Melanie S. Carter

Melanie S. Carter
Partner
Business Litigation

Biography

Melanie Carter is a skilled litigator with a multifaceted practice in the areas of complex civil litigation, class action defense, mass torts, product liability, and environmental litigation. She also regularly helps clients across many sectors mitigate issues related to greenwashing and climate change claims. Her clients reflect a wide range of industries, including pharmaceutical, medical device, retail and luxury, energy, environmental, real estate, and manufacturing. She engages in creative problem solving with clients to achieve favorable outcomes in litigation, trial, and settlement negotiations, and helps clients mitigate risk before litigation arises.

Melanie began her legal career as a federal law clerk to the Honorable Joel H. Slomsky of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

In law school, Melanie served as Executive Articles and Symposium Editor with the Temple Political & Civil Rights Law Review. She also served as a judicial intern to the Honorable J. Curtis Joyner of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Prior to law school, Melanie worked in public education through Teach For America, through which she taught students in New Orleans, and managed and trained teachers in Philadelphia and Camden.

Melanie serves as the firm’s Hiring Partner for the Philadelphia office, where she chairs the Attorney Recruiting and Retention Committee, and has been actively involved in the firm’s recruiting processes and top-ranked summer program since 2014. She is also a member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Outside the Firm

Melanie is a classical pianist and enjoys a variety of music. She also spends her free time finding new places to travel to and explore.

Experience

  • A national retailer, in its defense against a putative class of consumers for alleged misrepresentation and greenwashing claims.
  • National litigation counsel for a global branded and generic drug manufacturer for product liability claims related to the use of opioids, including personal injury and wrongful death claims consolidated in the In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation MDL 2804.
  • A medical device company, in its defense against a product liability claim related to a heart pump device.
  • Reached favorable settlement on behalf of a global innovative materials solutions company in pursuit of breach of contract claims related to the design, manufacture, construction, and attempts to remediate power boilers intended to operate a paper mill.
  • A large energy storage and marine terminal facility, in its defense against a putative class of thousands of households for alleged bodily injury and property damage resulting from their alleged exposure to a series of air releases from a formerly affiliated refinery, including as lead defense counsel in several one-week preliminary injunction trials and associated proceedings.
  • Reached favorable settlement on behalf of a national retailer in defense of putative consumer class action claims relating to sales tax applied to purchased goods.
  • Successfully defended opioid manufacturer in an addiction case in New York state court.
  • Secured multiple trial wins on behalf of commercial real estate property owners bringing constitutional claims against taxing authorities.
  • Reached settlement on behalf of national parts manufacturer in defense of contract and products-related claims.
  • Secured mandamus on behalf of a candidate for U.S. Congress in a newly redrawn district.
  • Reached settlement on behalf of a public utility company in complex administrative law litigation relating to pipeline regulation.
  • Second-chaired a two-week federal arbitration bringing contract and products-related claims on behalf of a food company against a distributor.
  • A global energy and petrochemical company, in a land-use appeal.
  • An international food company, defended in a complex maritime matter.
  • Shielded partnership client from litigation risks relating to civil and criminal allegations through an internal investigation.
  • A performance fabrics and textiles manufacturer, to enforce non-compete obligations of high-level employees in federal arbitration.
  • A former Chief Compliance Officer of a money services business, defended against claims brought by the U.S. Department of Treasury.
  • A public utility company, in breach of contract proceedings in federal court and before a panel of federal arbitrators.
  • A pipeline logistics company, in proceedings before a state regulatory agency.
  • A manager of a joint venture, defended against a foreign shell entity in federal court proceedings.
  • A software as a services company, in breach of contract claims in federal arbitration.

News & Views

See all News and Views

Recognitions

  • 2023–2025, Ones to Watch, Corporate Law and Product Liability - Defendants, listed in Best Lawyers in America©
  • 2022, Diversity in Business Awards Honoree, listed in Philadelphia Business Journal
  • 2017–2021, Pennsylvania “Rising Star” in Business Litigation, listed in Super Lawyers®
  • 2021, “Best of the Bar: Business Litigation,” listed in the Philadelphia Business Journal
  • 2016, “Who’s Next Law,” listed in Billy Penn
  • 2015, “Lawyer on the Fast Track,” listed in The Legal Intelligencer

Affiliations

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Philadelphia Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Temple Law Alumni Association
  • Barristers' Association of Philadelphia
Professional Activities

Melanie is a member of the Board of Trustees for KIPP Administrative Services Corporation, the management organization for KIPP Philadelphia Schools. She is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania.

Melanie has served the federal court system. She recently served a three-year term on the Third Circuit Lawyers Advisory Committee, and in 2020 she was designated by the Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to serve on a panel to review a magistrate judge for reappointment.

In May 2018, Melanie had the distinct honor of welcoming new American citizens by speaking at a naturalization ceremony at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

In recognition of her achievements and success, the firm elected Melanie to participate in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (“LCLD”) program, as a Fellow in 2021 and a Pathfinder in 2017.

Melanie is a past member of the Executive Committee of the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and a past Financial Secretary of the Executive Committee’s Cabinet.

Melanie has received Blank Rome’s Pro Bono Awards for providing over 65 hours of service in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2019, and in 2014 was recognized with the Blank Rome Pro Bono Hero Award for her work on behalf of indigent clients, including a client facing life imprisonment and seeking a new trial under the Pennsylvania Post-Conviction Relief Act, and clients served through the Nationalities Services Center, the Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and the SeniorLAW Center. She successfully obtained dismissal with prejudice on behalf of a client facing allegations that she caused a car accident. Her current pro bono efforts include representation of individuals seeking compassionate release.

Credentials

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court - Middle District of Pennsylvania

Education

  • Butler University, BA, cum laude; High Honors in Music; Honors in German
  • Temple University Beasley School of Law, JD

A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolades are based can be found here.

Related Services

Related Industries

LinkedIn icon X icon Email icon