Lisa Duffee, a founding Partner in Duffee + Eitzen, has been practicing law in the Dallas area for more than 30 years. Earlier in her career Lisa Duffee specialized in real estate and business litigation, serving as the lead counsel in more than 30 jury trials, and today utilizes the knowledge acquired through her previous areas of focus to complement the initiatives of Duffee + Eitzen, and effectively and efficiently represent her clients as a Dallas Family Attorney.

As a family law attorney experienced in the field of collaborative law, Lisa Duffee employs her ease with communication, compassionate spirit, business acumen, and skills in innovative problem solving to formulate strategies and advocate for her clients, assisting them in reaching their goals. Lisa Duffee has established herself in her field by seeking resolution of her cases through negotiation, facilitation of communication, and clearly understanding her client’s end-goals, resulting in resolutions that minimize the expense, emotional toll, and psychological impact of family law cases.

Lisa Duffee is active in the Dallas community supporting organizations such as The Family Place. She is consistently involved with Collaborative Law Dallas, American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and was formerly a board member of the Family Law Section of the Dallas Bar Association.

Lisa is known for her ability to find unique and creative solutions to situations in order to find the best scenario to solve her client’s needs. It has been this creativity along with her deep-rooted care for her clients that has gained her the reputation as the creative caretaker. Time and time again clients walk away feeling better about their situations and having long-term successes that they could only dream of when the process started. Lisa Duffee is truly gifted at solving her client’s problems.

Melinda Eitzen, recently recognized by D Magazine as one of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” and one of the “Best Family Law Mediators in Dallas”, is an attorney on the forefront of the collaborative law movement in Texas, is a partner in the Dallas-Fort Worth area based family law practice of Duffee + Eitzen.

Focused on multimillion-dollar divorces, custody modifications, paternity cases, and premarital agreements, Melinda Eitzen is highly experienced in all facets of family law, and well versed in managing high-profile cases. She is the daughter of beloved retired Judge, Merrill Hartman, who was a Dallas District Judge for 22 years on both the Civil bench and Family bench.

Melinda Eitzen has utilized her expertise in the practice of Collaborative Law to pen lectures, articles, and books on the subject including co-authoring “Divorce The Collaborative Way. Is It The Way For You?” and “Considering Divorce? Critical Things You Need to Know.”. In addition, she has presented dynamic lectures on many family law issues and the practice of family law. She has received the distinction of being a “Super Lawyer” multiple times by Texas Monthly Magazine (every year from 2003-2006 and every year again from 2009-2017) and one of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” by D Magazine. Melinda is the recipient of numerous awards, particularly for her pro bono work and for teaching others how to do pro bono work.

Melinda has served as President of the Collin County Bar Association and as a Member of the Board of Directors of Texas Lawyers for Children from 2011-2013, as President of the Plano Bar Association, as a chair of the Collaborative Law Alliance of Collin County, Vice President of the Collin County Bar Association, chair of the Good Works Committee of the Collin County Bar Association, director of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, director of Texas Young Lawyers Association, and chair of the Family Law Section of the Collin County Bar Association.

Melinda Eitzen has a true passion for helping people through difficult times. She has an exceptional mix of both compassion for her clients and an unyielding toughness on her opponents in the courtroom This unique blend gives her clients someone to talk to and someone they can depend on to protect their interests and get them everything they deserve. Melinda Eitzen is your Dallas Family Attorney.

Marianne Howland, a partner at Duffee + Eitzen, has been practicing family law for over ten years. She graduated from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2006. Since graduating, she has handled cases ranging the entire spectrum of family law from adoptions, custody battles, pre and post-nuptial agreements, to divorces and post-divorce modifications and enforcement. She is very comfortable in the courtroom litigating her client’s case. However, she encourages clients to settle their issues amicably when possible. Prior to joining Duffee + Eitzen, she had her own law practice for 10 years.
She has two small children and has personally been through a divorce. She brings these experiences to every case and has compassion and knowledge that assists her in her representation of each of her clients. This experience allows her to give her clients the kind of attention and advocacy they deserve.

