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.

John K. Carter has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, which includes working for a law firm (Skadden Arps), a federal regulator (SEC), and leading companies (Franklin Templeton, Citigroup, and Transamerica). With this wealth of experience, John helps clients, big or small, to resolve their legal issues. John provides consulting to companies on a host of issues, including acquisitions, outsourcing, vendor selection, systems integration, governance issues, industry trends, and product development. John also serves as an independent director of a growing mutual fund complex. Previously, John served as Chairman, President, and CEO of a $50 billion asset management company consisting of approximately 120 funds and 35 investment sub-advisers. John served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer prior to being promoted to the helm of the asset management company. John graduated with a B.S. in Commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce of the University of Virginia, where he concentrated in Finance. He received a law degree from the University Of Virginia School Of Law, where he was a member of the Managing Board of the Virginia Tax Review. He is currently a member of the Florida Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, and the Virginia State Bar. John currently is obtaining a Master of Theology from Saint Leo University, Dade City, Florida.

Admitted to the practice of Law in the state of Florida and the Federal Court for the Middle District of Florida, Trescot Gear is an aggressive litigator as well as an able legal counselor. Mr. Gear enjoys helping his clients find both legal and practical solutions for their short and long-term needs. Trescot Gear is a member of The Florida Bar, the Florida Bar Labor and Employment Law Section, and the Florida Bar’s Young Lawyers Division. He is a current member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association and the Hillsborough County Bar Association Ethics and Professionalism Committee. Mr. Gear was recently granted admission as a Florida Supreme Court-certified Arbitrator. Trescot Gear is also Of Counsel at Ayo & Iken, a highly respected Tampa/St. Petersburg area civil litigation firm. Mr. Gear holds a Juris Doctor degree from Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, FL and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He is a member of Phi Alpha Delta and Pi Sigma Alpha National Honor Society.