George Melendez
George A. Melendez, Esq., is an alumni of Tampa’s Jesuit High school and attended law school at Nova SouthEastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center. Prior to pursuing his law degree, Mr. Melendez received his bachelor’s degree in fine art and art history with a minor in science from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. After college, Mr. Melendez developed an interest in the law while working as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem for four years, advocating for children caught in dependency court and subjected to allegations of abuse and neglect.
While Mr. Melendez attended law school, he took advantage of Nova’s respected clerkship in Environmental Law where he worked directly under Richard Grosso, Esq. and fought to save the critically endangered ecosystems of the Everglades and South Florida.
Upon receiving his Juris Doctorate (his law degree), Mr. Melendez began his legal career as a law clerk for a well respected Tampa criminal defense appellate attorney. After this experience, Mr. Melendez worked under a seasoned and respected local Probate and Estate Planning Attorney in Hyde Park. Having gained a basic understanding of both litigation and transactional law, Mr. Melendez pursued his direction as a Criminal Defense Attorney at the office of the Public Defender in New Port Richey, Pasco County, Florida. At the Public Defender’s office, Mr. Melendez defended those charged with misdemeanors, including batteries and DUI’s, felonies and capital felony charges including sex crimes.
After life as a Public Defender, Mr. Melendez ventured from working as a Government Attorney and entered the private world of Civil Litigation where he began practicing in areas such as Family and Domestic Relations Law, Dependency Law, Civil Litigation, LandLord Tenant Law, Juvenile and Juvenile Delinquency Law in addition to Criminal Defense. Mr. Melendez proudly created the Melendez Law Office in 2010 and now practices family and matrimonial law with a focus on Guardian Ad Litem work, parenting coordination, mediation and collaborative law.
Mr. Melendez, is proud to serve the children of the community as well as the judiciary by helping to keep children safe and to promote their best interest and he enjoys offering his skills with alternative dispute resolution to assist parents and lawyers to resolve their cases in a fast and cost efficient manner.
Affiliations
The Florida Bar
The Florida Bar’s Family Law Section
The Florida Bar’s Real Property Section
The Florida Bar’s Probate Section
The Florida Bar’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
The United State District Court, Middle District of Florida (Federal Bar)
The Tampa Bay Family Law Inn of Court
Hillsborough County Bar Association
Carrollwood Bar Association
The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorney’s (FACDL)
The International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
The Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay
The Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Next Generation Divorce
The Tampa Bay Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Accreditations
Juris Doctorate Degree (JD)
Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art, Studio Art and Art History
Advanced Training in Collaborative Divorce
Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator
Qualification, Parenting Coordination
Sean Donovan
Sean Donovan was born and raised in southwestern Michigan and graduated from Grand Valley State University in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. While in college, Sean was the captain of the cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field teams and, in 1991, he earned NJCAA collegiate All-American honors in the marathon. After graduating from college, Sean built a successful career in the banking and insurance industries.
Seeking a warmer climate, Sean relocated from Michigan to the Tampa Bay area in the spring of 1998 and continued his career in insurance and banking. In the fall of 2002, Sean entered law school at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville. While at Florida Coastal, Sean flourished, becoming the first person in the school’s history to be accepted to and participate in the school’s Moot Court, Mock Trial, and Law Review programs and having one of his articles selected for publication. In 2004, Sean was elected to the position of Articles Editor of the school’s Law Review; and in 2005 Sean graduated from Florida Coastal near the top of his class.
Upon graduation from law school, Sean accepted a position as a prosecutor where he prosecuted thousands of cases and gained valuable trial experience representing the State of Florida in almost one hundred felony and misdemeanor trials. Additionally, Sean argued hundreds of dispositive motions that required research, testimony, and the admission of evidence. The training that Sean received as a prosecutor included, among other things, graduating from the State’s DUI and Advanced DUI schools, attending a seminar on the use of cutting edge evidence, and training in the operation of the Intoxilyzer 5000 and 8000 breath test machines. Due to Sean’s skill and dedication as a prosecutor, he was selected to train law enforcement in the proper implementation of field sobriety tests.
In 2009, Sean left prosecution to practice civil litigation. Then, in 2011, after immersing himself in the practice of civil law for two years Sean decided that he could best serve the Tampa Bay community by opening his own law practice.
Sean takes his responsibilities to his clients very seriously and works feverishly in his attempt to achieve the outcomes that his clients desire from their cases. Sean feels that communication is paramount, and takes extra time to make sure that his clients understand the issues involved in their cases and agree with the strategies employed. Sean believes that a client should be able to speak about the legal issue at hand with his or her attorney, as opposed to a paralegal or case manager.