Belle Isle Lawyers

Practice specializing in complex business and immigration law issues as well as strategic immigration planning for businesses, employers and individuals. Principal attorney in the Orlando-based law firm SilzerLaw Chartered that focuses on immigration, business and employment law. Extensive experience as counsel for universities and colleges in issues relating to human resources, labor relations and immigration. Legal advisor to community and business organizations.

This Florida native attended University of Florida Law School after graduating from Duke University. She is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell peer review rating system. This is their highest rating. Avvo national ratings gave her an excellent rating. The office practice includes bankruptcy, landlord tenant, foreclosure, family law, estate planning including wills and trusts, and probate and guardianship matters.

The Alvarez Law Firm a Professional Association is a private firm owned by Rachel M. Alvarez. Her practice focuses on financial matters. Rachel’s vision is to aggressively represent her clients in any financial stage for individuals of any walk of life. She is committed to building ongoing relationships with her clients to facilitate their success. Rachel attended the University Of Central Florida where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration. Upon graduating she pursued her dream to be an attorney at Regent University School of Law. At the tender age of five Rachel decided to be...

As Founder and President of Barrett Law, a boutique law firm located in Windermere, Lynn Barrett focuses on educating and helping healthcare providers navigate the complex and ever-changing world of laws and regulations that govern today's health care delivery system. Lynn has helped hundreds of providers understand and comply with a wide range of corporate and health care laws. Prior to opening her practice, Lynn spent half of her 34-year career in private practice and the other half in-house at for-profit, non-profit and public systems, where she served in such roles as General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer. These experiences have...

Winter Park, Florida attorney Eric A. Lanigan has provided clients aggressive and experienced legal representation in real estate, business and civil, foreclosure, bankruptcy, and securities and investment losses law in Central Florida since 1976. Eric Lanigan has a strong history in securities law and the financial industry. He provides clients with the complex legal advice and counsel that family, individual and businesses need to get through legal issues. There’s not much I haven’t litigated from basic employment contract disputes to suits for defending for non-performance, to collecting damages in class-action suits,” Lanigan said. He has...

Jed was born in Newton, Iowa, but he grew up in Central Florida.

He went to Lake Mary High School, graduating Summa Cum Laude (over 4.0 GPA), while playing varsity baseball and volleyball. He attended Florida State University and obtained degrees, with honors, in both Finance and Insurance/Risk Management. Jed stayed at Florida State for law school where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree with honors.

While at Florida State College of Law, Jed clerked at the Department of Highway Safety where he specialized in appellate issues for DUI cases. He later clerked at a civil insurance-defense law firm, Henry, Buchanan,...

The Messersmith Law Firm is a full-service law firm, concentrating on immigration law. We have special expertise in work visas, family based visas, visa waivers, green cards through family and employment and asylum. We are well known for our zealous and creative advocacy on behalf of our clients. The Messersmith Law Firm assists large and small companies and institutions nationwide in complying with the complex immigration requirements of the USCIS, DOL and DOS to retain highly skilled workers in such fields as information technology, medical research, computer software, engineering, hospitality, art, martial arts and medicine. Immigration law is federal law which means...

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

LITIGATED / ARBITRATED / MEDIATED 1,000+ Contract Law Cases.

CONDUCTED several dozen business MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

COUNSELED DEALERSHIP and FRANCHISE clients from Florida to Hawaii and over half the states in between.

ADMITTED to practice law in FLORIDA and represents clients outside of the state through association with local attorneys.

MEMBER of the American Bar Association, the ABA Forum on Franchising, and the Florida Bar Association.

Eric Barker earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in 1989 and went on to earn his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law in 1992. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1992 and is currently admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Eric has been rated as a preeminent lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell and has earned an AV rating, the highest rating given by the organization, which is a nationally recognized attorney rating service. As a former Assistant Public Defender, Mr. Barker took several dozen...

Mr. Brownlee handles civil and criminal appeals in Florida and in federal courts of appeal across the country. He is licensed to practice in each of Florida's appellate courts and most of the federal circuit courts of appeal. In addition to Florida's district courts of appeal, Mr. Brownlee has performed oral argument at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta. He...

After graduating from Harvard, I chose to attend Stetson University, the number one law school for trial advocacy in the country. I was on Stetson’s Law Review, and I also earned a Master’s of Business Administration from Stetson’s School of Business. I worked as a teaching assistant for pretrial practice while in law school, and I began clerking at a prominent law firm in the Tampa area. After law school, I jumped right into trial practice and began handling employment law and personal injury cases. I tried my first jury trial within my first year of graduating law school...

