As a Bozeman, Montana native and owner of Shyne Law Group, PLLC, Danielle Shyne works tirelessly to ensure clients are provided high quality legal services in an easy, outgoing atmosphere.

Danielle Shyne is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Gonzaga University School of Law.  Prior to opening Shyne Law Group, PLLC, Danielle worked for Montana Elder Law and clerked for the Honorable Chief Justice Mike McGrath and the Honorable Michael Wheat of the Montana Supreme Court.  Danielle is a member of the Montana State Bar, the "Business, Estates, Trusts, Tax & Real Property" Section of the Montana State Bar, the Gallatin County Bar Association, and the Washington State Bar.

Danielle’s professional life has been dedicated to helping others through her work at the Montana Governor’s Office, the Montana Governor’s Office of Community Service, and the non-profit Thrive.  During law school, Danielle supported the Gonzaga Public Interest Law Project and the Women’s Law Caucus.  Additionally, Danielle fought for her clients at the Unemployment Law Project and interned for the Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court, Honorable Mary Fairhurst.

Danielle has two wonderful children and two rambunctious dogs. She enjoys hiking and swimming, spending time with her large extended family in Bozeman, and exploring the small towns of Montana.

Melanie grew up on the highline in Cut Bank. She attended New Mexico State University, where she was the president of the Alpha Kappa Delta (ΑΚΔ), an international honor society of sociology. She graduated with a major in sociology and a minor in philosophy. She attended law school at the University of Montana School of Law. While in law school, she served as vice president of the American Constitutional Society and was a board member of the OUTLaws. She participated in the Montana Legal Services Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, the China Summer Law Program, and the Client Counseling Team.  She also met her now-husband, Tom McMeans, who works as a paralegal at Shyne Law.

After graduation, she clerked for the Honorable Judge Laurie MacKinnon at the Montana Supreme Court and then for the Honorable Judge Reynolds at the First Judicial District Court. Melanie then joined the public defender's office in Hamilton, Montana, where she discovered her love for the courtroom. Since that time, Melanie has practiced courtroom litigation in various areas, including major crimes, divorce, dependency and neglect cases, juvenile defense, and guardianships. She was voted Bitterroot's Best Attorney in 2021.



Melanie was also the Prosecuting Attorney for Stevensville, Montana.

Melanie has sat on the board for the First Judicial Bar, the board for the Ravalli Head Start, volunteered with SAFE in the Bitterroot, and was the vice president of the Ravalli County Bar. Tom and Melanie also coached the Florence High School mock trial team. Melaine is currently on the board of Befrienders of Bozeman.

Melanie enjoys birding, spending time with her dogs Doodle Bug & Mr. Reynolds; and reading sci-fi and horror.

Hunter Schmitz is one of our paralegals whose focus is on case management for our Medicaid, probate, guardianships, real property research and land instrument drafting.



Hunter grew up in the small dryland farming community of Medicine Lake, Montana – located in the very northeastern corner of Montana near the Canadian border and the North Dakota – Montana border.  Hunter has a background in journalism and history and earned his undergrad degree in print reporting from the University of Montana in 2016.  After working several years around Montana as a print newspaper reporter, he found his way to the Bozeman area.  Hunter worked for a local video-licensing company that unlocked his passion for civil law. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Hunter went back to school to pursue a career as a paralegal.  He also worked full time as a title clerk at Security Title Company, a local Bozeman-based title insurance company.  During his time with the title insurance company, he gained invaluable knowledge about real property law and real estate transactions.  Hunter was able to virtually attend classes hosted through Missoula College and accredited through the American Bar Association.  Hunter earned his certificate in Paralegal Studies in May 2022. 

Hunter joined Shyne Law Group in August 2024.  He had previously worked as a paralegal under the supervision of three attorneys at another local law firm before he joined our team.  Hunter enjoys working with our clients and has a passion for land research and helping people navigate the steps of probate and trust administration.

Outside of work Hunter enjoys going on walks, cooking gourmet dishes and learning about new things.  He is an avid Star Wars fan and is also a nerd regarding geography and global news.

Tom is originally from Alabama, where he went to Auburn University and did everything from trapping pigs for the army to campaign finance before beginning his legal career in Montana in 2017. The majority of his time since then has been spent with his wife, Melanie, at her firm in the Bitterroot. They relocated to join the legal team at Shyne Law group in the summer of 2025. He tries to get out every weekend to enjoy the outdoors—especially birding. He enjoys being the spare human to his dogs Doodle and Mr. Reynolds.

Bio Coming Soon!

Tannis Hargrove, a native Montanan, grew up in Three Forks, Montana. She received her BS in Sociology from Montana State University and an Masters of Science in Health Promotion from the University of Montana. Prior to her employment at Shyne Law Group, she worked at the Missoula Public Health Department, the University of Montana’s Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities and has worked in reproductive health advocacy, and employment. Tannis enjoys learning more about complementary and alternative medicine in her free time, and taking walks with her shitzu, Tater and chocolate lab, Phoebe.