OUR LAWYERS
DAVID J. LOPEZ
David J. Lopez graduated cum laude from Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia in 2003. He graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 2006 and was admitted to the practice of law in Florida that same year. He is admitted to practice in all courts of the State of Florida.
He joined the Office of the Florida Attorney General in January 2007 and became a senior attorney in that office’s Trial Division. In 2009, he joined that office’s Appellate Division and amassed a record of having over 20 cases affirmed by Florida Courts of Appeal.
He is a Florida native and joined the law firm of James R. De Furio, P.A. as an Associate Attorney in June 2011 and has specialized in Community Association law since that time. In July 2020, he became the managing attorney of David J. Lopez, P.A.
He has lived in the Tampa Bay region for nearly 20 years and resides in St. Petersburg with his wife and two children.
His practice areas include:
- Complex condominium and homeowner association foreclosure matters
- Covenant enforcement
- Contract claims
- Financial claims occurring during developer control period
- Construction defect claims
- Civil rights claims, including Fair Housing
- Appeals
MARY ZEWALK THOMAS
Mary Zewalk Thomas joined the firm in 2011. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 2005; graduating cum laude. At the University of Florida she was an Anderson Scholar, and a member of the honors program, Phi Kappa Phi, and the behavioral science research team, earning an award for Outstanding Researcher.
She received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law in 2009, graduating cum laude. While there, she worked as an intern at the Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida and earned a certificate in estate planning as well as a certificate of excellence in pro bono work.
Ms. Zewalk Thomas continued her legal education at the University of Florida and received her LL.M. in taxation in 2010, writing her thesis on valuation discounts in closely-held businesses.
Ms. Zewalk Thomas is happy to be back in her hometown of Tampa. She is admitted to practice in the State of Florida and a member of the Tax and Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Sections of the Florida Bar. Her practice areas include:
- General advice and counsel on all aspects of community association law.
- Preparation, interpretation and enforcement of declarations, bylaws, rules, amendments and other community governing documents
- Preservation and revitalization of governing documents in accordance with the Marketable Record Title Act
- Compliance with applicable state, local, and federal laws and regulations, such as the Federal and Florida Fair Housing laws.
- Assisting with fiscal matters, such as budgeting, special assessments, assessment increases, reserves, and financial reporting requirements
- Drafting and reviewing contracts for the management and operation of the community
- Maintenance, repair, and insurance issues
- Alterations, additions or other actions that may require membership approval
- Official records requests, elections, recalls, board operations and day to day advice and counsel to Associations.
JESSICA C. BURLEY
Jessica C. Burley graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 2006. She graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 2010 and was admitted to the Florida Bar the same year. During her time at Stetson, she worked as a teaching assistant for the Trial Advocacy classes and served as the President of Stetson’s chapter of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity.
Ms. Burley began her career representing mortgage lenders in residential mortgage foreclosure cases. During her time as a lender’s counsel, she managed a large caseload and conducted hundreds of contested and uncontested foreclosure trials. In 2015, Ms. Burley became a prosecutor with the State Attorney’s Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit. While there she prosecuted a variety of misdemeanor, juvenile, and felony charges, and conducted numerous pre-trial evidentiary hearings, as well as approximately one hundred non-jury trials and nine jury trials.
Ms. Burley is a Hillsborough county native and lives in Tampa with her husband and daughter. She has been a member of the Junior League of Tampa since 2012. She joined David J. Lopez, P.A. in January 2020. Her practice focuses on collection and foreclosure matters, enforcement litigation, and day to day advice and counsel to community associations.