TAMPA, FL – Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP and Shumaker Advisors Florida, LLC announces the addition of Melanie S. Griffin as a new strategic team member. A seasoned lawyer and deeply involved community leader, Melanie’s role will include serving as Of Counsel within the Litigation practice group, as well as Senior Advisor, Business-to-Business Relationships for Shumaker Advisors Florida.
“Melanie brings great skill to the firm, further strengthening our Litigation team,” said Tampa Managing Partner Mark Catchur. “Her extensive network and experience representing businesses of all sizes and in a wide range of litigation matters will enable her to provide the highest caliber of service supporting our clients legal and business needs.”
“We are very excited and fortunate to have Melanie join our team,” said Tampa Partner and President/CEO Shumaker Advisors Florida, Ron Christaldi. “Melanie is known and respected for her professionalism, immense involvement in the community, and her unique ability to connect with others, all of which will bolster our ability to solve problems for our clients.”
“After critical analysis, I purposefully joined the Shumaker and Shumaker Advisors teams due to their entrepreneurial spirit, depth of practice groups and resources, focus on business-centered solutions, and commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace,” said Melanie Griffin. “Shumaker’s culture allows my unique skillset to truly shine and is the home where my legal and business clients can best be served.”
A renowned litigator and advocate, Melanie is laser-focused on her client’s and the community’s best interests. She has advised and represented businesses of all sizes and types in commercial disputes and litigation, ranging from simple breach of contract actions, to complex commercial cases involving intellectual property issues, real estate actions, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, tortious interference with contracts and business relationships, and substantive employment law issues, such as harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Melanie has also represented individuals and entities in trust and estate litigation, having handled several multimillion dollar disputes for prominent Florida families.
Melanie’s clients are also best served as a result of the extensive network she has cultivated during her career, including as the 2011-12 President of the Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers (CFAWL), then the largest women lawyers organization in Florida with over 500 members, and 2013-14 President of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, one of the largest young lawyer organizations in the country with over 25,000 constituents. In 2021-22, she will serve as President of the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers (HAWL).
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Founded in 1925, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 260 lawyers and seven offices in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio; Tampa and Sarasota, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; and Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Shumaker is a premier provider of quality legal services. Whether it's commitment to clients or work in the community, involvement lies at the core of all of Shumaker’s initiatives.
Shumaker Advisors Florida, LLC, is a full service advocacy firm providing government relations consulting on the local, state, and federal levels. The firm offers additional services including: issues management, coalition building, strategic communications, business to business development, and corporate philanthropy.