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Melinda  Meador
Of Counsel
Knoxville
P:(865) 521-0368
F:(877) 521-2817
E-mail Melinda Meador
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Education
University of Tennessee - J.D., 1982
Murray State University - B.A., 1976

Court Admissions
U.S. Supreme Court, 1989
U.S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit, 1998
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee, 1989
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, 1985

Bar Admissions
Tennessee, 1982
Texas, 1983

Memberships
Knoxville Bar Association, (Board of Governors, 2003-2006; Co-Chair Judiciary Committee, 2007- 2008; Co-Chair Professionalism Committee 2009 - )
Executive Women’s Association of Knoxville

Honors & Distinctions
Assistant District Attorney, Harris County, Texas, 1984-1986
Law Clerk, Court of Appeals, First Judicial District of Texas, 1983
Master of the Bench, Hamilton Burnett American Inn of Court
Knoxville Bar Foundation Fellow
Litigation Counsel of American Fellow
Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers



Melinda, an experienced trial attorney, practices in both state and federal trial and appellate courts where she represents business clients in complex litigation.

Antitrust and Trade Practices: Melinda represents national and international companies in monopolization and price discrimination cases brought in the Tennessee federal courts.

Commercial and Banking: Melinda represents individual and corporate clients in complex commercial litigation including contract disputes, violations of non-compete agreements, RICO claims and professional liability claims.

Products Liability: Melinda defends companies in class actions and MDLs, as well as in individual products liability cases, involving pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food and heavy equipment.

Representative Matters include:
  • Obtained jury verdict in favor of John Deere in major property damage case;
  • Represented Wyeth in defending multiple suits involving diet drugs;
  • Represents DePuy Orthopedics in hip replacement cases;
  • Represents Zimmer in knee replacement case;
  • Local counsel for Eli Lilly and Company in Zyprexa litigation;
  • Co-lead counsel with David Boies of Boies, Schiller & Flexner in successful defense of Phillip Morris in price discrimination litigation involving 30 wholesalers;
  • Represents Brighton Collectibles in price discrimination case alleging both federal and state law violations;
  • Obtained summary judgments for international nuclear fuel corporation in complex contract disputes with multiple subcontractors, including a reversal and award of summary judgment on appeal to the Sixth Circuit;
  • Represented major financial institution in complex commercial litigation brought by over 100 individual plaintiffs in connection with the failure of a multi-million dollar real estate development;
  • Represented nationally-ranked private university in estate litigation involving securities transactions;
  • Obtained verdict for corporate board member charged with ERISA violations in his capacity as director of the company's profit-sharing plan committee.

Prior to joining the firm, Melinda worked in the Professional Liability Section of the FDIC/RTC investigating bank failures and litigating multi-million dollar claims involving directors and officers liability, accounting malpractice and securities fraud. Melinda spent three years at the agencies' headquarters in Washington, D.C., where, among other responsibilities, she was a member of the team that investigated the failure of Madison Guaranty and prepared the RTC's Whitewater Report to Congress.

Melinda is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Tennessee College of Law, where she teaches advanced trial practice, and serves on the Dean's Advisory Council and the Legal Clinic Advisory Board. She has been an adult volunteer in various youth organizations and serves on several local and state non-profit boards.