Whittel & Melton, LLC is a full service central Florida law practice with an emphasis on representing clients from The Villages in all Personal Injury cases, Wrongful Death tragedies, and serious State and Federal Criminal matters. The firm was formed when Gainesville and Ocala Attorney Robert G. Whittel and Hernando and Sumter County Lawyer Jason M. Melton joined their respective practices to better accommodate their clients in The Villages. The two founding members of the firm are former State Prosecutors and nominees for State and Federal office. Our lawyers and staff are committed to meeting and exceeding our clients' needs. The Villages is a unique and growing area of Florida. No place in Florida is quite like it. We work very hard to accommodate all of our Villages clients. Whittel & Melton's success and reputation has always been based on high quality legal work, performed by well-prepared lawyers who are devoted to their clients. The firm's growth is due in large part to the wide range of services and varied interests of our clients. Our attorneys are proud to deliver a personalized and focused counsel to our many clients in Florida. Whittel & Melton remains dedicated to developing and maintaining long-term relationships in the different communities where we practice. Our firm routinely represents clients from The Villages in the courthouses of Ocala, Bushnell, Tavares, Gainesville, Inverness, Brooksville, New Port Richey, Dade City, Tampa, Orlando and throughout the State of Florida.

Practice Areas: Insurance Litigation, Bad Faith, Products Liability, Ciguatera Poisoning, Establishing Insurance Coverage As one of the few Triple Board Certified attorneys, Mr. Stewart’s practice involves complex litigation in both Federal and State Courts, including helping individuals and businesses who’s insurance companies have abandon them. Mr. Stewart also assists individuals who have been poisoned with a fish borne toxin known as Ciguatera. In addition to receiving dozens of multi-million dollar awards, he received the largest collectible punitive damage verdict in State history, the largest Ciguatera settlement in the Country, what was reported as the largest Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy verdict in Florida, and the largest personal injury verdict ever in Okeechobee County. He also took on the automobile insurance industry for its practice of under-reimbursing health care providers. Mr. Stewart was the first attorney in many years to defeat GEICO in a Powell type Insurance Bad Faith case. Mr. Stewart has been recognized with awards by many organizations for the work he has done, including as a Florida Super Lawyer (given to the top 5% of attorneys) since 2007, Top 100 Trial Lawyer by National Trial Lawyers since 2013, Top Lawyer in Florida by The Legal Network since 2013, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 1996 and he and his firm have attained the highest rating possible, AV, with the Martindale-Hubbell legal directory of exemplary lawyers. He has published and frequently speaks to lawyers, paralegals and law students across the Country. He has taught several courses at Stetson Law School. He also has served as an Adjunct Professor of Constitutional Law at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. Mr. Stewart stays active in his community; including Harmony House, the Miami Project, Habitat for Humanity, The American Cancer Society and public television and radio. However, he has spent most of his time as a member of Palm Beach County Special Olympics’ Steering Committee, where he coordinated the community volunteers for more than ten (10) years. With a proven track record as a trial attorney and multiple a significant victories to his credit, Mr. Stewart’s career has been dedicated to the pursuit of justice. If you have any questions regarding a matter for which you believe Mr. Stewart can assist, he welcomes you to contact him at TStewart@ForTheInjured.com.

Jerry Pitkin is the lead attorney at Pitkin Law. Jerry’s practice is limited to representing people who have sustained injuries resulting from car accidents, commercial truck accidents, slip/trip fall accidents, insurance coverage disputes, and vehicle property damage. Jerry has vast litigation experience in cases representing consumers damaged by banking regulation violations and foreclosure defense, corporate matters, and construction disputes. Jerry’s community involvement has included coaching youth football and basketball, past President of Barron Collier High School Gridiron Club, and past legal counsel to the American Subcontractors Association. Outside of the office Jerry enjoys spending time with his family, motocross, playing music, and water sports.

