Trial Lawyers Enforcing the Medical Standard of Care

If you spend enough time around the lawyers of Faiella & Gulden, you are bound to hear a recurring question from their opponents: “don’t you have any other cases to work on?” In fact, the three-lawyer family firm, which predominately handles medical malpractice cases, intentionally limits their caseload, a strategy that not only ensures that each matter receives the attention it deserves, but also enables each lawyer to be deeply involved in every case that they bring.

However, this familiar inquiry is as much a product of the attorneys’ work ethic as anything else. Indeed, all three lawyers approach their cases with an intensity that borders on obsessiveness, pursuing their clients’ causes with a relentless vigor that has become a sort of calling card for the firm.

The driving force behind this tenacity is a belief that the weakest among us deserve the most fearless fighters, a principle that has guided this legal family through three generations of practice. The firm’s founding partner, Elizabeth Hawthorne Faiella, herself the daughter of a trial attorney-turned-municipal judge, Rachel Johnson, has enjoyed a storied career that has resulted in as many verdicts for victims of negligence as it has professional accolades. In 2008, she landed a spot in the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates, a group that is comprised of the top 100 plaintiff’s lawyers in the country.

Elizabeth’s son, Peter J. Gulden, III, nicknamed “Tres,” joined his mother’s firm in 2004. Peter swiftly earned his seat at the table, and his litigation success over the past fifteen years is evidenced by his membership in such elite attorney groups as the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and National Trial Lawyers Top 25 in Medical Malpractice in Florida. Peter is also AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Rebecca E. Gulden, Peter’s wife, distinguished herself early on by earning ten book awards (for highest grade in the course) during her time as a law student at the University of Florida—more than any other student in her graduating class. Rebecca joined the firm in 2015 and has already proven herself to be a rising star in the arena of medical negligence litigation, helping F&G to achieve multiple seven figure verdicts and settlements during her tenure there.

Although they thrive on the challenge of representing patients, Elizabeth, Peter, and Rebecca agree that the gratitude of their clients is the most meaningful reward of their labor.