John Castro
Mr. Castro was born in Memphis, TN, the youngest of four children to first American generation parents. At an early age, an employment opportunity moved the family to Irvine, California. It was during this time, Mr. Castro began to develop his diligent work ethic. He took on the local paper route at 9 years of age and worked in the school cafeteria for free lunch.
Another employment opportunity brought Mr. Castro and his family to Tampa, FL in 1991 where he quickly began to establish roots. He attended school at St. Lawrence and Tampa Catholic. While at Tampa Catholic, he played three varsity sports, enrolled in the honors program, was elected senior class president and ultimately graduated with a Bright Futures Scholarship.
Mr. Castro attended Florida State for his undergraduate studies. He received a B.S. in Psychology with honors, finishing in only three years. While at FSU, Mr. Castro was a treasurer of Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity and worked as a substitute teacher with Leon County schools.
Upon graduation from Florida State, Mr. Castro attended The University of Florida College of Law. He excelled in his studies and was accepted into the school’s study abroad program in Montpellier, France. He received his Juris Doctorate in 2004.
Mr. Castro began his legal career with Bell, Leeper, & Roper, P.A. in Orlando, FL where he defended parties in both state and Federal Court on matters of civil liability, personal injury, insurance defense, and wrongful death. The experience and knowledge gained in that position has been vital to his success in his practice representing plaintiffs.
Wanting to return home to his roots in Tampa, he accepted a position as an assistant state attorney with the State Attorney’s Office for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. In this capacity, he quickly rose through the ranks of the juvenile, misdemeanor, and felony divisions, bypassing several lawyers with longer tenure. As a prosecutor, Mr. Castro litigated over 300 trials, hearings, and motions. His extensive litigation and courtroom experience puts him in a very elite class of litigation lawyers.
In 2010, Mr. Castro opened his own law firm focused on personal injury and criminal defense. As a business owner, Mr. Castro was steadfast in his commitment to his clients and the Tampa Bay community.
In an effort to best serve his clients, Mr. Castro joined the firm of Ligori & Ligori in 2019. The move allowed for greater team collaboration with several well-seasoned attorneys all of whom are committed to exemplary client service and excellence in the practice of law on all matters of personal injury. In 2023, Mr. Castro was named equity partner.
Mr. Castro is a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent-rated attorney, the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. He has successfully tried and settled multiple million-dollar cases in favor of his clients over his 20 year legal career.