Melissa J. Ackie

Melissa Jeanine Ackie is a trusted legal adviser to business owners, in-house counsel, and human resources professionals on a broad range of HR and compliance workplace concerns, including leave and accommodation, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, terminations, and wage and hour issues. As a former secondee for a multinational publicly traded corporation, she leverages her experience and insight to help clients effectively navigate employment-related risk while balancing business realities in an ever-changing legal landscape. She partners with employers of all sizes, including both public and private, nonprofit, and public sector.

Melissa regularly conducts internal workplace investigations for higher education institutions (including Title IX), public sector employers, and private employers related to allegations of misconduct, including discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation.

She also maintains an active litigation practice, advocating and defending clients in arbitrations, federal courts, and state courts throughout Texas against discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour allegations in matters. Her recent representative experience includes:

• Obtaining complete defense findings in federal bench trial concerning allegations of FMLA retaliation
• Obtaining multiple summary judgments on behalf of nationwide companies sued in various employment actions under Title VII and the ADEA, including claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation
• Obtaining multiple summary judgments for actions violating the statute of limitations
• Obtaining summary judgment on behalf of a nonprofit sued in a defamation action
• Obtaining sanctions against a plaintiff for filing a baseless action under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 13. Ruling was affirmed on appeal by the Third Court of Appeals
• Obtaining dismissals in multiple Charges of Discrimination in state and federal agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Texas Workforce Commission
• Negotiating favorable settlements through mediation and other informal methods on behalf of clients facing significant exposure

Melissa serves as a liaison for Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI). She focuses on Texas state legislative and regulatory developments in employment and labor law, as well as municipal ordinances and regulation of the workplace. Melissa tracks relevant legislation, revises policies and protocols for compliance, and assists clients in understanding the potential impact of Texas legislation before and after it becomes law.

Before joining Littler, Melissa’s practice primarily focused on representing individuals and companies in Texas state courts, federal courts, and arbitrations in a variety of civil litigation defense actions.

While in law school, Melissa served as a judicial intern for Federal Judge Melinda Harmon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, and represented the University of Texas School of Law at nationals in the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition.

Melissa has been a certified mediator for the State of Texas since December 2011 and is a classically trained violist.