A trial lawyer, Melissa Mackiewicz, practices primarily in the areas of corporate, securities, real estate and business litigation and arbitration. She has handled a broad range of matters including litigation concerning eminent domain, securities fraud and related torts, real property, estates and trusts, contracts, state and local taxation, procurement law, public law, administrative law, land use regulation and class actions.

Her practice includes litigation in state and federal courts throughout the country, as well as in the Maryland appellate courts and the Federal circuit courts of appeals. She has also appeared before the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals, Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings and the National Association of Securities Dealers.

The Florida State Bar has honored her with its President’s Pro Bono Service Award for 2012 in the Out-of-State Florida Bar member category, which the bar established to encourage members to do pro bono work wherever they are located. The award recognizes her significant contributions to pro bono and community service. Since joining DLA Piper in 2002, Ms. Mackiewicz has been deeply involved in a wide range of pro bono projects, devoting more 100 hours to them each year. Among the wide range of pro bono work she has done, she has helped many domestic violence victims secure protective orders, worked on reports and amicus briefs advocating for an end to the sentencing of juveniles to life without parole and served as counsel to the City of Baltimore on Project 5000, prosecuting tax foreclosure cases so the city can begin revitalizing surrounding neighborhoods.

Her recent experience includes:

• Representation of the families of 17 servicemen who were killed by an act of terrorism abroad against a foreign government and its agencies and instrumentalities in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia involving issues of sovereign immunity, choice of law, wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotional distress and punitive damages.
• Representation of a major hospital in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, the Maryland appellate courts, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court involving issues of breach of a covenant not to compete and a non-solicitation agreement, wrongful termination, intentional interference with business relations and claims under the False Claims Act. The hospital prevailed on all of its claims and successfully defeated all claims brought against it.
• Pro bono representation of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore in 50 property tax foreclosure actions as part of an effort by law firms with offices in the City which seek to achieve one of the City's most ambitious goals: to acquire 5,000 abandoned, derelict properties in some of Baltimore's roughest neighborhoods.
• Representation of businesses and local governments in real estate disputes involving easements and real covenants, sales option contracts, leases, the dissolution and winding up of various business organizations and the valuation of real property interests.
• Representation of Maryland counties in actions brought in both state and federal courts alleging due process and equal protection and takings claims arising out of land use decisions and the imposition of development impact fees.
• Representation of numerous individual and corporate owners of real property in major condemnation proceedings brought by the United States of America and the Maryland State Highway Administration.
• Representation of Maryland counties and school boards in the acquisition of properties by condemnation for major road projects and schools.
• Representation of personal representatives, trustees and beneficiaries in will contest cases and other estates and trusts matters.
• Representation of investment brokers and one of the largest investment firms in defense of claims brought by individual investors in state and federal courts or for arbitration.
• Representation of corporate employers in claims for wrongful termination and for compensation involving the exercise of stock options.
• Representation of businesses in construction defect matters.
• Representation of numerous property owners in real property tax assessment appeals. In recent appeals, she obtained an $8 million reduction of the full cash value of an apartment complex and a $3.5 million reduction of the full cash value of an office building.
• Representation of various corporations before the Maryland Tax Court, the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals and the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings.
• Pro bono representation of victims of domestic violence and child abuse in protective and peace order actions in state courts.

