Bankruptcy & Debt

Marcos D. Oliva was born in San Antonio, Texas and moved to McAllen where he attended James “Nikki” Rowe High School. After graduation he attended Texas A&M University in College Station on full scholarship where he majored in Biomedical Science. After college graduation he attended law school at John Marshall Law School in Chicago, IL. He has been back in Texas since 2004 and now practices consumer and business bankruptcy law. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas, the United States District and Bankruptcy Courts in the Southern District of Texas, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Justin L. Lawrence is the managing partner of Lawrence & Associates, the successful law firm he founded in 2005. Along the way, Justin has started and built up the firm’s practice areas in personal injury, worker’s compensation, social security, wrongful death, and bankruptcy. Justin is a 2002 Cum Laude graduate of the University of Kentucky with Bachelor degrees in Accounting and Business Administration. While at the University of Kentucky, he was awarded the prestigious Woodson B. Gudgell scholarship. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law in 2005. In law school, he served as Vice President of the SBA and Justice of Phi Alpha Delta’s Hoffman Chapter. Justin was also honored with the Alex P. Hotchkiss Award for outstanding Chapter Justice, and the Hoffman Chapter was awarded the international Stanley H. Kohn Award for best chapter. Justin has years of experience in making sure his clients recover or save the maximum amount possible under the circumstances of their case. Sometimes this means representing injured men and women in civil cases against insurance companies and large corporations. Sometimes it means saving a family’s home. Regardless of the case, Justin is responsible for over one hundred million dollars paid to his clients in settlements and verdicts, paid in ongoing benefits, and saved from shady creditors. More importantly, Justin is passionate about the idea that law firms should provide better customer service, and has ensured that his firm is more responsive than its peers, with a higher staff to client ratio than other large plaintiff’s personal injury practices.

Josh Mitchell graduated from Jacksonville State University in 1996 and studied law at the Birmingham School of Law where he graduated in 2000. He was a Law Clerk for the Honorable N. Daniel Rogers Jr., Circuit Court Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit of Alabama from 1997 to 2001. He then joined as a partner with Bouloukos, Oglesby and Mitchell. He is a former Public Defender for the City of Leeds, Alabama and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Alabama Bar Association, the Alabama Association for Justice, the Birmingham Bar Association, and is a member of the Small Firm Section and the Bankruptcy Section of the BBA.

If you are reading this information, there is a good chance you need highly qualified legal representation. Our firm has been providing such representation in Central Florida since 1990. Our goal has always been to provide a very high degree of experienced representation for a reasonable fee. Our firm's areas of focus are Family Law, Consumer Bankruptcy (Chapter 7 & 13), and Estate Planning (Wills, Trusts, Probate). However, if we cannot assist you, due to it not being in our area of practice, we will endeavor to provide a referral to you. We encourage prospective clients to schedule an initial consultation, so you can meet with our attorney; and most consultations are free of charge.

Atrorney Imblum is admitted to practice in the United States Circuit for the Third Circuit of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Attorney Imblum is also admitted to practice before all Pennsylvania State Courts.

Finishing his undergraduate degree at The State University of New York at Oswego, William Galarza went on to St. John’s University to earn his Juris Doctor degree. Admitted in the State of New York in 1986, he’s been practicing law for nearly 30 years, helping hundreds of clients and winning countless cases. In 2001, he was admitted in the State of New Jersey, going on to earn his Master’s Degree in Taxation from Fairleigh Dickenson University. In 2004 he went on to the State of Florida. Along with bankruptcy, Mr. Galarza also specializes in foreclosure defense, DWI and DUI law, criminal law, family and divorce law, trust and estate law, and personal injury law. Our lawyers have extensive knowledge, experience, and versatility. The Sarasota lawyers at Galarza Law Firm are dedicated to bettering the lives of our clients. Open, understanding and willing to do whatever it takes to help, our greatest success is seeing our clients succeed. Whether that means helping them plan for their financial future, giving them a clean start, or helping them get what they deserve, we are always in your corner, ready to serve. We employ some of the most professional and experienced bankruptcy lawyers in the Sarasota, FL area. To give you your best chance, we will discuss your case and your options at no cost to you, so you have the paths laid out in front of you and a law firm ready to walk any of them with you. Contact us today and get a free consultation, and get Sarasota’s leading bankruptcy attorney on your side.

