them Gables Estates neighbors, came together on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the final Tiffany Circle event of the 2016 social season. Overlooking Biscayne Bay at Mrs. Bunny

Bastian’s home on Arvida Parkway, the Tiffany Circle hosted one of many Girls’ Night Out events that are held throughout the year. The attendees enjoyed a lovely afternoon and received their Tiffany Circle bracelets for 2016.

The Tiffany Circle is a society of women leaders and philanthropists who, by investing $10,000 annually in their local American Red Cross chapter, are following in the footsteps of a long line of women leaders who have helped the Red Cross serve the American public through times of war and peace with disaster assistance, blood collection, safety training, and countless other community assistance services. The name Tiffany and the $10,000 amount have historical precedent in the beautiful Tiffany windows in the Board of Governors Hall in the Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C.

These windows, produced by the Tiffany Studios, were commissioned by Red Cross President Mabel Boardman in 1917. As an act of reconciliation and hope, they were paid for with a $5,000 gift by the Women’s Relief Corps of the North and $5,000 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy of the South. The symbols in these windows represent virtues of the Red Cross movement: hope, mercy, faith, charity, truth and fortitude. Members of the Tiffany Circle provide living examples

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Attorney Steven C. Marks’s Significant Role In The NFL Concussion Case

How Gables Estates Residents Have Helped Shape South Florida A n d T h e N a t i o n

Written By: Carina Zatarain | Photography By: Christian Alexander


The late Kevin Turner, leading plaintiff in NFL concussions lawsuit, battling ALS

Football is the great American pastime, but accusations that the NFL knowingly misled players as to the risks of repetitive head trauma and worse, improperly influenced "medical research" have plagued the sport since the revelations surfaced several years ago. The concussion class-action lawsuit involving over 18,000 retired

NFL players made headlines all across the nation, spreading awareness of the possible neurological health impacts for those dedicated players throwing the pigskin around. It was the formidable work of doctors, players, and lawyers who came together to reveal the health issues that resulted from constant head injuries on the field. What you may not know, however, is that one of your Gables Estates neighbors, Steven C. Marks, managing partner with Podhurst Orseck, P.A., played a significant role in litigating against the NFL and helping the players secure a landmark settlement, which includes an uncapped fund for seriously injured players.

Steven is a longtime Miamian and grew up in the nearby community of Gables by the Sea. He would walk to Gulliver Academy, the same school his son and daughter attend today. “Those were great years; I had a lot of close friends. It was a much smaller community but Miami has changed dramatically since those years,” Steven reminisces about his school years. After graduating from high school, Steven attended the University of Florida for his undergraduate studies, and then pursued a law degree at the University of Miami Law School.

Steven’s family was involved in construction and development, and his intentions were to go into the family business. Although he went to law school, he didn’t plan on actually practicing law. But when he graduated in 1985 it was a horrible time for development and the construction business. “I figured if I didn’t practice law, I had a job working at a securities firm I was going to take,” Steven remembers thinking. Everyone at UM told him that he was crazy. He was editor-in-chief of the Law Review, cum laude in law school, and had many opportunities because of his academic standing.

Steven was also familiar with the practice law because his father had dealt with many lawyers from his construction business. “My personal life experience has made it easier,” Steven acknowledges. When he got the offer from Podhurst Orseck, it hadn’t hired in many years. It was a small firm and everyone told him, “You have to take that, you can’t give that up. They may not hire for another 10 years!” He realized that the offer was a once-in-a lifetime opportunity, and took the job with the small but well-respected litigation firm. “I joined with very little information. I didn’t even know how much I was going to make. They didn’t even have an office for me, I started off in a closet,” Steven laughs. He’s been with the partnership since 1985 and relates, “I’ve been blessed ever since. I’ve been lucky to

practice with a mentor who is somebody I look up to and respect tremendously and admire. Aaron Podhurst is one of a kind. It’s been a privilege and a great journey, as he would put it.”

Steven focused on cases involving mass disasters, from malpractice and products liability to automobiles and especially aviation. His father was a military pilot and taught Steven how to fly a plane when he was 12 years old. The aviation focus of the firm’s practice was a perfect fit. Steven started with what Aaron taught him and expanded from there, involving himself in an impressive amount of mass disaster cases. So, how did someone who focused on aviation and mass disasters wind up litigating the NFL concussion case? Steven says that the, “NFL story is unusual. It wasn’t something I was looking for, it kind of fell in our laps.”

It began when Steven learned about a Massachusetts professor studying neuro-cognitive injuries at medical facilities associated with Harvard University. This cutting-edge research confirmed a link between brain trauma and neuro-cognitive conditions. At the same time, the NFL had been publishing papers misrepresenting the relationship between concussive events and the cognitive and psychological problems that many former NFL players were facing. The NFL was paying for reports that were false and misleading. Steven closely followed these events, in addition to subsequent congressional hearings, and thought that it was a remarkable story.

