With nearly a decade of experience in high-stakes litigation and public service, Mary E. Castillo brings a powerful blend of trial acumen, leadership, and strategic legal insight to Gilbert Garcia Group, P.A. As a former Assistant State Attorney for Hillsborough County, she has prosecuted some of the most serious felony offenses—including homicides, gang-related violence, and sex crimes—developing a reputation for integrity, meticulous preparation, and courtroom excellence. During her tenure at the State Attorney’s Office, Mary litigated more than 35 felony jury trials to verdict and led a felony division as Deputy Chief, supervising a team of attorneys and support staff while managing a demanding felony caseload. She has also handled juvenile, misdemeanor and traffic, domestic violence and violation of probation (VOP) dockets, making her an exceptionally well-rounded advocate with deep knowledge of Florida’s criminal justice system from intake to adjudication. A graduate of Notre Dame Law School, Mary served as Executive Articles Editor for the Notre Dame Journal of Legislation and published a scholarly note on Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. She earned the Dean’s Award for Professional Responsibility and was active in leadership roles with the Hispanic Law Students Association and the Future Prosecuting Attorney’s Council. She also studied abroad at Notre Dame’s prestigious London Law Centre. In addition to her legal expertise, Mary is pursuing an MBA from the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business, with a concentration in Compliance, Risk, and Anti-Money Laundering—bringing valuable and practical business knowledge to her legal practice. Mary is passionate about justice, client advocacy, and delivering exceptional legal outcomes, making her an invaluable asset to our firm and the clients we serve. We are thrilled to have her join Gilbert Garcia Group as a Litigation Attorney and Commercial Collections Supervisor.”

Ydelmis Cutino is admitted to the Florida Bar (2024). She matriculated at the W.M.U. Cooley Law School (J.D., 2021), and the University of South Florida (B.A., Business Science Management, 2018) and is certified as a Florida Notary Signing Agent, Remote Online Notary Agent, and Microsoft Office Specialist. Ydelmis joined the firm in 2021, serving Gilbert Garcia Group as a law clerk and Sapphire Title & Escrow Company as a title processor. With a strong commitment to the field, Ydelmis actively contributes to the legal and real estate communities through her writing, regularly crafting insightful articles and blogs that educate, inform, and engage readers. Ydelmis credits her interest in real property law for leading to her involvement in real estate transactions, including that of title and escrow practices. Ydelmis is bilingual in Spanish and English. She was born and raised in Miami, Florida and is of Cuban descent. Ydelmis notes, “Faith, determination, and persistence are the three keys to my life.”

Michelle Gilbert is admitted to the Florida Bar (1986), Washington, D.C. Bar (2020), Middle District of Florida (1988), Northern District of Florida (2005), Southern District of Florida (2006), U.S. Supreme Court (2000), and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (2003). She matriculated at the University of South Florida (B.A., 1982, cum laude), and the University of Notre Dame Law School (J.D., 1985). She is a member of the following associations: Greater Tampa Association of Realtors; Bay Area Real Estate Council, Inc., Board of Directors; Hillsborough County Bar Association (Real Property, Probate and Trust Law; Solo and Small Firm; and Military and Veteran Sections); Florida Bar (Real Property, Probate and Trust Law; Business; and Solo and Small Firm Sections- Executive Council); American Legal and Financial Network; Legal League 100 (Vice Chairperson, 2016-19; Advisory Council Member, 2014-19; Special Initiatives Working Group, 2017- present); National Association of Default Professionals; Attorney Agent, Westcor Land Title Insurance Company and The Fund. She has managed the firm’s expansion into probate, estate planning, guardianship, civil litigation, business transaction and commercial collections, and oversees Sapphire Title & Escrow Company, launched in 2015. She is court approved counsel for guardianship cases in the Florida Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Michelle has practiced real estate and business law since 1989, specializing in default servicing legal work, including litigated foreclosures, real estate closings, evictions, and commercial litigation. She works closely with the default industry by speaking at webinars and conferences, writing for industry publications, and consulting on various issues relevant to the industry. She was named 2021 Top 25 Women of Law by DS News, as well as selected as one of MReport’s 2015 and 2018 Leading Ladies. She taught the Florida Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Certified Process Servers Course from 1993 to 2014, and has written the chapter on service of process in real estate cases for the Florida Bar, since 2010.

