Our Attorneys
Jodat Law Group, P.A. is an established law firm serving the Tampa Bay, Florida area and surrounding counties of Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, and DeSoto since 1994. We are committed to helping people who are facing financial trials file for bankruptcy protection and stop creditor harassment.
Our team of experienced Tampa bankruptcy attorneys have years of combined experience helping Floridians get back on their feet and on the road to financial recovery. The information below provides you with a brief introduction to the attorneys of Jodat Law Group. Click on each name to learn more.
Gary R. Jodat
Gary R. Jodat is the founding and managing attorney of Jodat Law Group, P.A. Gary got his feet wet while fresh out of law school by taking a job with the Public Defender’s Office trying criminal, Juvenile and Dependency cases prior to transferring into civil litigation. He now primarily handles personal injury cases. Gary Jodat received his undergraduate degree from Roger Williams University and his Juris Doctorate Degree from Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has been a member of The American Bar Association, The Manatee County Bar Association, The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, The Manatee County Chamber of Commerce, American Inns of Court and Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Click here to read about Mr. Jodat’s life saving rescue on Longboat Key
Shannan C. Neri
Shannan C. Neri is the senior bodily injury attorney at Jodat Law Group, P.A. and manages a diverse caseload including premises liability, dog bite, and automobile accident cases. Shannan Neri received her Juris Doctorate Degree from The Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, where she was president of the Delta Theta Phi law fraternity. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Tampa Bay Trial Lawyer’s Association, the Bar in Florida, the District of Columbia and New York State.
Melanie A. Newby
Melanie A. Newby is the Litigation Department Head at Jodat Law Group, P.A. In this role, she litigates Bankruptcy, Creditor Harassment, Family Law and Personal Injury cases. In 2005, Ms. Newby began representing bankruptcy clients in the Middle District of Florida and she appears personally for all hearings and proceedings in Tampa on behalf of her clients. Melanie Newby received her undergraduate degree from New College in Sarasota, Florida, and her Juris Doctorate Degree from the University Of North Carolina School Of Law at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has practiced criminal law in both Florida and North Carolina and was chief of the Juvenile Division for the Public Defender’s Office in Sarasota, Florida and head of the Drug Court Division for the Public Defender’s Office in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ms. Newby is a member of The Florida Bar and the North Carolina State Bar.
Richard (Tracy) Lee
Tracy Lee heads the Criminal and Traffic Division at Jodat Law Group, P.A. Previously, Mr. Lee was a Senior Assistant Attorney General and served under Attorney Generals Charlie Crist and Bill McCollum. Prior to his service with the Office of the Attorney General, he was the Head of the Litigation Department for the Jodat Law Group and was a Managing Partner in the Firm of Lee and Avila, P.A. He has also been a Division Head for the Office of the Public Defender. Tracy Lee was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, and is a graduate of Sarasota High School. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida in 1991 and his Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law in 1994. Mr. Lee was awarded an LL.M. in Trial Advocacy (a degree awarded to law school graduates who complete an additional program of study) from Temple University School of Law in 2008. Mr. Lee has also completed the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program at Widener University School of Law and the National Public Defender Trial Advocacy Training Program at the University of Minnesota School of Law.
Mr. Lee began practicing Law in 1994 working with his father, Dick Lee. He also served as a Summer Clerk for the Honorable I. Leo Glasser, Federal District Judge, Southern District of New York. Mr. Lee has extensive trial experience and has tried more than 1,000 non-jury trials and several dozen jury trials, including eight death cases. Mr. Lee is trained in alternative dispute resolution to settle cases without the need for trial and hears cases as an arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau. Mr. Lee became certified as an arbitrator in 2006. Mr. Lee is Board Certified in Criminal Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA). The NBTA is the only nationally recognized certification program accredited by the American Bar Association and recognized by the Florida Bar. Mr. Lee is also an examination writer for the NBTA.
Mr. Lee is admitted to practice in all Florida Courts, The United States District Court, Middle District of Florida and The United States Court Of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. In addition, he is a nationally published author and is a regular contributor to ParentLife, a Division of LifeWay Publications. He has also been published in the lawyer’s periodical, The Florida Bar News.
Mr. Lee has been active in many charitable organizations and has been on fund raising committees for the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. He currently serves as a Teen Court Judge, a Judge for Stetson College of Law Mock Trail competitions and a Mentor in the Florida Bar S.C.O.P.E. program that offers guidance to attorneys that request assistance from more experienced attorneys, in the criminal law division.
Kallan C. Eslich
Kallan C. Eslich received his Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, FL where he focused on trial advocacy. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. Mr. Eslich began practicing family law right out of law school and exclusively practices family law with our firm. Mr. Eslich primarily handles family law issues regarding divorce, paternity, child support, and alimony. Mr. Eslich is a member of the Manatee and Sarasota Bar Associations.
Eric J. Forte
Eric J. Forte, Esq. serves as Of Counsel to the Jodat Law Group, P.A. handling bankruptcy court appearances in Tampa. Mr. Forte received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and is a graduate of Stetson University College of Law. A Florida Bar member since 2004, he is an aggressive litigator who gained trial experience as an Assistant State Attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit. He also has experience in Workers’ Compensation and Commercial Litigation.
In addition to serving as Of Counsel to Jodat Law Group, P.A. in the Bankruptcy area, Mr. Forte in his own private practice handles Labor & Employment, and Criminal Defense matters. Although based out of Tampa, Mr. Forte represents clients throughout the State of Florida.
