Durant Lawyers

Amy Ferrera is a second generation Tampa native. After earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida, she went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from Florida State University College of Law. While attending law school, she was a member of Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor Society and was honored with the Book Award in Agency & Partnership. Following law school, Amy began her legal career at a plaintiff’s firm representing clients in medical malpractice and personal injury lawsuits. From there, Amy accepted a position at a prominent civil firm where she handled a multitude of complex...

Patrick Barthle was born and raised in Dade City, Florida. He attended the University of Florida where he was admitted to the Honors Program and graduated, cum laude, with a double major in History and Criminology. While at UF, Patrick was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and served as President of the Catholic Student Center. Thereafter, Patrick attended Washington and Lee University School of Law, where he graduated summa cum laude, was a Lead Articles Editor for the Wash. & Lee Law Review, a member of the Order of the Coif and the Phi Delta Phi...

Taylor McKnight is a highly accomplished attorney who brings his extensive experience in personal injury law to Swope, Rodante P.A. With a remarkable career as a defense lawyer, Mr. McKnight leverages his expertise to passionately advocate for victims who have suffered catastrophic injuries and those who have lost loved ones as a result of the negligence of others. Mr. McKnight has extensive experience handling cases involving trucking, bus, and commercial vehicle crashes, particularly those resulting in catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. He also has substantial experience handling a diverse array of cases, including premises liability, medical malpractice, and products liability. His...

Kristi is a member of Anthony & Partners, and joined the firm in 2011. Kristi concentrates primarily on complex trial practice, representing international, national and local clients in the areas of False Claims Act and qui tam claims, government contracting, nursing home, product liability and medical malpractice defense. She also litigates sophisticated collection matters and creditors’ rights cases. Kristi is certified by the Florida Supreme Court as an Appellate, Circuit and County Court Mediator and Arbitrator. She serves as a mediator on personal injury and commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts. Before joining Anthony & Partners, Kristi worked...

S. David Anton, Esquire is a third generation Tampa attorney with his office located in Tampa’s historic Ybor City. After graduation from Jesuit High School (class of 1977) in Tampa, Mr. Anton attended the University of Florida where he received a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration in 1981 with a major in Economics and Accounting. Thereafter, Mr. Anton attended the University Florida College of Law where he was bestowed a Juris Doctorate Degree in 1984. Now in practice for 29 years, S. David Anton is an active member of the Florida Bar Association and the Hillsborough County...

Daniel W. McKnight is a Workers' Compensation attorney practicing in the greater Tampa Bay Area.

Brent Steinberg is a Florida Bar board-certified appellate specialist – a distinction achieved by only 217 of the more than 100,000 members of the Florida Bar. He handles catastrophic injury, insurance bad faith, legal malpractice and insurance coverage cases throughout Florida and Georgia, at both the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Steinberg began his employment with Swope, Rodante P.A. as a law clerk in 2009, joined the firm full time after graduating law school in 2010, and became a partner in 2018. He has served as lead appellate counsel in cases at the Florida Supreme Court, all six of Florida’s District Courts...

Marc Matthews spent several years working in the trial departments of some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the U.S., including Holland & Knight, LLP and DLA Piper US LLP, representing large companies and truck drivers in trucking accidents, catastrophic injury and product liability cases, and commercial disputes. Relying on that experience, he joined forces with one of the preeminent plaintiffs' firms in the State of Florida, prosecuting catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims through verdict. In 2013 alone, he obtained two verdicts* in excess of ten million dollars. Always striving to passionately represent his...

TJ Grimaldi graduated from the University of Florida in 1999, earning his degree in Economics with minors in History and Speech. While at the University of Florida he was inducted into Omicron Delta Espsilon, an honors society, for his excellence in his major field of study. Throughout, he worked in many different positions at Columbia Bank in Ybor City, owned and operated by the Grimaldi family for nearly a century. Mr. Grimaldi was an active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity during his years at the University of Florida. After graduation from the University of Florida, Grimaldi worked as...

Dustin D. Deese graduated from the University of South Florida, earning a B.S. in accounting and finance. In 2002, Mr. Deese received his J.D., summa cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law. While at Stetson, Dustin served on the Stetson Law Review and was a recipient of the Dana Foundation Merit Scholarship. After earning his J.D., Mr. Deese clerked for the Honorable Patricia C. Fawsett, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in 2003. Mr. Deese then began his legal career as an associate with Trenam Kempker. In 2006, Mr. Deese...

