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Melanie Donahue

Melanie Donahue

Director

#3 Sanctuary Boulevard
Third Floor
Mandeville, Louisiana 70471

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Office: 985-674-6680
Fax: 985-674-6680
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Melanie Donahue collaborates with her clients early in matters to determine the merits of the case and the level of exposure or liability. With more than 12 years of litigation experience and an MBA, she has the understanding and skill to implement a cost-effective, successful defense strategy, with the client’s business goals in mind.

Melanie represents construction, maritime, transportation, and insurance clients. She focuses her civil litigation practice in the areas of trucking and transportation litigation and defense, construction law, insurance defense and coverage, and mass tort and class action defense.

Melanie began her legal career working in government where she focused on coroner law, mental health, governmental ethics, public records, procurement, labor and employment, and construction, entering private practice in 2013.

She has given presentations on Louisiana mental health laws, ethics in forensic science, and governmental ethics. She has also appeared before various Louisiana House and Senate committees regarding these topics.

When not in a courtroom or counseling clients, Melanie enjoys volunteering in the Mandeville community. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Youth Service Bureau and as Vice-Chair for the Board of Directors of NAMI-St. Tammany.

Representative Matters

  • Successfully defended several government entities against multi-million dollar claims for alleged asbestos exposure.

OVERVIEW

Melanie Donahue collaborates with her clients early in matters to determine the merits of the case and the level of exposure or liability. With more than 12 years of litigation experience and an MBA, she has the understanding and skill to implement a cost-effective, successful defense strategy, with the client’s business goals in mind.

Melanie represents construction, maritime, transportation, and insurance clients. She focuses her civil litigation practice in the areas of trucking and transportation litigation and defense, construction law, insurance defense and coverage, and mass tort and class action defense.

Melanie began her legal career working in government where she focused on coroner law, mental health, governmental ethics, public records, procurement, labor and employment, and construction, entering private practice in 2013.

She has given presentations on Louisiana mental health laws, ethics in forensic science, and governmental ethics. She has also appeared before various Louisiana House and Senate committees regarding these topics.

When not in a courtroom or counseling clients, Melanie enjoys volunteering in the Mandeville community. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Youth Service Bureau and as Vice-Chair for the Board of Directors of NAMI-St. Tammany.

Representative Matters

  • Successfully defended several government entities against multi-million dollar claims for alleged asbestos exposure.

PRACTICES

Practices

Industries

EDUCATION & ADMISSIONS

Education

  • M.B.A., Human Resources Management, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2019
  • J.D., Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2009
    • Student Government Association
    • Federalist Society
    • International Law Society
    • Moot Court
    • Mock Trial
    • Common Ground Sanctuary Legal Clinic, Volunteer
    • Michigan Attorney General’s Child Abuse and Neglect Division, Volunteer
  • B.A., English, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2001

Admissions

  • Louisiana, 2009
  • U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana, 2020

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

  • Louisiana State Bar association (LSBA)
    • Ethics Advisory Service Committee
    • Publications, a sub-committee of the Rules of Professional Conduct Committee
  • NAMI-St. Tammany, Vice-Chair for the Board of Directors
  • Youth Service Bureau, Past Chair for the Board of Directors
  • Louisiana State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

NEWS