Melissa Ferrell defends pharmaceutical companies and automobile manufacturers in complex, high-stakes product liability litigation, including multi-district litigation and coordinated proceedings in state courts. She has served as national and regional coordinating counsel for several international distributors of asbestos-containing products, including participating in multiple trials as second-chair counsel or expert support liaison. Working closely with clients and their in-house counsel, she developed consistent strategies for resolution, managed cases throughout the United States pending in both state and federal courts and negotiated multimillion-dollar national inventory settlement agreements (10,000+ claims).
In the course of this work, Melissa worked with industrial hygienists and pulmonary oncology physicians to develop defense strategies and conducted legal/scientific presentations to educate local counsel on new defenses. She was responsible for vetting and presenting experts as well as corporate representatives for deposition and insuring consistency of their testimony nationwide.
Melissa also served as a public defender in the Travis County Probate Court, representing individuals detained in mental health facilities and jails in civil commitment hearings and trials. In this role, she handled more than 1,500 hearings and trials.
In her free time, Melissa enjoys taking her four boys on international service trips. They have worked on projects in Morocco, Peru and Mexico. Melissa is also an active supporter of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas and engages in advocacy on behalf of individuals living with intellectual disabilities.