David Hill obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, and all state courts of Florida. Mr. Hill has practiced exclusively in criminal defense in the state of Florida, primarily in the Central Florida community, since graduating from law school and represents clients in a far-ranging array of matters, including felony, misdemeanor and traffic allegations, in both State and Federal courts. He has twenty years of experience as a criminal defense lawyer having been admitted to practice in 1991,...

Andrew Peter Zesinger is a senior associate with NeJame Law, P.A. Born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, Mr. Zesinger earned his Bachelor’s degree in Health Policy Administration from The Pennsylvania State University in 1999. He created a summer externship in the business administration department that emphasized and analyzed universal health care coverage. Mr. Zesinger earned his Juris Doctor from The University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Mr. Zesinger began his career as a judicial clerk for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.

Attorney Andrew Zesinger focuses his practice in civil litigation throughout the state of Florida. Mr. Zesinger also handles...

I have nine years of experience as an Immigration Attorney. Additionally, I have a very strong knowledge of employment law and the connection between immigration and Federal and State employment regulations. While I have not counted exactly how many immigration cases I have handled, reviewed, consulted with or been associated with, I estimate that the number is easily in the thousands. Based on this experience there is rarely a situation that I have not seen before. I am AV rated perfect “5.0”, Avvo rated “Superb”, Avvo Client choice awards 2011, 2012, 2013, “Rising Star” Orlando Style Magazine, Lead Counsel Rated...

Paige L. Carlos devotes the majority of her practice to Real Estate Law. She also has ample experience practicing Family Law and handling dissolutions of marriage, child support issues, child custody disputes and mediations. She takes her work very seriously and enjoys being able to help her clients through difficult times. Paige has a real passion for people and she strives to put forth her best effort to serve those who cannot serve themselves. Paige grew up in Southern Connecticut. In 2009 Paige received her Bachelor’s degree from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York where she majored in Africana...

Mr. Persad has worked in the legal profession for over 20 years. He is licensed to practice law in Florida, the United States Virgin Islands, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He earned his Juris Doctor degree and his Masters in Public Administration degree from the University of Akron in 1993 and 1994, respectively. He also holds a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration from the University of the Virgin Islands and a diploma in paralegal studies from New York University. Mr. Persad's experience in the legal field...

Sekou Clarke was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica, where his discipline and athletic ability earned him a full athletic scholarship to the University of Florida (UF). While at UF he was Team Captain, ten-time All-American and helped the Gators to two national titles in Track and Field. Sekou graduated with a B.S. in Tourism and Hospitality Management and earned All SEC and Academic Honor Roll Honors.

After graduating from UF he competed professionally and represented Jamaica internationally competing in over 15 countries worldwide. During this time, he earned his MBA in Marketing from St. Leo University.

Sekou was urged and inspired at...

Michael LaFay Trial Attorney graduated from the American University Law School in Washington, D.C. in 1983. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1984 and the Florida Bar in 1985. Michael LaFay is board certified in Criminal Law by the Florida Bar and has achieved an "AV" rating overall, which is the highest ranking bestowed by Martindale-Hubbell, the national attorney ranking service. He has practiced in Central Florida as a trial attorney for the past 27 years and has litigated over 300 jury trials. During that time, he has served as a criminal defense attorney and also as...

Shannon McLin founded a boutique appellate law firm after serving as a staff attorney at Florida's Fifth District Court of Appeal. In 2019, she opened Florida Appeals, a statewide appellate firm with seven appellat lawyers practicing complex civil appellate litigation throughout Florida. A significant portion of her work is the family law arena. Ms. McLin is board-certified in appellate practice and is a certified circuit court and appellate mediator. She is AV Preiminant rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has consistently been selected as one of Florida Trend's Legal Elite and as a Florida Superlawyer in appellate practice. Ms....

Juliane practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation; business disputes; and adversarial matters involving bankruptcy, trusts, and estates.

Originally from a small suburb, Steubenville, Ohio, only forty-five minutes outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Juliane attended the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law at Duquesne University. She received a B.A. in biochemistry and a M.S. in Forensic Science.

To advance her interest in law and science, Juliane moved to Florida to attend Stetson University College of Law in 2011. While in law school, Juliane was an active member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution team, and in...

