• DePaul University College of Law, J.D.

• Loyola University Chicago, M.S.I.R.

• Loyola University Chicago, B.B.A. in Economics

• Illinois Supreme Court, 1998

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2001

• International Latino Cultural Center, Member
• Chicago Latino Public Affairs Committee, Founder
• Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, Member
• Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Member
• Hispanic American Construction Industry Association, Member

htristan@tristanlegal.com

Thomas Goedert has worked in the public and private legal sectors for the entirety of his career. His practice includes counseling clients in relation to business formation, contract and partnership agreements, real estate development and acquisitions, commercial disputes, and litigation avoidance strategies, as well as financial restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency related issues and litigation.  Mr. Goedert has also been lead trial counsel (including numerous jury trials in federal and state courts) for clients his entire career in complex commercial and real estate matters.

Mr. Goedert was appointed Special Assistant Attorney General to oversee land acquisition on behalf of the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to oversee the I-90 and I-355 highway extensions.

Mr. Goedert functioned as the lead attorney from 2003-2012 to provide counsel to the City of Chicago, O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP) overseeing the land acquisition and relocation as well as federal, state, and municipal regulatory matters and negotiations for the re-configuring of the airport.

Mr. Goedert served as former chairman of the Chicago Bar Association’s Bankruptcy and Reorganization Committee as well as the first chairman of the Bankruptcy liaison Committee to the United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois.  He is also a former Advisory Board Member for the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Mr. Goedert’s clients range from fortune 500 companies to locally owned  and operated small businesses.

• University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, J.D.
• Marquette University, B.A.

• Illinois Supreme Court
• United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
• United States District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar
• United States District Court of Delaware
• United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

• Chicago Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• American Bankruptcy Institute

tgoedert@tristancervantes.com
(312) 345-9200
150 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1550
Chicago, IL

Melody focuses her practice in litigation in areas including labor and employment (such as discrimination, harassment, wage disputes, and wrongful termination cases); commercial disputes (breach of contract, intra-business disputes, business torts), municipal, and insurance defense. Melody also frequently provides risk-management counseling and guidance to employers and businesses, and assists with business formation.

Before joining Tristan & Cervantes in 2017, Melody served as a judicial extern in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Ms. Saveall also worked as a law clerk at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Through her private and government sector experience, Ms. Saveall has gained thorough hands-on experience in civil litigation.

Melody received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Psychology and Philosophy in 2015 from Vanderbilt University. In May of 2018, she earned her Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Melody earned a place on the Dean’s List throughout her entire undergraduate and law school career.

• Vanderbilt University, B.S. in Psychology, B.A. in Philosophy

• Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D.

msaveall@tristancervantes.com
(312) 345-9200

Giovanni focuses his practice on litigation in areas including municipal law, employment law, and commercial disputes. Giovanni is also experienced in advisement regarding regulatory compliance.

Before joining Tristan & Cervantes, Giovanni was an attorney at Luetkehans, Brady, Garner & Armstrong, LLC. During his law school career, Giovanni worked at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services auditing thousands of Public Health Emergency Waivers granted during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring all 50 states met the criteria as required for the requested waivers. He also reviewed Managed Care Contracts to ensure compliance with Medicaid standards.

Giovanni received his Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2022, with certificates in Health Law and Compliance. He graduated from New York University in 2019 with Bachelor of Science.

• Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D.

• New York University, B.S.

gpadilla@tristancervantes.com
(312) 312-345-9200

Illinois Supreme Court, 2014

• Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, Board Member, Young Lawyers Committee Co-Chair
• Chicago Bar Association, Member
• Latinos Progresando, Board member

htristan@tristanlegal.com

• Augustana College, Magna Cum Laude, B.S. in Political Science, Public Administration, and Biology.

• Also named member of Mortar Board Honors Society and Phi Beta Kappa Society.

• University of Illinois College of Law, Cum Laude, J.D.

• Illinois Supreme Court, 2003

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2003

• Member of the Board of Directors for the Chicago Sinfonietta
• Member of the Board of Trustees for Augustana College (Rock Island, IL)
• Illinois Bar Association, Member
• Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, Member
• Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Member
• Hispanic American Construction Industry Association, Member