Practice Areas
Meet Our Staff
Firm Administrator
Karen Tavernier
Originally from Rhode Island, Karen moved to Florida in 1976. She received her education at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and received her Paralegal Certification in 1983. Her first Law Office Administrator position was with the firm of Siegel & Siegel in the Ft. Lauderdale area. She subsequently went to work for Ellis Rubin, a nationally known, high profile attorney in Miami, where she stayed until relocating to Sarasota and her present Administrator position with Lancaster & Eure, P. A. in 1984. Karen has been a member of both the Local and the National Associations of Legal Administrators since 1999 and has been assisting injured workers for over 25 years. Her hobbies include boating, fishing in the Everglades, reading anything and everything, and renovating/restoring historic homes.
Legal Assistants
Dina M. De Lorenzo
Dina comes to the office of Lancaster & Eure from Cincinnati, Ohio. She has ten years experience with Ohio workers' compensation. She attended the University of Cincinnati and is currently a resident of Manatee County. Dina has been working for Lancaster & Eure since September of 2006 and enjoys assisting the workers' compensation clients.
Deborah R. Higel
Deborah is a certified legal assistant/paralegal and has lived in the Venice, Florida, area since 1975. She graduated from Manatee Junior College in December 1990, with an Associate of Science degree in Legal Assisting. Deborah joined the firm in May 1991. In December 1991, she successfully completed the Certified Legal Assistant’s examination through the National Association of Legal Assistants. In addition, she regularly attends legal seminars and seminars specializing in workers’ compensation to maintain her CLA status
Felicia Johnson
Prior to joining the firm, Felicia had been a workers’ compensation adjuster since 1995. During that time, she worked for insurance companies from Sarasota to Tampa, handled litigated files, and worked closely with attorneys. Felicia now uses her experience and knowledge of the internal workings of the insurance companies to help injured workers receive the benefits they deserve.
Heather J. Lussier
Heather was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio where she raised her 2 children while working as a legal assistant at several personal injury law firms in downtown Cleveland. In 2001, she relocated to Sarasota, Florida. Prior to joining Lancaster & Eure, Heather worked as a legal assistant at a large Sarasota-based firm in the land use department for 9 years. Her hobbies include travel, bicycling, bowling, reading and Italian cooking.
Lori Caruso
Lori received her Paralegal Certificate in 1986 from Omega Institute in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. She has worked in both large and small firms in a number of legal fields, including personal injury, workers’ compensation, social security, oil, gas and mineral law, as well as criminal defense. Altogether, Lori has approximately 15 years of legal experience. In March of 2011, she joined the firm of Lancaster & Eure. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons and stepdaughter.
Spanish Translator
Diana Rico
Diana Rico is a claims assistant/translator at Lancaster & Eure and serves as a liaison between the attorneys and paralegals and the Spanish speaking clients. Prior to joining Lancaster & Eure, Diana worked 8 years for Goldman Sachs on Wall Street in client services. In 1991, Diana relocated to Sarasota with her husband to raise her daughters and focus on her family. Diana enjoys assisting the Spanish speaking injured workers in their workers’ compensation claims.