Melissa has a general employment litigation practice and has represented employers in numerous employment law cases in U.S. state and federal courts, focusing on the defense of collective/class actions and individual claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII, and state discrimination laws.
She has extensive litigation experience in pregnancy discrimination claims as well as leave cases.
Melissa graduated from the University of San Diego Law School in 1994.
Experience
- Represented employers facing wage-and-hour claims, in more than 40 different
federal district courts. - Defeated wage-and-hour class certification in multiple federal jurisdictions,
including in Alabama, Ohio, Missouri and Tennessee. - Secured more than 20 summary judgments in federal district courts affirming
that the executive exemption for overtime pay applies to retail store managers.
Events
- Speaker, Coal Q&A Webcast: COVID-19 and Considerations for Reopening of Businesses, American Coal Council: Coal Q&A Program, May 19, 2020
Insights
- Author, Texas Expands Employee Sexual Harassment Protections Beyond Federal Title VII, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, September 2, 2021
- Author, What Employers Need to Know About the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, March 18, 2020
- Author, Restricting Third-Party Access to Premises Due to COVID-19, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, March 17, 2020
- Author, OSHA Issues New COVID-19 Preparedness Guidance for Employers, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, March 12, 2020