Meet melanie

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My clients are often facing insurmountable obstacles with indifferent and unresponsive insurance adjusters.  When an insurance carrier denies a claim, my clients usually cannot afford to pay for the repairs out-of-pocket.  They are left with damage to their property and rising insurance premiums.  But switching companies doesn't solve the problem - the next carrier will simply deny coverage because of the prior claim.    

I'm one of the few attorneys who has prior experience as an insurance adjuster.  Before law school, I worked as a property insurance adjuster for nearly five years and handled claims for Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Citizens, and Pilot Catastrophe Services.  I traveled across the country, adjusting losses caused by hail and wind storms,  tornadoes, freeze and ice storms, pipe bursts, power outages, sewer backups, hurricanes, and 9/11 in New York City. 

With a ladder and a tool belt, I managed the claims process during catastrophic events as a top producer.  I personally handled an average of 350 pending claims, simultaneously located in three different states.  I complied with the department of insurance regulations for each state and held adjuster licenses in Texas, Florida, Kentucky, and South Carolina.  I was consistently recognized for accuracy in estimating and for excellent customer service, and I earned the highest adjuster evaluation rating.  I attended Haag engineering training, and I obtained the Senior Claims Law Associate (SCLA) designation from the American Educational Institute.  

I left my career in insurance to attend law school, where I received a Governor's Merit Scholarship, along with a Certificate of Recognition from the American Bar Association - Section of State and Local Government Law.  I was nominated as a pupil member of The Chester Bedell American Inn of Court and served as a staff editor of the Law Review.  During law school, I published work in the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law. 

I have always held myself to high personal standards.  For example, in law school, I earned the highest grade (called the "Book Award") in 13 courses:   

• Legal Writing I
• Legal Writing II 
• Contracts I 
• Contracts II, 
• Civil Procedure 
• Property
• Constitutional Law I 
• Constitutional Law II
• State and Local Government Law
• Family Law
• Making and Meeting Objections
• Legislative Process  
• Criminal Procedure 

I also received the Best Oralist Award and the Best Brief Award. 

I have a strong desire to impart knowledge, and I frequently mentor students and young lawyers.   As an Adjunct Professor, I taught a Trial Practice Workshop at the University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law.  For three years, I was a guest speaker at Bellarmine University for the Women in Criminal Justice program.  In addition, I volunteered as a reading and math tutor for over 120 students to prepare them for GED testing.  

My background includes the insurance defense side.  I represented insurance companies as a defense attorney for commercial insurance claims.   I worked for Steptoe & Johnson in Washington, D.C. in complex commercial litigation.   I also worked with Phelps Dunbar, representing insurance and reinsurance clients, including Lloyd's of London.

I spent years in civil service as a public defender, serving the voiceless and providing "the best defense that money can't buy."  I have represented clients against overreaching prosecutors, shady used-car dealerships, abusive spouses, oppressive government entities, and unfair insurance companies.  I fight against bullies, corruption, and unfairness.  

My firm is very selective, and you are not just a number here.  I work directly with my clients and, if feasible, I usually meet them at the property and personally inspect the damage.   I value and honor my client's time by answering my own phone and providing frequent status updates.   The firm intentionally remains small so that we can pursue excellence, obtain the very best results, and maintain a personal relationship with every client.  

I am honored when my clients put their trust in my law firm.  It's been 25 years, and I am still resolving property insurance claims.  Now I do it without a ladder and a toolbelt.  I use the inside knowledge and first-hand experience as an insurance adjuster and as an attorney for the insurance companies to fight on your behalf.   If your insurance adjuster denied your claim or paid you less than what you are owed, then call today.    

Legal Education at Florida Coastal School of Law:

• Juris Doctor, Summa Cum Laude
• Class Rank:  #1 out of 343
• GPA:  3.94 on a 4.0 scale

Undergraduate at The University of Kentucky: 

• Bachelor's of Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude
• Management Departmental Honors 
• Minor in International Business
• Earned a prestigious, full-ride academic scholarship 
• Studied in Austria at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (Wirtschafts Universität), which is ranked in the Top 50 Business Schools in Europe

Bar Memberships:

• The State Bar of Texas
• The Kentucky Bar Association
• The D.C. Bar (inactive)
• The Florida Bar