Biography
Melissa’s notable recent experience includes serving on Weil teams:
- Representing CBS Radio in a putative class action in Wisconsin federal court asserting claims for violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
- Successfully obtaining the early dismissal of Showtime Networks from a series of putative class actions in courts around the country arising out of the high-profile August 2017 boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and UFC star Conor McGregor,
- Representing Showtime Networks Inc. in a significant carriage dispute in New York state court with Charter Communications arising out of Charter’s acquisition of Time Warner Cable.
- Defending Hilton in a nationwide antitrust class action filed against Hilton and other major hotel chains alleging that defendant hotel companies conspired to eliminate competition for branded keyword search advertising against each other, illegally raising consumers’ costs to find and book hotel rooms.
- Defending a global pharmaceutical company in a series of litigations involving state and federal false advertising claims related to a consumer healthcare product.
- Successfully defeating a motion for a temporary restraining order brought against a major pharmaceutical company regarding alleged false advertising claims.
- Representing a global pharmaceutical company in antitrust litigation.
- Counselling a global pharmaceutical company in various post-transaction disputes, including an arbitration.
Melissa maintains an active pro bono practice and regularly works on immigration and asylum matters. Her recent work includes successfully filing for and obtaining citizenship on behalf of a long-time permanent resident; successfully obtaining asylum status on behalf of a transgender woman who faced discrimination in her home country Colombia; assisting in the repatriation of a refugee who was wrongfully deported by U.S. immigration authorities; successfully petitioning for habeas corpus in the Southern District of New York to obtain a bond hearing on behalf of a detained immigrant; participating in preliminary injunction briefing and argument to secure release of prisoners from the Dallas County Jail because of unsafe conditions due to COVID-19.
She also is actively involved in a number of diversity initiatives, including as a member of Women@Weil.
Melissa received her B.A., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D., cum laude, from Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School, where she was an articles editor of the Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal. During law school, she served as a Judicial Intern to the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and as a legal intern at the Immigration Justice Clinic.