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Ms. Dienstag has focused her practice on marital and family law since 1989, and has expanded her specialization to include domestic partnership matters. She is a Florida Supreme Court-certified family mediator, and Martindale-Hubbell AV preeminent rated attorney. Ms. Dienstag has been chosen by Florida Trend Magazine as one of the Florida Legal Elite since 2006, and she has been named a Florida Super Lawyer since 2007. She was named Nation’s Top One Percent 2015 by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. Ms. Dienstag is a frequent lecturer on complex areas of family law. She received her J.D. degree from University of Miami School of Law.

Of Counsel, Young, Berman, Karpf & Gonzalez in Ft. LauderdaleMs. Gonzalez was born in Havana, Cuba, and was raised in the United States. She attended the University of Miami and received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1981 and her paralegal degree in 1985. She graduated from Nova University, receiving her Juris Doctorate degree in 1990. Ms. Gonzalez is a board-certified marital and family lawyer by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education as well as a Florida Supreme Court certified family law mediator. She was appointed as chair of the Family Law Certification Committee for 2010-2011 and is immediate past-chair of the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar.

Ms. Hernandez represents high-net-worth individuals in complex marital and family law matters. She assists individuals in the dissolution of marriage, equitable distribution, alimony, child support, parenting and time-share issues, paternity, and prenuptial agreements. Ms. Hernandez has obtained the AV Preeminent peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell. In addition, she has been selected for inclusion in the Super Lawyers list since 2014, including Top 100: Miami Super Lawyers in 2018, 2020- 2022 and Top 50: Women Florida Super Lawyers in 2015 and 2018, The Best Lawyers in America list since 2019, Florida Trend’s Legal Elite list, and South Florida Legal Guide’s Top Lawyers list. In addition, Ms. Hernandez is a Fellow of The American Bar Foundation and is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law.

Law Office of Karen E. Lungarelli, P.A., in MiamiThe Law Office of Karen E. Lungarelli, PA, is a boutique law firm dedicated to providing professional marital and family law services throughout the South Florida area, including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Highly knowledgeable in family matters, Ms. Lungarelli uses her experience, compassion, and skill to work with each client, to determine the best and most efficient route to achieving their goals. Each client receives the utmost personal attention and vigorous representation. Ms. Lungarelli represents clients at every stage of legal family matters, including prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, paternity, children’s issues, and post-judgment matters, from the initial consultation through settlement negotiations, litigation and trial.

Partner, Gallo Farren Law, P.A.Mr. Farren has been an attorney for over 15 years and focuses his practice in all areas of family law and in personal injury litigation. He is also a Florida Supreme Court-certified family law mediator and provides mediation services through Family Law Mediation Services. Mr. Farren is a member of The Florida Bar, Massachusetts Bar, United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida and the Hillsborough County Bar Association. He earned his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law.

Partner at Mason Black & Caballero PAMs. Ficarrotta is a shareholder member of Mason, Black & Caballero, PA, who dedicates her practice exclusively to family law and has extensive experience litigating complex divorce cases. She is board certified in marital and family law by The Florida Bar and represents clients throughout Florida. While she is a skilled litigator, Ms. Ficarrotta is also trained in interdisciplinary collaborative law, a dispute resolution method that focuses on helping divorcing couples reach a fair settlement agreement outside of a court proceeding. She is a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, The Florida Bar, the Tampa Bay Collaborative Divorce Group, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and various other professional organizations. She is also a barrister and former treasurer for the Canakaris American Inn of Court. Ms. Ficarrotta serves as an adjunct professor at Stetson University College of Law, where she teaches family law and interviewing and counseling courses. She has also lectured on professionalism and ethics to the family law section of the Hillsborough County Bar Association.

Attorney, Wagstaff Law Office, P.A.Ms. Girgenti focuses her practice on all aspects of legal issues affecting families, including dissolution of marriage, post-divorce matters, custody issues, grandparent and extended family member problems, and adoptions. She has been a member of The Florida Bar since 2002 and is admitted to practice in all Florida state and Federal courts. Ms. Girgenti is an active member of The Florida Bar Family Law Section, the Hillsborough County Bar Association and its Family Law Section, as well as the Clearwater Bar Association and its Family Law Section. She earned her J.D. degree from the University of Florida.

