Melissa is a labor and employment litigator with more than a decade of legal experience. Her practice includes defending employers during pre-litigation, litigation, and trial, as well as in mediation and proceedings before administrative agencies. Cerro represents public and private employers in a broad range of labor and employment matters, including class and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) actions, wage-and-hour disputes, contract disputes, wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and AB 218-related claims.
Melissa works closely with business leaders to develop proactive compliance strategies and regularly provides advice and counsel on handbook policies, reasonable accommodations, employee discipline, severance agreements, and more. Her leadership extends beyond the boardroom and courtroom, as she develops and hosts annual events to discuss contemporary employment law issues while mentoring associates and law students regularly.
Melissa earned her JD and a Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution Certificate from the Pepperdine University School of Law, and her BA, with honors, from the University of California, Irvine. She is a member of the Fresno County Women Lawyers Association and the Fresno County Bar Association, and she serves on the board of Break the Barriers, a nonprofit that maintains and promotes inclusive sports, health and fitness, performing arts, and education programs, impacting over 10,000 individuals weekly, including students, inner-city outreach, and Veterans.
