An accomplished litigator, Melissa leverages her experience to achieve business-critical outcomes for corporate clients in lawsuits and arbitrations across the country.
Melissa has extensive experience litigating complex commercial disputes and defending class action lawsuits, including in the areas of insurance litigation, healthcare litigation, complex contractual disputes, and professional service liability claims. Melissa has handled complex litigation in state and federal courts and arbitral tribunals throughout the country.
Melissa is particularly experienced in defending claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Melissa represents employers, welfare plans, plan administrators, and pharmacy benefits managers in ERISA litigation, ranging from defending individual claims for benefits to defense of fiduciary duty claims in national class action litigation. Melissa regularly advises clients on benefits disputes before litigation ensues, helping them avoid litigation and putting them in the best position to prevail if a suit is brought.
Melissa also has a focus on representing insurance carriers and other clients in the finance and professional services industries. Melissa regularly represents insurance carriers in litigation concerning insurance coverage, agent disputes, and bad faith claims, as well as representing insurers in state regulatory proceedings and market conduct exams.
Melissa is an appellate attorney who has successfully briefed and argued cases in numerous state and federal appellate courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the Missouri and Illinois Courts of Appeals. As a member of the firm’s appellate group, she regularly advises and assists on appellate matters for our clients.