Attorney, Solomon Law Group, P.A.Mr. McDonald practices in the areas of family law and general civil litigation. He is admitted to practice in the Courts of Florida and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He is a member of The Florida Bar and the Hillsborough County Bar Association. Mr. McDonald earned a double Bachelors of Science degree from Florida State University in 2004 and his Juris Doctor degree from Florida State University College of Law in 2007.

Paralegal, Mason Black & Caballero, PAMs. Tawzer joined Mason Black & Caballero, PA, in 2004 as one of the firm’s certified paralegals, devoting herself 100 percent to the area of marital and family law. She has over 20 years of family law litigation experience. Her professional certifications and accreditations include certified paralegal status through the National Association of Legal Assistants and Florida registered paralegal status through The Florida Bar. Ms. Tawzer is an active member of the Tampa Bay Paralegal Association.

Partner at Ayo & Iken, PLCMs. Vogel’s practice areas include all facets of family law including divorces (equitable distribution, alimony, time sharing, child support), paternity (time sharing and child support), adoptions, dependency and domestic violence. Prior to going to becoming an attorney Ms. Vogel worked as a paralegal and was a research assistant while in law school. She is a member of The Florida Bar. Ms. Vogel earned her J.D. degree from Florida Coastal School of Law.

Britt & Company, P.A., Ft. Lauderdale
Lynn M. Britt, C.P.A., J.D. is the president and majority shareholder of Britt & Company, P.A. for over thirty years she has worked as an expert witness and forensic CPA in family, contract, criminal and other litigation in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Britt & Company’s range of services includes production management, full financial analysis, and expert testimony. Ms. Britt has also been a court-appointed neutral CPA, investigator, and receiver. Ms. Britt earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law in 1989 and a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Florida Atlantic University in 1978. In addition to being a certified public accountant, she is also an attorney licensed in the State of Florida. She engages in extensive continuing education in the family law and litigation related areas and is a member of local and Florida CPA and Bar associations. Ms. Britt has been an author and speaker on a variety of family law topics such as alimony reform, accounting issues in family law, advanced family law practice for paralegals, and valuation.

Browward County Family Law Firm, Ft. Lauderdale
Ms. Daugherty has been a matrimonial and family law litigation attorney in Broward County, Florida, since 1994. She earned her J.D. from Nova Southeastern University, Shephard Broad Law Center in 1994. She is a Florida Bar Member of the Family Law Section and Dispute Resolution. She has been a Speaker for 11 years on communication with family law judges and judicial assistants.

Ms. Hernandez represents high-net-worth individuals in complex marital and family law matters. She assists individuals in the dissolution of marriage, equitable distribution, alimony, child support, parenting and time-share issues, paternity, and prenuptial agreements. Ms. Hernandez has obtained the AV Preeminent peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell. In addition, she has been selected for inclusion in the Super Lawyers list since 2014, including Top 100: Miami Super Lawyers in 2018, 2020- 2022 and Top 50: Women Florida Super Lawyers in 2015 and 2018, The Best Lawyers in America list since 2019, Florida Trend’s Legal Elite list, and South Florida Legal Guide’s Top Lawyers list. In addition, Ms. Hernandez is a Fellow of The American Bar Foundation and is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law.

Mignolet Business Research Consultants, Ft. Lauderdale
Ms. Mignolet is the owner of Mignolet Business Research Consultants based in Fort Lauderdale for over 25 years. She is a certified Florida License Private Investigator with experience in law enforcement, criminal defense and civil investigations. She is a pioneer in electronic information gathering. When Ms. Mignolet lost a family member in the Towers on September 11; she was recruited by a Dept. of Homeland Security contractor to help design and train law enforcement investigators and analysts around the country within a terrorism prevention workshop. Ms. Mignolet showed how “Pieces of the Evidence Puzzle” can be found in open source and proprietary databases. Her most recent government contract was training and consulting International Open Source Analysts that work with INTERPOL. Returning to her core investigative business these past couple of years, she was a team leader in developing the investigative action plans for the BP fraud cases. The majority of her investigations are now in-depth background investigations or due diligence on people and businesses for attorneys, businesses and individuals. She gathers the information so her clients are able to ask the right questions, make meaningful decisions and arrive at the best resolution.

