Karina P. Gonzalez was born in Belize, Central America and has lived in South Florida since 1992. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Political Science at the University of Oregon in 1979. She earned a Master of Arts in International Relations with a focus on the Law of the Sea, with study at the International Ocean Institute in Malta and graduated from the International College in 1982. After graduating, she worked as a research associate at the East/West Center for Cultural and Technological Exchange in Hawaii, further specializing in numerous areas of the Law of the Sea. In 1992, she earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnati, College of Law. While attending the University of Cincinnati, she also assisted in the preparation of a chapter on Law of the Sea for an international law textbook and worked as a mediator for the Cincinnati's City Solicitor's Office. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati, she relocated to South Florida, where she began practicing in 1993 in the area civil litigation defense, focusing on admiralty and maritime law, medical malpractice defense of physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, products liability defense, general commercial litigation and general liability insurance defense.

Ms. Gonzalez joined the Law Offices of Steven M. Ziegler, P.A. in 2002, where she continues her litigation practice. She continues to represent healthcare providers in defense of medical negligence claims, nursing homes, and nurse practitioners in the long-term care facilities, including home health care. She litigates a range of cases brought against managed care organizations involving claims for reimbursement rates, quality reviews, utilization reviews, authorization of medical care, credentialing and accreditation matters. Ms. Gonzalez also litigates in the area of provider health care fraud. Her practice at the Firm has included a national practice as managed care counsel for a range of companies involved in healthcare management.

Ms. Gonzalez practices in all Florida trial and appellate courts and in the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Middle District of Florida, She is a member of the Florida Bar (Trial Lawyers Section), American Bar Association (Healthcare Litigation and Risk Management Section) and the Caribbean Bar Association. She is active in community service, organizing in her local community for youth soccer and children's charities in Central America.