Bar Admissions

North Carolina

Education

University of Notre Dame, J.D., cum laude, 2008

Davidson College, B.A., cum laude, 2005

Profile

Alexandra Pierce is a seasoned environmental litigator and chair of the firm’s Environmental Practice Group. She represents clients in high-stakes litigation, including environmental and toxic tort claims, contract disputes, employment matters and class actions. Her environmental experience spans defending utilities in enforcement actions under the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, to handling litigation over coal combustion residuals for major utility companies. Melissa advises her clients regarding a variety of environmental matters, including regulatory compliance, environmental risk management in business transactions, and environmental liabilities resolution.

Alexandra also handles complex employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, Fair Credit Reporting Act, OSHA and wage-and-hour disputes, including class actions. She has significant experience advising clients on internal investigations and on e-discovery issues in litigation. Melissa maintains an active pro bono practice representing indigent clients in a variety of matters.

Before joining Hangartner, Rydberg & Terrell, Melissa was an attorney at Hunton Andrews Kurth in Charlotte.

Honors & Awards

Experience

Experience

  • Represented major utility companies in environmental litigation related to the storage and disposal of coal combustion residuals, including coal ash.

  • Represented major electric utilities throughout the country in all aspects of defense of actions brought under the CAA, the CWA and the RCRA.

  • Represented state agencies in litigation related to the application of the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act.

  • Defended employers in administrative and litigation matters against claims of discrimination or retaliation.

  • Defended class action alleging statutory violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act based on the conduct of criminal background checks.

  • Represented employer in case filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for religious discrimination.

  • Represented employer before the NLRB in defense of unfair labor practice charges.

  • Represented financial services institutions in the defense of consumer finance litigation nationwide.

  • Represented major financial services institutions in actions arising out of claims for unfair and deceptive trade practice, usury, predatory lending practices, violations of the Truth in Lending Act, RESPA, and other federal and state laws.

  • Advised employers regarding employment agreements.

  • Represented financial institutions in various matters concerning credit default swaps, asset-backed securities and shareholder actions.

  • Represented major corporation as plaintiff in class action lawsuit involving issues related to class certification, Daubert, the business judgment rule and various provisions of antitrust law.

News & Events

Affiliations

Professional Affiliations

  • ABA Section of Litigation, Expert Witnesses Committee, 2020-present
  • Mecklenburg County Bar Association, CLE Committee, 2020-present
  • National Association of Professional Women, 2015-present

Community Affiliations

  • Safe Alliance, Board of Directors, 2017-23; Development Committee, 2017-present
  • Charlotte Triage, Healthcare Champion, 2021-present
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