Overview
Melissa approaches each day by asking two simple questions: who have I helped and what have I learned? She strives to serve each client by first listening to their needs and learning their business and culture. This thoughtful approach enables Melissa to provide legal counsel that not only mitigates legal risk but also reflects her clients’ values.
Melissa’s practice is multifaceted. She counsels employers on a wide variety of day-to-day employment and labor issues, including wage and hour law, employee leave issues, reasonable accommodations, workplace harassment, and reductions-in-force. She assists employers in developing proactive employee relations programs, including developing employee handbooks and conducting supervisory training. Melissa also defends employers responding to charges before administrative agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.
In addition, Melissa regularly represents clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions, representing both buyers and sellers, and provides advice on the many employment concerns related to these transactions. She also assists employers with a broad variety of executive compensation matters, including the drafting and negotiation of employment agreements, separation agreements, non-competition and confidentiality agreements, and commission and incentive compensation plans.
Melissa’s passion for service is reflected in her non-profit practice. Melissa routinely advises health care organizations, educational institutions, museums, advocacy groups, and other nonprofit organizations with respect to the employment and board governance issues they navigate daily.
Prior to joining Fisher Phillips, Melissa was Corporate Counsel and Compliance & Ethics Officer for a global, publicly-traded company. In this role, Melissa developed significant experience advising management on complex international employment and compliance matters. Accordingly, Melissa’s unique perspective helps businesses “connect the dots” between their Human Resources and Compliance functions. Whether it is helping corporations develop effective anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies and due diligence procedures that also comply with seemingly conflicting employment laws, or designing corporate codes of conduct, Melissa’s past experience provides first-hand understanding of the challenges facing today’s employer.
Passionate about helping children reach their full potential, Melissa volunteers in the Cleveland public schools and has served as a director for non-profits serving vulnerable children.