DONOVAN & MELENDEZ - Key Persons

George A. Melendez, Esq., is an alumni of Tampa's Jesuit High school, attended law school at Nova South Eastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center. Prior to pursuing his law degree, Mr. Melendez received his bachelors degree in fine arts from Furman University in Greenville South Carolina. After college Mr. Melendez developed his interest in the law while working as a volunteer Guardian Ad Litem for four years advocating for children caught in dependency court and subject 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 or his law degree, Mr. Melendez began his legal career as a law clerk for a very 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. After life as a Public Defender Mr. Melendez ventured from being a government attorney to entering the private world of civil litigation where he began practicing in areas such as Family and Domestic Relations Law, Dependency Law, Civil Litigation, Land Lord Tenant, Juvenile Law in addition to Criminal Defense and Juvenile Delinquency. At Donovan & Melendez we are dedicated to providing personalized top-quality legal representation no matter how large or small your legal matter.

Martin J. Hernandez, Esq. has been practicing law since 2001 and is one of the few attorneys in Florida to have tried over 100 jury trials. He concentrates his practice in auto accidents and other negligence claims. He prides himself on aggressively, ethically litigating and pursuing his clients' claims. He meets and sits down with nearly all of his clients at the onset of their cases, regardless of the size of the case, and treats each client with the same respect and diligence that he would want from an attorney. He proudly boasts that "You will meet the lawyer you hire." Mr. Hernandez is perhaps most well-known and respected for the commitment, tenacity, approachability, and resourcefulness that he brings to bear on behalf of his clients. These qualities honed through years of litigation makes Mr. Hernandez and his firm formidable adversaries who are uniquely adept at determining the value of a particular case. Mr. Hernandez has been fighting for the rights of victims his entire legal career and handled thousands of auto accident cases. Many of the cases have involved catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, herniated discs, RSD, injuries to the knee, shoulder or wrist, and other injuries. Mr. Hernandez also has achieved numerous verdicts, judgments and settlements well above the defendant's policy limits. In one case he handled, the insurance company paid $1.2 million to his client when the defendant's policy limits was only $25,000. Additionally, he settled many other cases that resolved for 10 to 50 times the policy limits of the defendant. Very few attorneys have the knowledge, skill or even the guts to try to resolve a case for more than the policy limits. Currently, Mr. Hernandez handles cases that arise out of auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, premises liability, slip or trip and falls, and negligent security. Mr. Hernandez is currently an Eagle member of the Florida Justice Association, regarded as the premier trial lawyer organization for the State of Florida; Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association; Ybor City Rotary Club; Trustee for Boys and Girls Club; Knights of Sant'Yago and involved in the Boy Scouts of America (Eagle Scout, former Cubmaster, and currently a Assistant Scoutmaster).