Mr. Cruz Carino achieved his Doctor of Jurisprudence, from Stetson University College of Law. Before that, he received his Bachelor of Arts, finishing in the top ten percent of his class, from The University of Florida. He served as a Certified State Intern in the State’s Attorney’s Office, where he tried more than ten cases, and was also privileged to serve as a Federal Judicial Intern to the Honorable District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich, of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Upon graduation, Mr. Cruz worked as a Judicial Staff Attorney for four years in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court. From there, he served as a Senior Assistant Attorney General from 2001-2012, handling criminal appeals and collateral petitions on behalf of the State of Florida. Mr. Cruz has argued before the Second District Court of Appeal, the Fifth District Court of Appeal and the Florida Supreme Court. He is admitted to practice in all Florida State Courts, and is also admitted to practice in the Middle District of Florida. He is fluent in Spanish, and has taught as an adjunct professor at Saint Petersburg College. He currently heads the Appellate Section of The Pendas Law Firm and is the (interim) Managing Attorney for the Tampa office. He oversees all appellate matters and provides litigation support to attorneys throughout the firm. Additionally, he handles his own litigation case load. His practice focuses on general civil litigation, appeals and trial support. Mr. Cruz guides all appeals from the filing of a notice of appeal through the filing of a motion to recall mandate.

Solano Law Firm is located in Atlanta, Georgia working in primary practice areas of immigration, family, and criminal law. Clients’ needs are our first priority at Solano Law Firm. If you need an immigration lawyer, our team provide first class strategies and seek the best results for each of our clients. At Solano Law Firm we work diligently to keep our clients well informed to provide peace of mind. We believe in educating our clients, showing them positive and negative aspects of their case. Informed clients make decisions in line with their objectives and goals. We are Atlanta lawyers serving English and Spanish speaking clients. Founded by a bilingual English-Spanish speaking lawyer, our clients benefit from our fluency. We work with individuals, families, and companies throughout the United States.

Attorney Michael “Mike” Ziegler represents consumers and business owners in resolving their difficult debts using bankruptcy, defending collection lawsuits, foreclosure defense, and suing lenders and debt collectors for illegal activities. Mike’s focus is to understand his client’s situation to find the right remedy for them – seeking a solution that is aimed to take the least amount of time, cost, and impact to resolve the problem in front of them

If you are facing overwhelming debt in the greater Tampa Bay Florida area, relief begins by consulting with an experienced bankruptcy attorney at the bankruptcy law firm of Scott A. Rosin. Attorney Scott A. Rosin has assisted thousands of Tampa Bay area clients since 1992. Scott A. Rosin began his career by consumer bankruptcies, for the last 24 years, he has focused exclusively on consumer bankruptcies. Attorney Scott A. Rosin has the experience, knowledge, and skill to guide you through difficult financial circumstances, whether you choose to file for bankruptcy or wish to pursue other debt relief strategies. As a result of attorney Scott A. Rosin’s excellent work for bankruptcy clients and his service to colleagues in the greater Tampa Bay legal community, the bankruptcy firm of Scott A. Rosin Law is recognized as one where clients can obtain sound legal advice regarding their legal financial troubles in Tampa Bay.

At Cauthen, Oldham & Associates, P.A., we have been helping people with a wide variety of legal issues since 1972. Attorney David E. Cauthen formerly served as an Assistant State Attorney and as a City Attorney for Umatilla. Serving in those roles and the decades he has spent helping people has taught him how to build highly effective cases. He uses his experience to create tailored solutions that truly help his clients through the most difficult and complex situations. Attorney David E. Cauthen understands how life-changing the consequences of these cases can be. With more than 40 years of experience, you can be confident in how he handles your case. He has extensive experience and knowledge in a number of practice areas. He will bring this expertise to any negotiating table or courtroom and advocate for you at every step. With Mr. Cauthen on your side, your case will have the best chance for success. Hiring a lawyer like Mr. Cauthen is the first step to success in your legal situation. Schedule a consultation with us today, and we can guarantee reasonable rates, personalized solutions and constant accessibility.

