Tampa, Fla. – Carlton Fields is pleased to announce the election of nine new shareholders at the 2012 annual Shareholder Meeting held in St. Petersburg, Fla., February 9, 2012. Eight associates and one of counsel, in various offices throughout the firm, were elevated.

Miami
Associates elected to Shareholder: 

Marissel Descalzo is a member of the firm’s White Collar Crime and Government Investigations practice group. She focuses her practice primarily on white collar criminal defense and complex commercial litigation in both federal and state court. Descalzo received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law and her B.A. from Florida International University.

Aaron Weiss is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation and Trade Regulation practice group. He practices complex commercial litigation with a focus on class action litigation and telecommunication litigation. He also regularly assists national law firms as local counsel in matters pending in the Southern District of Florida and other Florida courts. Weiss received his J.D. from Columbia Law School and his B.A., summa cum laude, Binghamton University.

Orlando
Associate elected to Shareholder:

Chris Paolini is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation and Trade Regulation, and Construction practice groups. He represents businesses, financial institutions, creditors, landlords, and individuals in all types of commercial disputes, including contract litigation, lender liability claims, real property disputes, foreclosures, evictions, Uniform Commercial Code matters, and bankruptcies. Paolini received his J.D., with honors, from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law and his B.A., with distinction, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Tampa
Associates elected to Shareholder:

Jon Gatto is a member of the firm’s Health Care and Business Litigation and Trade Regulation practice groups. He focuses his practice on health care, health care litigation, and general commercial litigation. He also has experience in international litigation, arbitration, and complex commercial and fraud cases. Gatto received his J.D., high honors, from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Richmond.

Dave Walz is a member of the firm’s Products and Toxic Tort Liability, Business Litigation and Trade Regulation practice groups. He has experience in pharmaceutical litigation, including the defense of mass tort and individual actions involving prescription and over-the-counter products. Walz received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law and his B.A., with honors, from the University of Florida.

Of Counsel elected to Shareholder:

Richard Oliver is a member of the firm’s Health Care and Business Litigation and Trade Regulation practice groups. He focuses his practice on representing hospitals, long-term care facilities, managed care organizations and individual medical practitioners in a variety of health care, administrative and commercial litigation matters at the trial and appellate levels. He received his J.D., with honors, from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law and his B.A., cum laude, from Florida Atlantic University.

West Palm Beach
Associates elected to Shareholder:

Ryan Cobbs is a member of the firm’s Products and Toxic Tort Liability and Insurance practice groups. His practice focuses on the defense of clients involved in product liability disputes, including representing manufacturers of automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and other product manufacturers. He also has extensive experience defending insurers involved in insurance coverage and "bad faith" litigation. Cobbs received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law, attended the Uniwersytet Warszawski and received his B.A. from Florida State University.

Sarah Cortvriend is a member of the firm’s Real Property Litigation and Business Litigation and Trade Regulation practice groups. Her practice focuses on real property litigation and commercial litigation for title insurance underwriters and national lending institutions. She serves as president of the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Association. Cortvriend received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of South Florida.

David Esau is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation and Trade Regulation practice group. His practice focuses on complex business litigation. He has represented clients in proceedings before federal and state courts, administrative agencies, grand juries, Congressional committees, and alternative dispute resolution tribunals. Esau received his J.D., cum laude, from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and his B.A. from Bucknell University.