Melanie M. Butler is an Associate in the Riverside/Ontario office of Resnick & Louis, P.C. and has extensive experience in employment law. She focuses her practice on employment defense and EPLI.
Shortly after becoming licensed to practice law, Melanie operated a solo practice focused on unemployment and state disability appeals, plaintiffs’ employment cases, landlord/tenant disputes, and consumer bankruptcy. Melanie also worked for several small firms representing plaintiffs in wrongful termination, retaliation, and discrimination claims, as well as wage and hour disputes, including class actions involving independent contractor misclassification and Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) cases. Her background representing employees provides her with a unique perspective when assisting employers in defending against plaintiffs’ claims. Most recently, Melanie worked for a mid-sized firm providing guidance to employers on compliance with California and federal labor and employment laws, as well as negotiating pre-litigation resolution of legal claims.
While attending Loyola Law School Los Angeles, Melanie interned at the school’s Center for Conflict Resolution and served as a mediator on the Los Angeles Superior Court panel. She was a member of Loyola’s team in the 2005 American Bar Association Representation in Mediation competition. As an intern for Neighborhood Legal Services for Los Angeles County, Melanie assisted victims of domestic violence at legal clinics located in various Los Angeles Superior courthouses with obtaining temporary restraining orders. During an internship with the California Women’s Law Center, she visited women in prison who were seeking early release for convictions that resulted from battering and its effects under the California Habeas Project. Melanie ultimately decided to focus her compassionate advocacy towards employment law and is strongly guided by her early mediation experience in her desire to fairly and efficiently resolve disputes.
Melanie is the mother of a young daughter and enjoys visiting museums and local parks with her on the weekends. She also has an artistic side and enjoys drawing and writing poetry, with her first poem published at the age of 16.
Melanie is licensed to practice law in the state of California.