Insight. Advocacy. Resolution.
I have 40+ years experience successfully resolving civil disputes with focused experience in employment and employee benefits cases.
Marcus Castillo is an AV-rated, Florida Super Lawyer and certified state and federal mediator and co-founder of TrialFocus, a trial consulting firm.
Practice Focuses
Representing whistleblowers in qui tam, Florida Private Sector Whistleblower Act, and OSHA-administered whistleblower cases.
Pursuing accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance claims.
Marcus accepts select hourly engagements, including:
- Employment mediation services via castillomediation.com
- Early-stage long-term disability claim consulting, aimed at resolving a claim before it becomes adversarial
- Co-counseling across a broad spectrum of civil cases
Marcus also accepts trial consulting engagements on a flat fee or hourly basis.
Career Highlights
40+ years’ experience handling the full range of civil litigation, including injury and death cases, as well as 30+ years’ experience handling employment cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants including jury verdicts on both sides.
- Certified federal and state circuit civil mediator
- Taught substantive EEO law and ERISA segments of Florida Bar Certification Review course
- Lectured and taught at Florida Bar / Stetson Employment Law Trial Skills Seminar
- Author of multiple journal articles on employment law topics
- Former Chair, Clearwater Bar Employment and Labor Law section
- Founded TrialFocus: a trial consulting firm that conducts focus groups and mock trials and has consulted in a multitude of employment law cases for both plaintiffs and defendants.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts with Honors, University of Florida, 1979
- Juris Doctor, Stetson University College of Law, 1983 (Awarded U.S. Law Week Award)
Certifications
- Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by The Florida Bar for 25 years (2001–2026)
- Certified Florida Supreme Court Circuit Civil Mediator
- Certified Federal Court Mediator, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
Bar / Community Service
- Treasurer and Director, Clearwater Bar Association
- Director, Federal Bar Association (Tampa Bay Chapter)
- Chair and Member, Sixth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (Appointed by the Governor of the State of Florida)
- Chair and Member, Sixth Circuit Grievance Committee #6A
Thought Leadership
- Numerous CLE presentations on employment law, ERISA cases and best practices at trial.
- Faculty member, Florida Bar Employment Law Trial Skills Program
Accolades
- Florida SuperLawyer continuously since 2007 (Top 5% of all lawyers in the state)
- Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite 2010-2011 (Top 2% of all lawyers in the state)
Featured Resources
Free Guide
Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance — Getting the Benefits You Deserve
Before you appeal a denial or contact an attorney, understand the issues that actually decide these cases.
Free Guide
Simplifying Evidence: A Quick Guide for Civil Trial Lawyers
An admissibility logic helps you deal with the vast majority of situations you’ll encounter at trial.
Free Guide