• B.A. History – 2003 (with Distinction)
• Honors: Dean’s List (every semester)

• State Bar of Texas, Member
  • Family Law Section
  • Trial Section
• Dallas Bar Association, Member
• Attorneys Serving the Community
• Member of Oak Cliff Women and Business

George Shake, a partner with Duffee + Eitzen, L.L.P., has been practicing law in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since graduating from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. He practices family law and special education law. George received undergraduate degrees in English Literature and Business from the City University of New York. George received a Master’s degree in School Psychology from the University of North Texas and became licensed to practice school psychology.
He worked with families directly for several years, assessing children and helping parents and schools to create educational programs for those children. George developed specialties in ADHD and Autism and has participated in countless special education meetings, discipline meetings, and teacher conferences. He has held administrative positions in several local public schools. He has written policies and trained school personnel to comply with federal and state regulations for serving children with special needs.George has been working on behalf of individuals with disabilities for twenty-five years and training professionals throughout the Dallas area for fifteen years. George’s work in family law often involves families with children with disabilities.

Jodi Bender, a partner at Duffee + Eitzen L.L.P., represents clients in all types of family law matters such as divorce cases including simple or complex, property division, child custody cases, modifications, termination and adoptions, enforcement actions, and drafting pre and post-nuptial agreements. Jodi’s practice involves both litigation and participation in the collaborative or cooperative process. Jodi has been practicing law in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area since graduating summa cum laude from Texas A&M University School of Law.

Zak Martinez, an associate at Duffee + Eitzen, was born in Dallas and raised in the nearby suburb of Rockwall, where he graduated from Rockwall High School in 2010.  He attended Southern Methodist University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Religious Studies.

After graduating from SMU, Mr. Martinez went on to attend Texas A&M University School of Law in Fort Worth.  He was selected as a Public Service Law Fellow during his first year of law school.  As a Fellow, he completed hundreds of hours of pro bono public service work at the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office in California.  Mr. Martinez then served on the Board of the Fellowship at his law school, planning fundraising events, and encouraging other law students to participate in pro bono public service work.  During the summer after his second year, he was selected as a specialized intern for the family violence unit at the Rockwall County District Attorney’s Office in his hometown.  It was while working here that he found a passion in helping people get out of toxic situations, which led him to want to work in family law.

Mr. Martinez did some of his coursework at the University of San Francisco School of Law in the Bay Area.  There, he expanded his legal portfolio by taking classes like Maritime Law and International Human Rights, and also participated in the LGBT law student organization, OUTlaw, and the Criminal Law Society.

After he graduated law school in 2017, Mr. Martinez took the bar exam and was admitted to practice in Texas in November 2017.  He also took the Uniform Bar Exam in the State of Washington, and he has pending admissions there and in the State of Colorado.  He clerked for a labor and employment law firm in Dallas, where he gained valuable insight into civil law proceedings before he joined Duffee + Eitzen in 2018.  He has a penchant for travel and aviation, his favorite destination being Hong Kong.  He also enjoys spending time with his parents, former and current Dallas Police Detectives, and his younger sister, Brooke, a student at Rockwall High School.

Bar Admissions

• Texas, November 2017
• Washington State, 2018 (Pending)
• Colorado, 2018 (Pending)

Education

Texas A&M University School of Law, Fort Worth, Texas

• D. – 2017
• Honors: Public Service Law Fellow and Board Member of the Fellowship

University of San Francisco School of Law, San Francisco, California

• D. Visiting Student 2016

Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas

• A. – 2013 Economics and Religious Studies

Professional Associations and Memberships

• State Bar of Texas, Member, 2017 – Present
  • Family Law Section
  • Aviation Law Section
  • LGBT Law Section
  • Criminal Justice Section
  • Labor and Employment Law Section
• Dallas Bar Association, Member, 2017 – Present
• Collin County Bar Association, Member, 2018- Present

Jodi Bender, a partner at Duffee + Eitzen L.L.P., represents clients in all types of family law matters such as divorce cases including simple or complex, property division, child custody cases, modifications, termination and adoptions, enforcement actions, and drafting pre and post-nuptial agreements. Jodi’s practice involves both litigation and participation in the collaborative or cooperative process. Jodi has been practicing law in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area since graduating summa cum laude from Texas A&M University School of Law.