Matt DeBoard is a Senior Partner with Barrister Law Firm. Raised in the Orlando area, Mr. DeBoard earned his high school degree from Oak Ridge High School and later went on to American University in Washington, D.C. where he completed a double-major curriculum in both Physics and Communications. Mr. DeBoard earned his law degree from Florida A&M University College of Law in Orlando, where he achieved the highest grade of anyone in his class in both his Constitutional Law II and Trademark Seminar law classes.

Mr. DeBoard has decades of experience in both the real estate and mortgage businesses. Prior to...

Mr. Hancock is the Managing Partner at Hancock & Associates, P.A. He graduated from undergraduate school at the University of Central Florida in 2003, where he received his Bachelors of Science in Psychology. He attended and graduated from Florida A&M College of Law, in Orlando, FL, and received his Juris Doctor in 2010. He has been a member of the Florida Bar and a practicing attorney since September, 2010. During law school, he was a summer associate at McCreary & Hancock, P.A., in Orlando, Florida, and later was a clerk for the Judge of Compensation Claims in Orlando, FL....

Magdalena Cuprys received her Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law in 2002. She was admitted to the practice of law in California in 2003 and in Florida in 2006. Before law school, she completed two bachelor’s degrees, one in Political Science and one in Latin American Studies, at the University of Chicago in 1999 (AB Degrees Political Science & Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago in 1999). Ms. Cuprys is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and was the Panhellenic President at the University of Chicago. – She is a Member of...

Attorney Elayne M. Perez has been providing foreclosure and bankruptcy services for over a decade. After obtaining her Juris Doctor from Temple University, she opened her own practice. With a small boutique firm, Attorney Perez believes that she can more effectively provide high quality representation with personalized solutions. She wants to be directly involved with as many clients as possible, working hard to help them with both legal matters and personal finance. Attorney Perez is admitted to practice law in the state courts of Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, as well as the United States District Court for the Middle...

Attorney Kristen M. Jackson is the founding partner at Jackson Montoya Law Firm. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in 1974, and then another from the University of South Florida in 1981. Ms. Jackson then earned a Juris Doctorate from Stetson University in 1983, and an LLM in Taxation from Washington School of Law in 1983. Attorney Jackson established Jackson Montoya Law firm in 1996, after working for various other firms for 12 years. At the firm, Ms. Jackson focuses her practice on estate planning, probate and trust administration, elder law, business...

A native Spanish speaker, Vanessa Cotto was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and moved to Orlando, Florida when she was five years old. Ms. Cotto was born with a passion for helping others and a conviction to fight for justice. As a young lawyer, Ms. Cotto has demonstrated a rigorous work ethic, exceptional leadership skills, and an ability to motivate and mentor others. Before attending law school, Ms. Cotto gained valuable legal experience as a legal assistant in the Central Florida community for several years. While in law school, she was the recipient of a scholarship from the...

I SUE debt collectors. I represent people in individual and class actions because they received : (1) robo calls from debt collectors, creditors and telemarketers who violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA"); and (2) debt collectors who violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA") when they attempt to collect a consumer debt.

Clients often hire me to represent them against debt collectors for many different violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and other laws which govern debt collectors' conduct. My clients' problems have included :(1) collection letters which violate the FDCPA;...

Attorney Neal T. McShane has been a resident of the Central Florida area since 1978. Neal earned his bachelor's degree from Kent State University, and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Akron School of Law. As a U.S. Army Lieutenant, he served in Vietnam and later as a Captain in the U.S. Army, Ohio National Guard. Neal was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge and numerous other awards and decorations. In 1980, he graduated from the Investigation and Prosecution of Organized Crime and Fraud Program at Cornell Institute on Organized Crime, Cornell University Law School. Neal...

J. Kemp Brinson is a Partner at Bloodworth Law, PLLC, in Orlando, Florida, and Winter Haven, Florida. Kemp has practiced business litigation, trust litigation, probate litigation, and employment litigation since 2004.

Kemp is able to see legal issues as a plaintiff’s attorney and as a defendant’s attorney.

“I would describe it as perspective because I know what the other side is thinking,” Kemp said. And it’s most valuable in the settlement context because I know exactly what conversation is had if I’m on the plaintiff’s side or whether as the defendant’s attorney. I know what it’s going to take to...

Associate attorney Isaac Tilton handles bankruptcy, business and commercial litigation, trust litigation, estate litigation, and employment litigation for Bloodworth Law, PLLC, in Orlando, Florida.

Isaac has more than a decade of experience in commercial litigation and is licensed to practice law in Florida, New York, and California.

