Melanie A. Conroy
Melanie Conroy is a strategic, risk-ready, and results-driven litigation partner focused on class and mass action defense and complex commercial disputes in a wide range of industries, including financial services, insurance, technology, construction, life sciences, retail and consumer goods, real estate, energy, manufacturing, and media.
Melanie regularly leads matters involving multistate consumer claims, business and Chapter 93A disputes, complex breach of contract allegations, and privacy and data breach litigation.
A seasoned litigator, Melanie has built her reputation as an effective and strategic advocate in complex commercial cases, representing parties in individual and class action cases based on:
- Data privacy, cybersecurity, and unauthorized data access incidents
- Consumer advertising and digital marketing
- Alleged unfair competition and business practices
- Website tracking tools and alleged digital wiretapping
- Product recalls and manufacturing liability
- ADA website and digital accessibility
- Consumer banking and financial services practices
- Complex commercial contract disputes
- Environmental contamination and medical monitoring
- Trade secret protection and restrictive covenant enforcement
- Commercial real estate agreements
- Securities laws and corporate governance disputes
- AI-enabled customer service and communication tools
Melanie has represented clients in connection with internal, government, and regulatory investigations, and has counseled boards of directors, board committees, and senior management on a broad range of matters, including consumer and vendor contracts, corporate governance, trade secrets, and alleged violations of state and federal comprehensive privacy laws and sector-specific privacy statutes. She also frequently advises clients on emerging litigation risks, regulatory strategy, and data governance exposure.
Melanie regularly appears in state and federal trial courts and is experienced in private arbitration and mediation.
As a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and member of the firm’s Data Protection & Innovation team, Melanie helps clients understand and navigate complex data privacy and security issues that can underlie class action claims and arise in litigation.
In addition, she counsels clients on compliance with a complex web of interconnected state and federal laws and regulations concerning data privacy and digital accessibility. Melanie collaborates with firm corporate, regulatory, and compliance colleagues to ensure an integrated, comprehensive approach to litigation risk management and class action defense.
Recognized by Chambers USA for Commercial Litigation (2025) and a JD Supra Top Author for Class Actions (2021, 2024, 2025), Melanie is a frequent speaker and writer on consumer litigation trends, data privacy and cybersecurity, securities laws, and class and mass action risks.
She is also the main author of the firm’s First Class Defense blog, which focuses on the decisions of state and federal courts within the boundaries of the First Circuit, and maintains the firm’s New England and First Circuit Class Action Tracker, which tracks class action trends and filings in state and federal courts within in New England.
Prior to joining Pierce Atwood, Melanie was a senior associate in the Securities Litigation Practice Group at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.
- Recognized by Chambers USA for Commercial Litigation (2025)
- Received JD Supra Readers' Choice Top Author Award for class action (2021, 2024, 2025)
- American Bar Association Class Actions and Derivative Suits Committee
- American Bar Association Consumer Financial Services Committee
- Boston Bar Association
- Boston Bar Foundation, Society of Fellows
- International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
- Class Action Advisory Board, Strafford Legal Publications
- Harvard Law Amicus Mentor, Harvard Law School Association of Massachusetts, Harvard Law School Women’s Alliance of Boston
- Former chair, Boston Bar Association, Multidistrict Litigation and Class Actions Section Steering Committee
- Former member, Boston Bar Association, Privacy, Cybersecurity & Digital Law Section Steering Committee
- Former co-chair, American Bar Association Consumer Financial Services Committee, Social Media and Technology Subcommittee
- Former member, Planning Committee for American Bar Association National Institute on Class Actions
- Former member, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Financial Services Leadership Council
- Co-author, Companies Must Address Growing Chatbot Class Action Risk - Law360 (2023)
- Co-author, As Massachusetts Punts on Privacy Law, Companies Can't be Complacent - Law360 (2022)
- Co-author, Massachusetts Data Privacy Bill Would Increase Litigation Risks - Law 360 (2021)
- Putative Class Member Standing as a Prerequisite for Certification - American Bar Association (2021)
- What Has Changed with Article III Standing in Consumer Class Actions after Spokeo v. Robins?, American Bar Association Class Actions and Derivative Suits Newsletter (2019)
- Co-author, Massachusetts Data Privacy Bill Poses Potential Class Action Risks - Law360 (2019)
- Co-author, What to Know About Rule 23’s Potential Revamp - Law360 (2017)
- Contributor, Defending Clients in Insider Trading Investigations and Enforcement Actions, Defending Corporations and Individuals in Government Investigations ch. 13 (Daniel J. Fetterman & Mark P. Goodman eds., 2012-2013 and 2014-2015)
- Co-author, Applying Securities Laws to Social Media Communications, Corporate & Securities Advisor and Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance & Financial Regulation (2013)
- Board member, Friends of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Pro Bono Mentor Award recipient and volunteer attorney, Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR) (2017)
- Volunteer judge, Harvard Law School Ames Moot Court Competition
- Volunteer attorney, International Refugee Assistance Project
- Leadership Committee, Open Boston Logan Airport Volunteer Attorneys
- Member, Friends of the Newton Free Library
- Member, Sacred Heart Parish, Social Justice and Peace Committee
Practice Areas
- Represents financial institutions in state and federal class action litigation arising under Massachusetts Consumer Protection Law, Chapter 93A related to consumer banking practices and fees.
