Taking on Trump: Mario Torres of Torres Benet, P.A.
by Mary Waldron
Mario Torres and his wife in 2007
Torres' interest in the legal field did not come until later in his life—not until shortly before he applied to law school, actually. As a journalism and communications major during his undergraduate years at the University of Florida, Torres took a mass communications law class and thoroughly enjoyed it. Additionally, Torres was working for a web development company at the time, and he realized that he wanted to aim for a more stable career. So when his fiancee went on to pursue her master's degree, he was encouraged to further his education, as well.
Torres attended Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law at Barry University in Miami, where he was on the trial team and awarded "Advocate of the Year" honors. He was also Vice President and President of the Hispanic Attorneys Association and Vice President of the Student Bar Association.
After clerking at one of Orlando's busiest top entertainment firms for approximately one year, Torres began to work for Joel Fine, P.A., who eventually became his mentor and friend and influenced him to open his own firm. Although, attorney-wise, Torres was still wet behind the ears, he was a business-savvy young professional, which made him a tremendously valuable asset to Fine and his practice. Early on in his career at Fine's firm, Torres was instilled with the idea that law itself is ultimately a business just like any other.
Fine also taught Torres the humbling and wise principle that the law constantly changes, especially with time and new attorneys and perspectives, which means no one can really conquer it and know all the answers at one time. "For the most part, attorneys and judges alike, we're all trying to figure out the law. It is really a living and breathing thing. It changes as the cases change," he said.
Being partial to the business side of the industry, after excelling at Fine's firm, Torres began to realize that he "wanted to benefit from all of his work." He knew that there was only one step to take; he would open his own firm—Torres Benet, P.A.
Q.
What do you do for fun?
A.
My hobby is my beautiful six-month-old daughter. She takes up all my time.
Q.
What CD is in your CD player right now?
A.
Blue Bay.
Q.
What is the last magazine you read?
A.
Hispanic Business.
Q.
What is your favorite TV show?
A.
Grey's Anatomy.
Q.
Who is your role model?
A.
Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Bill Gates.
Today, Torres' firm primarily covers real estate, family law, civil, and construction litigation. Although his passion lies with sports and entertainment cases, there is not much of a need for those types of work in Tampa.
Mario Torres and his new baby daughter
However, when he heard the news that his family friend, Katie Rees, lost the title of Miss Nevada because of a series of incriminating photos that were taken when she was 17 years old, it was a "no-brainer" that he would defend her.
Late last December, Rees issued an apology for the photos (which showed her exposing her breasts, kissing and licking other women, and simulating sexual acts) that reached the media. Rees responded to the photos, saying that they were captured during an "isolated incident." Torres never had any reservations about representing Rees. "She's an upstanding young adult," he said.
"We have not made a final decision as to if we're going to pursue Mr. Trump, NBC, and the Miss Universe organization," Torres said. While waiting on additional documentation that will strengthen the case, Torres continues to prepare for his battle against the photographer who took the pictures and the organizations that are barring Rees from the 2007 Miss USA Pageant.
Katie Rees was forced to renounce her title on December 21, 2006. Her replacement, first runner-up Helen Salas, is set to compete for the title of Miss USA on March 23, 2007, in Los Angeles.
Mario Torres and his baby daughter on Christmas 2006
With the guidance of his mentors and the lessons that have come his way throughout the years, Torres has seen many young law professionals fumble when beginning their journeys in law. Many of them think that they will do well if they have all the core knowledge, even if they lack application skills. "If you don't know how to put things into play, it's no good," he said.
Torres went on to say, "Do they understand how procedurally a case goes from A to Z? That's what I look for in an associate. Do they understand the law? Great, but I can have them read about the law in a book."
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