Melanie A. Renken

Melanie is a seasoned employment litigator and business-minded counsel whose career spans the courtroom, the C‑suite, and high‑stakes crisis management. She has represented employers across the country in state and federal courts, defending claims under Title VII, the ADEA, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, OSHA retaliation, AIR21, workers’ compensation retaliation, and a range of contract and tort disputes.

Melanie is a member of the firm’s Aerospace, Drug Testing, and Whistleblower and Retaliation practice groups. She is one of the go-to attorneys at Ogletree for AIR21 retaliation complaints, and a significant portion of her practice is dedicated to defending a global aerospace company in their employment-related lawsuits.

Melanie’s written and oral advocacy skills have resulted in numerous dispositive wins in California, Illinois, and Missouri state courts, as well as in several federal district courts. She recently led a team of lawyers from various firms across Illinois to defend a lawsuit alleging that 145 school districts had violated students’ constitutional rights related to COVID-19 protocols and secured a dismissal with prejudice.

Melanie spent several years in-house, serving in the following roles:

• Vice President and Global Employment Counsel for a publicly traded construction company
• International Employment and Compliance Counsel for a global animal nutrition company
• General Counsel and Head of Human Resources for a global software engineering firm

In these roles, she managed global employment strategy, compliance, investigations, and employment litigation. Having learned firsthand about the challenges associated with managing risk while maintaining a productive and profitable business, Melanie is well-equipped to provide sound yet practical legal counsel.

Before law, Melanie had a successful career in marketing communications and public relations, including work at a global public relations firm, helping clients navigate through public and internal crises ranging from widely publicized product safety failures to large-scale reductions in force. That experience uniquely equips her to handle media-sensitive legal matters and issues that can affect employee morale and brand reputation.

Whether trying a case, navigating a government inquiry, or shaping policy across borders, Melanie brings a well-rounded, results-focused perspective that anticipates client needs and delivers clear, confident solutions.