Your Lawyers -

Dawn Marie Bates-Buchanan

 

 

Dawn Marie Bates-Buchanan, was raised in Venice Florida, where her Father was a Police Officer and where she graduated from local Vence High School. Dawn Marie went on get her B.A. in Criminology, Sociology and Child Psychology from the University of South Florida in Tampa in 1990, then attended Manatee Community College and completed her Certification as a Legal Assistant. Dawn Marie worked for the 12th Judicial District's State's Attorney's Office (in Sarasota County, Florida) for 5 years before enrolling in Stetson University College of Law in 1996. Graduating early in December of 1998, Dawn Marie went back to work for the 12th Judicial District's State's Attorney's office. Dawn Marie moved to Daytona Beach, Florida to work on behalf of domestic violence family law clients for Central Florida Legal Services in 1999 where she worked and became the Managing Attorney of the Daytona Beach Office in charge of the Family Law Unit. In 2006 Dawn Marie moved to Bradenton to become the Managing Attorney at Gulfcoast Legal Services, Inc. in their Bradenton Office, where she specialized in consumer, housing, estate planning, family and dependency law and bankruptcy. Dawn Marie has been the primary attorney in more than 70 trials. Dawn Marie a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law and Circuit Civil and Foreclosure Mediator, with special training in Mortgage Modification Mediation in Bankruptcy. Dawn Marie is trained as a Collaborative Family Law Attorney. 

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Dawn Marie is married to her husband, Eddie, and they have a daughter Darian. They also share their home with their dachshunds and other rescue dogs. 

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Professional Associations & Memberships

• Admitted to the Florida Bar, September 1999

• Member of Venice Sertoma

• Collaborative Training Completed 2015

• IACP (International Academy of Collaborative Professionals) member since 2015

• Manatee County Bar Association 

• Sarasota County Bar Association (Current Board Director for South County - 2020-2021)

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Named Top SRQ Elite Attorney in 2020 and 2021.

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Susannah Coakley Savitsky

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Susannah was born in Salem, Mass. and grew up in Mystic, Connecticut. Susannah graduated from University of Connecticut and worked as a Realtor and Non-Profit Event Coordinator, then in 2005 she moved to Florida to attend Stetson University School of Law. Susannah graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 2008 and was admitted to the Florida Bar in March 2009. Susannah was a contract employee to various law firms, working primarily in the fields of foreclosure defense and insurance law before joining the Bates-Buchanan Law Group, P.A.  Having been a Realtor before going into law, Susannah has special insights on foreclosure law. Susannah has been instrumental in helping hundreds of people save their homes or make financially sounds decisions about short-sales and deed-in-lieu of foreclosures. Susannah also has experience in contract and collection law and is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Court and Foreclosure Mediator. Susannah is a licensed realtor in Florida. Susannah has her license current to sell real property. Susannah also has her broker's license.

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Susannah is married and they have a son, Logan, and a daughter, Serena. Susannah is very active in our community, having volunteer at Gulfcoast Legal Services to help people defend their homes from foreclosure; Susannah has served as a board member of Manatee Area Chapter of Florida Association of Woman Lawyers; .  She enjoys spending time with her family and two dogs, a Great Dane named “Justice” and a Mastiff named Stella  and helping homeless pets find "fur" ever homes.