Trials / Arbitrations

• Allen Price, et al. v. Point Blank Body Armor, Inc., Jury Trial, United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Civil Action No. MJG 01-CV-3256
• Kyle McAteer v. Ocean City, Maryland, et al., Bench Trial, District Court of Maryland for Worcester County, Case No. 08040023974-2003
• KLF Assisted Living LLC, et al. v. Slade Mansion LLC, Bench Trial, Circuit Court for Baltimore County, Case No. 03-C-01-11764
• Estate of Michael Heiser, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., Bench Trial, United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Civil Action No. 00-CV-2329 (RCL) (DAR)
• Estate of Millard D. Campbell, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., Bench Trial, United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Civil Action No. 01-CV-2104 (RCL) (DAR)
• County Commissioners of Charles County v. Robert K. Hayden, Jury Trial, Circuit Court for Charles County, Case No. 08-C-03-2429
• John and Julie Burns t/uo Erie Insurance Company v. Eric Willey Builders LLC v. Wise Oil & Fuel, et al., Jury Trial, Circuit Court for Dorchester County, Case No. C-04-013125
• Board of Education for Howard County v. James C. Pippen, Jury Trial, Circuit Court for Howard County, Case No. 13-C-05-63599
• In the Matter of Richmond T.P. Davis, Bench Trial, Circuit Court for Howard County, Case No. 13-C-05-63055
• In the Matter of the Trust Created Under the First Codicil of the Last Will and Testament of Joseph A. Kueberth, Bench Trial, Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County, Case Nos. 17-C-07-12207 and 17-C-07-12284
• Norwich v. The Ryland Group, Inc., Arbitration (October 2006)
• Ruberton, et al. v. The Ryland Group, Inc., Arbitration (October 2006)
• Henderson Corner & 355, LLC v. Sovereign Bank, Arbitration (November 2007)
• NNP II - Clarksburg, LLC v. CTCAC, Arbitration (April 2008)
• 600 N. Frederick Road LLC v. Burlington Coat Factory of Maryland, LLC, Bench Trial, Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Case No. 284032-V
• NNP II Clarksburg, LLC v. CTCAC, et al., Arbitration (December 2009)
• Halle Dev., Inc., et. al. v. Anne Arundel County, Bench Trial, Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, Case No. C-2001-69418 (February 2010- February 2011)

Published Opinions

• Lewis R. Dorsey v. Maryland, No. 2089, September 2001 (April 15, 2002) (Maryland Court of Special Appeals), cert. denied, 370 Md. 270 (August 23, 2002)
• Kaser v. Protective Life Insurance Co., et al., 282 F. Supp.2d 353 (D. Md. 2003)
• Pennsylvania Office of Inspector General v. Edwin W. Levering, III, Trustee, et al., No. 2116, September Term 2002 (September 30, 2003) (Maryland Court of Special Appeals)
• In re the Appeal of Maximus, Inc. Under Dept. of Human Resources RFP No. CSEA/PR-04-011S, Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals, Docket No. 2376 (MSBCA, January 5, 2004)
• Nes v. Anne Arundel County, Civil Action No. MJG-01-CV-1605 (D. Md. February 4, 2003), aff'd., 95 Fed. Appx. 497 (4th Cir. 2004)
• Morrill v. Johns Hopkins University, No. 1572, September Term 2002 (December 18, 2003) (Maryland Court of Special Appeals), cert. denied, 381 Md. 676 (June 11, 2004), cert. denied, 125 S. Ct. 506 (November 11, 2004)
• Morrill v. Johns Hopkins University, et al., No. 2352, September Term 2003 (October 29, 2004) (Maryland Court of Special Appeals), cert. denied, 358 Md. 512 (March 14, 2005)
• In re the Appeal of ACS State Healthcare, LLC Under Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene RFP No. DHMH-OCPMP-8679-05, Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals, Docket No. 2474 (MSBCA, July 28, 2005)
• Ruppert v. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 2005 WL 1902863 (D.D.C. 2005)
• KLF Assisted Living, LLC, et al. v. Slade Mansion LLC, No. 2356, September 2003 (July 29, 2005) (Maryland Court of Special Appeals)
• Gray, et al. v. Owens, et al., 413 F. Supp.2d 573 (D. Md. 2006)
• Herron, et al. v.  City of Annapolis, et al., 2004 WL 5501178 (D. Md. 2004), 388 F. Supp. 2d 565 (D. Md. 2005), 198 Fed. Appx. 301, 2006 WL 2226573 (4th Cir. 2006)
• Estate of Michael Heiser, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 466 F. Supp.2d 229 (D.D.C. 2006)
• Richmond T.P. Davis, Personal Representative v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Trustee, No. 2416, September 2006 (February 15, 2008) (Maryland Court of Special Appeals)
• Estate of Michael Heiser, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 2009 WL 3112827 (D.D.C. 2009)
• Anne Arundel County v. Halle Dev. Inc., 408 Md. 539 (2009)
• County Commrs. of Charles County v. Panda-Brandywine, L.P., 663 F. Supp. 2d 424 (D. Md. 2009), affd., 401 Fed Appx. 831, 2010 WL 4676449 (4th Cir. 2010)
• Caldes v. Elm Street Dev., 418 Md. 122 (2010)
• 600 North Frederick Road, LLC v. Burlington Coat Factory of Maryland, LLC, No. 982, September 2009 (June 25, 2010) (Maryland Court of Special Appeals, 419 Md. 413 (2011)