Francesca E. Kenney

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Francesca focuses her practice areas on defending businesses in the areas of products liability, premises liability, and general liability.

Francesca is from Northeastern Pennsylvania. She received her undergraduate degree from King’s College in English, graduating magna cum laude. Upon moving to Florida, she attended law school at Florida A&M University College of Law where she graduated at the top of her class. During law school, Francesca worked full time as a paralegal at a criminal defense firm, which quickly led to her first associate attorney position as a criminal defense attorney. She has also practiced Family Law in the Central Florida region, which lends a hand to her unique experience in both civil and criminal litigation matters. Prior to joining the firm, Francesca has undergone extensive training in trauma informed courts and collaborative law.

Francesca was inspired to become an attorney by her late aunt, Christine Trottini, whose poise and passion for the law was infectious. She has long recognized that the legal system is one of the more complex written rules of society, and practicing law as an attorney is one of the most respected professions in the workplace. Francesca takes her knowledge, respect, and experience, and turns it into dedicated and committed client representation.

Courtney M. King

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Courtney King focuses her practice on products and premises liability litigation, primarily representing automobile and medical device manufacturers, as well as theme parks. With a strong interest in her clients’ concerns and objectives, she calls on her trial experience, as well as her observations of strengths and weaknesses in individual cases, to skillfully and efficiently represent her clients.

Select Experience

Examples of Ms. King’s representative experience include the following:

  •  Co-Represented an automobile manufacturer to defense verdict at trial in Hillsborough County, Florida in a case involving a plaintiff who sustained burns to over seventy-five percent of his body in a vehicle fire;
  •  Represented an automobile manufacturer in personal injury and wrongful death cases involving rollover events, ejected occupants and/or vehicle fires;
  • Obtained summary judgment for an automobile manufacturer in a rollover case venued in Pinellas County, Florida;
  • Represented multiple medical device manufacturers as local and national counsel in cases venued in Florida and Pennsylvania;
  • Represented medical device manufacturers in multidistrict litigation in Alachua County;
  • Represented a major theme park in multiple cases venued in Orange County involving negligence, failure to warn, and negligent mode of operation claims.

About Me

What do you enjoy most about the practice of law?

The most rewarding aspect of my job is the creativity involved at every stage of litigation, whether it is determining the most cost-efficient way to defend a case or strategizing as to the most advantageous manner of proceeding with discovery.

What are your favorite activities in your leisure time?

I enjoy family time, which consists mostly of keeping up with my daughter’s latest activities and interests. I also enjoy traveling and reading.

Dean G. LaPonzina

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Dean LaPonzina focuses his practice on representing manufacturers and other businesses in complex civil litigation matters in state and federal courts across the United States, including products liability, personal injury, and commercial litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, Dean clerked for the Honorable Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe on the Florida Second District Court of Appeal in Tampa. Dean began his legal career in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was born and raised, before relocating to Florida in 2025.

Dean received his J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law, cum laude, and his undergraduate degree from Florida Atlantic University, magna cum laude. During law school, Dean was selected as a SLIP Intern at the U.S. Department of Justice, served as the Assistant Managing Editor of the University of Baltimore’s Law Forum, and was inducted as a Scholar into the Royal Graham Shannonhouse III Honor Society.

Outside of work, Dean enjoys spending time with his wife, Anna, and their two dogs, Winnie and Mochi. Dean also enjoys staying active, going to the beach, golfing, skiing, and cheering on his Baltimore Ravens.

*Dean is not admitted to practice law in Florida. He is admitted to practice law in Maryland.

Christopher J. Lewis

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Christopher J. Lewis focuses his practice on personal injury, premise liability, commercial and transportation litigation, products liability, and high-risk insurance defense. Christopher brings a powerful combination of seasoned trial experience and a unique background in high-stakes advocacy to defend individuals, corporate clients and manufacturers.

Prior to joining McDonald Toole Richman & Correnti, Christopher served as an Assistant State Attorney assigned to the Special Victims Unit where he prosecuted some of the most serious crimes in Florida. Christopher also served as an Assistant District Attorney at one of the largest prosecutor’s offices in the country, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Houston, Texas.

Before joining the Florida Bar in 2007, Christopher had the privilege of working as a judicial intern at the Florida First District Court of Appeals and at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Beyond his trial credentials, Christopher possesses experience in electronic discovery and litigation technology.

Bianca Graziela Liston

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Bianca Graziela Liston handles all aspects of litigation, as well as coordination of discovery. She defends cases from soft tissue injuries to catastrophic injuries and wrongful death claims in Florida state and federal courts.  She has first and second chair trial experience.  Her practice area includes products liability, personal injury, premise liability, amusement park, DRAM shop, food/supplement, toxic tort, commercial and transportation litigation, as well as administrative actions.

Prior to admission to the Florida Bar in 2002, Ms. Liston worked in a law firm as a legal assistant and paralegal.  Because of her passion for the law, she obtained her Bachelor and Juris Doctorate Degrees from Nova Southeastern University during its night program while continuing full-time employment.   It is this commitment and determination that she brings to her clients.   Ms. Liston is committed to handling each file as if it is her only file.  Likewise, she is determined to search for and discover every fact about the Plaintiff and his/her/its claim to achieve a beneficial resolution for her client whether through dismissal, settlement or verdict.  She also understands that with many clients, especially corporate clients, there is a business aspect to each claim and that winning at trial may not be the best approach to prevailing on a claim.

Sarah A. Long

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Sarah Long concentrates her practice in the area of products liability defense in both Florida state courts and federal court.  Sarah has been involved in the defense of automotive, heavy truck and equipment manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and medical device manufactures, as well as other makers of consumer products in complex tort litigation, in addition to traditional tort actions.  Sarah blends her solid analytical and research skills with her strong writing capabilities, and calls upon her experience as a trial attorney to offer clients knowledgeable, reliable and consistent services in the areas of discovery, motion practice and trial support.