Biography
Melody W. Kitchen, Esq., is a Senior Partner in the Jacksonville office. She focuses her practice on high exposure automobile, trucking, and premises liability cases. Melody also handles negligent security matters involving wrongful deaths and government liability litigation. Before joining the firm, Melody worked with a local defense firm defending individual and corporate clients, as well as insurance companies, in automobile and premises liability cases throughout northeast Florida and Georgia.
Melody earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Appalachian State University, graduating magna cum laude (2005). She obtained a Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law, graduating cum laude (2011). During her time at Florida Coastal, Melody worked at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, serving on the defense team for Mico Stanisic.
Melody is admitted in Florida (2011) and Georgia (2015). She is also admitted to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (2014).
Practice Areas
Practice Areas
- Auto & Fleet Liability
- Excess | Wrongful Death
- Federal Practice
- General Liability
- Government Liability
- Home Owners Association and Condo Association
- Negligent Security
- Premises Liability
- Time & Policy Limit Demands and Tenders
- Trucking Liability
Experience
Bar/Court Admission
- Florida, 2011
- Georgia, 2015
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, 2014
Education
- Appalachian State University, Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, 2005
- Appalachian State University, Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, 2005
- Florida Coastal School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2011
Professional/Civil Memberships
- Jacksonville Bar Association
- Florida Defense Lawyers Association
Industries Represented
- Office Product Retail Stores
- Home Improvement Retailers
- Retail Specialty Stores
- Supermarket Chains
- Suppliers
- Hotels
- Shopping Malls & Centers
- Restaurants & Bars
- Insurance Companies
- Third Party Administrators for Claims Management and Risk
- Car Rental Companies
- Public & Governmental Entities
- Rideshare application-based companies
- Product Distributors
- Property Managers
- Manufacturers
- Hotels and Hospitality Companies
- State Bureaus & Agencies
- Gas Convenience Stores
- Homeowners Associations
- Condominium Associations
- Motor Carriers
- Owner-Operators (Trucking)
- Trucking Companies
Presentations
Presentations and Speaking Engagements