Our Attorneys

As of 2007, there are over 80,000 lawyers licensed to practice law in the State of Florida. Of that huge number, only slightly more than 2% are Board Certified by the Florida Bar as specialists in any particular area of practice.

Thus, if you contact 100 lawyers, less than 3 of those lawyers are Florida Bar recognized specialists in their particular field of practice!

Board Certification was established by the Florida Bar more than 20 years ago and was designed to allow lawyers who had demonstrated specialized knowledge in a particular area of practice to hold themselves out to the general public as true specialists in that area. The theory was that the general public would be able to review a lawyer’s credentials, understand that a particular lawyer was Board Certified and thus understand that a specific lawyer was, indeed, recognized as a specialist in that area of the law.

Thomas C. Saunders is one of only a small handful of lawyers in Polk County, Florida that hold themselves out as being double Board Certified. Tom is certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in both Civil Trial and Business Litigation.

Mr. Saunders will be celebrating his 26th anniversary as a litigation attorney in the spring of 2010. Tom has worked for the City Attorney's Office for the City of Tampa, a private law firm specializing in insurance defense matters (where Tom gained invaluable insight into the manner in which insurance companies evaluate and litigate personal injury and medical negligence claims as well as commercial claims), a private law firm in Polk County specializing in personal injury for the claimants (i.e. the injured person) and now has opened his own practice dedicated to personal injury law on behalf of the injury party, family law matters, medical negligence matters, and commercial litigation.

Tom has had the privilege of serving as the President of the Polk County Trial Lawyers' Association, Chairperson of the 10th Judicial Circuit Bench/Bar Committee, Chairperson of the 10th Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (the 9 member commission who makes recommendations for judicial appointments to the Governor of the State of Florida) and Chairperson of the Florida Bar Civil Trial Certification Committee (the organization which writes and grades the full day examination given to candidates for certification as a civil trial attorney).

Additionally, Tom has served on the Board of Directors of the Willson American Inn of Court (an invitation only organization dedicated to helping mentor younger attorneys with a emphasis on the professionalism required for the legal profession).

Tom has been awarded the highest rating of "AV" by the International registrar of attorneys known as Martindale-Hubbel. Tom is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in both Civil Trial and Business Litigation.

Read Mr. Saunders profile at Superlawyers.com >

Chrystal S. Martin

Chrystal S. Martin was born in Salisbury, North Carolina, in 1980.  In 1986 she moved to Lakeland, Florida and attended local schools here in Polk County, Florida.  In 1998, Chrystal was accepted to Duke University, one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts with a major concentration of study in Economics in May, 2002. 

While at Duke, Chrystal was a member of the Duke Campus Council ultimately serving as its Treasurer from 2001 through 2002.  Chrystal was also a member of the Black Student Association, the NAACP and President of the Lambda Omega Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  Chrystal was also very involved with the Durham community, serving as a volunteer at a local elementary school where she assisted at-risk children in all phases of their elementary education.

During the summer immediately following her graduation from Duke University, Chrystal attended Michigan State University - Detroit College of Law.  This summer program was sponsored by the American Bar Association Counsel on Legal Education Opportunities (CLEO).

Chrystal began her formal legal education at Florida State University College of Law in the Fall of 2002 and graduated with a Juris Doctor in the Spring of 2005.  At Florida State, Chrystal received the CLEO/Thurgood Marshall scholarship each year and was declared an ABA CLEO/Thurgood Marshall Fellow and Scholar. 

Following her first year of law school, Chrystal was accepted in the Law at Oxford Summer Program sponsored by Florida State University College of Law and studied abroad at Oxford University in Oxford, England during the summer of 2003.

Chrystal served as Executive Editor of the Florida State University’s College of Law Business Review and participated in the Children’s Advocacy Center, as well as the Florida Clearinghouse on Supervised Visitation Institute for Family Violence.  Chrystal was also a member of the Black Law Student’s Association while she studied for her law degree. Throughout law school, Chrystal worked as a law clerk concentrating primarily in civil litigation matters, family law claims and condominium association law. 

Upon completion of law school, Chrystal was admitted to the Florida Bar in September, 2005.  She is currently a member of the Florida Bar Young Lawyer’s Division, the Virgil Hawkins Bar Association (Vice-President) and the Willson American Inn of Court.  Chrystal was admitted to the Middle District of Florida in April, 2007.

Chrystal joined Saunders Law Group in 2006 and concentrates her practice in all aspects of civil litigation including family law, personal injury, medical malpractice and commercial litigation.

Alan L. Perez

Alan L. Perez was born in 1982 in San Antonio, Texas, where he attended St. Mary's University of San Antonio.  While at St. Mary's University, Alan was actively involved in many aspects of Student Government, ultimately holding the position of Chair of Academic Affairs for the Student Government Association.  Alan was also actively involved in many other organizations, including the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity and the President's Ambassadors.

While in law school at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio, Alan continued his involvement in student government, holding various positions in the Student Bar Association.  Alan participated in the University of Miami's study abroad program where Alan studied international law in Spain.  Alan was also the President of the Hispanic Law Student's Association and participated in the University's VITA program, preparing income taxes for needy Spanish speaking residents of Dayton for two consecutive years.

Throughout law school, Alan participated in several clerkships, obtaining experience in various areas of the law, including personal injury, criminal law, and medical malpractice.  Alan received the CALI Award, awarded to the student with the best grade in a given class, for his Spring, 2008 Insurance Law class.

Alan joined Saunders Law Group in 2007 as a law clerk and again in 2008 as an attorney.  Currently, Alan is a member of the Young Lawyers' Division of the Florida Bar, an organization directed at advancing the ideals of the Florida Bar, through young attorneys, to the general public.  Alan is a member of the Wilson American Inn of Court, a prestigious organization designed to improve the skills, professionalism and legal ethics of the bench and bar.

The Wilson American Inn of Court helps lawyers in Polk County become more effective advocates with a keener ethical awareness by providing them the opportunity to learn side-by-side with the most experienced judges and lawyers in their community.  Alan is admitted to practice in the Federal Middle District of Florida and reads, writes, and speaks Spanish.