Isaac has experience in bankruptcy, commercial litigation including breach of contract, corporate disputes, partnership disputes, real estate disputes, fraud, and employment disputes.

Isaac received a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School in 2008. He was the Associate Managing Editor of the Journal of International Law. He was a member of the Moot Court Honor...

Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, I attended the University of Florida for undergrad and the University of Miami School of Law. I moved back to Orlando after law school to be close to my family and started my career at the Public Defender's Office. After that, I opened a boutique law firm to focus on getting my clients the attention they deserve to solve the particular problems they have. Whether it's a DUI, a divorce, or a car accident injury, the focus is on the client, preserving their rights, and getting the best possible outcome for...

Phillip Gunthert is an experienced Estate Planning & Probate attorney based in Central Florida who handles matters throughout the state of Florida. After working for another firm, he founded his practice in 2011, with the guiding principles of wanting to provide accessible counsel to those seeking guidance & direction regarding both advance planning of estate matters and probate matters, in a down-to-earth and understandable manner. His testimonials endorse his commitment to his clients and his area of expertise. When Phillip is not practicing law, he can be found spending time with his wife & 2 young children, catching up with rugby...

Tad Yates is admitted to practice law in the state courts of Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, and the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Florida in 1991 and from the University of Florida College of Law in 1994.

Mr. Yates is a past President of both the Orange County Bar Association and the Board of Trustees of the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association. In 2004, Mr. Yates was awarded the Young Lawyer Professionalism Award by the Orange County Bar Association.

In 2011, Florida Governor...

Mr. Jonathan K. Allen, Esquire, received his bachelor's degree in Legal Studies from University of California, Berkeley. He minored in philosophy. Having acquired a notable scholarship, he continued his education and earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Thomas M. Cooley School of Law. While in law school, he served as Vice President of the law school chapter of Amnesty International and became a member of Phi Alpa Delta Law Fraternity. He also participated in mock trial and moot court competitions. After completing law school, Mr. Allen gained admission to practice law in New York, New Jersey and Florida. He...

A veteran of the United States Army and Texas National Guard, and a native Floridian, John Russo has a passion for helping his neighbors. Born and raised in Central Florida, John chose to serve his country in the United States Army. After his service, he attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a Bachelor of Science in Applied Learning and Development. Pursuing his interest in the law, John earned his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Wyoming. This background provided John with the foundation that developed his commitment to professional excellence, client service, and providing the best possible legal...

Donna M. Chesteen, Esq., an attorney licensed in both Florida and Mississippi, is the owner of The Tech Law Firm, PLLC, a law firm whose services can best be characterized as the intersection of law and technology. She concentrates on those areas of the law that have a direct connection with technology—eDiscovery, information governance, IP, and transactional law for technology companies—to leverage her twenty years of experience as a professional software engineer and her formal education in Computer Science. She has more than two decades of software development experience and was a technical leader at Symantec prior to earning...

Vivien is a partner in Watson Sloane’s Finance, Government Relations, Land Use & Zoning and Real Estate groups. Her real estate practice focuses on serving clients in areas related to land use, zoning, growth management law, environmental and local government issues. This focus includes assisting clients with matters relating to development permitting and other approvals, impact fees, entitlement issues, bid protests, and alcoholic beverage licensing. In matters related to public finance, Vivien’s practice includes representation of issuers, financial institutions, underwriters, and investors in connection with the public and private offering of municipal and corporate securities.

Vivien is Board-Certified by the Florida...

Florida Trial Attorney Piercy Stakelum

Practice Areas: Airplane Accidents, Car Accidents, Catastrophic Injury, Construction Accidents, Cruise Ship Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Wrongful Death, Natural Disasters

Piercy Stakelum has always had a strong passion for justice-a zealous desire to stand up for those who have been mistreated, hurt, or injured due to the actions of others. That passion led him to a career as a prominent personal injury in Florida.
Background:

While born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Piercy pursued his BA from Florida State University. After, he went on to pursue his JD from the University of Florida College of Law. During his time in law...

Rusten C. Hurd is a founding partner at the law firm of Colombo and Hurd, PL. In over sixteen years of legal practice, Mr. Hurd has garnered experience with a wide variety of immigration matters including family petitions, deportation litigation, investor visas, as well as naturalization and citizenship matters. Mr. Hurd devotes a substantial portion of his time to assist clients successfully obtain fiancé and marriage visas. As the husband of an immigrant, Mr. Hurd is fully cognizant of the importance of this process to his clients. Mr. Hurd also has successfully appeared before immigration judges throughout...