Polk County Lawyers

Judge Michael J. Scionti is a Circuit Court Judge with the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in the State of Florida, who has served our community and country for over two decades, upholding the rule of law in and out of the courtroom, on and off the battlefield, and throughout all branches of government.

Judge Scionti is a Tampa native and lifelong resident of Hillsborough County. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Florida State University and his Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law. Judge Scionti has held various positions of public trust as a...

Hello. My name is Neil Ognibene, and I’m the head of the Hoyer Law Group’s federal employment practice. I have practiced law and investigated employment matters within the federal government for close to ten years. Before joining the Hoyer Law Group, I managed an investigation firm dedicated to investigating complaints of employment discrimination, harassment, and whistleblower retaliation filed by employees of various federal agencies. After several years of serving as a neutral, third party fact-finder, I had witnessed enough injustice in the federal government that it was time to put my advocacy skills to use and begin fighting for employee...

Françoise (Fran) M. Haasch has over two decades of experience representing victims of personal injury, as well as the surviving family members and loved ones of individuals who were wrongfully killed. With 100 percent of her practice focusing on plaintiffs’ personal injury and an emphasis on car and motorcycle accidents, Ms. Haasch provides devoted legal support for individuals and families throughout the Greater Tampa Bay Region and beyond. Her firm, The Fran Haasch Law Group, represents clients in Clearwater, Tampa, Palm Harbor, St. Petersburg, New Port Richey, and the surrounding areas.

Don DeCort entered private practice in 1994 after an illustrious career in the U.S. Army, which culminated with his retirement as a colonel. He practiced with the firm of Anderson & Artigliere, PA from 1994 to 1995 and spent eight years as a partner in Holcomb & DeCort, P.A., from 1995 to 2003. He opened the Law Office of Donald P. DeCort, P.A. in 2003 and, along with Kristin R. H. Kirkner, Esquire, opened DeCort & Kirkner, P.L. July 1, 2010, and continues to concentrate his practice in the areas of family law, including military aspects of divorce and small...

Will Cantrell is an attorney who has spent his entire career representing businesses and individuals in matters relating to unfair competition, deceptive business practices, employment law and related business disputes. From jury trials and arbitrations, to dispositive motions and bench trials, he has an extraordinary track record. For five years in a row, he has been listed by Florida Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star.” Will completed his undergraduate studies at Mercer University. He received a master’s degree, cum laude, in international economics from Florida State University. He received his law degree, magna cum laude, from Florida State University College of...

Before moving to Orlando last summer, I worked as an assistant county attorney in southwest Florida for 4 years. I was the primary drafter of Lee County’s comprehensive plan, land development code, and administrative codes while representing a number of county departments including planning and zoning, transportation, utilities, natural resources, and parks and recreation. Prior to working for Lee County, I worked at a private law firm practicing Real Estate, Local Government, Environmental Law, Land Use, HOA Law, and Condominium Law for nearly 10 years.

Attorney Samuel A. Walker heads CPLS, P.A.’s federal and Virgin Islands appeals team, and is its chief federal and Virgin Islands appellate attorney. Mr. Walker earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loma Linda University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Howard University School of Law. After law school Mr. Walker served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Ishmael A. Meyers at the Superior Court of the United States Virgin Islands. Mr. Walker advised Judge Meyers on a variety of civil and criminal matters, including appeals. Since completing his judicial clerkship, Mr. Walker...

I graduated from the University of Miami School of Law in 2013 and have been practicing law for more than 9 years. I started out as a State Prosecutor where I gained significant courtroom experience. A few years later I opened my own law firm at the beginning of 2018. Sing 2013, I have been the lead attorney in more than 25 jury trials and some non-jury trials as well. Now I focus on criminal defense, personal injury, and landlord-tenant law, in which I often represent tenants with consumer protection claims against landlords.

Kim De Arcangelis (formerly Kim Woods) was born in Washington, D.C., raised in Orlando, Florida and then later resided in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for a number of years. Ms. De Arcangelis practices in the labor and employment litigation division of the Orlando, Florida office of Morgan & Morgan. She has both bench trial and Federal jury trial experience. She represents numerous employees with matters including wage and hour disputes and ranging from single plaintiff actions to class/collective actions. Ms. De Arcangelis attended Nova Southeastern University for both her undergraduate degree and law degree.

Paul Byron graduated from the University of Michigan with honors in 1983 and from the Louisiana State University Law Center in 1986. Mr. Byron served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1986 to 1990 as a prosecutor. He then returned to Central Florida and served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Florida for 10 years where he prosecuted complex white-collar crime, including international money laundering. Mr. Byron also practiced in the civil division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, concentrating on medical malpractice defense and affirmative civil litigation. In 2001, Mr. Byron was selected to...

