Melissa is a leading education lawyer in Canada and co-chair of BLG's National School Boards Practice. Melissa advises leaders of independent schools and public and Catholic school boards on complex, high-stakes employment, labour, governance, human rights, and special education matters. Melissa has a deep understanding of the education sector, informed by her experience as General Counsel to one of Canada's largest school boards and as a former Governor of an independent school.
Melissa is a seasoned negotiator and advocate, successfully leading collective bargaining and hundreds of grievance arbitrations, mediations, and tribunal proceedings. She regularly appears before the Human Rights Tribunal, Labour Relations Board, and all levels of courts.
Widely regarded as an expert in her field, Melissa is a sought-after speaker across Canada, delivering professional development to leaders on education law, human rights, governance and artificial intelligence.
Melissa is the Chair of the Ontario Bar Association Education Law Section, Co-President of the Canadian Portuguese Lawyers Association, and she on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association for the Practical Study of Law in Education (CAPSLE) and the Canadian Network of Education Human Resource Professionals.
