Melissa Nicholson Breit is a Sioux Falls native whose career was shaped early by her father’s longstanding law practice representing business owners. After earning a Mathematics degree and competing in collegiate basketball at DePauw University, she returned to South Dakota for law school with the intention of practicing alongside her father. Over the past 25 years, she built on that foundation, now leading the firm and having developed a niche practice at the intersection of business, financial matters, and family law.
Melissa’s background in mathematics, exposure to business issues, and practical understanding of family and personal dynamics have positioned her as a sought-after attorney for high asset/financial and business divorces. Her experience spans professional and enterprise goodwill disputes, farm and cattle operations, business valuations, prenuptial agreement litigation, gift and inheritance disputes, commingling and tracing issues, private medical practice valuations, custody and relocation trials, and countless other situations.
Widely respected in the legal community, Melissa served as President of the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association (SDTLA) (2022-2023) and later as Immediate Past President. She holds an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – a distinction requiring demonstrated mastery, ethics, and professionalism at the highest level of family law practice. There are only a couple of South Dakota attorneys to hold this national distinction.
Her case approach is rooted in clarity and big-picture thinking. Streamlining complexity where possible, Melissa prioritizes practical strategy, cost-effective decision making, and continuous communication. She empowers clients by explaining the downstream effects of each legal choice, so they possess the knowledge to make informed decisions.
Maintaining strong professional relationships with attorneys and judges statewide, Melissa practices primarily in:
- Complex divorce involving business and financial issues
- Civil and business litigation
- General family law and divorce litigation
- Custody and relocation trials
- Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
She is licensed to practice before:
- South Dakota state courts
- South Dakota Supreme Court
- United States District Court
- Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States Supreme Court.
Her professional South Dakota involvement includes longstanding service to bar associations, multiple leadership roles within the SDTLA Board of Governors, and substantial contributions to legal publications and continuing education programs. She has authored articles on prenuptial agreements and financial planning within marriage, written multiple president’s messages for The Barrister and moderated and presented at CLE’s and law school programs.
Beyond the courtroom, Melissa is deeply active in the Sioux Falls community. She has coached youth sports, supported local school and athletic programs, served in charitable and civic organizations, and participated in a broad range of fitness and athletic events – from triathlons to cycling challenges.
A graduate of Lincoln High School and DePauw University, she lives in Sioux Falls with her husband, Tony Breit, and daughters, Presley and Octavia, enjoying visits from older children, Layken and Ashtyn. Outside of work, she loves reading and creative writing, is a tennis and piano enthusiast, and someone who gravitates toward the outdoors. Someday, she hopes to write song lyrics and eventually teach a college-level history course framed through the lens of musical genres.