
Maria D. Melendez
- Commercial Litigation and Disputes
- Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy
MARIA MELENDEZ has over 25 years of experience in the litigation and arbitration of a broad range of high-stakes commercial disputes representing U.S. and non-U.S. clients in state and federal courts throughout the United States and before arbitral tribunals involving allegations of fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and other business torts. Her litigation experience includes defending public companies, investment banks, broker-dealers, directors and officers, and corporate issuers in actions arising under the federal securities laws and pharmaceutical companies in products liability cases. Her practice also includes representing entities and individuals in investigations conducted by regulators, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Honors and Achievements
- Elected member of The American Law Institute, 2019
- Elected to serve on the Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s Nominating Committee for 2019–2020
- Benchmark Litigation, “Top 250 Women in Litigation,” 2017–2019
- Appointed to serve on the Multicultural Advancement Advisory Council of Syracuse University, 2019
- Chambers Women in Law Awards: USA 2018 Minority Female Lawyer of the Year Finalist
- Puerto Rican Bar Association, Flor de Maga Award, 2018
- Served as Acting Chair of Panel III of the Departmental Disciplinary Committee, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division First Judicial Department, 2015–2016
- Her Justice’s Commitment to Justice Award, 2014
- Council of Urban Professionals (CUP) CUP Catalyst: Change Agent-LAW, 2013
- The Women’s City Club of New York Civic Spirit Award, honoring Gotham’s Emerging Power Brokers, 2013
- Albany Law School Kate Stoneman Award, in recognition of outstanding contributions to ensuring equity and fairness in the legal profession for women, 2011
- Appointed Member of the Departmental Disciplinary Committee, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division First Judicial Department, 2011 through 2016
- Served on New York State Bar Association, Task Force on New York Law in International Matters, 2011
- Puerto Rican Bar Association, Distinguished Achievement Award, 2003
Experience
- Representative Matters
- Pro Bono
- Memberships and Activities
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).
Capabilities
- Commercial Litigation and Disputes
- Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Bank/Financial Services Class Actions
- Broker-Dealer Litigation and Arbitration
- Business Torts
- Business Transactions Involving Financial Institutions
- Contract Litigation
- Financial Institutions Litigation
- Insurance/Financial Services Class Actions
- Internal Investigations
- International Commercial Arbitration
- International Financial Institutions in the U.S.
- Investment Advisers and Mutual Funds
- Multidistrict Litigation
- Pharmaceuticals
- Private Securities Litigation
News & Insights
Credentials
Admissions & Certifications
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
- U.S. District Court, E.D. of New York
- U.S. District Court, S.D. of New York
- Massachusetts
- New York
Education
- Albany Law School of Union University, J.D., 1992 (cum laude, Associate Editor, Albany Law Review)
- Syracuse University, B.S., 1989