Melissa is the firm's deputy managing partner for industry teams. Prior to this role, she was a member of the firm's eight-person Executive Committee and chairman of McGuireWoods' complex commercial litigation department. She was the first woman to serve as an office managing partner and founded the McGuireWoods’ Women’s Business Development Committee, now known as McGuireWoods' Women Lawyers Network, and served as its first chair. She has served as chair of the Nominating Committee for McGuireWoods’ Board of Partners and served on the firm’s Associate Committee.

Melissa focuses her practice on litigating complex commercial cases including shareholder matters, lender/borrower relationships, energy, construction, commercial leasing, real estate, land use, zoning and all manner of business disputes. She has also litigated eminent domain cases in Virginia and Maryland on behalf of water, sewer, natural gas and electrical utility companies. Over the past 24 years, she has litigated in state and federal courts throughout the United States. She also has extensive experience in handling the arbitration of all types of commercial disputes. In addition to litigation, she drafts and negotiates contracts related to commercial development, design and construction, including architectural, project management and general contractor agreements.