Rafool, LLC, Miami
Mr. Raymond J. Rafool, II, a partner at Rafool, LLC, is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, all courts in the State of Florida; the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida; and the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. As a Board Certified Attorney in Marital and Family Law, he concentrates his practice on domestic and international family law and business and commercial litigation. He is Board Certified in marital and family law by the Florida Bar, and Nationally Board Certified as an Expert in Family Trial Law by The National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA). Mr. Rafool was named in the Miami Herald’s 2015, 2016 and 2017 list of South Florida’s Legal Leaders, Top Rated Lawyers. He is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and was selected to the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 Florida Super Lawyers list which recognizes no more than five percent of attorneys in each state. In addition, Mr. Rafool is rated a Florida Top Lawyer in Family Law by ALM and has a perfect 10 Avvo rating. For 2015, 2016 and 2017 Mr. Rafool is a Top 100 Lawyers, and on the Executive Committee for The National Advocates. He has represented many celebrities and individuals in complex family, same sex, and business litigation and lectures and has authored numerous publications on aforementioned practice areas. Mr. Rafool is a past Vice Chair and member of the Florida Family Law Rules Committee, the past Chair and member of the Florida Criminal Rules Committee, a past Vice Chair and member of the Florida Judicial Administration, Selection and Tenure Committee and a past Representative on the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration Committee.

Mark E. Sawicki, P.A., Ft. Lauderdale
Mr. Sawicki earned his Bachelor’s degree from the prestigious SUNY Binghamton University with high honors. He then received his Juris Doctorate from Nova’s Shepard Broad Law Center. While in law school Mr. Sawicki interned at Palm Beach County’s Staff Attorneys office. During this internship is when he was first exposed to the courtroom, and more especially Family law. This lead him to excel in numerous advanced Trial, Business , and Family law classes further honing his skill at focusing on Family law, and Trial work. Mr. Sawicki was active in numerous organizations such as Jewish Law Students Association, and the most senior member of the Academic Dishonesty Panel, a distinction received for being a member for 3 years. Upon admittance to the Florida Bar Mr. Sawicki immersed himself in the practice of Family Law. Immediately learning law and court room strategy from a well respected sole practitioner in South Florida. He decided to open his own law firm using his skills and knowledge learned from his time spent practicing of Family Law in South Florida. Mr. Sawicki is a member of the Broward Bar, and the Florida Bar Family Law section.

Jennifer Kane Waterway, P.A.
Ms. Waterway is a family lawyer, mediator, and guardian ad litem. She handles divorce, child custody, timesharing, and relocation, paternity, domestic violence, and dependency matters involving the Department of Children and Families (DCF), as well as pre- and post-nuptial agreements and post-judgment modification and enforcement actions. She has practiced law since 2000, focusing almost exclusively on family law since 2006, and started her own firm in 2011. Before that she worked for a well-known Boca Raton law firm for many years, handling high-conflict family, probate, and guardianship matters, and top-tier South Florida law firms representing sophisticated corporate clients in product liability, mass tort, and commercial matters in state and federal courts across the country. Before that she served as a judicial law clerk at the Fourth District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach, handling civil, criminal, and family law appeals. She received her law degree from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale and bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida.

Scott W. Dutton is a principal shareholder of Dutton Law Group, a statewide law firm with offices in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and the Florida Keys. He and his firm have litigated literally tens of thousands of personal injury protection cases. Mr. Dutton earned his doctorate of law from Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law, in 1984. During his course of study at Ohio Northern University, Mr. Dutton was a member of the editorial staff of the Ohio Northern University Law Review. He was also a justice on the law school’s Moot Court Executive Board, and was the justice in charge of the First Year Appellate Advocacy Program. While in law school Mr. Dutton also participated in four national moot court competitions. Because of his moot court experience, he was selected to the Order of Barristers for having exhibited excellence and obtained high honor through the art of courtroom advocacy. For his outstanding academic achievement in law school, Mr. Dutton was selected to Who’s Who Among American Law Students. Prior to law school, Mr. Dutton worked for Miami-Dade County as a lifeguard lieutenant, and later was employed with the Miami Beach Fire Department and City of Deerfield Beach Fire Department as a firefighter paramedic. He was also on the City of Miami Beach SWAT team. For Mr. Dutton’s dedication to fighting insurance fraud he was honored by the Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee (“FIFEC”) which awarded him the Jerry Zappalo Distinguished Service Award in 2012. FIFEC is a non-profit corporation comprised of the Department of Insurance Fraud (DIF), special investigative unit (SIU) departments and investigators, law enforcement personnel and dedicated individuals whose purpose is deterring, detecting, investigating and prosecuting insurance fraud. Mr. Dutton’s is an AV preeminent rated attorney in The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, the highest rating available. He is listed as one of Florida’s top lawyers in 2006, 2008 – 2009, 2014 – 2018 in Super Lawyers under Civil Litigation Defense and as one of Tampa’s, Orlando’s, Miami’s and Florida’s “Top Rated Lawyers.”

