Attorney

Title and area of County Law practiced

Suzanne Hutton

County Attorney

   SUZANNE A. HUTTON received a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Arizona, two master's degrees from the University of Miami, and a J.D. from Mercer University.  She is admitted to the Georgia Bar (inactive), Florida Bar, Maryland Bar (inactive), and Federal District Court for the Southern District, and is Board certified in City, County and Local Government Law.  Ms. Hutton worked as an Assistant Attorney General of the US Virgin Islands and an Assistant City Solicitor of Baltimore, Maryland, prior to employment with Monroe County as an Assistant County Attorney from 1990 to 2006, when she was appointed County Attorney.  Her experience with Monroe County includes litigating in the areas of land use, eminent domain, environmental takings, and tax liens, as well as legal advice to all Monroe County officers, departments and advisory boards regarding most of the issues of County concern.

Bob Shillinger

Chief Assistant County Attorney

   Mr. Shillinger joined the County Attorney's Office in 2000 as an Assistant County Attorney and was promoted to Chief Assistant in 2006.  He is the principal litigator of the office and oversees outside litigation counsel.  Mr. Shillinger received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wake Forest University in 1987 and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore in 1995.  From 1987 until 2002, he worked for two members of the U.S. House of Representatives in various capacities.  From 1995 until 2000, he served as an Assistant State Attorney in Key West, Florida, prosecuting all levels of offenses.  In 2004, he became the first attorney in Monroe County to be Board Certified by the Florida Bar in City, County, & Local Government Law.  From 2002 through 2007, he served on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the 16^th Judicial Circuit.  He's admitted to the Florida, Maryland (inactive), U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Florida, the 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court bars. 

Pedro Mercado

Assistant County Attorney

   Mr. Mercado earned his bachelors degree with honors from Saint Leo University in 1993. He then earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1995 form the University of Miami. Form 1996-2004 he worked as an Assistant State Attorney for the 16^th Judicial Circuit prosecuting misdemeanor, juvenile and felony criminal matters. He joined the Monroe County Attorneys office in January 2004.

   Mr. Mercado has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1996 and is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, United States Court of Appeals for the 11^th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.  In 2009, Pedro became Board Certified by the Florida Bar in City, County, & Local Government Law.

Cynthia Ha[[

Assistant County Attorney

  Ms. Hall received her Bachelor of Arts in 1977 from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.  She earned her JD cum laude from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1991 and was admitted to the California Bar in 1992.  She was a trial attorney doing business and real estate litigation and labor and employment law in Los Angeles, California from 1991 to 2007.  She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2007 and joined the Monroe County Attorney's Office.                                                                

   Ms. Hall is a member of the Monroe County Bar Association, the California State Bar, the Florida State Bar and the American Bar Association.  She is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Claims Court.

Christine M. Limbert-Barrows

 Assistant County Attorney

   Ms. Limbert completed her bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in sociology in 1998 at Florida State University. She later earned a juris doctor degree in 2003 from St. Thomas School of Law in Miami, Florida. Ms. Limbert became a member of the Florida Bar in 2003 and worked for the Office of the Public Defender before joining the County Attorney's Office in November of 2007. Ms. Limbert is a member of the Monroe County Bar Association and served as president (2006-2007), vice-president (2005-2006) and secretary/treasurer (2004-2005). 

Nat Cassel

Assistant County Attorney

   Natileene Cassel joined the County Attorney's Office in 2005 as an Assistant County Attorney. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1983. Ms. Cassel practiced civil litigation from 1983 until 2001 in the areas of contract disputes, personal injury, products liability, medical malpractice, domestic relations, premises liability, construction liability, and real estate disputes. In 2001 she became an Assistant State Attorney prosecuting all levels of criminal offenses. Ms. Cassel received her Bachelor of Science from Mississippi State University, and earned her JD from Mississippi College School of Law. Ms. Cassel served on the editorial Board for the Florida Bar Journal, and the Grievance Committee for the Florida Bar. She is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Susan Grimsley

Assistant County Attorney

   Ms. Grimsley received her B.A. and  J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law.  She was admitted to the Minnesota Bar in 1974 and worked in private practice and as an appointed public defender . She was an assistant county attorney and prosecutor and  became the first woman county attorney in Minnesota for Dodge County in 1976. Admitted to the Florida Bar in 1976, she was employed by the Broward County General Counsel's Office in 1978, and  later by Florida Atlantic University in the office of the University Attorney, as well as teaching in the paralegal program. She worked for a private business for 15 years in Broward County  before moving to Key West to join the city's planning department. Subsequently Susan was an Assistant City Attorney for Key West. Ms.  Grimsley joined the Monroe County  Attorney's Office in 2005 and is currently working on growth management issues.  She is Board Certified in City County and Local Government Law and is admitted to the U.S.District Court, Southern District of Florida.

Derek Howard

Assistant County Attorney

   Mr. Howard received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with honors from Ohio University in 1997.  He earned his J.D. from American University's Washington College of Law with honors in 2003, and received the Outstanding Student Award from the Clinical Legal Education Association for his work representing indigent clients in a variety of civil matters.  Having spent summers at Seacamp on Big Pine Key as both a camper and counselor, Mr. Howard returned to the Keys to begin his legal practice with a private Key West firm where he primarily served as outside land use counsel to Monroe County.  He joined the Florida Bar in 2003, and is currently an Appointee to the Eminent Domain Committee.

   Mr. Howard returned to Washington, D.C. in January 2006 to continue his land use and environmental law practice with the international firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker.  He remains a member of the D.C. Bar.  Mr. Howard joined the County Attorney's Office in April 2008.  He primarily handles the County's growth management litigation.  He is also pursuing his PhD in Community Planning on a part-time basis, and a member of the American Planning Association.

   Mr. Howard's prior professional experience includes serving as a Paralegal in the White House Counsel's Office during the final term of the Clinton Administration, working at a non-profit organization where he participated in the Environmental Protection Agency's rule-making regarding the regulation of the aquaculture industry under the Clean Water Act., and serving the Florida Department of Children and Families as a social worker.