Melanie Conroy

Practice Areas

Melanie Conroy focuses 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; and 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 as a JD Supra Top Author for Class Actions (2021, 2024, 2025, 2026), 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.