Russel Lazega is an honor’s graduate of both the University of Florida (B.A. `93) and The Florida State University College of Law (J.D. `96, Law Review, Environmental Law Journal Editorial Board, International Law Journal Editorial Board). He was a judicial intern to Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead, and later was the assistant to the head of company regulation for the Florida Department of Insurance Legal Services Section. Currently, Mr. Lazega is an AV- rated insurance litigation attorney who heads a 14-attorney practice with offices in Miami, Winter Park, Dania Beach, and Tampa, representing insurance consumers and medical service providers in pursuit of payment of reduced or unpaid insurance claims. Additionally, he is general counsel to a leading auto insurer, The Responsive Auto Insurance Company. Mr. Lazega has written and co-authored several of Thomson Reuters’ (formerly West Publishing) leading treatises on Florida insurance law including Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law & Practices and Florida Insurance Law & Practice. He is the president of the South Broward Bar Association, previously served as president of the North Dade Bar Association, and has presented proposals for insurance reform to the Florida House and Senate. Mr. Lazega has been listed on Florida Trend Magazine’s list of legal elite insurance attorneys, and helped establish a medical provider’s right to sue insurers before the Florida Supreme Court.

Steven Leiter is a partner and co-founder of Leiter, Belsky & Tharp. He has handled claims, litigated and tried cases throughout the state of Florida involving Personal Injury Protection, first party insurance coverage disputes, third party auto negligence, and various premises liability and products liability cases. He previously served as an arbitrator in PIP insurance claims and is a qualified expert to testify at attorney fee hearings. Mr. Leiter was a faculty member and presenter on “Emerging Issues in PIP” at the 2015 Annual Education Program of the Conference of County Court Judges of Florida (July 2015) and was selected to serve as a faculty member for PIP at the Annual Business Meeting of the Conference of County Court Judges (July 1996). In addition to being a frequent lecturer for insurance companies on PIP issues and proper claims handling procedures, he has also served as a faculty member at seminars sponsored by Foxmoor Continuing Education f/k/a Professional Education Systems Institute, LLC. (PESI) since 2004 and for the Broward County Bar Association (January 2013). Mr. Leiter is a Miami native who earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Georgia (1989), and his juris doctor degree, cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law (1992) (Articles and Comments Editor, The Inter-American Law Review.

J.D. Underwood has been with The Law Office of Russel Lazega, P.A. since April of 2000. He started as a law clerk and has worked as an associate attorney with the firm since September of 2000, focusing cases throughout Florida. Mr. Underwood recently worked closely in an advisory capacity with The Responsive Automobile Insurance Company, a new auto insurance carrier located in South Florida. He graduated from Emory and Henry College and St. Thomas University School of Law, Miami (J.D. degree, 2000). Mr. Underwood participated in Moot Court during law school and has been a contributing author to Thomsen Reuters’ (formerly West Publishing) Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law (2002-2008). He has served on the Executive Board and as president of the North Dade Bar Association. Mr. Underwood has participated in lectures to the Florida Chiropractic Practitioner’s Assoc, for PESI Seminars (now HalfMoon Education), and for the 2003 PIP Law Update for physicians, billers, and attorneys.

