Melissa A. Meister

Overview

Melissa A. Meister focuses her practice on labor and employment law, professional liability, and commercial litigation. She represents clients nationwide, from Fortune 500 corporations to small and mid-sized businesses, in matters before state and federal courts and in arbitration. Ms. Meister’s experience includes single plaintiff and class or collective actions involving wage and hour disputes, discrimination, retaliation, and California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims, as well as cases concerning business disputes, breach of contract, trade secrets, restrictive covenants, and noncompetition agreements.

Beyond her litigation work, Ms. Meister counsels employers on compliance with federal and state employment laws, drafts and revises workplace policies and employee handbooks, and prepares severance agreements and related communications. She works closely with human resources professionals and corporate leadership to address daily employment challenges and implement strategies that mitigate risk and support legal compliance.

In her professional liability practice, Ms. Meister defends insured employers, executives, and other professionals against employment-related claims and investigations. She collaborates with universities, human resources departments, and in-house counsel on internal investigations and workplace reviews, and represents clients in white collar, fraud, and complex civil matters. Her experience extends through all phases of litigation, including motion practice, discovery, and depositions, and encompasses cases involving employment, intellectual property, and business disputes arising across numerous industrial sectors.

She also has extensive experience representing startups and tech companies, the hotel and hospitality industry and healthcare providers and hospital systems. Additionally, she has significant experience representing nonprofits and public entities, including in compliance, and government contract negotiation and review.

Prior to joining Kaufman Dolowich, Ms. Meister practiced as a trial and appellate litigator at a national law firm, where she handled matters in state and federal courts across the country. She focused on labor and employment counseling and litigation, including class actions, wage and hour disputes, and trade secrets matters, and also worked on complex commercial litigation and white-collar defense matters. Earlier in her career, Ms. Meister served as a trial attorney at the United States Department of Justice and as an assistant U.S. attorney, where she represented the federal government in trial and appellate proceedings.

Professional Memberships

• Member of the California Bar Association
• Member of the Arizona Bar Association