Thena Edwards

I started my legal career at the Hillsborough County Public Defender's Office doing criminal defense work right after graduating from law school. I then transitioned to civil defense, spending approximately 4 years at Allstate doing staff counsel insurance defense work, followed by another 4 years at Progressive in the same capacity. What's really exciting about my current role at Auto Club is that I had the opportunity to help open their very first staff counsel office in Tampa from the ground up. Working with Robert Smith, the managing attorney, I serve as the senior trial attorney and was instrumental in developing our processes and procedures. I typically handle about one trial per year, which gives me that trial experience I value while also allowing me to work primarily from home. This arrangement provides the perfect work-life balance I need as a mother of two children and caregiver to my 75-year-old mother who lives with me. I've always been someone who challenges things and doesn't accept everything at face value - I analyze situations and consider how different factors might change outcomes, which is what drew me to law in the first place.