Melissa Coffey is an experienced litigator who focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, internal investigations, and government enforcement defense. Clients turn to Melissa for her keen judgment and exceptional ability to identify efficient solutions in large-scale matters, with a sensitivity to and understanding of her clients’ business concerns.
Melissa provides strategic counsel to companies and executives in a wide range of complex litigation matters, including False Claims Act, securities fraud, and RICO actions. She leads internal corporate investigations to identify and address potential legal exposure, and successfully advises clients on proactive compliance measures to minimize future risk. Melissa also guides clients through government investigations involving the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, state Attorneys General, and other regulators.
Melissa advises clients across a spectrum of industries, including financial services, accounting, technology, retail, pharmaceutical, home health, and medical supplies, among others. She also has experience leveraging artificial intelligence in connection with complex litigation and internal and government investigations, including in the review of large amounts of electronic data.
Representative Experience
- Closing of Florida Attorney General investigation regarding marketing practices of digital entertainment and media company
- Successful dismissal, affirmed on appeal, of civil federal RICO litigation seeking $200 million in damages
- Favorable resolution on behalf of property insurer in federal litigation involving a former executive and minority owner’s allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, minority shareholder oppression, and conversion
- Closing or other favorable resolution of a variety of investigations and litigation involving fees broker- dealers charged to clients, including distribution and shareholder services fees
- Closing of SEC insider trading investigation involving a broker-dealer
- Favorable resolution of DOJ False Claims Act investigation and related litigation involving home health agency, part of a major healthcare services company
- Representation of retailer and favorable resolution in an internal and SEC investigation involving alleged accounting fraud relating to accounting for markdowns
- Representation of accounting firms and favorable resolutions in a variety of PCAOB investigations
- Representation of securities lending executives in civil litigation and an SEC investigation of a major financial institution, which the SEC declined to pursue
- Representation of current and former employees of pharmaceutical companies in DOJ investigations involving potential False Claims Act allegations
Awards and Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America©, Criminal Defense: White-Collar and Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom and Energy) (2019-Present)
Affiliations
- Women’s White Collar Defense Association (http://wwcda.org/) (Co-Chair, Sponsor Committee, 2021-2026)
- Member, American Bar Association