For about a year, Steven and his partners, Stephen Rosenthal, Ricardo Martinez-Cid and Matt Weinshall had been taking their time looking into the case. He hadn’t heard of any lawyers working on the case until a friend of his, Tom Girardi from California, filed a concussion lawsuit against the NFL. Steven filed a case on behalf of several former players soon after that. Many more players joined the case because, as Steven said, “The players are like a family; they keep in touch with each other and help each other out. So once the first few cases were put together, the word spread pretty quickly.”

The class action lawsuit was eventually named Turner V. NFL. Kevin Turner, formerly of the Patriots and Eagles, stepped up as the class representative. He had developed ALS as a result of countless concussive and sub-concussive hits. Kevin was a local hero in Philadelphia, demonstrated in the HBO movie about him titled American Man. Steven looked towards Kevin’s Eagles helmet, as it proudly sat in his office as a token from the man who recently passed in March, and said that he “grew to respect and admire Kevin. He was a wonderful person; even to the end his strength was unimaginable. Somebody that would have the courage he had to fight this as long as he did. Even when he was weak we were traveling around the country and he was in court and giving press conferences.”

The concussion case had all sorts of challenges. Players had collective bargaining agreements that required arbitration, which

would have ended the litigation, there were questions whether the claims fell within the collective bargaining agreements, and proving causation was difficult because most of them had played when they were younger. Steven was not deterred: “I always thought that, given the story of what the NFL had done and how bad their conduct was, that this had PR potential.” Real problems arose for the NFL because the injuries were so severe. Some of the players who Steven represents suffer from ALS, Parkinson’s, dementia, and other serious illnesses.

After Steven and a few others had filed lawsuits, the cases were consolidated and sent to Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia, who appointed Steven to a leadership committee to guide the litigation on behalf of the players. The case was divided into two classes: symptomatic players and asymptomatic players who were at risk of developing serious cognitive and neurological conditions in the future. Kevin Turner represented the symptomatic class while Shawn Wooden, a former Miami Dolphins player, was co-lead plaintiff for the asymptomatic class.

While the NFL and the players fought through litigation, confidential settlement negotiations began. Four lawyers, including Steven, negotiated for almost 2 years. A deal that started off as 20 pages then turned into hundreds of pages as time progressed. “I always marveled at how it remained confidential

for all that time. Not because of the four plaintiff’s lawyers, but there were so many people involved on the other side,” Steven admits. There was lots of interest in the controversial case and it’s amazing that during all that time nothing was leaked.

“One thing I did promise Kevin, which was why he gladly served as lead plaintiff, was that he wanted the public to be aware,” Steven says. He is proud to see that the public's understanding of the risks of football has changed. While Steven was working on the case, Hollywood producers started filming the critically acclaimed drama Concussion. The movie tells the true story of pathologist Dr. Omalu’s research of football players who experienced constant head trauma and their disturbing psychological and cognitive conditions. Dr. Omalu concluded that many players suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE. Along with the movie, ESPN was running stories almost every day and the book, League of Denial, which further documented the NFL’s misconduct, was published. The case and consequences of sports-related head trauma became frequent topics of conversation.

The original studies by neurologists on sports-related head trauma actually investigated girls’ soccer. The studies found that successive head trauma, even if mild, is worse than a single concussive event. The constant hitting and shaking of the brain


leads to brain swelling. Steven and his team are glad that the public has become more aware of CTE because the danger it poses to young children is significant. Neurologists even caution about playing football under the age of 13. A study revealed that a college football player suffers approximately 1,000 hits in an average season, while a pro football player suffers approximately 600 hits in an average season. As a result of this increased awareness, warnings have been published, rules have been set in place that prohibit players from reentering the game after concussions, doctors are required to be on the field, and restrictions have been placed on helmet-to-helmet contact.

The case was challenging. Steven and the team of lawyers with whom he worked had to define a class, evaluate actuarial analyses, develop a Baseline Assessment Program which provided health benefits and testing, collect biographical information on thousands of players so that qualified medical providers could be identified in close proximity to the players, and figure out what conditions should qualify for monetary awards. With several hundred players as a sample, they had to figure out the incidences of certain neurological conditions and compare them to background rates of the general population. Doctors had to predict the likely incidence of compensable conditions for roughly 18,000 players. The tests had to be done to define a clear linkage between head injuries from football and the neurological and psychological conditions that players suffered from. The NFL was willing to compensate players who played for an extended period of time and had developed severe conditions, but not more common conditions, such as insomnia or mild depression.

