Melissa Schmidt

Paralegal

Tampa Office

mschmidt@balljanik.com

T: 813.738.8542

Overview

Melissa Schmidt is a paralegal in Ball Janik LLP’s Tampa office, working in the firm’s Construction Defects Practice Group. Ms. Schmidt has extensive experience in construction defect litigation, managing complex cases involving multiple parties from inception through resolution. Over the course of her career, she has overseen caseloads of up to 160 matters, streamlining processes and implementing best practices to improve efficiency in pleadings, discovery, document review, case management, and trial preparation. Ms. Schmidt has also demonstrated versatility by managing matters outside traditional construction practice, including workplace injury, automobile accidents, and construction-related personal injury claims.

Before entering the legal field, Ms. Schmidt served as a detention deputy for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, where she gained comprehensive knowledge of the criminal justice system and developed strong decision-making and leadership skills in high-pressure situations.

Education

Master of Criminal Justice Legal Studies, Saint Leo University, 2014
Bachelor, Political Science, Saint Leo University, 2012

Kelly Corcoran is an insurance coverage attorney focused on resolving complex insurance coverage disputes on behalf of individual and corporate policyholders in their pursuit to recover claims. He has significant experience in handling construction defect coverage issues involving commercial and residential buildings including apartment complexes, condominiums, and single-family homes, as well as other coverage issues involving personal injury and property damage claims. Mr. Corcoran was selected to the Florida Rising Stars list, published in Super Lawyers Magazine, 2016-2018. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.

Before joining Ball Janik LLP, Mr. Corcoran served as coverage counsel for several national insurers, in which he gained invaluable experience in understanding how insurance companies defend themselves in legal battles with claimants and policyholders. His experience includes litigating disputes arising under commercial, homeowners, automobile and general liability policies.

Mr. Corcoran has been involved with coverage issues ranging from improperly installed roofs, fire sprinkler systems, curtain wall systems, and post-tension cables to large multi-district litigation involving Chinese drywall and FEMA Formaldehyde Travel Trailers. Mr. Corcoran is well-versed in primary and excess insurance policies, policy interpretations, as well as insurance policies covering subcontractors and additional insureds. He has numerous published opinions in the areas of tort and insurance law, including Claudio v. Regaldo, 116 So.3d 451 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013).

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Corcoran was a partner in the second oldest law firm in Florida, Walton Lantaff Schroeder & Carson LLP. On a personal note, Mr. Corcoran enjoys spending his free time with his wife, daughter, son, and two dogs.