Mercedes Gonzalez Hale

Mercedes Gonzalez Hale, the managing attorney of the firm, received her B.A., with Honors, in Economics, with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Florida in 1988, and her Law Degree, with Honors, from the University of Florida in 1991. Ms. Hale has been practicing law in the Tampa Bay area for over 20 years. She was the Hiring Partner in the Tampa office of DLA Piper, one of the largest law firms in the world with over 4,200 lawyers. While at DLA Piper, she represented large franchisors throughout the United States, and advised clients in general real estate related matters. During this time, a significant portion of the litigation work she handled was on behalf of Cendant Corporation. Most recently, she worked at Broad and Cassel, prior to starting her own law firm. She is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Florida. She has represented many real estate brokerages and has vast experience handling real estate related matters, both on the transactional side and on the litigation side. She has extensive experience handling jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations. She has successfully represented clients in a variety of commercial litigation cases, including construction related disputes, real estate related disputes and landlord tenant disputes. She has also successfully represented clients in complex business matters involving: trademark infringement claims, copyright infringement claims, franchising disputes, antitrust disputes, unfair competition disputes, including covenants not to compete, and other business torts. Ms. Hale has handled numerous disputes involving Homeowners' Associations and Condominium Associations.  Her transactional experience includes drafting commercial lease agreements, shareholder agreements, operating agreements, purchase contracts, warranty deeds, quit-claim deeds, mortgages and promissory notes.

Ms. Hale has taught many classes, both in English and in Spanish, for Realtors and Brokers at the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors and the Central Pasco Association of Realtors regarding the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase.  She has also lectured on Intellectual Property Rights, including Trade Marks, Trade Secrets, and Covenants Not to Compete.  Ms. Hale has written numerous articles on legal issues relating to the FR/Bar Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase, and articles relating to Landlord -Tenant issues.  Ms. Hale also wrote an article regarding the Revised Limited Partnership Act that became effective in 2014.

Ms. Hale is fluent in Spanish and regularly represents Hispanic clients in a variety of matters. Ms. Hale currently serves as counsel for the Central Pasco Association of Realtors. She is a member of the Florida Bar, the Hillsborough County Bar, the Hillsborough Association of Women Lawyers, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals and the Bay Area Real Estate Council. She was Chair of  a Grievance Committee of the Florida Bar and serves on the Consumer Protection Law Committee of the Florida Bar.  Ms. Hale was appointed by the Florida Bar to serve on the Joint Realtor Attorney Committee for the Florida Bar.  Ms. Hale is also an active volunteer. She is serves on the Board of Directors of The Rotary Club of Tampa and serves on the Board of Directors of Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School.  She is also on the Board of Directors of the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce.  Ms. Hale is also a Leadership Tampa Alumni. Ms. Hale lives in New Tampa with her husband Dean and their daughter Katie.