Melissa R. Pendergrass focuses exclusively on family law, with a focus on alternative dispute resolution and collaborative practice. Ms. Pendergrass has been practicing law since 2005. She is a native Floridian who grew up in Central Florida. She is a graduate of Tavares High School, Valencia Community College, the University of Central Florida, and FAMU College of Law. Prior to starting her law career, she worked as a paramedic in an emergency room and as an adjunct instructor in the Emergency Medical Services program at Lake Tech in Eustis, FL. After law school, she started her career as a prosecutor in the State Attorney’s Office in Lake County where she prosecuted both misdemeanor and felony cases. Her caseload included major cases such as drug trafficking and DUI manslaughter. Ms. Pendergrass continued her prosecutorial career in Citrus County where she prosecuted felony cases including computer crimes and major drug crimes. While at the State Attorney’s Office, Ms. Pendergrass participated as a chair in the Gang Task Force, continued teaching both in the areas of EMS and law enforcement, and took a hands-on approach with her cases participating in search warrants and undercover/covert investigations. After leaving the State Attorney’s Office, Ms. Pendergrass joined the law firm of Robert Christensen where she practiced criminal defense and family law. She continued her focus on those areas of law when she joined the Law Office of Melissa Militello in 2016, where she practiced until December 2022. In September 2022, Ms. Pendergrass started her firm, A Better Direction Law, LLC. It is a family-focused law firm seeking to meet the needs of families in their legal challenges. It is a completely virtual law firm with a variety of payment options aimed at meeting the needs of the people and offering alternatives and access to legal help that may not have been as available previously.

Jerrold E. Slutzky, J.D., CFP® is a Florida-licensed Attorney at Law and owner of The Slutzky Law Firm, which focuses primarily on Estate Planning Services (wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, health care surrogate designations, living wills, probate, etc.) and Small Business Legal Services (start-ups, buy-sell agreements, drafting of legal documents, contract negotiations, and general business law, counseling, and advice. Mr. Slutzky received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Finance from the University of Illinois (Champaign/Urbana), and a Juris Doctor Degree in Law from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. In 1977, Jerry obtained his Illinois law license and opened his own law firm in Chicago, which focused on small business law and family financial matters such as estate, retirement, and tax planning, as well as many other areas of the law. In 1988, he and his family decided to move away from the Chicago winters to the Florida sunshine. He placed his Illinois law license on inactive status, and pursued a career in the financial services industry in Tampa for over 20 years, and in that capacity, he obtained his Series 7 (General Securities), Series 63 (Uniform State Exam), Series 65 (Investment Advisor Representative), and Florida insurance licenses (Life, Variable Life, and Health). In addition, in 1999, Jerry obtained his designation as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(TM). Although he had previously retired from the practice of law in Illinois, he yearned to be able to use all of his knowledge and experience, both in legal as well as financial matters to better serve the needs of his clients. Inspired by his father, who practiced law until he was 96 years of age, Jerry decided to resume the practice of law in Florida in 2012. He limits his legal practice to matters pertaining to estate planning, small business law, and general legal counsel and advice. In addition, with the combination of over 40 years experience in the legal and investment arenas, he also serves as an arbitrator in adjudicating investor disputes before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the largest independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States. Jerry is also author of "My 'Everything' File," which is a 330 page workbook containing guides to help you provide your loved ones with everything they need to know about you, your assets, your debts, your medical history, your family history, and much more. It is available for purchase at www.MyEverythingFile.com as well as on Amazon.com. An online course and workbook version is available at www.MyEverythingFile.net/JSlutzky. When not in the office or out giving educational lectures, Jerry loves ballroom dancing with his wife, Helen, and is an active supporter of community theater in the Tampa Bay area, where he can often be found performing on stage in one Broadway musical or another. It has been said that “every lawyer is a frustrated actor,” and Jerry’s avocation lends credence to that statement. If you belong to an organization which would like Jerry to provide an interesting, entertaining, and extremely informative educational lecture, please call him or send him a note.