Nicole joined Keane, Reese, Vesely & Gerdes in 2010. Nicole focuses her practice on civil appeals, commercial and business litigation, and personal injury law. Nicole has practiced throughout the state of Florida, including appellate matters before the First, Second, and Fifth District Courts of Appeal and the Florida Supreme Court. Prior to joining Keane, Reese, Vesely & Gerdes, Nicole was an associate at the Law Office of Rod McIntyre in Jacksonville, Florida handling real estate litigation, contract disputes, family matters, and foreclosure defense. Nicole was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2009. ...

Blair T. Jackson was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada in 1965. He attended McGill University in Montreal where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1988. He then attended the Western Michigan Cooley School of Law where he received his juris doctorate in 1991. Mr. Jackson also graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law with a LL.M. (Masters of Law) degree in Business Transactions in 2014. Mr. Jackson has more than twenty-three (23) years of civil litigation experience, practicing in both state courts in the State of Florida, as well as the United States District Court of the Middle...

Michael J. Faehner is the founder of Faehner PLLC, based in Oldsmar, Florida. With over 25 years of legal experience, he focuses his practice on estate planning, corporate, and tax law, serving clients throughout the Tampa Bay area. Michael earned bachelor’s degrees in Finance and History from the University of Notre Dame. He went on to receive his law degree from Valparaiso University Law School, and obtained a Master of Laws degree in taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. He is admitted to practice before all Florida state courts, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District...

A native of Florida, Raymond O. Bodiford has been representing the people of Florida for more than 25 years. He was born and raised in Miami, FL and attended Killian High School . For undergraduate school, he attended the University of Miami, knowing at an early age he wanted to be involved in advocating for the injured. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science at the age of 20. He attended law school at the University of Florida in Gainesville where he graduated in 1981. During law school, he worked as a certified legal intern at the Public Defender's Office...

Laura Douglas received a B.A from the University of Central Florida and began her professional career as an award winning news producer at WFTV in Orlando, where she developed the passion for investigation and advocacy that led her to law school. While attending St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami, she served as a Certified Legal Intern for the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida and clerked for the Florida Department of Transportation trial division. Following early graduation, Laura obtained priceless courtroom experience as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County, prosecuting domestic violence, child abuse and...

Adriana Dinis is an attorney with the Immigration Law Group of Florida, P.A. (“ILGF”). She previously represented undocumented children through the GLS CHILD (Children’s Immigration Legal Defense) Project of Gulfcoast Legal Services where she represented children in immigration proceedings, before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and in dependency actions. Adriana also provides training to law enforcement, community based organizations and attorneys on the immigration benefits available to children. Prior to working at Gulfcoast Legal Services, Adriana was an intern at the Attorney General’s Office, Children Legal Services Division, in Tampa, Florida, a Diversity Fellow with Carlton Fields, PA...

Matthew Emerson been a practicing attorney for more than 24 years. He has been trial counsel on a multitude of cases resulting in jury verdicts, settlements, or judgments amounting to more than $1,000,000.

Matt earned his juris doctorate degree at Stetson University College of Law in 1993 where he graduated cum laude. Throughout his time there, he was awarded many recognitions some of which include honors grants, Dean’s Lists, and book awards.

After a clerkship, Matthew worked as an associate attorney with Rwyant, Alvarez, Jones, Russo & Guyton, P.A., a well-respected law firm in Tampa, FL.

While with Rwyant law firm, he represented...

Kent Whittemore graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 1973. Kent was first introduced to mass tort litigation against drug and pharmaceutical manufacturers when he represented multiple clients for injuries suffered as a result of taking the diet pill combination fen-phen. He has continued to represent clients in class actions and mass tort cases, including groundwater contamination cases, transvaginal mesh cases, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, data breach cases, and most notably, the Engle-progeny tobacco cases. Kent is available to serve as counsel or co-counsel in any civil litigation matter in personal injury cases as well as complex commercial real...

Mrs. Díaz-Sampedro currently works as an Immigration attorney for the Vasquez Law Firm in Orlando, Florida. She received her B.A., Magna Cum Laude, from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico. As a testament to her overachieving character, in 2011 and at the age of 23 she completed her Juris Doctor at the Inter American University, School of Law. While in law school, she worked as a clerk at the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Mrs. Díaz has also taken advanced international law courses in cities such as London, Venice, Madrid and Beijing, which experience has granted her...

