Melissa Hirst's practice focuses on civil litigation at both the trial and appellate levels, with an emphasis on antitrust and intellectual property matters, appellate litigation, contract disputes, and defense of class actions. Melissa has litigated matters in a variety of federal and state courts and administrative agencies. She has a broad base of experience covering all aspects of litigation from pre-suit factual investigations through appeal, including multidistrict litigation and settlement of class actions. She also has represented individual clients and corporations in criminal and civil government investigations and negotiated resolutions in these investigations.

Melissa has litigated numerous pharmaceutical patent disputes arising under the federal Hatch-Waxman Act and also has experience managing overlapping criminal investigations and civil lawsuits in the antitrust context. Melissa has a varied civil litigation practice, and her representative clients and matters include: a large regional bank in insurance coverage litigation turning on the interpretation of the bank's financial institution bond, a pharmaceutical company in overlapping federal and state consumer fraud class actions, a broker-dealer in a contract dispute involving its securities lending practices, and an electronics manufacturer in an appeal of a state court trial verdict.

Melissa maintains a substantial pro bono practice and, in 2006, won asylum for a family of six from Sri Lanka who were persecuted on the basis of their Muslim religion. She also has represented pro bono clients in appeals involving immigration law and habeas corpus relief.

Melissa is a member of the Illinois and Chicago Bar Associations.