Melissa K. Ventrone

Melissa Ventrone, chair of the firm’s Data Privacy and Cyber Liability practice, focuses her practice on class action privacy litigation, privacy breach response (pre- and post-event), payment card industry (PCI) standards and investigation, and advising clients in identifying, evaluating, and managing first- and third-party data privacy and security risks. Melissa has represented numerous clients in litigation and arbitration, including in disputes related to privacy, invasion of privacy, contracts, consumer fraud, statutory claims and other matters, using her strong organizational and advocacy skills to obtain the best results for her clients.Melissa frequently advises clients on compliance with regulations and state, federal and international law. She serves as one of the leaders of Wilson Elser’s breach response team, quickly bringing lawyers, clients, and forensic and breach response vendors together to enhance response time and effectiveness. Melissa has handled numerous breaches for small and large corporations, including merchants, financial institutions, medical providers and educational institutions, successfully reducing public and regulatory scrutiny and protecting her clients’ reputations.Among her many leadership roles, Melissa has served in key positions as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, including executive officer for a 329-person company forward deployed to Afghanistan. She is currently a reservist serving as the S-4 Officer with Combat Logistics Regiment 4, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve. In her free time, Melissa volunteers as an ombudsman for Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve, acting as a neutral mediator assisting employers and service members in resolving employment-related disputes.\n