Sebring, FL

David C. Dismuke

David C. Dismuke is a Florida Bar board-certified civil trial attorney with more than 20 years of experience representing individuals and families during some of the most challenging times in their lives. His practice focuses on personal injury and legal malpractice, where he is known for his strategic litigation, relentless advocacy, and unwavering commitment to client care. Throughout his career, Dave has successfully handled thousands of cases in courts across Florida, earning the respect of his peers and the deep gratitude of his clients. His work has resulted in millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements-powerful outcomes that reflect his dedication to accountability and justice.

Kent Lilly

Kent Lilly was born and raised in Lake Wales, Florida. He graduated from University of Florida with a degree in Accounting and then from law school at Florida State University. He then returned to Polk County where he has practiced law since 1977 in the area of Personal Injury/Wrongful Death law. Mr. Lilly is an AV Rated lawyer, the highest rating established by Martindale Hubbell, the agency which provides attorneys’ ratings throughout the United States. He is board certified by The Florida Bar as a Civil Trial Lawyer. This distinction is held by less than two percent (2%) of lawyers within the state of Florida. Mr. Lilly is also Board Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA), a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Florida SuperLawyers and President-elect of The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Tampa Bay Chapter. He has received the Professionalism Award from the Willson American Inn of Court, the Jerry DeVane Professionalism Award from the Lakeland Bar Assn and was named the Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Tampa Bay Chapter of ABOTA.

Kevin Humphries has since served as a Partner in private practice of his own for more than 15 years. He previously served as both a Partner for a local law firm as well as a Felony Prosecutor for the State Attorney’s Office of the 10th Judicial Circuit. Kevin Humphries as founding Partner of Lopez and Humphries, P.A. has practiced law on a wide diversity of cases both at the County and Circuit Court levels and in State Court in Hillsborough, Dade, Hardee, Pinellas, Osceola, Polk and Highlands counties. He has also handled cases in Federal Court in the United States Middle District Court for Florida in Tampa and Orlando. Kevin’s work has been showcased on numerous forms of media throughout the entire country. He has been featured locally on Fox 13 news, Bay News 9, ABC Action news, NBC, the Lakeland ledger and the Orlando Sentinel to name a few. He has been a guest speaker nationally on the Dr. Drew show. Kevin has had his jury trials covered live on national television on Court TV and True TV where he has been characterized as excellent by hosts and panelists alike. Kevin has a wealth of real jury trial experience that has been honed over the past 19 years. He has tried more than 70 jury trials to include capital murder cases, money laundering, complex commercial trucking accident cases, and motor vehicle crashes. His jury trials have occurred in multiple Circuits throughout the State. In his practice, he has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers which is an honor given to less than 2.5 % of practicing attorneys. He has also garnered verdicts in excess of one million dollars at trial and negotiated some of the largest settlements in (excess of 25 million), in the history of Florida for his clients. In addition to being a trial lawyer, he has served as an Adjunct Professor of law as well as a guest judge for trial team competitions at his alma mater Stetson University College of Law. It was at Stetson University College of Law that Kevin was a member of the National Championship Trial Competition Team and received the Ralph Harris Ferrell competition award for individual excellence in intercollegiate competitions. It was also at Stetson where he clerked with Chief Judge Demers from the 6th Judicial Circuit who has acknowledged Kevin in his DUI manual every year since its inception for his assistance in preparing this crucial manuscript. Off campus, Mr. Humphries acted simultaneously in several leading roles as Vice President for the Student Division of the Federal Bar Association, Stetson’s Liaison of the City of Saint Petersburg, Lieutenant Governor of Resolutions for the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association, Dean’s Assistant and Co-Chair of Stetson’s Social Committee. Kevin’s active role in his profession mirrors his involvement in voluntary bar and legal organizations. He has been President of the Lakeland Bar Association, President of the Polk County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, President of Polk County Trial Lawyers Association, Chair of the Grievance Committee for the 10th Judicial Circuit, Member of the Fairness and Diversity Committee for the 10th Judicial Circuit and a frequent Teen Court Judge. Attorney Kevin Humphries’ discipline, dedication, compassion and commitment to the practice of law coupled with his natural and learned skills, will make him a worthy advocate for you in your time of need.

