Each year, the American Jewish Committee honors a member of South Florida’s legal and business community with the Judge Learned Hand Award, which recognizes people whose careers and personal ethos advance humanitarian principles, individual rights, and democratic values.
For 2025, the AJC has selected Peter Prieto of Podhurst Orseck as its honoree. Peter’s life and career have embodied the AJC’s mission, and he is the consummate civic servant, making him a well-deserved recipient of the Judge Learned Hand Award.

Peter emigrated from Cuba to Miami and became the first college graduate in his family, earning degrees at St. Thomas University and the University of Miami Law School. He has since charted a prolific legal career, having led the litigation practice at Holland & Knight before joining Podhurst Orseck 15 years ago.
Today, Peter heads up one of the preeminent Class Action and Commercial Litigation practices in the country at Podhurst Orseck.
Under his leadership, the firm has secured landmark settlements and precedent-setting rulings across a range of industries, including financial services, pharmaceuticals, and consumer protection. His experience as a former federal prosecutor gives him a unique perspective on class actions, enabling him to navigate both plaintiff and defense-side litigation with strategic precision. Among his most notable cases includes serving as lead counsel in the Takata air bag MDL, which has recovered more than $1.55 billion to date as part of the largest automotive recall in U.S. history.
Schwartz Media Strategies is sponsoring this year’s Judge Learned Hand Awards Reception on May 13th, and Tadd Schwartz is serving on the event’s Host Committee. Proceeds raised through the event will support the AJC’s work defending Israel’s right to exist in peace and security; confronting antisemitism; and standing up for democratic values that unite Jews and their allies around the world.
If you are interested in sponsoring the Reception, please contact Nancy Reinhard at reinhardn@ajc.org.
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