Melissa is a 5th generation Florida native originally from Jacksonville who now calls Central Florida home. Prior to joining Killgore Pearlman & Semanie, P.A, Melissa was the founder and principal attorney at an estate planning firm in South Florida. Melissa spent the early part of her career working for a Fortune 260 company representing management in collective bargaining disputes. She served as a Director of Labor Relations, Arbitration & Strategy, leading a team of managers in the handling of contract disputes, negotiating agreements, effective claim settlements of high liability cases, and providing training deliverables to internal stakeholders.

Melissa obtained her Bachelor’s and Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Florida. During law school, Melissa served as a Teaching Assistant for Legal Research and Writing and Appellate Advocacy. She also was an advocate for Gator Team Child, representing children in education matters. Melissa also holds a Master of Science in Management from Troy University. Intellectual curiosity coupled with the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 compelled Melissa to earn an LL.M. in Taxation at Boston University School of Law, where she received an Estate Planning Certificate.