Melissa Clark joined Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC as of January 16, 2023, and focuses her law practice on securities, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, and general business and commercial transactions.

Ms. Clark received her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in 2006 and her Master of Arts in Library and Information Science in 2009 from the University of South Florida.  She received her Juris Doctor from Texas Tech University Law School in 2021 and was licensed the same year to practice law by the Texas Supreme Court and the State Bar of Texas.  She was Comment Editor for the Texas Tech Law School’s Estate Planning and Community Property Journal, Vol. XIII, and a member of the Editorial Board and Contributing Writer for the Texas Bank Lawyer, Vols. 43 and 44, while at Texas Tech.  She received Distinction awards in both Contracts and Global Biosecurity Law while in law school.  She also served as the 2020-2021 President of the Texas Tech Law School’s Estate and Property Law Group and the 2019-2020 Secretary of the Energy Law Interest Group at the law school.

Ms. Clark was employed by Vaquero Ventures Management, Fort Worth, Texas, as Associate General Counsel, before joining Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC law firm. While employed by Vaquero Ventures, she drafted and negotiated purchase and sale contracts for commercial properties and cured title and survey matters. She also drafted declarations, easements, and escrow agreements and coordinated loan closings and prepared closing documents.

Prior to law school, Ms. Clark worked as a student financial aid officer for two post-secondary private schools and a library branch manager for the City of Lubbock, Texas.  Melissa and her husband live in Fort Worth, Texas.