Charles Leonard Vaccaro is a Florida board certified specialist in civil trial law who has been licensed to practice in the State of Florida since 1986. Mr. Vaccaro has also been licensed to practice in the State of Texas since 2001, handling a substantial amount of cases involving automobile accidents and insurance in Texas. He is a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, the U.S.D.C. for the Middle District of Florida and the general and trial bars for the U.S.D.C. for the Southern District of Florida. Mr. Vaccaro has been involved with PIP litigation since 1988. Over the years he has defended thousands of automobile accident cases involving PIP, bodily injury and bad faith claims for numerous insurance companies. During the same time period he maintained a prolific plaintiff practice, handling an even greater number of plaintiff PIP claims at both the trial and appellate level. These include the noteworthy PIP cases of Amador v. United Automobile Insurance Company, 748 So.2d 307 (Fla. 3d DCA 1999) and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company v. Universal Medical Center as assignee of Blanco Franco, 881 So.2d 5557 (Fla. 3d DCA 2004). In 2017 and 2018, Mr. Vaccaro was the featured speaker on the Florida Bar Award of Excellence Recipient Radio Program “Legal News and Review”, which was broadcast worldwide on iHeart Radio on the topics of “Insurance Bad Faith” and “Florida PIP Insurance.”

Mr. Aschauer represents clients on matters related to litigation, environmental regulation, and agency enforcement of permit and regulatory criteria. His practice involves federal matters governed by the Clean Water Act (CWA) and state matters involving environmental resource permits, coastal construction, coastal grant programs and water and wastewater. Mr. Aschauer serves as chair of LLW’s Transportation and Infrastructure Industry Group and vice chair of the firm’s Business Development Committee.

Attorney and Partner with Manson Bolves Donaldson Varn
Ms. Donaldson has represented clients before legislative and executive branches of government, agencies, cabinet and gubernatorial commissions on growth management, environmental and local government issues. She has provided advice on water and environmental permitting issues. Ms. Donaldson was the youngest and first female general counsel for the Southwest Florida Water Management District, where she served for three years. In her role as general counsel, she provided advice/counsel to the district’s governing board, the executive director and staff regarding the interpretation and applicability of laws, regulations and judicial decisions or rulings.

Attorney and Partner with Earth & Water Law PLLC
Ms. Morrison has been practicing environmental law for 30 years on behalf of utility and industry clients, assisting with legislative, regulatory, permitting, and compliance matters. She has significant experience with the Clean Air Act, wetlands, solid and hazardous waste, industrial wastewater, water quality, consumptive use, endangered species, and land use issues. As result of her rich experience in the complex field of environmental and land use law, Ms. Morrison has authored a number of articles for legal and technical publications. Ms. Morrison received a B.A. degree from Northeastern State University and her J.D. degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law. She currently serves on the Executive Council for the Environmental and Land Use Law Section.

Executive Director of the Florida Springs Council
Mr. Smart is the executive director of the Florida Springs Council and a leading advocate for protecting Florida’s springs, rivers, and natural lands. During his tenure, the council has ushered in a new era of environmental activism in central and north Florida, challenging water quality and quantity regulations that would harm Florida’s springs, lobbying in the state legislature, and helping to elevate central and north Florida water issues to a statewide and national audience. In 2017, Mr. Smart was named the Bob Graham Center’s Young Floridian of the Year for his track record of coalition building and grassroots organizing, bringing much-needed attention to Florida’s critical environmental issues. He continues to serve as a Steering Committee Member of the Florida Conservation Coalition alongside his mentors Senator Bob Graham and long-time environmental advisor Estus Whitfield.

Attorney with Manson Bolves Donaldson Varn
Mr. Varn started working in the environmental area for the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) in 1962. In 1969, he returned to law school at the University of Florida and assisted Dean Frank Maloney, the leading expert on Eastern Water Law, in drafting the Model Water Code. The code was used in 1972 as the foundation for the Florida Water Resources Act of 1972, which became Chapter 373, Florida Statutes. During his tenure as the Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (DER), he was responsible for preparing the first water policy for the state, which is now found in Chapter 62-40, Florida Administrative Code. After returning to private practice in 1981, Mr. Varn has participated in every substantial amendment to Chapter 373, Florida Statutes, and is considered Florida’s foremost expert on Chapter 373.

Attorney and Partner with Dean Mead
Mr. Wharton represents both public and private clients in cases from application creation to administrative litigation before state and federal agencies. He has over 35 years of experience in Tallahassee practicing before and often litigating against numerous state agencies in the areas of water resource planning, permitting and regulation, mitigation banking, bid protests and bid disputes, health care, utility law and utility regulation, professional regulation and environmental law. Mr. Wharton has represented clients before the Florida Public Service Commission, the Department of Environmental Protection, the St. John’s River Water Management District, the South Florida Water Management District, various boards within the Department of Professional Regulation, the Department of Health, and the Governor and Cabinet sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, among others.