Maria D. Melendez

Representative matters have included:

• Lead counsel for a UK-based financial institution and a U.S.-based broker dealer in New York state court action alleging fraud and other torts. 
• Counsel for insurance company in putative RICO class action pending in Illinois federal court. 
• Lead counsel for pharmaceutical distributor in a multi-million dollar breach of contract dispute in Kentucky state court. 
• Lead counsel for Russian financial institutions and a U.S.-based broker-dealer in related California federal and state court actions alleging RICO, fraud and other tort claims. Successfully moved to dismiss Russian parent entity from the federal court action for lack of jurisdiction and to dismiss an affiliated entity in the state court action for plaintiff’s failure to comply with the Hague Service Convention. Successfully moved to strike state court complaint pursuant to California’s anti-SLAPP statute.
• Counsel for investment adviser based in the United Kingdom and affiliated individuals in connection with SEC investigation involving allocation of investment opportunities across multiple funds. 
• Acting with coordinating counsel for overall litigation strategy for multiple criminal, civil and bankruptcy proceedings pending in Argentina and Uruguay against subsidiaries and former senior officers of a global financial institution arising from alleged fraud perpetrated at a major bank in Uruguay and in Argentina. 
• Lead counsel for global pharmaceutical company in Massachusetts federal court action involving breach of warranty and negligence claims arising from alleged loss of vision suffered from medication manufactured and/or distributed by the pharmaceutical company. Successfully removed case from state to federal court and later settled the matter on very favorable terms. 
• Counsel for global pharmaceutical company in Illinois state court action involving failure-to-warn and negligent undertaking claims arising from alleged loss of vision suffered from medication manufactured and/or distributed by the pharmaceutical company. Matter settled on very favorable terms on the eve of trial. 
• Counsel for global pharmaceutical company in Louisiana federal court action involving failure-to-warn, breach of warranty and negligence claims arising from alleged loss of vision suffered from medication manufactured and/or distributed by the pharmaceutical company. Matter settled on very favorable terms following the filing of a defense motion for summary judgment. 
• Lead counsel for Argentina-based company engaged in the production, sale, and export of aluminum in a breach of contract dispute involving a large trader of aluminum based in Ohio. Successfully moved to compel arbitration in federal court and successfully defended client against contract claims in an international arbitration proceeding sponsored by JAMS. 
• Counsel for U.S. demolition and environmental remediation company in a breach of representations, warranties and covenants dispute involving a national demolition and construction company in an arbitration proceeding sponsored by the AAA. 
• Counsel for registered investment adviser and affiliated individuals in connection with SEC investigation involving alleged conflicts of interest in valuation of illiquid securities. 
• Counsel for hedge fund in joint SEC and German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) investigation concerning alleged violations of short sale ban. 
• Counsel for global financial institution in coordinated class actions in New York federal court alleging violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with initial public offerings. 
• Counsel for clinical research organization and senior officer in New York federal court action commenced by a global advertising and marketing company alleging violation of the federal securities laws.

Maria maintains an active pro bono practice. She was lead counsel in post-conviction proceedings challenging a capital murder conviction in Macon County, Alabama and is currently representing a U-Visa applicant. 

Maria is a member and Chair of the Board of Directors of LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and serves on the Board’s Executive Committee. LatinoJustice PRLDEF, established in 1972, has won landmark civil rights cases in education, housing, voting, migrant, immigrant, employment and other civil rights.

From 2003 to July 2007, Maria served on the Board of Directors of Her Justice, Inc. (formerly inMotion, Inc.), a public-service organization that provides free legal services to low-income women in New York City seeking protection from batterers, custody of their children, child support and a safe place to live. Today, she continues to serve as Sidley’s representative to Her Justice, and handles cases on behalf of Her Justice clients.

Maria is a member of Sidley’s Diversity Committee, and served as New York Chair from 2002 to March 2016. She is also a member of Sidley’s Recruiting Committee, the American Bar Association, the Puerto Rican Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Hispanic Lawyers Society of New York, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York Diversity Pipeline Initiatives Committee (term ended 2018).