(b. September 13, 1955, Terre Haute, Indiana) STEVEN G. LAVELY moved to Florida in 1970 and graduated from Tampa’s King High School and the University of South Florida, where he majored in Political Science.

From USF, Steve went on to law school at the University of Miami where he received the book award in Contracts (which is given to the student with the highest grade in the class). While still a student at Miami, Steve completed a unique internship with the Dade County State Attorney’s Office prosecuting in the Narcotics Division during the heyday of the South Florida drug trafficking crisis. He was one of only two, out of fifty-three, interns offered a job by Janet Reno, then State Attorney for the 11th Judicial Circuit.

After law school, Steve worked for two years as an Assistant State Attorney in Bradenton and Sarasota, and, in June, 1986, Steve opened the Law Office of Steven G. Lavely. Over the last 20 years, Steve has handled thousands of cases, both civil and criminal, in state and federal court. Steve has been lead trial counsel for people with catastrophic injuries as well as people charged with crimes that could have been punished by death.

Steve now devotes his professional life to the representation of those injured by the negligence of others and those accused of criminal conduct.

Steve is married and has three children, as well as several dogs and cats. His hobbies all revolve around sports, and he is an avid golfer with a single-digit handicap.

 

 

(b. December 9, 1970, Ashland, Kentucky) S. MATHEW WHYTE (Matt) was born in Kentucky in 1970 and raised in Ohio before moving to Florida to attend the University of Central Florida. At UCF, he majored in Marketing and graduated Magna Cum Laude and with University Honors from the UCF Honors Program.

After several years in sales and marketing, Matt enrolled in Stetson University’s College of Law. At Stetson, he received three book awards (given to the student with the highest grade in the class) in Evidence, Federal Taxation I, and Criminal Procedure II. Also while at Stetson, he completed internships with the Chief Judge of the US District Court, Middle District of Florida, and the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

After law school, Matt worked as an Assistant State Attorney for over four years in Bradenton and Sarasota. As a prosecutor, he handled thousands of criminal cases, from misdemeanors such as traffic offenses and DUIs to felonies such as Elder Exploitation, Grand Theft, Fraud, Drug Trafficking, Homicide, Manslaughter, Aggravated Battery and Sex Crimes.

He has also worked as an insurance company lawyer defending personal injury actions.

Matt joined the Law Office of Steven G. Lavely in March, 2003 and has dedicated his practice to representing those individuals accused of criminal offenses or injured by the negligence of others. Matt has been married to his wife, Tina, since 1996, and they currently reside in Bradenton with their two sons.

 

 

(born in Louisville, Kentucky)  SUSAN C. FISCHER is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University (EMU) in Ypsilanti, Michigan, having majored in Speech and Dramatic Arts. While at EMU, she was a member of the National Championship Forensic Speaking Team.  After college, Susan became a secondary school teacher in Taylor, Michigan teaching public speaking, English, literature and journalism for five years prior to attending law school.

At Detroit College of Law (which has relocated to Michigan State University), Susan received two book awards (given to the student with the highest grade in the class) in Products Liability and Sports Law.  Also while at DCL she completed internships with the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office and for Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Susan Borman.

Susan obtained a Juris Doctor Cum Laude degree from Detroit College of Law in 1982 and practiced in Detroit, Michigan, becoming a partner at the plaintiffs’ personal injury firm of Philo, Atkinson, Steinberg, White & Keenan, before moving to Florida in 1988.  In Sarasota, she defended personal injury cases for several major insurance companies.  In 1999, having tried more than thirty personal injury cases and passing an examination given by the Florida Bar, she became a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney.

Susan joined the firm of Lavely, Whyte and Fischer in January of 2005.  She is dedicated to representing those injured by the negligence of others.  She resides in Bradenton with her daughter who is a student at Southeast High School and plays in the Seminole Marching Band.