Doug Burnetti

Personal injury attorney Douglas Burnetti has been selected to the 2016 Florida Super Lawyers list. Only the top five percent of all attorneys in Florida are named each year as Super Lawyers®. Mr. Burnetti’s display of grit in the courtroom and record of positive recovery for clients, including numerous multi-million verdicts and settlements, drew the attention of fellow attorneys in Florida and helped lead to his nomination for inclusion on the Super Lawyers list. After earning a nomination, the Burnetti, P.A. founder underwent a rigorous vetting process by an attorney-led research staff. Their independent research examined 12 key categories, including verdicts and settlements, position within the firm, special licenses/certifications, education, experience, honors and other outstanding achievements. Mr. Burnetti’s numerous accomplishments and accolades, including his law career that spans 31 years and Florida Bar Board Certification in Civil Trial, contributed to his final selection to the list. “It is an honor to be named to the Super Lawyers list again this year,” said Attorney Doug Burnetti. “I have known from an early age that I wanted to practice law, and decided to pursue personal injury to help others. I wanted to protect their rights when they were injured through no fault of their own, and to protect their interests against the insurance companies. At Burnetti, P.A., we are a client focused firm, and we believe that sets us apart from other law firms. We want to make sure that our clients receive the justice and compensation they deserve. This acknowledgment by our peers who have seen us in action is a testament to our commitment.” Mr. Burnetti represents clients in personal injury claims including automobile accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice and other injuries. Born in Illinois and raised in Florida, he is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Law. As a board certified civil trial lawyer, I have had the opportunity to handle many different types of cases in the courtroom including auto accidents, premises liability, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, and products liability. As the founder of Burnetti, P.A., I am very pleased to have watched the firm develop over the years. I am also very pleased to see how Burnetti, P.A. has developed into a premier trial lawyer firm. One of our goals for the lawyers of Burnetti, P.A. is that they actually try cases. We believe that trying cases helps protect all of our clients in the long run, and actually helps our clients even at the bargaining table. Additionally, Burnetti, P.A. brings a financial strength for our clients which further helps our clients’ case.”

Melodie López has been practicing law since 1994. She began her career trying criminal cases at the Public Defender’s Office and then the State Attorney’s office. After that, she began practicing civil litigation. In 2009 Melodie opened the law firm of López and Humphries, P.A. with her partner Kevin Humphries. Melodie has tried over one hundred jury trials during her career in many jurisdictions, including Polk, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough and Dade County. She has litigated multiple complex criminal cases, and in the civil arena, commercial truck accidents, auto accidents, and multiple premises liability cases. Melodie has been featured several times on Nancy Grace, CNN, and also the O’Reilly Factor on Fox. She has also been interviewed by all of the local television networks and several newspapers, including Bay News 9, Fox 13, ABC, NBC, Univision, the Lakeland Ledger, the Orlando Sentinel, and the Tampa Tribune. Melodie has served twice on the Florida Bar Grievance committee and was appointed chairperson both times. She was also appointed by the Governor to serve on the Judicial Nominating Commission for Polk County. She is currently the President of the Lakeland Bar Association, a member of Polk County Trial Lawyers Association, and frequently volunteers for community events for veterans and children. She has also coached baseball and soccer. Melodie is known for both her compassion and her zealous representation of her clients. She battles in the courtroom with a competitive spirit, always with her clients in mind.

Dylan Griffin

I devote 100% of my practice to representing individuals and families who have been injured by the negligent or intentional acts of others. We at Burnetti, P.A. are honored to be able to use our experience, knowledge, and skill to protect victims from the large insurance companies who want to maximize their profits at the victim’s expense. Attorney Griffin understands that his clients are navigating some of the toughest times in their lives. Driven by a desire to help people and fight back against large insurance companies that would seek to take advantage of accident victims and their families, he strives to help every single one of his clients obtain justice. Although he cannot heal his injured clients, Attorney Griffin is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to put them in the best position possible to move forward after an avoidable tragedy. With extensive experience under his belt, Attorney Griffin understands the importance of thorough preparation and hard work. He frequently advises his clients that the personal injury recovery process can be lengthy and challenging; however, he will be there to guide his clients and provide the dedicated advocacy they need every step of the way. At Burnetti, P.A., Attorney Griffin works alongside many talented case managers, paralegals, and fellow attorneys to provide clients with the collective support, resources, and counsel they need.

Spencer Pastorin

After serving in the United States Air Force, and obtaining his bachelor’s degree at the University of Nebraska of Omaha, Mr. Pastorin then attended Nova University, where he obtained his law degree. Prior to joining Howell & Thornhill as a civil trial attorney, Mr. Pastorin worked as an Appeals Referee Supervisor with the Florida Department of Labor, and then became employed as an Assistant Public Defender in Polk County. As a criminal defense attorney, Mr. Pastorin has tried over 60 criminal jury trials. As a Civil Trial Attorney at Howell & Thornhill, Mr. Pastorin has tried jury trial cases against insurance companies and businesses for violations of State and Federal laws. Spencer volunteers with different organizations and groups. He is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell, the highest professionalism and ethical rating from the nationally recognized service for rating lawyers. Spencer is admitted to practice in all Florida State courts and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He is the only family member to have served in the U.S. Air Force, while his grandfather served in the Army, and others served in the Navy. Spencer is a member of the Central Florida Trial Lawyers’ Association, Greater Orlando Asian American Bar Association, and the Florida Justice Association. He is listed as one of the Top 100 in The National Trial Lawyers, Civil Practice Plaintiff. When not working, Spencer loves to spend time with his family, enjoys traveling, going to theme parks, or poring over a good book with a nice cup of coffee.