Stephen Bernhardt has been an attorney since he was 25 years old. Now, nearly a decade later, Bernhardt has extensive trial experience in both criminal and civil law. He began his legal career as a prosecutor, first handling misdemeanor offenses such as DUI, Battery, Possession of Controlled Substance, Violation of Injunction and many others. Bernhardt was quickly moved to a felony division and become the State Attorney’s Office’s representative for the county’s Drug Court Program. In this role, Bernhardt learned many techniques to help individuals overcome addictions as well as the differences between the many rehabilitation establishments throughout Florida. Prior to leaving the State Attorney’s Office, Bernhardt was the lead prosecutor in his division. Bernhardt conducted several jury trials that ended in convictions and sentences of more than thirty years, including a mandatory life in prison sentence. After leaving the State Attorney’s Office, Bernhardt began practicing civil law for one of the largest creditors’ rights firms in the United States. Bernhardt quickly became the lead litigating attorney for the firm’s Florida office and handled countless civil hearings and trials before leaving to start Bernhardt Law, PLLC. Bernhardt Law focuses on the practice areas of Criminal Defense, Personal Injury and Debt Defense. Using the knowledge gained throughout the years, Bernhardt Law is dedicated to making sure each client’s specific situation is handled with the utmost professionalism, attention to detail, and integrity.

Damian Ozark is a Practicing Business Lawyer based out of Brandenton, Florida.

Matt Shafran is a Managing Partner with the Weinstein Legal Team, overseeing the Criminal Defense Division across multiple offices throughout the state. His practice encompasses a wide spectrum of offenses, ranging from DUI and Domestic Violence to serious felonies like sex crimes, violent offenses, restraining orders, and Federal indictments. Raised in Parkland, Florida, Matt pursued his undergraduate degree in Criminology from Florida State University. He later earned his law degree from Nova Southeastern University. Throughout his legal career, Matt has been a passionate advocate for his clients and their families, firmly believing in an aggressive and strategic approach when life and liberty are on the line. With a decade of experience in the criminal justice system and over 55 trials under his belt, Matt comprehends the complexities of legal issues at various stages of a case. Having been a former prosecutor, he understands the prosecutor's tactics and employs a strategic approach to challenge their case while advocating for his clients. Recognized for his legal acumen, Matt holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating and has received several accolades, including nominations as a Rising Star for Super Lawyers and The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 for multiple years. He actively engages in professional associations, demonstrating his commitment to the legal community. Beyond his legal pursuits, Matt is deeply involved in coaching his sons, finding joy in their baseball and football games. His dedication to family is a cornerstone of his life, motivating him to help others rebuild and reunite with their own families.

Ben has 22 years of experience representing clients in serious personal injury matters, disputed property insurance claims and other civil matters where people have been damaged through various forms of bad behavior. He has also represented several insurance companies in state and federal litigation in Florida. He is admitted to practice in both Florida and New Jersey, where he first began practicing law after attending Rutgers University for both his law and undergraduate degrees. He was an editor of the Rutgers Law Review during law school. Some of Ben’s reported matters include: Plastic Surgery Center, PA v. Malouf Chevrolet – Cadillac, Inc., 457 N.J. Super. 565 (App. Div. 2019) (setting precedent on the statute of limitations for medical provider claims under New Jersey Workers’ Compensation statutes) Mehta v. Fairleigh Dickinson University, 530 Fed. App’x. 191 (3rd Cir. 2013) (reversing summary judgment granted to private university on plaintiff’s racial discrimination claim) Capodici v. City of Jersey City, 2005 WL 2452698 (D.N.J. 2005) (denying summary judgment to police officers on plaintiff’s civil rights claims arising from an unlawful arrest) Ben was also honored to have been selected to defend a sitting Superior Court Judge in New Jersey against charges of misconduct brought by other members of the judiciary. See, In The Matter Of Deborah M. Gross-Quatrone, Judge Of The Superior Court; SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT DOCKET NO: ACJC 2016-135. The formal charges against her sought removal from the bench but after a trial before a panel of the New Jersey Supreme Court in Trenton, the charges were reduced to a two-month suspension. Ben moved to Pinellas County in 2018 and became a member of the Florida bar. He began practicing at a large downtown Tampa firm handling complex insurance coverage matters before joining the Magazine & Light Law Group (now Light & Wyatt) in 2022. Ben enjoys spending time with his family and friends, playing golf, and enjoying the rest of Tampa Bay

Spencer Golden is an associate at K/S Attorneys at Law who handles legal matters in the area of criminal law, tax controversy, tax planning, business structuring/planning, asset protection, estate planning, probate, bankruptcy, and real estate representing individuals and their businesses.

John J. Torikashvili is a practicing lawyer in the state of Florida.

