Brad is an experienced litigator who has handled a wide array of business, intellectual property, and class action disputes. He is consistently recognized by his peers as one of the leading business litigators in Florida. Brad is also a trusted advisor to clients who regularly turn to him to navigate complex business issues.

David is an experienced litigator who represents clients in complex business disputes, including shareholder disputes, derivative actions, contract disputes, and other business torts. David develops client-specific litigation strategies focused on achieving each client’s unique business and legal objectives. He also has significant experience litigating privacy and reputation disputes, and intellectual property matters in both state and federal court.

Tony has been practicing admiralty and maritime law for over thirty years and has been board certified for over twenty-five years. He handles a large array of admiralty and maritime matters as well as civil litigation. Tony handles Jones Act cases, Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act cases, maritime personal injury cases, collisions, allisions, cargo claims, pollution claims, environmental issues relative to clean water discharge, Coast Guard and OSHA investigations, and recreational boating accidents and injuries. He also represents mariners in licensing disputes before the United States Coast Guard and the Board of Pilot Commissioners. Additionally, he litigates disputes arising from commercial transactions, charter agreements, yacht sales and marina related issues and also transactions related to commercial shipping, charter agreements, ship repairs marinas, and yachts. Tony handles residential and commercial permit issues before the Tampa Port Authority (Port Tampa Bay, and the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County. Tony was raised in Manatee County, Florida where he spent years working on Beach Rescue. He enjoys water sports, swimming, surfing, and fishing. He spends his free time with his wife, Laurie, and their three children: Zoe, Zach and Lainie. Tony has hiked the Everest Trail and several other challenging hikes such as Mount Rainier, Guadalupe and Kings Peak.

An aggressive litigator, Karina Perez Ilić has diverse expertise in civil litigation including catastrophic workplace accidents, contracts, commercial disputes, premises liability, and Tampa motor vehicle accidents. She is not afraid to be a fierce advocate for clients who have been wronged or injured. A Florida native, she ventured to New Orleans to receive her bachelor’s degree in business law with a minor in French language at Tulane University. She continued her legal education in New Orleans, graduating from Loyola University in 2010 cum laude. Attorney Karina Perez Ilić is a member of the Florida State Bar and is admitted to practice in both the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and the Southern District. She is also a Certified Continuing Education Instructor in the State of Florida. As Managing Attorney at our firm, she is devoted to providing our clients with superior service to ensure that each of their unique needs have been met and that they have achieved the highest compensation possible. Se habla español.

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.

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.

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.

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.”