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Kevin Alan Raudt proudly serves Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and the neighboring communities in the areas of Criminal Defense, Divorce & Family Law and DUI-DWI law. Please click to view my Website.

Practice Areas: Consumer Class Action, Consumer Protection, Complex Civil Litigation Rachel Bentley has dedicated her practice to advocating on behalf of consumers who have been victims of corporate wrongdoing and scams. Ms. Bentley is an attorney with Gordon and Partners class action team and litigates consumer protection cases and complex consumer fraud class action cases. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Bentley prosecuted violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act as an Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Division of the Florida Attorney General’s Office. Before serving as an Assistant Attorney General, Ms. Bentley was the Senior Staff Attorney of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc.’s Consumer Advocacy Unit, where she protected the rights of disadvantaged members of the community and represented indigent consumers who were wronged by businesses and fraudsters. Ms. Bentley is a Co-Chair of the Florida Bar’s Consumer Protection Law Committee’s Legislative Subcommittee and serves on the Board of Directors of the Young Lawyers Section of the Palm Beach County Bar Association. She is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and a scholar of the National Consumer Law Center. Ms. Bentley earned her undergraduate degree from Florida State University and Juris Doctor from Florida International University School of Law.

Practice Areas: Personal Injury As a second generation attorney at Gordon & Partners, Trevor Gordon learned the importance of fighting for the injured at a very early age. Over fifteen years ago, he began working as a file clerk at Gordon & Partners. After graduating from Stetson University with a bachelor’s degree in history, Trevor returned to the firm as a Paralegal Assistant and Investigator. His time spent with injured and vulnerable clients convinced him to make a career out of helping people get the justice they deserve. In 2014, Trevor graduated magna cum laude from Quinnipiac University School of Law. He began practicing with Gordon & Partners in 2015.

Practice Areas: Auto Accidents, Slip and Fall, Premises Liability, Maritime Mark Hanson has been practicing law in Florida for nearly thirty years. Born and raised in Michigan, Mark went to the University of San Diego after graduating high school. There he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration, finishing near the top of his class. From there, he attended Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and obtained his law degree in 1985. Mark moved to Palm Beach County and began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney for Palm Beach County. During his six-year tenure with the State, Mark prosecuted every type of case from DUI to first degree murder. After leaving the State, Mark embarked on a successful career as a civil and criminal litigator. He specializes in plaintiff's personal injuries cases including auto accidents, slip and falls, and premises liability injury claims. He is one of the few attorneys in South Florida with an emphasis on maritime claims. These include recreational boating accidents, cruise line passenger injuries and commercial crew claims. Mark is a National Board Certified Trial lawyer who has been elected to Florida's Legal Elite and Florida's Super Lawyers on several occasions. He carries an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating available for ethics and competence. Mark has obtained numerous million dollar results for his clients over the years. Mark is a member of the Florida and Colorado Bar associations and is admitted to practice in state and federal court in Florida and state court in Colorado. He is a member of the American Association for Justice Florida Justice Association, the Palm Beach County Justice Association, the Palm Beach County Bar Association and the MBA. Mark is married with two children and resides in northern Palm Beach County with his family. They are active in mission work in the Dominican Republic and local community service.

Practice Areas: Veterans’ Benefits Heather grew up in McDonough, Georgia. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology as well as her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia College and State University in 2015. In 2018, Heather graduated from Mercer Law School where she was the Secretary for the Animal Legal Defense Club as well as an active member of the Association of Women Law Students. In 2019, Heather moved to Florida and joined Gordon and Partners. Heather was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2021. Prior to being admitted to the Florida Bar, Heather served as a paralegal for the Veterans’ Disability Department. Through this experience, Heather gained extensive knowledge about the working of claims at the agency, Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and U.S. Court of Veterans’ Appeals levels. Coming from a family of Veterans, Heather understands the importance of getting justice for those whom have laid their lives on the line for others to have freedom. Due to this, Heather is a dedicated and passionate advocate for her clients.