Melissa Palmisciano Email and Phone Number

•Provide daily HR and regulatory advice systemwide in support of 10,000 team members working in Restaurant, Retail (CPG), and Manufacturing operations spread throughout 14 states of operations.•Provide legal support to the Real Estate, Risk Management/Insurance, Marketing, Benefits, Information Services, & Training Departments.•Manage international and domestic intellectual property portfolio & provide marketing advice; develop intellectual property strategy.•Supervise all Company litigation (general liability, employment, contract, real estate, & class action cases); responsible for litigation strategy and dispute resolution; represent Company in mediations & settlement conferences.•Draft, review & revise a wide array of vendor contracts relating to Restaurant, Retail, & Manufacturing operations.•Advise company regarding privacy laws, compliance, company policies, and insurance claims.•Lead cross functional teams, special initiatives, projects, and audit responses.•Serve as company PAC chair, 2020-Present.•Restaurant Division Leadership Team, 2018-Present.•Retail Division (CPG) Leadership Team, 2023-Present.

•Manage all company litigation (general liability, employment, contract, real estate, & class action cases); represent company in mediations & settlement conferences.•Provide daily HR advice and legal support to the Real Estate, Risk Management/Insurance, Marketing, Benefits, & Training Departments.•Manage international and domestic IP portfolio & provide marketing advice.•Draft, review & revise a wide array of vendor contracts relating to Restaurant, Retail, & Manufacturing operations.•Advise company regarding privacy laws, compliance, and insurance claims.•Lead cross functional teams, special initiatives, and projects.•Serve as company PAC chair and governmental liaison.•2019 "Made It Matter" Award.

•Scholarship Committee, 2019 & 2021-Present•Audit Committee, 2020•Executive Committee, 2021-Present•Compensation Committee, 2022-Present

•Conducted in-depth command investigations to determine relevant facts and provide legal and strategic recommendations to military commanders.•Served as hearing officer for sexual assault hearings and other felony-level matters.•Performed comprehensive legal review of administrative separation packages in order to advise commanding general regarding disposition of matters.•Performed duties as summary court-martial officer.

•Represented more than 100 clients facing federal criminal charges during all phases of the case from initial arraignment through trial and/or sentencing; cases included minor misdemeanors and felonies.•Analyzed defense options; formulated trial strategy; researched, drafted, and argued pre-trial motions; prepared for and presented defense strategies at trial from voir dire to closing argument.•Assigned to 8 felony cases including sexual assault, drug distribution, larceny and fraud allegations.•Successfully defended 3 clients in contested felony jury trials.

•Founding Member of non-profit that connected low-income servicemembers and veterans with volunteer lawyers willing to represent them free of charge in certain legal matters. •Led incorporation and successful 501(c)(3) efforts in 2013. •Served as Secretary of the Board of Directors from May 2013 - July 2016.•Operations wound down in 2020 due to successful merging of mission with other pro bono legal providers.

•Elected to the Grandview Heights Schools Board of Education in November 2015.•Served as Vice President from January 2018 - December 2019.•2018 Ohio School Board Association Award of Achievement Recipient.•Led re-negotiation of Grandview Yard School Compensation Agreement with City of Grandview Heights and NRI (2018-2019).•Assisted in successful bond levy initiative to revamp aging school buildings, resulting in passage of a $55M bond levy in 2018 and subsequent site planning efforts, construction, and renovation of school facilities.•Served as Economic Development & City of Grandview Heights / Village of Marble Cliff Liaison.•Member of Policy Committee & Communications Committee.•Responsible for successful re-negotiation of multiple union contracts.

•Represented corporate clients in state and federal courts in a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters, including contractual disputes, trade secret, fraud, and employment matters.•Managed client relationships through daily communication and correspondence.•Conducted multiple large-scale internal investigations to determine relevant facts and potential legal liabilities and to inform business decisions. •Advised clients regarding employment and labor matters and litigation avoidance strategies.•Managed the various stages of litigation, including strategy development, pleadings, discovery, motions, and appeals.•Drafted pleadings, motions, discovery requests & responses, and appellate briefs.•Led large-scale electronic document collection, review, and production efforts.•Successfully pursued injunctive relief for multiple clients in multi-district litigation against the federal government in First Amendment cases; gained significant appellate experience.•Active pro bono practice.

•Represented corporate and public employers regarding labor and employment litigation matters in state and federal courts, before administrative agencies, and in grievance and arbitration proceedings.•Formulated defenses to employment discrimination and retaliation claims, unfair labor practice claims, employment-related class action allegations, and whistleblower retaliation complaints under the Federal Railway Safety Act. •Drafted dispositive motions, appellate briefs, company statements of position, and post-arbitration briefs.•Managed all aspects of the discovery process including requests and responses, large-scale document and electronically stored information review and production, and discovery-related motions.

•Strategic legal advisor to senior leadership on criminal law and investigations, ethics compliance, administrative law, policy formulation, crisis management, and media relations matters.•Advised senior leadership regarding legal implications of their policies and decisions.•Generated, reviewed, and submitted all legal correspondence and opinions for the base law office.•Coordinated and assigned daily tasks for legal staff; created and conducted comprehensive legal training program for legal specialists, attorneys, and senior aviation leaders.•Provided technical assistance, guidance, and oversight to more than 60 courts-martial proceedings.

•Assisted the U.S. Attorney, Charleston in prosecuting cases against civilians arising aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and base housing.

•First-chaired more than 75 prosecutions involving larceny, fraud, aggravated and sexual assault, drug use and distribution, obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and solicitation charges.•Supervised and mentored 4 subordinate attorneys and 10 legal specialists. •Created and implemented processes to streamline and manage prosecution of criminal cases.•Provided daily legal advice to commanding officers and other senior staff members.•Successfully prosecuted 2 contested felony bench trials involving maiming, aggravated child abuse, and child pornography charges; first-chaired these cases from arraignment through sentencing.•Managed all aspects of the courts-martial process, to include filing of charges, evidence collection, discovery, motions practice, expert and lay witness preparation, voir dire, and trial strategy.•Formulated and conducted legal training for commanders and other decision makers; served as base commanding officer's legal staff representative.

•Researched, analyzed, and disseminated classified intelligence information relating to unit operations in preparation for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. •Served as Security Manager; created and implemented new processes for submission of security background investigations after 9/11.•Awarded first Commendation Medal for superior performance of duties and technical proficiency in the intelligence field.

•Presented more than 150 intelligence briefings to the Commanding General (former Administrator of NASA), senior executives, and other key decision makers regarding classified geopolitical issues and real-time tactical information.•Supervised over 40 Marines involved in collaborative intelligence collection and data analysis. •Granted Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Intelligence (TS/SCI) Security Clearance.