Parvey & Cavenago Attorney’s, P.A.
CARLOS J CAVENAGO III
Over the past 14 years of practicing in personal injury law and wrongful death, Carlos Cavenago has settled and tried a wide range of cases to a jury, including auto accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, and wrongful death.
Carlos Cavenago has always felt a calling to protect justice and exudes passion for helping victims of negligence. While representing each client, Carlos uses a strong work ethic and persistent personality to ensure the compensation received is what each client is entitled to. His love and devotion to a legal career were inspired while taking legal classes at the undergraduate level. While at the undergraduate level, some of his professors recommended law school because of his keen interest in law and its interface with justice, policy, and society.
The direction became apparent in his law practice, and he was recognized by Super Lawyers and chosen as a Rising Star in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Carlos has now been recognized as a Super Lawyer for the past seven years and has been conferred AV-rated status by Martindale Hubbell.
After graduating from law school at St. Thomas University, Carlos returned to Fort Myers, where he was born and raised, to accept a State Attorney’s Office prosecutor position. At this time, Carlos prosecuted and won his first jury trial case that involved a DUI with severe bodily injury. After prosecuting many other crimes, Carlos transferred to the domestic violence unit, giving him a strong sense of purpose. While working in the domestic violence unit, Carlos was assigned a four-count voyeurism case. The victim asked Carlos to refer her to a civil lawyer for violating the privacy suit. On the first day of trial, the defendant pled guilty to all counts.
While pursuing his legal direction, Carlos studied lawyers’ resumes and communicated with local legal professionals. Since then, the firm has grown exponentially, and Carlos now owns Parvey & Cavenago Attorney’s, P.A.
The Southwest Florida community has given so much to Carlos, and he consistently finds ways to reciprocate by giving back and extending a helping hand as a represented personal injury attorney.
He is a tenured member of the Florida Justice Association and Lee County Bar Association and an active member of the downtown Rotary Club of Fort Myers.
In addition, Parvey & Cavenago Attorneys, P.A. is a long-term supporter and an attendee of the Cattle Barron’s Ball, a popular fundraiser for the charity organization American Cancer Society.
Carlos has taught legal study courses at Florida Gulf Coast University for several years. Volunteering his time to share his expertise and real-life experiences as a practicing attorney gives him added inspiration by sharing his knowledge with future young lawyers.
In 2020, Carlos Cavenago started the Bishop Verot Legal Society so that alums, attorneys, and judges from Bishop Verot Catholic High School can meet annually to benefit the School while spurring friendships and professionalism.
Carlos is also an avid angler, leading him to become a member and contributor to the Coastal Conservation Association, an organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the environment.
His love of protecting the environment aligns with his lifelong hobby of Scuba Diving and fishing with family and friends.
EDUCATION
St. Thomas University, J.D., Honors: Dean’s List
Florida Gulf Coast University,
B.A. BAR ADMISSIONS Florida U.S. District Court for the Middle District
HEATH GELMAN, ESQ.
Heath Gelman (Esq.) is a Senior Litigation Attorney practicing with Parvey and Cavanego. As far back as sixth grade, Heath wanted to be a trial lawyer and was inspired by the book “To Kill a Mockingbird.” To that end, he took law studies in high school and interned at a law firm in Boca Raton during his senior year at Spanish River High School in Boca Raton. During his undergraduate years at the University of Florida and Florida Atlantic University, he was elected and served as a school senator, which helped to develop his service to others. Heath attended law school in Miami at St. Thomas University, where he prevailed in an Association of Trial Lawyers in America opening statement/closing argument competition. In his third year of law school, he interned at the Assistant Public Defender Office in Broward County Public, where he was permitted to try misdemeanor and juvenile cases with a Public Defender. At this point, Heath received his first real taste of trial work and prevailed on behalf of his clients.
A career focused on civil litigation commenced immediately after law school. He worked twelve years at a prominent insurance defense firm in Southeast and Southwest Florida, successfully trying cases for individuals and insurance companies and securing fair and reasonable settlements. There, he was promoted to partner and learned many tools he took to plaintiff practice. Residing in Fort Myers, Florida, since 2004, Heath joined the largest plaintiff injury firm in the nation and achieved great success on behalf of his clients in and outside of the courtroom, securing tremendous results on behalf of his clients. After that, he accepted employment as a partner in the Fort Myers law firm of Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, Florida’s oldest named law firm. At that firm, he handled civil litigation matters for private companies, professional liability matters defending lawyers and professionals, insurance defense and some plaintiff personal injury matters. In one of his memorable trials, he prevailed on behalf of the School Board of Lee County in a highly litigated injury lawsuit of some local acclaim. During this timeframe, the COVID pandemic hit, and Heath was published many times in numerous blog articles on COVID-19 business interruption, insurance bad faith, and other salient topics.
Heath Gelman (Esq) was voted in 2021 and again in 2022 by his legal peers. He was published in Naples Illustrated Magazine as a top personal injury litigation attorney and insurance law attorney in Southwest Florida, two separate practice areas. In addition, he was nominated by his peers and selected to the prestigious Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. Heath is also a certified Florida mediator.
Heath has always lived by the saying in his law practice, “You must keep your mind on the objective, not on the obstacle”, said William Randolph Hearst. There are daily obstacles, and sound lawyers prepare for them and formulate strategies to overcome them. When Heath is not practicing law, he tries to avoid discussing law with his lawyer wife, who practices estate planning, elder law, and probate. Heath and Lisa are consumed with raising four active children during their free time. He can be found on the Fort Myers sports fields cheering on his kids, at the beach, or on a great vacation. Giving back to the community is imperative to Heath, and he has been involved with food drives with Harry Chapin Food Bank, Christmas toy drives for families in Pine Manor, and various community events.
