Melissa Arbus Sherry

Practice Areas

Melissa Sherry, a former Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States and former Deputy Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C. office, focuses primarily on appeals in the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Courts of Appeals, and state appellate courts.

Melissa represents a full spectrum of clients in high-stakes appellate litigation across the country. She has argued 12 cases in the United States Supreme Court and dozens of cases in the First, Second, Third, Fifth, Seventh, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits, in addition to state appellate courts.

Melissa advises clients on a wide range of subject matter areas, including antitrust, restructuring, tax, intellectual property, securities, arbitration, healthcare, communications, white collar, and complex commercial litigation. She excels at framing complex legal issues through compelling written and oral advocacy.

During her five-year tenure as an Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States, Melissa argued before the Supreme Court, oversaw the government’s litigation in federal appellate courts, and worked across federal government agencies and components within the Department of Justice.

She is also one of the most experienced women advocates before the Supreme Court. Her notable arguments include:

- Boechler, P.C. v. Commissioner

- POM Wonderful LLC v. The Coca-Cola Co.

- Bowman v. Monsanto

- Amgen, Inc. v. Connecticut Retirement Plans & Trust Funds

- CSX Transportation v. Alabama Department of Revenue

Melissa has drafted more than a hundred briefs before the Supreme Court and has briefed dozens of cases in federal and state appellate courts. She has judged hundreds of moot courts for internal and external clients, as well as for organizations such as the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Attorneys General.

She served as a law clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens and to Judge Diana Gribbon Motz on the Fourth Circuit.

Industry and Community Leadership

Melissa is on the Board of Advisors of the Institute of Judicial Administration at NYU School of Law. She is a member of the Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court and serves on the US Chamber of Commerce’s Constitutional Law and Federal Courts Amicus Committee.

A recognized thought leader, Melissa has been featured in media outlets such as PBS NewsHour, Bloomberg, and the Washingtonian. She speaks frequently to industry groups, lawyers, and judges about the Supreme Court and appellate advocacy.