Melinda M. Phelps

Biography:

Melinda Phelps is the coordinator of the firm's Government Strategies Practice Group and a member of its Litigation/ADR Department and Professional Malpractice Practice Group.

Melinda focuses on civil litigation, including the defense of medical malpractice claims, and on the resolution of business-related disputes through advice, litigation or alternative dispute resolution. Her experience includes working with regulatory and licensing issues, with particular emphasis on special permits and economic development incentives, and on representing clients before the Massachusetts Boards of Registration in Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Professional Licensure. She is also the National Association of College and University Attorneys primary attorney representative of Mount Holyoke College.

A longtime resident of Springfield, Melinda has served as a Springfield police commissioner, Springfield Technical Community College Foundation board member, Mount Holyoke Club of Greater Springfield past president and Western Massachusetts Electric Company board member. She has worked in and chaired several state and federal election campaigns for public officials. Melinda was named the Best Lawyers®' 2012 Springfield, Massachusetts Personal Injury Litigation (Defendants) Lawyer of the Year. She has been selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2008 in the areas of medical malpractice law (defendants) and personal injury litigation (defendants).

She is currently a board member of DevelopSpringfield, member of the Massachusetts Council of School Attorneys, trustee of Springfield Museums and member of the WGBY Board of Tribunes. Melinda also served as chair of the United Way of Pioneer Valley's 2011 fundraising campaign.

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Related Professional Experience:

Melinda has served as a city prosecutor and community development counsel for the city of Springfield.

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Representative Experience:

Successfully defended 15 medical malpractice cases as lead counsel and 15 cases as second chair.

Tried a jury-waived special permit challenge on a towing contract.

Represented clients before the Springfield City Council regarding special permits and other regulatory permitting, including underground oil storage tanks.

Collaborated with state and city officials on economic tax incentives for local businesses in western Massachusetts.