When former President Donald Trump appointed Roy Altman to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in May 2018, his elevation came as no surprise to those who know him.

That includes Aaron S. Podhurst, a partner at Podhurst Orseck in Miami, who hired Altman less than five years before his federal bench appointment. Podhurst is a trial lawyer and co-founder of Podhurst Orseck.