As a member of the Littler CaseSmart – Charges™ team and based in Arizona, Melanie Pate is responsible for handling charges from investigation to conclusion. She works on client-dedicated service teams, focusing on handling administrative agency charges. She investigates charge allegations, reviews pertinent documents, interviews key witnesses, and provides clients an assessment of the risks associated with the charge. In partnership with the client, she defends the charge by drafting persuasive position statements and responses to the agency’s requests for information.
Melanie has handled a wide variety of labor and employment administrative and litigation matters during her career, including cases involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, FMLA, OSHA, and FLSA issues. Having previously served as the chief counsel of a state anti-discrimination agency, Melanie is especially experienced at handling matters before the EEOC and similar state and local agencies.