Melissa came to the practice of law with a broad career background in developmental neuropsychology, commercial real estate paralegal work and community service—giving her insight into a variety of different workplaces. However, her long-term goal had always been the law, and after earning her J.D., she began working in commercial litigation. Melissa then accepted an in-house position with a mutual insurance and financial services company, initially serving as a litigator for insurance and financial services claims and securities-related matters.

Yet Melissa’s role quickly grew beyond insurance work: her responsibilities soon included a variety of labor and employment legal matters, and she was named associate general counsel. Melissa drafted and negotiated employment, restrictive covenant and separation agreements; oversaw internal investigations regarding harassment allegations and other sensitive matters; advised company leadership on employment-related crisis management; designed lawful recruiting and retention policies aimed at increasing diversity; oversaw employment litigation and litigation strategy; managed EEOC and state and local agency charge actions; and addressed routine workplace legal questions. Melissa also regularly developed and delivered training sessions on workplace risks and mitigation techniques, including sexual harassment and harassment prevention, biases, and activating bystanders to create safer workplaces.

Melissa is passionate about working in a practice area where people are at the very center, and she believes that in the labor and employment field, emotional intelligence is just as important as legal knowledge. Understanding the central and deeply personal role work plays in employees’ lives, Melissa is often able to defuse a situation with a proactive, emotionally intelligent response. She also understands how important labor and employment matters are to companies and how much is resting on her advice and on case outcomes.  And, in matters where adversarial measures are needed, Melissa understands clients want options spanning various risk tolerances and recommendations combined with strong representation.

At Husch Blackwell, Melissa provides preventative counsel to help clients stay in line with the law and avoid potential problems, and she brings her in-house knowledge to every conversation. Her own background in a general counsel’s office means that she readily understands the challenges business executives face and how she can best meet their needs. As a litigator, Melissa’s proactive approach is focused on reaching the best outcome available for her client.  Melissa hopes clients see her as a true thought partner and problem solver, and she aims to serve as a resource connector who brings solutions in response to client needs.