Melanie Vartabedian

Practice Areas

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.

Career

Admissions: California, Utah

Professional Memberships

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 Diversity and Inclusion Council

Past Co-Chair, Ballard Women Business Resource Group

Personal

University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law (J.D. 2004)

Note and Comment Editor, Journal of Law and Family Studies; Member, National Moot Court; Legal Writing Teaching Assistant

University of the Pacific (B.M., summa cum laude, 2001)