Mascotte Lawyers

Alain Rivas’ desire to focus exclusively on criminal and traffic defense led him to join forces with Robert Skubiak in 1999 to form Skubiak & Rivas, P.A. Since then, the firm has evolved into Central Florida’s most recognizable one of its type, gaining the majority of its clients from referrals by former clients—the highest form of flattery.

Before forming Skubiak & Rivas, he served as legal counsel for Joelo Inc. in Orlando. Rivas also worked in various capacities for the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office.

Rivas graduated from Rollins College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. He then earned...

Roddy B. Lanigan, a partner at Winter Park law firm Lanigan & Lanigan, P.L., counsels businesses and high net worth individuals on legal issues including appeals, white collar crime, real estate, civil and business, bankruptcy, securities and investment losses. Roddy Lanigan has a unique perspective on, and approach to, the delivery of legal services given the breadth of transactions in which he has participated for clients. Prior to starting Lanigan & Lanigan with his father, Roddy worked within the Financial Services Practice Group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLC in Washington, D.C. At Skadden, he...

Deborah Carroll grew up in central Florida, raised her family in central Florida and committed her practice to her hometown area. She graduated in 1999 from University of South Florida with a B.A. in Business Management. In 2002, Ms. Carroll graduated from Stetson University with her MBA and Stetson University College of Law with her JD. Following law school, Ms. Carroll worked as an Assistant Public Defender with the 10th Judicial Circuit in Bartow, Florida, with both felony and misdemeanor cases. In 2005, Ms. Carroll went into private practice with a well known law firm in Lakeland, FL...

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.

Allan Ziffra has been a personal injury attorney since 1988. His entire legal career has been representing victims of serious personal injury claims. Allan handles motorcycle accidents, auto accidents, truck accidents, aviation crashes, train accidents and other serious personal injury claims.

For more than 12 years, civil trial attorney Michael A. Serrano, Esquire has handled personal injury, employment law, insurance claim disputes and wrongful death cases in Wesley Chapel, Tampa, and throughout Florida. He brings big firm experience right to your neighborhood.

Jessica Foster is a personal injury attorney with Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, serving Gainesville, FL, and Ocala, FL. She has almost a decade of experience helping victims of motor vehicle accidents, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and truck accidents; as well as other personal injury cases, such as premises liability, slip and falls, construction accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, product defects, and other accidents. A “double Gator,” attorney Jessica earned her Bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctor from the University of Florida. During law school, she completed extensive studies in intellectual property law. She also worked as a research...

Tiffani K. Thornton is a solo practitioner in Tampa, Florida. Her primary areas of practice and expertise are estate planning, business transactions, real estate and real property. Ms. Thornton is a former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida, where she managed cases from intake through trial preparation, including making regular court appearances and arguments on behalf of a state agency. While a student at USF St. Petersburg she launched her mother’s senior care business, worked as a Legal Assistant for an attorney representing Homeowners and Condominium Associations, and interned for local and state-level political campaigns. During law school,...

Sarah hails from Upstate New York and is a Yankee at heart, though she relocated to Florida over a decade ago. After high school, she moved to New York City to attend Fordham University. While living in the Big Apple, she gained experience through several jobs, including interning for The Fresh Air Fund, tutoring disadvantaged children in the Bronx through the America Reads Challenge program, and working on a congressional campaign, to name a few. During her junior year, she traveled to Ireland for a six month study abroad program and studied Celtic History and International Economics at University...

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.

DeLand Attorney Richard "Jake" Jackson has been in private practice in Volusia County, Florida since 1985. Practice areas include Criminal Law, Adoptions, Juvenile & Family Law, Civil Cases, Estate Planning and Probate. CRIMINAL LAW: As a criminal defense lawyer with over 25 years experience in State and Federal Court, Jake Jackson has extensive experience handling drug cases, DUI's, violent crimes, property crimes, and sex offenses. Mr. Jackson is a member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. ADOPTIONS: As an adoption attorney and intermediary, Jake Jackson provides professional and compassionate service to birth mothers and adoptive families for both...

WORK EXPERIENCE Board Certified as a Criminal Trial Specialist by the Florida bar (1999-Present) BOSWELL & DUNLAP, LLP Bartow FL. Partner, Litigation Specialist, 2004 - Present OFFICE OF THE STATE ATTORNEY, TENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, Tallahassee, FL Assistant State Attorney, Special Prosecution Director. EDUCATION COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Board of Directors Bartow Women’s Care Center, (2009 to Present) Board of Directors, Chairman, Heartland for Children. (2010 to Present) Tenth Judicial Circuit Professionalism Committee (2005-Present) Bartow Chamber of Commerce, Board of...

