Raquel Y. Lao

Ms. Lao was born in Chicago, Illinois. She is of Chinese-Filipino descent. In 1996, Ms. Lao relocated to the outskirts of Tampa, Florida where she helped run a family-owned cattle and goat ranch.

In 2004, Ms. Lao graduated from Florida State University receiving her Bachelor's Degree in both Finance and Real Estate. Ms. Lao continued her education at Saint Thomas University School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctorate in 2007. Ms. Lao was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2008. Ms. Lao was also admitted to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida and to the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Ms. Lao joined the law firm of Friedman, Rodman & Frank, P.A. as an associate specializing in the area of personal injury law. Ms. Lao has worked diligently in assisting clients to obtain the best result possible. Ms. Lao has represented clients in cases involving rotator cuff tears, ACL tears, and hip fractures as a result of slip and falls at popular supermarkets; loss of vision in one eye as a result of the negligent supervision of minors; permanent scarring from dog bites; severe injuries due to construction accidents; wrongful death claims; battery claims; and bad faith claims handling by insurance companies.

Notably, Ms. Lao has helped a mother, daughter and son obtain a $1.1 million dollar settlement in a claim against a local university for its inadequate security. The loving family had been brutally attacked by a mob on the university's campus which ended in the son surviving a bullet that had entered millimeters away from his heart.