A lot of well-known players were front and center in this battle with the NFL. Steven and three other attorneys eventually reached a final

settlement with the NFL of an uncapped fund. It is a historic outcome since there has never been a class action settlement involving an uncapped, unlimited fund. Steven and his colleagues succeeded in establishing a fund that would be available to all players through the rest of their lives, a necessity because it is not clear when or which players will develop severe symptoms. Another significant feature of the settlement that Steven and the team of lawyers were able to negotiate is that it does not require proof of causation. This was a major victory, because otherwise they would have had to fight individual battles for every player.

The settlement provides substantial monetary awards to players who have been diagnosed with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS, and to certain deceased players diagnosed with CTE. The players also retained their rights to benefits under their collective bargaining agreements.

The settlement underwent multiple appeals, but the players and NFL recently prevailed in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed that the settlement was fair and reasonable. Steven believes that, with the settlement, the NFL has owned up to its mistakes. “They were responsible, reasonable and fair to the players,” Steven says. “The NFL did the right thing and all you can do is respect them for doing the right thing and acknowledging an issue and taking care of it. I wish more people would do that.”

Steven understands the love for the sport, but realizes how badly it can affect players. He played intermural football in his youth, and his son wanted to play football ever since he was a child. Much to his chagrin, Steven had promised his son he could play football in middle school, before he knew the dangers of concussions. Steven kept his promise and let him play football when he was in middle

school. I am glad that Eric's interest turned to soccer. Ironically, the first thing the football coach (and more recently the soccer coach) handed him was a waiver and concussion warning notice. Steven started laughing and said, “So I’m responsible for these waivers?” and the coach laughed and said, “Yeah you’re the reason they also have a poster in the locker-room.”

Steven’s journey through the concussion case brought him a real-life understanding of the impact. “I think most families today thank god for Kevin Turner, Shawn Wooden, and other players that had the courage to bring this to light. It is now a part of our common awareness and it should be. There should be no reason to risk people’s long-term neuro-cognitive abilities for a sport, especially since most of them are doing it for fun, not as a career, and those risks aren’t worth it,” Steven states.

Steven Marks has made Gables Estates proud of his continuous efforts to not only help individuals, but the whole nation in raising awareness through the NFL concussions case. It’s changed the course of history for the better. We are honored to feature Steven’s story in this issue and we hope you say “hi” next time you see him in the neighborhood.

We hope you enjoyed reading how your Gables Estates neighbor Steven Marks has helped shape South Florida and the nation. We believe there’s value in helping you connect with your Gables Estates neighbors. Our aim, as your exclusive Gables Estates newsletter, is to share remarkable stories like these. Look forward to receiving Life In The Estates each month, and if you have an interesting story to tell, or know someone who does, feel free to contact the publisher at: [email protected]

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...he wanted the public to be aware...


meet your gables estates neighbor

IGNACIO PAKCIARZ Written By: Carina Zatarain

Founder Of Bigsur Partners

firms including JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank and Guggenheim Partners. He gained a great deal of experience co-investing with historically wealthy U.S. families that have been able to maintain their wealth for several generations at a time. After more than 15 years on Wall Street however, Ignacio decided to open up his own independent firm, BigSur Partners.

Ignacio gravitated towards Miami, seeing it as one of the best locations for his firm’s multi-jurisdictional client base and area of expertise. “Many of our clients live in the U.S.

money’ as opposed to get rich money. Some families are faced with a situation where they are clients of several banks, but feel that there is no leader or coordinator, no orchestra director.” He steps in as the conductor for doctors, industrialists, business owners and other high-profile clients. It becomes quite technical in how they construct a portfolio for families and future generations. Ignacio independently manages clients’ wealth, both in the banking system and in what they call “shadow banking.” Shadow banking involves direct investing in private equity, private debt, and commercial and residential real estate. “We realized that stocks and bonds didn’t offer as much intrinsic value, so we found assets like commercial real estate which offer more attractive real rates of return,” tells Ignacio.

Accumulating wealth is one thing, managing that wealth is a whole different ballgame. Even one of the smartest men in history, Albert Einstein, famously said, “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.” That’s why Ignacio Pakciarz, Chief Executive Officer at BigSur Partners, helps ultra-high net worth families stay wealthy with a holistic approach to wealth management. Originally from Uruguay, Ignacio moved to Coral Gables in 2004. He was enticed by Gables Estates’ gated community and symmetric architecture reminiscent to some houses from his homeland, Punta del Este, Uruguay. Ignacio actually purchased his home on Arvida Dr. from his neighbor, and has loved the home he’s raised his family in ever since. He especially enjoys his 2 ½ acres of land which provides him with enough greenery and gardens that give him a sense of peace from the bustling business. “In 2012 we were looking for a nice gated community to call home for our family, and Gables Estates was the best place we found,” says Ignacio.