Spiro’s professional background includes estate planning and probate, elder law, corporate and business law, real estate and closings, intellectual property, civil litigation of all types, with wide experience in admiralty and environmental law, serious personal injury and probate litigation. He has handled class actions, consumer protection, and privacy matters, and was the first attorney to sue Microsoft in the In Re Microsoft Consumer Antitrust Litigation. He has also pursued claims against major financial institutions on behalf of defrauded customers, and he has tirelessly championed civil rights suits. A native of Tarpon Springs, Florida, Spiro was formerly a partner at Jones, Verras...

Experience Unrivaled Service in the Immigration Law Field! The story of the American Dream Law Office PLLC starts with the dream of a young Lebanese man coming to the United States to become an attorney. This young man persevered against long odds. He attended Stetson University and received the best education one could receive. In 2011, he became a member of the Florida Bar, opening the door to helping immigrants like himself achieve their lifelong dreams of becoming Americans. That young man experienced what it is like to be away from his family. The young man’s name was Ahmad Yakzan,...

Ryan graduated with a B.S. in Legal Studies from the University of Central Florida. A Florida Bright Futures Scholarship recipient and Dean’s List honoree, he then began a career in business and sales management. Having a strong desire to advocate and continue with his legal career, he attended Barry College of Law in Orlando, Florida. While attending law school on an academic scholarship, Ryan worked as a law clerk in an established criminal defense firm. He additionally participated in an internship with the Osceola County Attorney’s Office and a judicial externship under Circuit Judge Jenifer M....

Paul A. Meissner was born in New York and moved to Florida with his family as a child. He is a graduate of Clearwater High School. He co-founded the Carlson & Meissner law firm with Edward Carlson in 1971. Paul and his wife Jayne have five children & thirteen grandchildren. They enjoy boating and traveling. In the past, Paul and Jayne have traveled extensively by motorcycle.

The founding attorney of Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, Attorney Bill Allen has been practicing personal injury law in North Central Florida for twenty-three years. He graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law after playing college football for the University of Florida Gators in Gainesville. At Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, Bill utilizes his experience and legal training to “even the playing field” for the firm’s clients. Bill attended the University of Florida on a football scholarship. He graduated with high honors in 1983 while lettering for the Gator football team. During the next six years,...

Dylan Cappello is the managing attorney at Cappello Legal's office in his hometown of Winter Haven practicing in the area of personal injury, first party property claims, and family law.
?
Mr. Cappello obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Government and World Affairs with a minor in Philosophy from the University of Tampa. While continuing his education full-time, Dylan also continued to work in several personal injury firms throughout the Bay area. While in undergraduate, Mr. Cappello was also a member of UT's Moot Court Board where he competed in national competitions.
?
After graduation, Mr. Cappello immediately attended Stetson University College of Law...

Victor is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum whose membership is limited to trial lawyers who have achieved verdicts or settlements or in excess of $1,000,000. In 2011, Victor was selected by Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite. He has been a member of the Florida Justice Association (formerly the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers) for 25 years and an Eagle member for over 20 years. Victor is a longtime member of Florida Workers’ Advocates which is an organization designed to protect and defend the workers of this state, particularly those that are injured. He is a member of...

Attorney Pichardo-Riestra is the Owner and Managing Attorney of Pichardo-Riestra Law. She is a former psychologist who has worked with children, juveniles, and adults. As a Psychologist Specialist working for the Department of Corrections, Mrs. Pichardo-Riestra provided Mental Health services to incarcerated females housed in General Population, Closed Management, and Death Row.

After years in psychology, Mrs. Pichardo-Riestra decided to pursue a career in Law. She attended Florida A&M University where she concentrated on Criminal Defense while participating at the FAMU Criminal Defense Clinic. Mrs. Pichardo-Riestra also interned with the Public Defender's Office for the Fifth Circuit in...

Adam Czaya is an Attorney at the Keith Taylor Law Group, P.A. His fields of practice primarily include Probate and Estate Administration, Wills and Trusts, and Fiduciary Litigation. Attorney Czaya attended the University of Florida, where he obtained a BA in History, and a BA in Russian. After graduation from the University of Florida in 2007, he earned his JD from Stetson University College of Law and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2011. He was admitted to the Maine Bar in 2019. Attorney Czaya joined the Keith Taylor Law Group in 2011. He is a member of the Florida Bar,...

Growing up in Central Florida, Mr. Bailey decided to stay local when pursuing a higher education. Attending the University of Central Florida, Mr. Bailey obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice in 2012. While completing this degree and afterwards, Mr. Bailey worked for a large firm handling Bankruptcy cases for those who had fallen on hard times, especially those caused by the mortgage crisis. Mr. Bailey was inspired to go to law school by the work and dedication of the attorneys he worked with for years. Mr. Bailey obtained his Juris Doctorate in December 2016.
Mr. Bailey focuses his...