Laurel A. Tesmer, Esq., provides quality representation to residents in the Tampa Bay area. Focusing primarily on family law, probate, bankruptcy and estate planning, Ms. Tesmer was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2007. She has been serving clients in Florida ever since. For her undergraduate degree, Laurel attended the University of Florida in Gainesville. After graduation, she followed with Stetson University College of Law where she earned her juris doctor. Thoroughly involved during law school, Laurel was a member in a leadership development committee and the Phi Delta Phi Legal Honors Society. She also participated in mediation, arbitration...

Stephanie Martin focuses her practice on assisting real estate and business clients with their legal needs. Stephanie is board certified in real estate law and began practicing law in 2006. After spending the bulk of her career with large “AmLaw 200” national law firms—specifically, Adams and Reese LLP, Ruden, McClosky, Smith, Schuster & Russell P.A., and Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur LLP— she joined LSA in May 2018. Her practice consists of both litigation and transactional matters; and she has extensive experience in real estate litigation, commercial and business litigation, and financial services litigation.

Douglas E. Halasz is an attorney at Lieser Skaff Alexander’s Tampa office, where he focuses his practice on business and real estate litigation. During law school and his first couple years of practice, Douglas gained considerable litigation experience while working for a Southeastern law firm in its Gainesville and Tampa offices. He defended insurance carriers against workers’ compensation cases and played a key role in deposing claimants, conferencing with experts in trial preparation, and strategizing for settlement. Douglas graduated cum laude from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He obtained his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin...

Cynthia Rayhorn is a probate and adult guardianship attorney. My firm is Benkert Law, PLLC. I serve Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties. If a loved one dies, I help the personal representative or executor by navigating the Probate process. I establish guardianships for people with developmental disabilities and incapacitated adults.

Christopher Fauntleroy is a partner with Property Insurance Advocates of Florida, P.A. Christopher received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Tampa and his Juris Doctorate from Barry Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law. Prior to staring Property Insurance Advocates of Florida, P.A., Christopher worked as a Corporate Attorney for a well-known insurance company in the Tampa area handling first party property claims on behalf of the insurance company. Subsequently, Christopher then worked for a Plaintiffs firm primary dealing in First Party property claims and uses that experience in understand what both sides are thinking when it comes...

Christina Casadonte-Apostolou joined McIntyre Thanasides Bringgold Elliott Grimaldi & Guito P.A. as an associate in the complex litigation division in 2012. Her practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation and immigration law. Christina attended Stetson University College of Law and received her juris doctor in 2012, graduating with honors. While in law school, Christina served as a research assistant in Health Law, a teaching assistant for Federal Civil Procedure and competed with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Board’s negotiation and client counseling teams. She also interned for the Honorable David A. Demers of Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit and the Honorable...

Richard J. McIntyre is a litigation and bankruptcy attorney. He began his practice in Tampa, Florida in 1992 after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh’s Dual Degree program, where he received his Master’s of Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University and his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Allegheny College in 1988. Mr. McIntyre’s litigation practice includes business, real estate, and consumer litigation. Mr. McIntyre began his practice with the Kass, Hodges law firm in Tampa, Florida, practicing business and bankruptcy litigation. In 1994, he moved...

Ted W. Weeks IV is a civil trial lawyer, who regularly practices in state and federal court. His practice is focused in general civil litigation, business litigation, real estate and land use litigation and personal injury law. Ted is licensed to practice law in all state, federal and appellate courts throughout Florida and has represented a variety of clients from individuals, small businesses, and large corporations, as well as local governments and universities. An active member of the local legal community, Ted recently served as Chair of the 10th Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee and is member of...

Mike Martin is an attorney with unique understanding of agricultural and environmental issues. He enjoys working with agricultural interests, and fights for the ordinary farmer in litigation over defective products, land contamination, or denial of insurance benefits.

Kimberly is a Florida native from Gainesville, and she opened the Temple Terrace Law Group in 2020. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, and her Juris Doctorate from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Tampa campus) in August 2018. Her passion for law started very early on when her cousin became an Attorney, it inspired her to become one as well to advocate and help others in her community. She has previously worked at Farrar Law Firm and Meditation Group in Pensacola, and clerked at the...