NEW YORK, August 1, 2017: Morgan Lewis partner Melissa Rodriguez has been recognized by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) as a Rising Star for 2017.
MCCA's annual list of Rising Stars honors diverse lawyers whose accomplishments and dedication to the field and to their community make them “attorneys to watch” in the legal profession. Ms. Rodriquez was selected along with 10 others from more than 150 nominations for her impact on the legal profession, high achievement, vision, and leadership.
While Ms. Rodriguez handles the full spectrum of employment law, she devotes a significant part of her practice to single-plaintiff, class, and collective action litigation. She presents oral arguments to US federal and state courts (including jury trials), and second-chaired a multi-plaintiff litigation in federal court. She has defended employers as first- and second-chair in forums such as the American Arbitration Association, and the National Association of Securities Dealers Inc. (now known as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA). She also conducts internal investigations and represents employers under investigation by administrative agencies, including the US Department of Labor, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and local and state agencies.
The MCCA was founded in 1997 to advance the hiring, retention, and promotion of diverse lawyers in legal departments and the law firms that serve them through publishing, research and training, pipeline initiatives, and networking.
The honorees were profiled in the summer issue of the MCCA's flagship magazine, Diversity & the Bar, and will be honored on October 3 at the MCAA's annual Creating Pathways to Diversity Conference.