Biography
Melissa advises corporate clients on a wide range of business matters, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing transactions, ownership transition and governance matters.
Companies in a wide variety of industries, at all stages of the business life cycle, engage Melissa as outside general counsel, relying on her for guidance on day-to-day operational issues. She advises clients on matters including:
- commercial contracts
- marketing
- internet matters
- trade secret protection
- real estate financing and leases
- taxation
- regulatory compliance and strategy
- pre-litigation dispute resolution
In addition, Melissa represents multiple architecture, engineering and design firms and advises companies in the legal cannabis sector on matters including mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance.
Before Fox Rothschild
Prior to joining Fox Rothschild, Melissa was an attorney at a San Francisco-based firm for more than 10 years, where she began as an intern during law school. She also previously worked as a development assistant for a developer in Colorado.
While in law school, Melissa interned at a multinational law firm in Rome, Italy. She also served as a Judicial Extern for the Department of the Presiding Judge, San Francisco Superior Court. In addition, Melissa served as a staff member and development editor for Hastings International & Comparative Law Review.
As an undergraduate student at the University of Colorado, Melissa worked as a reporter, copy editor and opinion editor for Campus Press.
Beyond Fox Rothschild
Melissa volunteers at several nonprofit organizations. She is a mentor at Working Solutions Microloans, a nonprofit that provides microloans and business consulting to entrepreneurs. She also participates at a legal aid clinic assisting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) applicants who are seeking to appeal denied benefits.
In addition, Melissa is a Contributing Editor (Private Equity and Venture Capital) to the American Bar Association’s Securities Law Month-In-Brief.
Bar Admissions
- California
Education
- University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (J.D., 2006)
- University of Colorado (B.S., 2001)
Memberships
- State Bar of California
- American Bar Association, Business Law Section
- American Bar Association, Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law
