Jacqueline Simms-Petredis

Jacqueline is a partner in the firm's Financial Services Litigation Practice Group and is the Managing Partner of the Tampa Office. Her practice of more than 20 years focuses primarily on defending banks, mortgage companies and other creditors against alleged violations of consumer protection laws in state and federal courts across the country.

Jacqueline routinely represents financial institutions such as banks, mortgage lenders, credit card companies, and auto finance companies in consumer lawsuits filed under various state and federal laws, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Truth-in-Lending Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. She has experience defending both individual and class actions at the trial and appellate level as well as experience in handling actions in bankruptcy court.

Jacqueline is active in firm initiatives, including serving as co-chair of the Burr Women’s Initiative, a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and the Social Justice Committee and actively involved in recruiting.

Jacqueline received her J.D. from the Tulane University Law School, and her B.A., cum laude, in History from The University of Florida. Prior to joining Burr Jacqueline worked at a large national firm, served as a Federal Public Defender in the Middle District of Florida and clerked for federal judge Mark A. Pizzo in Tampa.

In addition to her law practice, Jacqueline serves on the boards of many legal and community organizations, including the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation, the Bay Area Legal Services Development Council, the Hillsborough Community College Paralegal Advisory Board, the Horizon United Methodist Church Board, and is a past president of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, the Hillsborough County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. She is a member of the Cheatwood Inn of Court (past President and Executive Director), the George Edgecomb Bar Association, the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Jacqueline enjoys giving back and actively participates in organizations like Florida All Retriever Rescue, Feeding Tampa Bay and the Laundry Project, among others. When she isn’t working or volunteering, Jacqueline enjoys spending time with her husband Justin, also a lawyer, and their son, Robert.

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®: Financial Services Regulation Law since 2021; Litigation - Banking and Finance since 2022; Banking and Finance Law (2024); Consumer Law since 2025; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants since 2025
• Florida Super Lawyers: Banking since 2019, Bankruptcy since 2019
• Florida Trend, "Up and Coming" (2015), "Legal Elite" (2020)
• Florida Super Lawyers, "Rising Star," Banking (2011, 2013-2018)
• Hillsborough County Bar Association Board of Directors, Director (2017-2018)
• National Federal Bar Association Outstanding Leader (2018)
• Hillsborough County Bar Association Outstanding Young Lawyer Award (2015)
• Hillsborough County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division President's Award (2013)
• First Place (Tie) Tampa Magazine's "Top Lawyers," Financial Services Law Category
• Florida Trend, "Women Leaders in Law" (2023)

• Midtown Educational Foundation Law Day, Chicago, IL (2015-2018)
• Florida All Retriever Rescue, Volunteer/Foster (2015-present)

• Fellows of the American Bar Association, Member
• Bay Area Legal Services Development Council Chair
• Bay Area Legal Services, Member Development Council (2020)
• Federal Bar Association, Board of Directors (2008-2018), Past President (2018)
• Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, Board of Governors Circuit Representative (2006-2016)
• George Edgecomb Bar Association
• Hillsborough County Bar Association - Young Lawyers Division, Past President
• Hillsborough Community College Paralegal Association, Advisory Board
• Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers, Member
• Florida Bar Federal Court Practice Committee, Member since 2022
• Florida Bar Mentoring New Lawyers Committee since 2023
• Cheatwood Inn of Court, Past President, Past Executive Director
• Mortgage Bankers Association of Tampa Bay
• Hillsborough County Bar Association, Board of Directors (2019-2020), President (2022-2023)

Paralegal

Karen Torelli
(813) 367-5727
ktorelli@burr.com

Legal Practice Assistant

Diane Morales
(813) 221-5735
dmorales@burr.com