Melissa counsels companies, public entities, and educational institutions on all manner of labor and employment issues. She regularly defends employers in state and federal court against employment-related claims, including those under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and state discrimination suits. Melissa also advises companies on compliance-related issues that arise in the context of the purchase and sale of businesses.
Melissa has extensive experience conducting internal investigations for private companies, public entities, and educational institutions, including those related to sexual harassment, sexual assault, discrimination and harassment, theft of time and property, and hazing.
In addition, Melissa advises educational institutions on issues related to Title IX, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Department of Education and/or Office of Civil Rights investigations, and faculty and student conduct matters.
Prior to joining McGuireWoods, Melissa worked for a private law firm representing school districts throughout Illinois in matters related to students and special education, labor and employment, and board governance.
Experience
- Represented public university through tenure revocation process and successfully secured revocation of tenure.
- Secured dismissal at the motion to dismiss stage for educational institution against student alleging sexual assault by employee.
- Secured summary judgment for private employer against employee alleging failure to accommodate alleged disability.
- Conducted high-profile internal investigation of employee allegation of sexual assault by supervisor.
- Secured summary judgment for private employer against employee alleging pregnancy discrimination.
- Conducted investigation into allegations of discrimination made by a student against a professor at a liberal arts institution.
- Conducted large-scale investigation for public institution into employees’ allegations of pattern and practice of age, sex, and race discrimination.
- Defended various companies against discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation claims under the ADA, Title VII, and ADEA, and reached favorable settlements.
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Washington University in St. Louis School of LawJD
Dean’s List, Articles Editor, Washington University Law Review
2016 - Washington University in St. LouisMSWThe Brown School2016
- Providence CollegeBA2012
- Author, Employers Beware: The Rise of AI (Regulation) in Illinois, Colorado and California, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, October 3, 2024
- Author, EEOC Releases Final Regulations Implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, April 18, 2024
- Author, DOJ and ED Issue Guidance on Supreme Court Affirmative Action Decision, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, August 22, 2023
- Author, Speak Out Act Bars Enforcement of Nondisclosure, Nondisparagement Clauses for Sexual Harassment, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, December 16, 2022
- Author, California Imposes Rebuttable Presumption for Workers’ Compensation for Employees With COVID-19, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, May 11, 2020
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois