Perspectiva General

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 a complete dismissal with prejudice under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6)
  • 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.

Afiliaciones Profesionales y Comunitarias

Pathfinder

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

2018

Board Member

Austin Diaper Bank

Board Member

Plan II Board of Visitors

Fellow

Texas Bar Foundation

Member

Austin Young Chamber

Member

Austin Young Lawyers Association Leadership Academy, Class of 2022

Member

Austin Black Lawyers Association

Reconocimiento

Named, Ones to Watch

The Best Lawyers in America®

2022-2025

News, Analysis & Press

New Workplace Battlefield: Paid Sick Leave

Houston Chronicle

October 10, 2018

The New Workplace Battleground: Paid Sick Leave in Texas

Texas Tribune TribTalk

October 5, 2018

New Developments in Employment and Labor Law Under the Trump Administration, co-authored with Scott McDonald

July 2017

Libros & Capítulos

  • Employment Discrimination Law Treatise, Bloomberg BNA, Sixth Edition, Chapter Contributor, 2018

Speaking Engagements

A New Era of Employment Risk: Student Athletes as Employees and Adverse Actions Under Muldrow

The University of Texas System Legal Conference

September 27, 2024

Leave and Accommodation in the Post-COVID Era

CenTexSHRM, Belton, TX

September 11, 2024

The Expanded Scope of Actionable Adverse Employment Actions Under Title VII

Austin Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Austin, TX

September 10, 2024

Lawfully Hiring The Best Candidates

Client Training, San Antonio, TX

August 29, 2024

Conducting Lawful Investigations

Client Training, Austin, TX

November 28, 2023

Workplace Investigations: The Dos, The Don’ts, and the What Have You Done

CenTexSHRM, Belton, TX

November 8, 2023

FMLA Workshop For HR Professionals

University of Texas at San Antonio Training, San Antonio, TX

September 11, 2023

Maintaining a Respectful Workplace

Client Training, Austin, TX

August 14, 2023

Title IX Training

University of Texas System Title IX Annual Training, Austin, TX

August 2-3, 2023

Employment Law Update: Trends and Developments in Leave and Accommodation, Wage and Hour, and Texas State and Local Laws

2022 South Texas SHRM Annual Half Day Conference, Victoria, TX

December 8, 2022

A Leave and Benefits Medley: Dobbs, COVID, and Related Questions

Austin Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section CLE Presentation, Austin, TX

October 5, 2022

Innovative Talk About Wage and Hour Laws

2022 SHRM New Mexico State Conference, Albuquerque, NM

April 11, 2022

Littler Lawyers Answer Your Most Burning Labor and Employment Questions

The Houstonian, Houston, TX

February 17, 2022

Back to Work? How In-House Employment Counsel and Human Resources Professionals Can Help Organizations Assess Whether, When and How to Reopen for Business

April 27, 2020

Coming August 1, 2019: Preparing for the Texas Paid Sick Leave Wave

July 17, 2019

Employment Law Red Flags: How to Spot Them and How to Fix Them

Hispanic Bar Association of Austin CLE Presentation, Austin, TX

August 2018

CLI: Conducting Lawful Investigations

Client Training, San Antonio, TX

July 2018

Hospitality in the #MeToo Era: Shifting From Risk To Opportunity For A Better Work Environment

Texas Hotel & Lodging Association Conference, Lost Pines, TX

June 2018

Competency: Talent Management

Client Training, Austin, TX

May 2018

From Harvey Weinstein to... Who's Next? Preventing Harassment in the Workplace and What to Do When Claims are Made

Austin, TX

April 5, 2018

Respect in the Workplace

Client Training, Austin, TX

March 2018

Managing Within the Law

Client Training, Austin, TX

February 2018

Educación

  • J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 2013
  • B.A., University of Texas, Austin, 2010Phi Beta Kappa

Admisión de la barra

Texas

Cortes

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas