Morgan Lewis Bolsters West Coast Litigation Team with Veteran Trial Duo

SEATTLE and LOS ANGELES, FEBRUARY 18, 2026: Morgan Lewis is pleased to welcome Brian Buckley and Melissa Lawton as partners in the firm’s global litigation practice, resident in Seattle and Los Angeles, respectively. Joining from Fenwick & West, Brian and Melissa enhance the firm’s litigation capabilities in key West Coast and technology markets, bringing a wide-ranging litigation background spanning intellectual property disputes, consumer class actions, securities and corporate governance matters, and high-stakes commercial litigation across a range of industries. The team will be joined by Armen Nercessian, who starts on March 2 as of counsel in San Francisco.

“Brian and Melissa are exceptional litigators who bring deep experience, strong market credibility, and a collaborative approach that aligns seamlessly with our culture,” said Firm Chair Jami McKeon. “Their arrival advances our continued investment in strengthening our litigation platform on the West Coast and reflects our focus on building a deep bench of trial lawyers who can lead the most complex disputes.”

Brian represents companies at every stage of the litigation lifecycle, advising on litigation strategy, risk management, and dispute resolution. A first-chair trial lawyer, he has tried cases before judges and juries in federal and state courts nationwide. Melissa works closely with Brian and adds depth to the firm’s growing consumer class action and mass arbitration practice, particularly in California.

Prior to Fenwick, Brian served as Associate General Counsel, Litigation & Regulatory at Amazon, where he oversaw a wide-ranging portfolio of litigation matters, including commercial disputes, privacy and data-breach claims, class actions, intellectual property litigation, complex arbitrations, and First Amendment media matters. In that role, he worked closely with Morgan Lewis litigators and also provided strategic risk-mitigation counseling across a diverse set of businesses and subsidiaries, giving him a first-hand perspective on litigation management and legal and regulatory risk.

Melissa’s practice similarly reflects a broad mix of complex litigation experience, including work closely aligned with technology-driven disputes and arbitration-heavy matters, as well as prior quasi-in house support roles that inform her practical approach to client service.

“Brian brings a distinctive combination of deep trial experience and a sophisticated understanding of how companies approach litigation and risk from the inside,” said Troy Brown, leader of the firm’s global litigation practice. “Melissa has been a key part of that success, bringing meaningful capability in areas where client demand continues to grow. Both have worked closely with Morgan Lewis lawyers over the years, developing strong relationships and a shared approach to advocacy that will make them immediate assets to our clients and our teams.”

Brian and Melissa’s arrival adds further depth to Morgan Lewis’s litigation capabilities in the Pacific Northwest and other key technology hubs. Last year, the firm welcomed litigation partners Kit Roth, Andrea Ostrovsky, Colin Heideman, and Christie Matthaei to its Seattle office; Ali Razai, Benjamin Anger, Benjamin Everton, Brandon Smith, Jacob Peterson, and Jeremy Anapol to its Orange County office; and trial lawyer and workplace health and safety partner Jason Mills in Los Angeles.