Vel is an experienced litigator known for finding creative solutions to complex problems. His practice focuses on high-risk litigation that includes defamation lawsuits, consumer class actions, international disputes, and cryptocurrency/blockchain lawsuits. Vel’s clients value his responsiveness, creative solutions, and ability to achieve successful outcomes while balancing the needs of running a business.
Vel’s practice spans a diverse array of disputes across state, federal, and international trial and appellate courts.
Vel is an accomplished trial attorney with a proven track record of high-stakes victories. As lead trial counsel in a nationally televised defamation lawsuit against CNN, Vel secured a groundbreaking win. The jury awarded millions in damages and, for the first time in history, held a major news network liable for punitive damages. In 2021, Vel led a month-long federal cryptocurrency jury trial, securing a $140 million judgment. In 2023, he achieved a multimillion-dollar jury verdict in an e-commerce dispute, recovering 100% of the contract damages sought. In 2025, Vel obtained a record-breaking $10 million verdict for an eye loss case after a week-long jury trial.
Beyond the courtroom, Vel’s impact is profound. He successfully sued and settled litigation with the State of Florida in return for his client being awarded a $80 million medical marijuana treatment center license. He helps the firm’s antitrust litigation against top U.S. universities, yielding over $300 million in settlements. Additionally, Vel represented the heirs of a Holocaust survivor in a rare trial to recover a Camille Pissarro masterpiece from a Spanish museum, advancing justice in one of the few Holocaust-era art restitution cases to reach trial.
At the appellate level, Vel has successfully pursued numerous appeals in state and federal appellate courts. This includes his handling of multiple oral arguments to, e.g., win a punitive damages appeal against CNN in Florida's First District Court of Appeal, a matter of first impression before the Eleventh Circuit, and reversal before the Ninth Circuit. He recently filed a petition for certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States.
On the international side, Vel has successfully represented sovereigns and investors in global disputes involving national court litigation, international arbitration, and strategic negotiations, while managing public relations. Vel has acted as strategic global counsel to successfully prevent a foreign sovereign from illegally expropriating his client’s assets. Most recently, Vel convinced the Secretariat of ICSID to disqualify the United States' party appointed arbitrator in a bilateral investment treaty arbitration, and then argued before the panel to successfully resist the United States' motion to dismiss the case.
Vel is also active in the local legal community, where he serves on the Southern District of Florida's Local Rules Committee. Before attending law school, Velvel was ordained as a rabbi.