Heather M. Meglino serves as General Counsel for Quality One Wireless and is the chief legal officer for the organization. She has broad experience counseling clients in areas spanning every aspect of business and commercial law, including contracts, complex business litigation, fraud-misrepresentation, employment law, intellectual property, and licensing. Heather was previously Founder at Meglino Law, a law firm focused on business and commercial law. Additionally, Heather litigated cases including employment discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, overtime and unpaid wages, FMLA leave and disability issues, employment contracts, whistleblower and other employment law claims under various state and federal laws. She is licensed...

Matthew Sean Tucker is a Registered Patent Attorney holding a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Central Florida. Furthermore, Matthew received his J.D. at the University Of Baltimore School Of Law with a dual concentration in intellectual property law and business law. He is also a member of the Florida Bar, and an inventor of several patent pending inventions.

Brian D. Tadros, Esquire is a long-time Florida resident. He was raised in Jacksonville, FL, which will always be his home. He graduated from the University of North Florida in 2000 before attending law school at Florida Coastal School of Law. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 2004.

Before even attending law school, Mr. Tadros worked as a legal assistant for a plaintiff firm in Jacksonville, Florida handling nothing but workers’ compensation cases. In 2006, he relocated to the Central Florida area and began working for a regional, multi-state defense firm doing nothing but defending...

Veronica Anderson, Esq. is the founding shareholder of Anderson and Associates, P.A.. She started the firm in 2000, after serving 12 years in the government at the local and state levels. Schedule your consultation with Mrs. Anderson today!

I am a Board Certified workers' compensation attorney who has been representing injured workers for over 20 years. I have tried hundreds of cases through trial to secure the benefits to which my clients are legally entitled. I am a member of Florida Workers' Advocates and the William Wieland Inn of Court.

With over 29 years of trial experience, attorney Michael Herring has zealously represented those that have been accused of all crimes, the injured and small business interests in all state courts of Central Florida. Herring and Herring P.A., a third generation Sanford Fl Law Firm, is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, conveniently located in the County Seat of Sanford, Seminole County, Florida. As a criminal defense lawyer, Michael Herring has been representing the accused for more than two decades in Central Florida. He handles a wide variety of cases ranging from high profile felonies to simple misdemeanors. Mr. Herring...

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...

Darrin T. Mish is a Nationally recognized Attorney whose practice focuses on representing clients across the United States with IRS Problems. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbel and is a member of the American Society of IRS Problem Solvers and the Tax Freedom Institute. He has been honored by a listing in Martindale-Hubbel's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. His passion is providing IRS help to taxpayers with both individual and payroll tax problems. He also spends a great deal of time traveling the nation providing training to attorneys, CPAs and Enrolled Agents how to handle their toughest cases with the...

Attorney Richard Troutman was raised in Orlando and has lived in the area his entire life. He has been practicing law for over 30 years, establishing himself as one of the leading personal injury attorneys in Florida. He personally handles every aspect of his cases and offers his clients rare accessibility and availability at all times.

A Florida and New Jersey licensed attorney with over ten years of experience using an exemplary understanding of law to solve clients' problems, improve their operations, and further develop their business plans with effective outside-the-box strategies. Facilitates and implements innovative ideas through objective analysis, as demonstrated by the establishment of new standards in the sports and entertainment industry. Counsels commercial clients on legal business strategy – from idea to inception – during all stages of the business lifecycle, from start-up to maturity.

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...

I was born and raised in Tampa, where I attended Thomas Jefferson High School and earned a certificate from the International Academy of Law and Criminal Justice. My academic journey led me to Florida State University, where I pursued an undergraduate degree in Communications. During my time at FSU, I was actively involved in the Black Student Union Political Action Committee, Golden Key Honor Society, National Society for Collegiate Scholars, and Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society. After completing my degree, I attended Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida. There, I studied various areas of law, including bankruptcy, family law,...

David Haenel protects the rights of the accused. His firm,The Law Place, has offices in Sarasota, Tampa, Orlando, and Clearwater but they represent people throughout the State of Florida. David is the former 2004 State of Florida DUI Prosecutor of the Year and has spent his entire legal career representing individuals charged with traffic and criminal traffic violations. David and his team of lawyers are relentless in their legal representation and are not satisfied until they have exhausted all possible defenses.

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...

Attorney Hillary Johnson is a former prosecutor who brings experience and exceptional legal knowledge to each case she tries. She holds a degree in communication from Florida State University and Juris Doctor from the Jones School of Law at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama. While she was in law school, Ms. Johnson completed an internship with the State Attorney’s Office in Panama City. After graduation, she worked as an attorney with Florida’s Department of Children and Families before accepting a position at the State Attorney’s Office in Manatee County and Sarasota. It was while she was at the...

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...