About Melissa
Melissa Solevilla built a steady path into the courtroom. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Florida Southern College in 2003, studying human resource management and marketing management. She then attended Stetson University College of Law from 2008 and received her J.D. in 2012.
After law school, Solevilla joined Carey Leisure and Neal as an associate in 2012. She worked on a range of matters at the firm and rose through the ranks. In 2019 the firm made her a partner. Her progression at the same firm underscores a continuity of practice and institutional knowledge that colleagues and clients have noted in day-to-day interactions.
Solevilla is licensed to practice in Florida. She is a member of the Florida Justice Association and the Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, organizations that gather trial attorneys, advocates and other litigators across the state. Those memberships reflect regular engagement with peers and ongoing exposure to trial practice topics, evidentiary issues and courtroom procedure.
Her caseload has included contested proceedings that require both written advocacy and appearances before judges. She has handled pretrial motion practice, discovery disputes and settlement negotiations. In court she has taken depositions and argued motions. The work calls for practical judgment and careful preparation; she approaches those tasks with an emphasis on clear presentation of facts and law.
Colleagues describe her as methodical in case preparation. She breaks complex files into manageable parts and prioritizes the elements likely to affect outcomes. That discipline shows in trial filings and in how she coordinates with experts and witnesses. She also works directly with clients to set expectations about timing and process, and she evaluates settlement options alongside litigation strategy.
Outside of the office she participates in professional programming and local trial bar events. Her association memberships keep her connected to developments in evidence, procedure and damages law at the state level. Those exchanges inform how she frames arguments and prepares witnesses for deposition or trial testimony.
Solevilla practices at Carey Leisure & Neal in Florida. Her practice centers on litigation in Florida state courts, where she represents clients in courtroom proceedings and related pretrial work.