- Represents manufacturer in class action litigation involving PFAS contamination claims related to landfill disposal.
- Represents financial institution in multi-jurisdiction litigation arising from vendor cybersecurity incident.
- Represents home heating oil company in consumer class action litigation related to biofuel blend levels.
- Achieved favorable settlements for retailers in connection with website accessibility class actions brought under the ADA.
- Represents retail and marketing firms in federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) class actions.
- Obtained dismissal of data privacy and wiretapping consumer class action concerning website tracking technologies.
- Represented manufacturer in successfully defending against PFAS exposure claims related to firefighting turnout gear.
- Achieved favorable settlements in connection with data privacy and wiretapping consumer class action brought under CIPA, ECPA, and other state and federal statutes.
- Represented retailer and secured favorable settlement in slack-fill class action consumer claims under state law.
- Represented commercial real estate company in class action litigation arising under Massachusetts Consumer Protection Law, Chapter 93A.
- Represented international paper company in successfully defending against PFAS contamination claims brought by local landowners.
- Represented energy companies in federal class action litigation asserting claims for medical monitoring under Massachusetts law.
- Obtained dismissal of securities class action against a clothing retailer and its senior officers and directors, and successfully defended Second Circuit appeal.
- Secured dismissal of securities class action against multinational pharmaceutical company and its former CEO concerning diabetes drug sales.
- Represented real estate investment trust and its former directors and officers in nationwide multidistrict class action litigation and in multiple arbitrations involving breach of contract claims arising out of a merger.
- Obtained dismissal of securities class action against consumer electronics company and its officers concerning the performance of the company's premium audio segment.
- Achieved dismissal of securities class action against holding company for regional grocer and its private equity owner arising out of holding group’s IPO.
- Represented Fortune 100 multinational corporation and its senior officers and directors in securities class action arising out of the 2008 financial crisis.
Latest Updates in Class Action Defense
- Represents financial institution in federal court litigation arising under Massachusetts Consumer Protection Law, Chapter 93A.
- Represents data center in breach of contract, business tort, and Chapter 93A litigation arising out of complex acquisition transaction and attempted assignment of tenancy.
- Represents health care technology company in breach of contract, business tort, and Chapter 93A litigation related to medical practice management software, including successfully defeating motion for preliminary injunctive relief.
- Represents construction company in litigation with publicly traded real estate investment trust involving breach of contract claims.
- Represented commercial real estate landlord in litigation with former tenant concerning lease terms and construction delays.
- Represented turn-out gear manufacturer in PFAS contamination class action brought by firefighter.
- Represented construction client in federal court litigation against former employee for misappropriation of trade secrets and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act violations.
- Represented limited liability company in corporate governance dispute arising from exercise of stock repurchase option.
- Represented manufacturer in obtaining foreign discovery from investment advisor subpoena recipients for class action litigation outside of the U.S.
- Represented financial institution in federal Office of Administrative Law Judges proceeding based on alleged Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Taxpayer First Act violations.
- Represented financial institution in arbitration proceeding against former employees for misappropriation of trade secrets.
- Represented a New York Stock Exchange-traded company in connection with FINRA and SEC investigations.
- Advised a New York Stock Exchange-traded company concerning corporate governance issues arising from litigation involving one of its directors.
Latest Updates in Litigation
- Represents financial institution in multi-jurisdiction litigation arising from vendor cybersecurity incident.
- Advises clients concerning consumer agreements and disclosures, including arbitration agreements and class action waiver provisions.
- Represents retail and marketing firms in federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) class actions.
- Obtained dismissal of data privacy and wiretapping consumer class action concerning website tracking technologies.
- Achieved favorable settlements in connection with data privacy and wiretapping consumer class action brought under CIPA, ECPA, and other state and federal statutes.
- Represented financial institution asserting claims related to vendor data security incident.
- Advised the board of an alliance of international non-governmental organizations concerning compliance and litigation risks related to the collection of employees’ personally identifiable information under European data privacy regulations.