Melinda Shabka

Melinda Shabka brings more than 20 years of experience in civil litigation and insurance defense. Her practice focuses on representing individuals, businesses, and insurers in a broad range of complex civil matters throughout Florida. Over the course of her career, Melinda has handled cases involving personal injury, automobile negligence, premises liability, construction defect, negligent security, wrongful death, first-party property claims, and other general liability matters. She has represented clients through all phases of litigation, including pre-suit investigation, discovery, depositions, court hearings, mediations, settlement negotiations, arbitration, and trial.

In addition to maintaining an active litigation practice, Melinda provides leadership and guidance to a team of attorneys handling matters across a variety of practice areas. She works closely with her team to develop effective litigation strategies, evaluate risk, and deliver practical, results-oriented representation to clients.

Melinda has successfully secured dismissals and summary judgment through dispositive motion practice and achieved favorable results at trial, arbitration, and mediation. She regularly collaborates with nationally recognized experts in a variety of disciplines to evaluate liability, causation, damages, and risk exposure. She believes strongly that ongoing communication with her clients regarding case-specific strategies delivers the most successful outcomes.  Known for her collaborative approach and depth of experience, Melinda combines strategic advocacy with practical problem-solving to help clients navigate complex legal disputes efficiently and effectively.

In addition to her litigation practice, Melinda is a Florida Circuit Court Mediator and is committed to helping parties evaluate opportunities for efficient and effective resolution.

Before joining Wilson Elser, Melinda was a partner at a national defense firm for 15 years. She began her career in insurance defense, spent several years representing plaintiffs, and ultimately returned to a defense-focused practice. This experience provides her with a unique perspective on litigation strategy, claim evaluation, and dispute resolution from both sides of the courtroom.