Ron has, over the last decade, assisted clients by planning and designing settlements to address future needs and ensure any government benefits are protected. He has been involved in settlements involving personal injury, workers’ compensation, and employment-related claims. Ron’s consulting and legal services also include providing economic expert witness work, reducing future claimed damages to present value, and advising on work-life expectancy. Our firm brings a unique perspective and approach to law: after more than a decade of advising clients on financial matters, we decided our firm would focus on areas of financial law. This is why bankruptcy, trusts, and tax law are our major focus areas. Of course, we are happy to discuss and assist you with all your legal needs. We aim to be accessible and able to provide personal attention to every client we work with.

As the founding member of the firm, Mr. Walton concentrates his representation primarily in the areas of real estate litigation, real estate transactions, and in state and federal civil litigation. Mr. Walton, is both licensed Florida mortgage broker and a title agent for Attorneys Title Insurance Fund and has extensive experience with mortgage law and particularly foreclosure law where he represents lenders, community associations, homeowners and investors. Mr. Walton also defends mortgage, title and real estate professionals in situations of alleged malpractice or misconduct. Active in the community, Mr. Walton provides basic workshops and seminars to teach first time and other home buyers. The subjects include on how to shop for a mortgage, what best to do when selling your home, and what to do if you fall behind on your mortgage. Additionally, Mr. Walton is active in legal community including having served as the President of the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association; the Florida Bar Civil Rules and Procedure committee; the Florida Bar Real Property Probate and Trust Law Executive Council; Miami-Dade Legal Services Board of Directors; Dade County Bar Association Treasurer - Vice President.

Brian Near began his legal practice in 1989 with a law firm located in the former IBM Tower (One Atlantic Center) in midtown Atlanta. He later moved his practice to Resurgens Plaza in Buckhead and eventually settled in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. Mr. Near is an active lawyer handling cases involving litigation, bankruptcy/debt relief, estate planning, domestic disputes, personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and premises liability. "My goal is to provide guidance and support so that together, we can work toward a solution to help you move forward." Since entering solo private practice in 1994, Brian Near has acquired, operated, and sold two restaurant businesses, bought and sold various real estate investments, and had other practical experiences that are beneficial to his legal business clients. Mr. Near is married with two children, lives in Cumming, Georgia, and enjoys spending time with his family and traveling.

I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Miami where I clerked for the Hon. Edward Moore of the 11th Circuit Court and interned with the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. I have been practicing law in New York for almost 30 years. I am a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Bronx Bar Association, and I am a member of the Bronx 18B panel which appoints private attorneys to represent indigent individuals charged with crimes in the Bronx. I am admitted to practice in all of the Courts of the State of New York as well as the Southern and Eastern District Courts. I have represented clients in immigration matters in the Federal Immigration Court and before the USCIS in several different States. I represent attorneys in disciplinary proceedings before the Office of Character and Fitness, and I volunteer as a Judge at mock trials and moot court competitions at NYU Law School, Cardozo Law School, and NY Law School. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. Working with a same-sex couple where we are on the verge of obtaining permanent residence status for the beneficiary through the Immigration court. Prio counsel didn’t take the time to listen to the clients to really establish the bona fides of the relationship Got a criminal matter dismissed on behalf of a client whose spouse had lied about him in order to obtain government benefits. The client was facing incarceration and was devastated both by the loss of the relationship, the nature of the charges and of course the consequences. We proved that the charges had been fabricated, without subjecting the client to the financial and emotional burden of a trial. How did you build a successful practice? Listening to my clients and working with them. Understanding that the client needs to be part of the process. Providing cost-effective, successful results. What should clients look for in a lawyer? Someone who has the time to handle their case. Someone who will give them an honest assessment of their matter in advance. Someone who is personable and with whom they can establish a relationship of trust. How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? Knowing your venue and your possible Jury pool can be essential in certain types of cases, especially in personal injury matters. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? Depending on the type of case that answer will vary greatly. A short conversation can generally point the client in the right direction and put them at ease whether or not they retain my firm. Things like the type of bankruptcy, whether they should be speaking to law enforcement, or whether they have a case at all. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? That answer will vary greatly. Generally, the nature of the case, when, where and how they the matter arose, and then the broad particulars of the matter. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? I believe that it is my level of empathy and my ability to visualize situations and present creative solutions that sets me apart. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Achieving a successful result for a client where the consequences would otherwise be truly life-changing. Things like saving someone from deportation, or jail, or crushing debt gives me a feeling that is almost indescribable. Its why I continue to practice law. What are your other interests in addition to law? My family of course. I also enjoy staying fit and outdoor activities hiking and cycling. Are you involved in your community? Besides being on the board of a local county bar association, and being on the Bronx 18b panel for appointments to criminal cases, I am a member of the NY Bar Association, and I am affiliated with the National Action Network, and STARR, (Strategic Trans Alliance for Radical Reform.