MEET PARTNER, JASON O’NEAL ESQ.
Jason O’Neal started Cornerstone Law Firm in 2016 with the goal of providing customized legal representation to homeowners, businesses, and community associations in the Orlando area. His knowledge and experience in real estate have been the driving force in the firm’s growth and expansion.
Jason’s practice is focused on representing litigants in business and real estate litigation. His representation includes homeowners, community associations, landlords, tenants, and business owners throughout Florida. A large majority of Jason’s practice centers around condominium/HOA or commercial tenancy litigation. Jason brings valuable insight to his cases by calling upon his prior years of experience in mortgage banking and property management that served as a precursor to his legal career. Jason completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida before attending the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he graduated cum laude. While attending law school, Jason worked for a preeminent law firm in North Florida, where he helped on a wide variety of real estate matters, both transactional and litigation.
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Jason is heavily involved in the Central Florida legal community. He is the 2022-2023 President of the Seminole County Voile A. Williams, Jr. Inn of Court. Additionally, he previously served as a Certified Hearing Officer in the Prosecution alternatives for Youth (P.A.Y.) program in the 18th Judicial Circuit in Seminole County 2016-2020; Chair Real Property Committee of the Orange County Bar Association 2019-2020; and as a judge and teen attorney trainer for the Teen Court program in Seminole County. .
Like the rest of the firm, Jason believes that community is the “cornerstone” to success, and he is committed to being involved and supporting worthy causes like Habitat for Humanity, Hope Helps, Oviedo Police Foundation, and Upward Youth Basketball, among others.
Jason lives in Winter Springs with his wife and three children. When not in the office, you can find him hiking, shooting clays, or cheering on the Florida Gators!
MEET ATTORNEY,
LUIS R. GUZMAN ESQ.
Luis R. Guzman is an attorney in the Litigation Practice Group. He has more than 20 years of litigation experience throughout Florida, in both federal and state courts. He has litigated both at trial and appellate courts, including the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. His practice area focuses on business, commercial contracts, insurance, premises liability, real estate, land use, probate, intellectual property, education, property damage, federal civil rights, employment discrimination, government procurement, eminent domain, criminal and unfair/deceptive business practices.
Prior to joining Cornerstone Law Firm, Luis worked with several litigation boutiques in Central Florida and previously served as in-house counsel for Florida Virtual School. Luis was a special magistrate for the City of Casselberry, where he adjudicated quasi-judicial cases relating to the city’s land development code. He has extensive experience in code enforcement hearings. He also served as an assistant county attorney for several Central Florida counties. Luis brings extensive experience in litigation but is also a Florida Circuit and Appellate Court mediator and qualified arbitrator. His work in alternative dispute resolution frames his efforts in litigation, both in strategic terms and in counseling clients about ways to achieve successful resolutions.
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Luis is a member of the Florida Bar, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Federal Bar Association, the Education Law Association, the Seminole County Bar Association, the Orange County Bar Association, and many other voluntary bars. He is on the American Arbitration Association’s Commercial Panel, a member of the London Court of International Arbitration, and serves on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s panel of arbitrators. He regularly consults and advises in matters of ecclesiastical and canonical law.
Luis is an avid, lifelong learner. Luis holds both United States and international law degrees, including an LLM in international dispute resolution from Queen Mary University of London. Luis holds a master’s degree from KU Leuven in Belgium.
Luis graduated from Princeton University and earned his Juris Doctor from Emory University. He is a native of New Jersey and has called Florida home for many years.
MEET ATTORNEY,
DARREN K. McCARTNEY ESQ.
Darren K. McCartney represents clients in commercial litigation, including breach of contract and complex business disputes. Darren’s experience includes manufacturer-dealer relationships, sales agreements, leases, real estate transactions, construction disputes, health care, and consumer service contracts.
Darren’s practice focuses on defending consumer litigation claims. He has litigated many complex cases involving causes of action under the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA). He was instrumental in defending class certification of a Florida statewide class-arbitration claim based on alleged violations of FDUTPA. Darren has also assisted clients in the defense of individual and class-action claims regarding unfair trade practices in Florida and federal courts across the country. He represents clients in all trial courts of Florida, as well as appellate courts and arbitration proceedings.
Darren earned his law degree from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law. He served as Articles Editor for the Florida Law Review and graduated magna cum laude, number two in his class. Prior to college and law school, Darren served six years in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 1996. When he’s not litigating, Darren enjoys spending time fishing and going to the beach. He lives in Seminole County. He is a member of the Seminole County Bar Association, the Orange County Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association.
MEET ATTORNEY, BRIAN WALKER
Brian Walker is a litigator whose practice focuses on real estate, construction, and commercial disputes. He earned his Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law in 2011, following completion of his Bachelor of Arts in Literary Journalism from the University of California, Irvine.
After law school, Brian worked in the field of geospatial engineering before being admitted to practice law in Florida in 2016. Prior to joining Cornerstone Law Firm, he practiced at several boutique firms, where he represented clients in complex construction litigation and corporate matters. He also served as in-house counsel for a large construction and infrastructure contractor specializing in road and bridge projects.
Brian has extensive experience handling a broad range of construction-related disputes, including multimillion-dollar contract and change order claims, multiparty contractor litigation, and regulatory matters involving OSHA and FDOT. His practice further includes construction-related home purchase disputes and day-to-day corporate representation. Brian is committed to working closely with clients to achieve efficient, successful outcomes across a wide range of legal matters.