Elizabeth Rice knows that obtaining justice demands sound case preparation, skill, knowledge, experience and the determination to obtain a fair result. Elizabeth will challenge anyone who has wrongfully victimized our client’s health, safety, liberty, or well-being. It is her mission is to provide tireless, dedicated representation to her clients. She has always maintained the highest standard in managing her cases. She works tirelessly. While she was a prosecutor there was a rumor that she never went home. The joke was that she slept there. This is because when she got her teeth into a case she would...

As I enter my 29th year of practice as a criminal practitioner, I feel stronger than ever that my role in the criminal justice system is as critical as any time in history. Criminal defense attorneys represent the last hurdle against over-reaching by the government to take one's liberty. I find my role to be one of holding the government to their burden of proof using admissible evidence. I help people that are both under investigation, have been arrested and later charged. It is always critical to get a lawyer during the investigation phase in order...

LEGAL PHILOSOPHY

Thank you for inquiring about the Law Office of Michael E. Morris. I have been an attorney since 1994. I have been licensed in Florida since 1996 and New York since 1995. I like helping my clients to solve their legal matters, and I’m not afraid of the complex cases with multiple parties. I do like going to court, and I do like winning at court. However, I do realize that most cases, especially family cases, really have no clear winners or losers in the end. It is almost always in your best...

The Nazareth Law Firm is a boutique law firm which concentrates the majority of its practice on consumer bankruptcy and commercial litigation. We strive to provide our clients with the highest quality legal services. This website is dedicated to providing our clients with answers to nearly all their personal bankruptcy questions and concerns. However, please feel free to call any of our attorneys to schedule a consultation if further information is needed before filing bankruptcy or weighing your financial and legal options. We are centrally located in downtown Orlando and specialize in serving debtors out of the Federal Middle District of Florida...

Attorney Chavelys Y. Alers was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She specifically grew up in the towns of Vega Baja and Dorado. Attorney Alers is bilingual, as she is fluent in both English and Spanish. Two decades ago, Attorney Alers migrated from Puerto Rico to the mainland United States, Central Florida. Attorney Alers attended Boone High School and excelled, graduating with Honors. Attorney Alers is a proud alumnus of the University of Miami, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an associate’s degree in Music Business & Entertainment Industries. After several years in the workforce,...

Ms. Calta was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Staten Island, New York, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. John's University in 1988. In 1991, Ms. Calta graduated from Brooklyn Law School where she earned the American Jurisprudence Award in Evidence and immediately began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney with the Kings County District Attorneys' Office, where she litigated misdemeanor and felony trials. In October of 1994, Ms. Calta relocated to Florida and in 1995, began representing injured persons against insurance companies. Ms. Calta's zealous dedication to...

Julia McGrath is a civil trial attorney and personal injury lawyer at Dolman Law Group, a highly recognized Florida law firm. Her practice focuses on representing those who have been injured as the result of someone else's negligence, including personal injury, motorcycle collisions, traumatic brain injuries, wrongful death and insurance carrier bad faith. Julia is a graduate of The University of Tampa, earning a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Criminology. Before starting law school, Julia worked in the legal field gaining valuable insight into the area of insurance litigation and interned for the...

Carole Bess has been practicing law in Brevard County, Florida, in the area of Bankruptcy since 1990. She is the founding member of Bess & Freyberg, P.A. While Carole practiced in many areas of law until 1999, and appeared many times in the Fifth District Court of Appeals, she has concentrated her practice in Consumer Bankruptcy for the last thirteen years, and has been a Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney for twenty-two years. Carole was interviewed by Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes, in January 2012, and was featured in an episode of 60 Minutes,...

A full-time member of Michael T. Gibson, PA, Mr. Perez concentrates in the areas of personal injury involving automobile accidents, insurance litigation, and consumer bankruptcy. Mr. Perez always recognizes the significance of these cases on his clients' everyday lives, and handles each matter with dedication and care.

Orlando, Florida, and Winter Haven, Florida, attorney Michael J. LaPorte is Partner at Bloodworth Law, PLLC. Michael handles Personal Injury Protection litigation for the firm.

Michael, an Orlando native, has practiced Florida law since 1997. Michael graduated from The University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law. He studied political science and graduated with a B.A. from The University of Central Florida in 1994.

After more than two decades of litigating insurance cases, Michael understands that businesses and individuals want insurance companies to pay up. Now.

“I represent medical providers and policyholders in lawsuits against insurance companies for the recovery of first-party...