Mel M.C.Cole
Senior Counsel
Labor & Employment
mmcole@seyfarth.com
Mel helps employers achieve their legal goals and resolve their matters quickly—even if that means breaking into new legal territory.
More About Mel
Employers need legal counsel that addresses the realities of their businesses. Mel helps clients manage and understand their legal risk, and develop practical solutions efficiently.
Mel represents both large corporations and small businesses in lawsuits and agency claims—including class and collective actions—that involve independent contractor misclassification, employee wage and hour claims, discrimination and profiling, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Additionally, Mel counsels clients on the legal matters of worker classification, termination and discipline decisions, workplace accommodation issues, litigation avoidance, and all other aspects of employee management.
During law school, Mel was an intern in the US Department of Labor and the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. She was also an extern for the Hon. Steven A. Brick, who presided over the Complex Civil Litigation department of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda. Before law school, Mel served in the US Peace Corps in Morocco.
Mel is a native Spanish speaker.
Mel represents both large corporations and small businesses in lawsuits and agency claims—including class and collective actions—that involve independent contractor misclassification, employee wage and hour claims, discrimination and profiling, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Additionally, Mel counsels clients on the legal matters of worker classification, termination and discipline decisions, workplace accommodation issues, litigation avoidance, and all other aspects of employee management.
During law school, Mel was an intern in the US Department of Labor and the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. She was also an extern for the Hon. Steven A. Brick, who presided over the Complex Civil Litigation department of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda. Before law school, Mel served in the US Peace Corps in Morocco.
Mel is a native Spanish speaker.
- JD, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
- BA, University of California, Santa Cruz
With honors
Phi Beta Kappa
- California
- US District Court, Central District of California
- US District Court, Eastern District of California
- US District Court, Northern District of California
- US District Court, Southern District of California
- California Courts of Appeal
Related Services
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Employment Law - Management (2024-2025)
-
"California Supreme Court Reaffirms 'ABC' Test Is Retroactive," SHRM Online (January 26, 2021)
-
"Offering Unlimited Vacation Is Riskier Than You Think," The Recorder (January 26, 2015)
-
"Latin America Employment Law Update," Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) (November 19, 2014)
-
2020 Virtual California Employer (November 19, 2020)
-
Transformation of California's Independent Contractor Laws, San Francisco, CA (December 3, 2019)
Mel helps employers achieve their legal goals and resolve their matters quickly—even if that means breaking into new legal territory.
More About Mel
Employers need legal counsel that addresses the realities of their businesses. Mel helps clients manage and understand their legal risk, and develop practical solutions efficiently.
Mel represents both large corporations and small businesses in lawsuits and agency claims—including class and collective actions—that involve independent contractor misclassification, employee wage and hour claims, discrimination and profiling, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Additionally, Mel counsels clients on the legal matters of worker classification, termination and discipline decisions, workplace accommodation issues, litigation avoidance, and all other aspects of employee management.
During law school, Mel was an intern in the US Department of Labor and the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. She was also an extern for the Hon. Steven A. Brick, who presided over the Complex Civil Litigation department of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda. Before law school, Mel served in the US Peace Corps in Morocco.
Mel is a native Spanish speaker.
Mel represents both large corporations and small businesses in lawsuits and agency claims—including class and collective actions—that involve independent contractor misclassification, employee wage and hour claims, discrimination and profiling, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Additionally, Mel counsels clients on the legal matters of worker classification, termination and discipline decisions, workplace accommodation issues, litigation avoidance, and all other aspects of employee management.
During law school, Mel was an intern in the US Department of Labor and the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. She was also an extern for the Hon. Steven A. Brick, who presided over the Complex Civil Litigation department of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda. Before law school, Mel served in the US Peace Corps in Morocco.
Mel is a native Spanish speaker.
- JD, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
- BA, University of California, Santa Cruz
With honors
Phi Beta Kappa
- California
- US District Court, Central District of California
- US District Court, Eastern District of California
- US District Court, Northern District of California
- US District Court, Southern District of California
- California Courts of Appeal
Related Services
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Employment Law - Management (2024-2025)
-
"California Supreme Court Reaffirms 'ABC' Test Is Retroactive," SHRM Online (January 26, 2021)
-
"Offering Unlimited Vacation Is Riskier Than You Think," The Recorder (January 26, 2015)
-
"Latin America Employment Law Update," Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) (November 19, 2014)
-
2020 Virtual California Employer (November 19, 2020)
-
Transformation of California's Independent Contractor Laws, San Francisco, CA (December 3, 2019)