Octavio “Tav” Gomez is a managing partner at The Consumer Lawyers. Previously he served as the Head of the Consumer Protection Department of Morgan & Morgan. He has represented Thousands of across the Nation. Mr. Gomez has earned a reputation for aggressive and dedicated representation in complex civil litigation. As an attorney, he is constantly striving to become a more educated and informed legal professional, and readily attends legal seminars and conferences to ensure his continuing legal education. Tav Gomez and his consumer team at Morgan and Morgan were recognized as “The Consumer Protection Group of the year” by Law360. Originally from Colombia, South America, Mr. Gomez moved to the United States as a child. He was raised in in Fort Lauderdale, FL and attended Florida State University for his undergraduate studies. After earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, he went on to earn his Juris Doctorate at the Florida State University College of Law. While attending law school, Mr. Gomez served as an intern with the Agency for Health Care Administration. After graduating law school, Mr. Gomez began working as a state prosecutor at the State Attorney’s office in Tampa, Florida. As a prosecuting attorney, he handled a multitude of felony cases, including habitual felony offender, 10-20-Life cases, grand theft, and trafficking cases. Mr. Gomez moved on from the State Attorney’s office in 2003 to become a named partner with Taracks, Gomez & Rickman, practicing primarily in the area of criminal defense and personal injury. During his tenure at the firm, he handled high profile cases including 1st-degree murder, vehicular homicide, complex mortgage fraud, extradition and tax fraud. Mr. Gomez has also handled civil and administrative cases involving the Federal Trade Commission, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Gomez’s became the National Head of the Consumer Protection at Morgan & Morgan and focuses primarily on Federal Litigation, on the FCRA, FDCPA, TCPA, and other consumer issues. He uses this extensive knowledge and experience in the courtroom, all to the benefit of his clients. Mr. Gomez has developed an invaluable understanding of the discovery phase and trial preparation. He has represented high profile cases in both Federal and State Court. Mr. Gomez has been involved in some of the largest individual settlement agreements in FCRA and TCPA cases around the nation. He has a deep understanding of the policies and procedures employed by most banks and debt collectors and has mastered credit reporting as instituted by Congress in relation to the FCRA. Mr. Gomez is a member of the Florida Bar, the Georgia Bar, The Pennsylvania Bar and numerous Federal Courts throughout the Country. He is fluent in Spanish and has served as lead attorney in more than 60 jury trials and hundreds of bench trials, in both Federal and State Courts. With over 20 years of legal experience, he handles cases with strategic aggressiveness to maximize case results.

Glenn R. Roderman hails from the town of Port Jervis, New York, but he has been a resident of South Florida for several decades. Mr. Roderman obtained his Juris Doctorate in Law from Stetson University in 1972, and he has been practicing law in the state of Florida since that time. Mr. Roderman was admitted to the Florida Bar and to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, in 1972. In 1975, Mr. Roderman was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Roderman started his career as an assistant state attorney, serving in the Broward County State Attorney’s Office in 1973 and 1974. He later served as Associate Municipal Judge in the town of Davie, from 1974 to 1976, and then in North Lauderdale, from 1975 to 1977. Mr. Roderman started his own legal practice in the early 1980’s. He continues to serve as a respected legal analyst for ABC News Channel 10, WPLG, in Miami. With over 40 years experience in the Criminal Justice System as a former Judge, State Prosecutor, and Criminal Defense Attorney, Mr. Roderman is available to other attorneys as a Mentor or a Coach on any or all of their criminal cases. It is that experience, Mr. Roderman says, that matters as much as any law degree when it comes to representing someone in a criminal court. Mr. Roderman says he believes many newer attorneys seem to have given less credence to experience, believing that education, alone, qualifies them to practice good law. As he says in this video from his Spoken Law series, Mr. Roderman points out experience and education are both required for qualified legal representation.

I am a veteran of the United States Air Force and served as an Assistant State Attorney for over three years in both Lee and Charlotte County. During these years, I handled thousands of criminal cases ranging from DUIs and other misdemeanors to complex felony economic crimes and sex crimes. This afforded me invaluable trial experience as well as allowing me the ability to learn the inner workings of the Judicial System. I have since decided to refocus my efforts on serving the community by protecting the rights of those accused of criminal offenses. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems from City University of Seattle and an M.B.A. from the University of Colorado. After years of work as a software engineer, I chose to pursue a degree in law and graduated with Honors from Ave Maria School of Law in 2017. While in law school, I gained experience in Criminal Law through an internship with the US Attorney’s Office in Fort Myers and worked with a firm in Naples, focusing on litigation involving real-estate and investment disputes. I look forward to using my knowledge, experience, and determination to help you get past whatever legal hurdle happens to be in your way.

Gregory Kirschenbaum is a Partner at the law firm of Phillips and Associates who can handle the full spectrum of cases arising from violations of workplace rights. Mr. Kirschenbaum is passionate about helping people who need a sexual harassment lawyer or assistance with another claim and has recovered millions of dollars for his clients through pre-suit negotiations, litigation, and trial. He is passionate about advocating on behalf of those in need and uses his years of litigation experience, as well as his mastery of the law, to obtain the best results possible for his clients.