Malinda R Lugo

In order to concentrate on her clients, Ms. Lugo intentionally maintains a small caseload.  This allows her to immerse herself in each case and investigate it thoroughly.  At Lugo Law Center, you will not get assigned to a “case manager” or paralegal.  You will receive individualized attention from Ms. Lugo herself allowing us to develop a relationship and rapport which in turn helps us to represent you better.  Ms. Lugo recognizes that litigation can be stressful but is committed to providing aggressive representation on your behalf while simultaneously providing you with compassionate care.

Over her 20-year career, she served as a medical malpractice and nursing home defense attorney litigating cases through trial; she later practiced as a business and compliance attorney for health care providers (including nursing homes).  These experiences afford Ms. Lugo a unique viewpoint that allows her to be much more effective in representing her clients.  Her knowledge of the medical and business side of health care, in addition to her understanding of how insurance companies evaluate and defend claims, provides Ms. Lugo with a strong foundation to help her clients. She works with those whose lives have been negatively impacted by an automobile accident or by the negligence of healthcare providers.

Ms. Lugo was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1996 after graduating with honors from Florida State University College of Law.  While in law school, Ms. Lugo served as a law clerk to Florida State University President Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, a past president of the American Bar Association.  She received the Book Award in Health Law, served as the law school’s representative to the American Bar Association and was a 1996 recipient of the National Hispanic Bar Association scholarship. The daughter of immigrants, Ms. Lugo was the first person in her family to attend college.  She attended law school with a young child and graduated with honors while working part-time.  She applies that strong work ethic daily to her clients and their cases.  Your case is not just one more case at Lugo Law Center – she understands its impact to your life and her goal is to obtain the best results possible for you.

Ms. Lugo believes in the importance of participating in, leading and maintaining professional memberships and affiliations.  She begins her second term on the Executive Council of the Florida Bar Health Law Section and is founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Health Law Section Practice Area Updates.  Recently, she was appointed to the Code and Rules of Evidence Committee for the Florida Bar.  Ms. Lugo participates as an arbitrator for the Florida Bar on fee disputes between clients and attorneys and also served on a Florida Bar Grievance Committee.  She is a member of the Florida Justice Association, The Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, The Hillsborough County Bar Association, and the Tampa Bay Hispanic Bar Association.  Her involvement in these organizations helps to keep her informed of recent developments in the law and provides her opportunities to “give back” to the legal community.

An active member of the community, she served on the Hispanic Advisory Council for the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida in order to raise awareness among the Latino community of the benefits of belonging to a Girl Scout troop.  She is a co-founder of Hope and Health Project, a non-profit organization that provides medical care to underserved areas in the United States and other countries such as the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.  Ms. Lugo also volunteers with Bay Area Legal Services where she provides pro bono services for Spanish-speaking clients.