Marli L. Messina

Biography

Marli L. Messina is an associate in the Jacksonville office whose practice centers on medical malpractice defense. She represents hospitals, healthcare providers, businesses, and insurers throughout all stages of litigation, with experience conducting legal research, preparing dispositive motions, and evaluating complex medical and discovery records to support effective litigation strategies.

Before joining HBS, Marli practiced at a boutique law firm handling insurance defense matters and plaintiff-side medical malpractice cases. In that role, she worked closely with clients, evaluated liability and damages, and prepared motions and memoranda addressing issues ranging from medical malpractice to limited warranties in Lemon Law disputes. Her experience on both the defense and plaintiff sides provides her with a well-rounded litigation perspective that informs her current practice.

Marli also brings substantial hands-on legal training from her clinic work during law school. She served as a participant in the domestic violence clinic at South Carolina Legal Services, where she interviewed clients, assessed safety concerns, and drafted legal guidance letters for individuals seeking protection and remedies related to domestic abuse. Through the Street Law Clinic, she also taught weekly classes on civil law at a Title I high school in North Charleston and developed interactive lesson plans, assessments, and a culminating mock trial for students.

In her final year of law school, Marli was selected as a legal research and writing fellow, assisting first-year students in developing foundational legal writing and research skills and strengthening her own analytical abilities in the process. Marli earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Charleston School of Law, where she received multiple CALI Awards. She holds a dual Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business and Transportation & Logistics, magna cum laude, from the University of North Florida