Ignacio first came to the United States in 1994 to pursue an MBA at New York University. After graduating, he put on his pinstriped suit to work on Wall Street for premiere wealth management

but they may have financial assets tied to family members that live in France and Venezuela, just to give an example. In these situations, there are multi-jurisdictional complexities, such as coordination with lawyers and tax implications. It is difficult to manage these scenarios and a mistake can be costly. Handling these complexities is one of our specialties,” explains Ignacio.

Ignacio describes his clientele as people who, “Are already wealthy and want to basically maintain and grow their wealth. This is ‘stay rich


BigSur emphasizes a “total balance sheet” approach, which combines a global assessment of a family’s assets and liabilities, not limited to a financial investment portfolio. Another key differentiator of his firm is the focus on co-investing with very wealthy US families, family offices, and institutional investors. “Our expertise is that we are very good investment generalists in a world where there are very few investment generalists with as broad and deep experience as we have. Although our focus is wealth management, when it comes to investments, we have phenomenal contacts with specialists in each of the different asset classes.”

In BigSur’s strategy to collaborate with traditional, wealthy American families, they have become a respected limited partner for some of the most significant fortunes in U.S. history. Many family offices for wealthy American families also see a value in collaborating with BigSur because of their expertise investing in emerging markets, such as Brazil or Argentina. “In our business there’s no reason not to collaborate. Longstanding US families have significant experience in venture capital, leverage buyouts and mezzanine debt, while we understand emerging markets very well,” explains Ignacio.

Ignacio says BigSur is “putting their money where their mouth is” because they invest their own money alongside their client’s money. Their all-in approach shows confidence in the moves they make while working with zero conflict of interest. They do not have any related parties or make money from selling financial products. While they do charge a fee for overall management of wealth, they are paid based on performance. This has led BigSur to develop a reputation of being a very solid, ethical and transparent company in the wealth management sector.

Many of BigSur’s clients come from emerging markets, but BigSur does not take a lot of emerging market exposure in their own portfolios. Ignacio expresses that his work is for a “stay rich market” instead of “get rich.” It is very important for them to look at the reality of the legal system, eco system, and other factors before investing. They

believe that the United States is the best and strongest market to invest in for their clients.

Compromising of intrinsic value, driven managers, and experience in emerging markets while mainly investing in the United States and G7 countries, Ignacio’s BigSur has successfully managed finances for an array of wealthy clients. “We represent their right hand, their CFO but for their private, financial wealth that is usually very separate from their business,” Ignacio relates. One of his partners at BigSur is also a Gables Estates neighbor, Gabriel Politzer, whom he prides as having tremendous experience in the wealth management field.

We’re excited to feature Gables Estates resident Ignacio Pakciarz and his company BigSur Partners. Make sure to say “hi” to him and his family next time you’re taking a stroll through Arvida Dr.


80Leucadendra Drive


We are honored to feature 80 Leucadendra Drive as our Home of The Month for our September issue of Life In The Estates. With coveted views of Biscayne Bay, this rare showpiece estate in the

exclusive guard gated enclave of Gables Estates epitomizes luxury living in South Florida. Compromising five bedrooms and six and on half-baths, the gated two-story home at 80 Leucadendra Drive is a boater’s dream, featuring deep-water access with no fixed bridges. The amenity-rich offering is a natural draw for the most discerning of buyers, complemented by timeless architectural accents including coffered ceilings, columns and grand archways.

Inside, the residence could easily be likened to a bayside palace with spacious sunlit interiors. French limestone and wood flooring stretch throughout the open living areas, while wide windows, vaulted ceilings, French doors and handsome woodwork accentuate the estate’s unique design. A large

sweeping staircase – regal in appearance – is the centerpiece of the foyer, which opens to the rest of the home. The oversized living and dining rooms are ideal for entertaining family and guests, and the gourmet –style kitchen has been outfitted with wood cabinetry, top-of-the line appliances, a large center island and a spacious pantry. The deluxe and expansive master suite features water views and offers to expansive walk-in closets and a sumptuous bath. Adding to the residence unmistakable appeal, it has a media room, billiard room, a pair of wood-paneled offices and a state-of-the-art wine cellar.

Outside, with the tranquil waters of Biscayne Bay serving as a backdrop, the private covered patio and state-of-the-art summer kitchen are well-equipped for hosting al fresco dinners and evening soirées. The lushly landscaped backyard is accented by a rose garden as well as a reflecting pool that neatly stretches the length of the terrace.

This stunning estate is listed at $15,900,000 million by Gables Estates resident and realtor, Audrey Ross. If you’d like to schedule a showing, please contact Audrey at 305.206.4003.

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