Melissa McDavitt is a partner in TLO’s Fort Lauderdale office, where she represents clients in media, First Amendment, and defamation matters.

A trial lawyer for nearly twenty years, Melissa has led numerous cases to verdict and has handled hundreds of evidentiary hearings, ranging from dispositive motions to Daubert challenges. She is also highly skilled in depositions, an area where her careful preparation and questioning often shape the outcome of a case. In addition, Melissa is available to serve as an attorney’s fee expert, offering testimony and analysis in fee disputes before Florida courts.

Her career began in insurance defense and fraud investigations, experience that forged the direct, trial-tested approach she now brings to media and communications law. Beyond the courtroom, she is a frequent conference speaker, presenting on trial practice and emerging issues in litigation.

Melissa earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center, where she served as a teaching assistant in Civil Procedure and Constitutional Law and received Book Awards in Torts and Medical Malpractice. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida.