Atty. Melissa Ryan Clark
Melissa Ryan Clark has spent her entire career working to hold large corporations accountable for violations of consumer, privacy, and financial laws and has recovered millions of dollars for plaintiffs in the U.S. and internationally. Melissa has substantial experience representing victims of privacy and data breaches as well as individuals and businesses in consumer and financial cases, serving as a vital asset throughout the class action and complex litigation process.
Profile Summary
About Melissa Ryan Clark at a glance
Melissa Ryan Clark is a Counsel based in Chicago, Illinois. They have 18+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 2008. Their practice focuses on business, class action, securities, litigation, and consumer. Admitted to practice in New York United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York U (2008). Educated at Tulane University Law School (J.D., 2007) and Florida State University (B.S., 2004). Serands clients in Chicago, IL and the surrounding metropolitan area.
Want to Get Service From This Attorney?
Sign up free and choose one of the two methods below.
Have a legal question? Sign up free, submit it through the Ask the Attorney module and receive a focused answer from a specialist.
- Free to ask a question
- Answers from specialist attorneys
- Optional private / anonymous question
Request an online video meeting or an in-person consultation at the attorney's office. Pick a time that works for you and share the details securely.
- Online video meeting
- In-person at the attorney's office
- Secure messaging and payment
About
- Melissa Ryan Clark has spent her entire career working to hold large corporations accountable for violations of consumer, privacy, and financial laws and has recovered millions of dollars for plaintiffs in the U.S. and internationally
- Melissa has substantial experience representing victims of privacy and data breaches as well as individuals and businesses in consumer and financial cases, serving as a vital asset throughout the class action and complex litigation process
- Joining the FeganScott team in 2020, Melissa is one of the key attorneys at the firm’s New York office
- In addition to her class action work, Melissa has experience representing businesses and municipalities in complex commercial litigation
- She has represented an alternative energy company in an accounting negligence case against PricewaterhouseCoopers, a foreign investment fund in an action against Fidelity National Title Insurance Company, and municipalities in Fair Housing Act litigation against Wells Fargo, HSBC, and Bank of America Melissa has also been recognized for her experience and skill in spearheading discovery in complex matters
- She was part of the court-appointed teams that oversaw offensive discovery and ESI issues in In re Apple, Inc. Device Performance Litigation (N.D
- Cal.) and In re Equifax, Inc. Customer Data Breach Litigation (N.D
- Ga.)
- In early 2020, Legal 500 named her a “Next Generation Partner” in eDiscovery
- Melissa was one of only three lawyers — and the only plaintiffs’ attorney — to receive this honor
- Prior to joining FeganScott, Melissa was a partner at a boutique litigation firm in New York and at Milberg, a national class action firm
- Before that, she was an associate for a securities litigation firm in its New York, NY and New Orleans, LA offices
- Melissa earned her Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School, where she was on the Moot Court Board and served as a Senior Fellow for Legal Research and Writing
- She also attended UC Berkeley Law School where she was on the California Law Review and received High Honors in Securities and Class Action Litigation
- She earned her Bachelor of Science in International Affairs from Florida State University, where she was a Florida Academic Scholar and completed the “Degree in Three” program
- During law school, Melissa completed judicial externships with the Honorable Jerry Brown, Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Louisiana and the Honorable Jay C. Zainey of the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
- She was also a faculty writing instructor at Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business and completed a summer clerkship with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office
- Benchmark Litigation has named Melissa to the “40 & Under Hot List.” She was recognized by The Legal 500 as a “Next Generation Partner” and “Recommended Lawyer” in Dispute Resolution: e-Discovery
- In 2020, Melissa was recognized in Crain’s New York Business: Notable Women in Law
- And she has been named to the New York Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list each year for ten consecutive years
Stats
• 13 years representing plaintiffs in class actions and complex cases • Millions of dollars recovered for consumers, investors, and businesses • 10+ years advocating for civics education as part of the New York Bar Association’s Law Youth & Citizenship Committee • Born in Kansas and has lived in 8 other states
Practice Areas Explained
Melissa Ryan Clark's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Melissa Ryan Clark handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
Melissa Ryan Clark is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Illinois →
Melissa Ryan Clark is one of 26,424 class action attorneys indexed nationally. Browse class action attorneys in Illinois →
Melissa Ryan Clark is one of 64,529 securities attorneys indexed nationally. Browse securities attorneys in Illinois →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Melissa Ryan Clark is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Illinois →
Consumer protection attorneys for fraud, lemon law, debt harassment, and deceptive trade practices.
Melissa Ryan Clark is one of 50,607 consumer attorneys indexed nationally. Browse consumer attorneys in Illinois →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Illinois
Practicing law in Illinois. Legal matters in Illinois are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Chicago are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Illinois state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Illinois brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Illinois courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Illinois attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Chicago or all attorneys in Illinois.
Frequently Asked
Common questions about Melissa Ryan Clark
Where is Melissa Ryan Clark's law office located?
What practice areas does Melissa Ryan Clark handle?
How long has Melissa Ryan Clark practiced law?
Where did Melissa Ryan Clark go to law school?
How can I contact Melissa Ryan Clark for a consultation?
Practice Areas
Education
Bar Admissions
Reviews
No reviews yet.