Our People

George Castrataro , MPH, Esq.

During his more than 15-year career in advocacy and legal services, Mr. Castrataro has achieved national recognition in consumer law and foreclosure defense, and he has worked extensively in the field of public health.  An intense desire to help others has always influenced his life and plans. He saw that by becoming a lawyer he would be able to become a more effective instrument of change through combining ten years of working in public health with work as a legal advocate.

Guided by his philosophy of serving clients with integrity and compassion, he founded his Broward County law firm at the height of the foreclosure crisis.  A large part of the firm’s mission has been to help educate area homeowners about how to protect their homes from foreclosure.  The client base quickly expanded under his direction, and in 2009 the firm entered over 100 bankruptcy filings.  Growth continues into 2010.

Based on the belief that community service and pro bono public interest work should be integral parts of the practice of law, an ongoing commitment exists at the firm to remain in the forefront of efforts to ensure equal access to justice.  Mr. Castrataro’s service to the Broward community is ongoing, and in 2009 he was appointed a member of the Broward Housing Council in the Community Representative category.  He spoke on the Foreclosure Panel at the Council’s 2010 Affordable Housing Summit in Fort Lauderdale.  He has published numerous papers over the years and is frequently called upon by the media for his expert opinions in both health and legal matters.

Prior to establishing his own law firm, Mr. Castrataro was a supervising attorney for a large Broward County non-profit law practice where he worked on foreclosure defense and spearheaded a Blue-Ribbon Foreclosure Panel which he co-chaired with County Mayor Lois Wexler.  There he also launched and administered a new program, the Consumer Law unit.  He subsequently created the Human Rights section, which helped to combat discrimination and to raise awareness about anti-discrimination law.

He graduated from the FIU College of Law earning his Juris Doctor in 2005.  He was admitted to the Florida Bar and licensed by the U.S. District Court in 2006.  He is a member of  the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, the National LGBT Bar Association, the Broward County Bar Association, The Florida Bar, the American Bar Association and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund’s Cooperative Attorney Network.

A native of New York, he has been a South Florida resident nearly 10 years.

View Mr. Castrataro’s Nolo profile for additional information:

Pamela J. Scannell Pedlow, Esq., Of Counsel

Ms. Pedlow plays an integral role in litigation work for the Law Offices of George Castrataro. She serves on an “Of Counsel” basis to the firm, working both in the office and remotely.

An “Of Counsel” relationship allows two attorneys, with separate law firms, to combine their knowledge and expertise in a way that expands the benefits to clients by providing what is essentially “two heads for the price of one” while keeping costs down.

Admitted to the Florida Bar in 2009, Ms. Pedlow is also admitted to the Middle District of Florida. Her firm in Melbourne, The Law Office of Pamela J. Pedlow, P.A., focuses on Family Law, and, like the Castrataro firm, Foreclosure Defense, Bankruptcy, and Contract Disputes.

Prior to opening her law office, in 2008 she established a legal services company and acquired diverse legal experience while providing contract paralegal support to firms handling personal injury, criminal, civil and family law matters.

After graduating in 2006, as a member of the inaugural class of Florida International University’s (FIU’s) College of Law, Ms. Pedlow worked as a legal analyst at Harris Corporation in Melbourne, Florida, where she gained valuable experience in government and commercial contract drafting, negotiations, and litigation.

Having been a teacher in the Brevard County School District for 12 years, Ms. Pedlow moved to Miami in 2002 to pursue her life-long dream of becoming an attorney. There she taught full time in the Miami-Dade School system while attending law school at night.

While at FIU, Ms. Pedlow clerked for a personal injury attorney and served as a union representative for the United Teachers of Dade (UTD), where she represented 18 schools, mediating and negotiating between teachers, administrators, and the school district, and where she played an integral role in the Union’s quest for indoor air quality remediation and control.

Ms. Pedlow is currently an active member of the Brevard County Bar Association, Brevard County Association of Women Lawyers, Florida Association of Women Lawyers, the Brevard County Justice Teaching Program, and is a volunteer attorney for Brevard County Legal Aid.

A native of New York, Ms. Pedlow and her family have made their home in Indialantic, in Brevard County, Florida, since 1990.

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