Our History

Sherri Denton Mallory is a highly experienced attorney with 30+ years of legal experience. Sherri grew up in Bay County attending public schools and graduated high school from A. Crawford Mosley High School in 1980 in the Top 10 of her class. She continued with her local education at Gulf Coast Community College and received her A.A Degree, Summa Cum Laude, in 1982. Sherri transferred to University of Florida and majored in Business Administration and Computer Science, receiving her B.S Degree, with Highest Honors in 1984. While she was accepted to UF’s law school and every other law school to which she applied, she chose to attend The Florida State College of Law. It was closer to home, and she had been selected as a University Fellow.  At the time, FSU awarded 2 graduate students the Fellowship, and Sherri received the Fellowship all 3 years she attended FSU College of Law. She graduated with her J.D. Degree, with Honors, in 1987. 

For a brief period, she returned to Panama City and practiced personal injury law with Whitey Urquhart and Wes Pittman. She relocated to Jacksonville to continue her personal injury practice with W.C. Gentry and Kitty Phillips. Realizing that she wanted to raise her family in Panama City, she returned to PC and joined the firm of Chuck Isler, becoming partner after a few years. During this period, she practiced real estate law, estate planning, banking law and civil litigation. She later opened her practice with her then husband and continued her general civil practice as described. Wanting to get into the courtroom more frequently, she went to work for the State of Florida, HRS n/k/a Department of Children & Families as their Senior Attorney. While at HRS Sherri handled complex litigation involving abused and neglected children, including cases involving pedophilia and Munchausan by Proxy. She litigated over several hundreds of cases involving the custody of children. After several years, she was asked to join the firm of Burke & Blue where she soon became a partner. Sherri and two of the other top litigators of the BB firm eventually left to form their own firm with Sherri’s husband, Pete, and practiced under the firm name of Warner & Mallory. Sherri’s practice involved representing several banks, including handling most of the litigation for Peoples First Community Bank which maintained 38 branches throughout Florida. She also handled commercial and residential real estate transactions, estate planning and general civil litigation. After a few years, Sherri and Pete formed their solo firm known as Mallory & Mallory where Sherri continued her representation of banks, real estate, estate planning, general civil litigation and personal injury litigation. Then a few years later, Pete ran for Circuit Judge and won leaving Sherri to practice solo under the firm name of Mallory Law Firm. Pete had been the “family law” lawyer for the firm as Sherri was taking a break from it after her employment with the State of Florida. Sherri now handles family law matters as well as the other areas described above. Sherri considers herself an “all-around” lawyer who would be likened to a Center Fielder on a baseball team. In short, she has experience in nearly every area of law. Sherri is respected by her peers and well-liked by her clients. She can handle all matters competently, efficiently and effectively.  Sherri has been named as a Top Rated Lawyer in Litigation by Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent rating service for lawyers in America.

Sherri is married to The Honorable Peter A. Mallory. They live in Lynn Haven with their daughter Mimi who is in her senior year at A. Crawford Mosley High School. The Mallorys spend most of their free time with their daughter who is a competitive Dressage rider. They own two horses and hope to have a foal born in the spring of 2016. 

While Sherri is a “local”, both she and her brother, Chad Wayne Denton, deceased, were born at Bethesda Naval Medical Center while her Dad was in the Navy. In 1964, Sherri’s family moved to Panama City. Her mother, Dona Lee Denton, deceased, worked for Bay District Schools for 32 years. She started as a teacher at Oakland Terrace Elementary and went back to school to obtain her Master’s Degree, becoming one of the first guidance counselors in the county. Mrs. Denton was later the second school psychologist hired by the county. She specialized in elementary school psychology and helped many children and their families throughout her career.  Sherri’s father, Robert W. (“Bob”) Denton, was commissioned in the U.S. Navy in January 1961. Upon moving to Panama City, Bob worked at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, from 1964 through January 3, 1998. While at NSWC PCD Bob served three tours in Vietnam and was responsible for the introduction of the Landing Craft Aircushion (LCAC), and other Navy amphibious ships and U.S. Marine Corps systems. Upon his retirement from NSWC PCD, Bob was inducted into the NSWC’s Hall of Fame. He has received the highest award for a civilian from both The Marine Corps and The U.S Navy. He retired from civil service and continued his career as a consultant for a period of time.