MELANIE L. RONEN

Melanie Ronen is a shareholder with Keesal, Young & Logan in its Long Beach office. Her practice focuses primarily on employment litigation and advisory matters.
Melanie works closely with employers to problem solve a wide variety of issues that arise in the workplace. This includes providing advice on employment law and related topics such as disability and protected leaves, employee privacy, wage and hour considerations, workplace violence, and retaliation and whistleblower concerns, as well as counseling on hiring, promotion, demotion, and termination issues. Melanie also assists employers with drafting and review of employment manuals and various employment-related agreements, forms, policies, and plans. She conducts workplace investigations following complaints and allegations of harassment, discrimination, bullying, and other unlawful or unwanted conduct, and counsels employers on moving forward when such concerns arise. Beyond providing pure legal advice, Melanie also strives to provide common-sense strategies for handling and resolving workplace conflicts in an effort to avoid litigation if possible.
Often litigation is unavoidable. Melanie also regularly represents employers in judicial, arbitration, and administrative proceedings involving all manner of employment disputes, such as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour (including class and mass actions, and PAGA claims), breach of contract, defamation, unfair competition, and trade secret and raiding claims. As with her employment advisory practice, Melanie seeks to achieve her clients’ goals in the most pragmatic and cost-effective means possible.
Melanie represents clients from various industries including, financial services (i.e., banks, broker-dealers, investment advisors, insurance companies), manufacturing, software and technology, and transportation.
Melanie serves on the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She was recognized by Law & Politics Magazine as one of Southern California’s “Rising Stars” from 2005 through 2012.
Melanie also proudly served as a member on the Board of Trustees for the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House from 2014-2022. She served as the Board’s Secretary from 2017–2019 and the Vice President, Administration from 2020-2021. Melanie is currently a member of the Advisory Board for the Mayor’s Fund for Long Beach.
Education
- J.D., University of San Diego School of Law (2002), named to the Order of Barristers
- B.A. (political science), Seattle University (1994)
Bar Memberships/Admissions
- California (2002)
- Washington (2015)
- All United States District Courts in California
- United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Supreme Court of the United States
Trial Results
Examples of employment matters for which Melanie was lead counsel include:
- Motion to dismiss and Motion to strike class allegations granted in putative class action alleging age and gender discrimination.
- Defense award in arbitration by former employee alleging sex discrimination and harassment.
- Enforced employment contract on behalf of senior level manager resulting in recovery of full damages, interest, and attorneys’ fees.
- Successfully defended financial advisor team in partnership dispute brought by former team members.
Examples of securities matters for which Melanie was lead counsel include:
- Defense award in arbitration brought by elderly customer alleging failure to execute
- Expungement obtained on behalf of five financial following settlement of arbitration claim brought by multiple customers.
Publications
- Employment Alert: Breaking News Regarding Washington Meal Breaks (linked here) (June 29, 2017)
- Employment Alert: The Impact of California Voters’ Approval of Prop 64 on Workplace Drug Policies (linked here) (November 8, 2016)
Recognitions
- Selected to Southern California Rising Star List (Thomson Reuters) (2005–2012) (a designation limited to 2.5% of attorneys in a geographic region)
Community Engagement
- Member of Board of Trustees for the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House since 2014 and its Secretary 2017–2019; current Vice President, Administration.