Ballard Spahr LLP

Litigation

Partner

Melanie J. Vartabedian handles complex commercial litigation matters, focusing on consumer financial services litigation, receivership matters and securities litigation, real estate disputes, and diversity and inclusion counseling.

Melanie has litigated cases in state and federal courts across the country, and also has experience representing clients in arbitrations and government investigations. She is an experienced consumer finance litigator and defends individual and class action lawsuits brought by consumers in the areas of federal and state consumer protection laws and mortgage banking. Her practice includes defending financial institutions against civil claims alleging failure to adhere to AML and BSA regulations, policies, and procedures. She also represents real estate developers and private and public companies in business disputes relating to land use decisions. In addition, she has represented accounting firms and auditors in Securities and Exchange Commission investigations.

Melanie has extensive experience and involvement in government-appointed receiverships. Most recently, she represented the receiver in Securities and Exchange Commission v. American Pension Services et al., Case 2:14-cv-00309-RJS-DBP (D. Utah), a receivership involving over $350 million in assets and 5,500 defrauded investors across the country. She has prosecuted fraudulent transfer actions on behalf of the receiver in SEC receiverships, and has defended clients sued by various receivers in regards to fraud-related tort claims.

Melanie is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. She served as co-leader for Ballard Women—Ballard Spahr’s national women’s group-- for seven years, where she developed programming for the firm’s women lawyers across the country. She is a member of Ballard Spahr’s internal Inclusion Council, where she works closely with the firm’s Chief Inclusion Officer to implement firm-wide inclusion initiatives. Her diversity and inclusion work includes advising corporate clients with respect to their internal and external diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices.

Admissions

California

Utah

Professional Activities

American Bar Association

Federal Bar Association

Salt Lake County Bar Association

Utah Minority Bar Association

National Association of Federal Equity Receivers, Full Member

Litigation Section of Utah State Bar, Public Service Commission

Salt Lake Chamber, Board of Governors

Appointed to serve on the Utah State Bar's Ethics Advisory Opinion Committee

Utah State Bar Commission, ex officio member

Aldon J. Anderson America Inn of Court

Women Lawyers of Utah, President (2010-2011); Women Lawyers of Utah, Chair of Committee for the Initiative on the Advancement and Retention of Women Attorneys, which oversaw a groundbreaking study on why legal employers are failing to advance and retain women attorneys (2007-2009); Women Lawyers of Utah, Board Member (2007-2012); Women Lawyers of Utah, Member (2004-Present)

Ballard Spahr's Inclusion Council

Past Co-Chair, Ballard Women Business Resource Group Board Memberships & Community Service

Salt Lake Symphony, member of cello section, 2006-present

Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (SOAR), Board of Directors, Salt Lake City Chapter