Smith, Gildea & Schmidt, LLC (SGS), a regional law firm with offices in Towson and Baltimore, is pleased to announce that Melissa L. English has been named a partner of the firm. English has been with SGS since moving to Baltimore in 2015. Her practice focuses on complex civil litigation, including class actions, commercial and intellectual property litigation, and personal injury.

"We are excited to have Melissa as one of our newest partners,” said David K. Gildea, managing partner of SGS. "Her detail oriented approach and experience with the complex litigation process has contributed to much of the success of our litigation team here at Smith, Gildea and Schmidt. Melissa is a true asset to our firm and our clients, and her being named a partner is well deserved.”

English is a member of the firm’s growing class action practice group that focuses on the prosecution of complex frauds resulting in recoveries for tens of thousands of victims.

She has more than a decade of trial experience in state and federal courts. She is barred in Maryland and North Carolina, and is admitted to federal trial and appellate courts in multiple jurisdictions.

“SGS has built an exceptional track record and I am thrilled to be taking on this new role as we expand the firm’s presence in federal enforcement actions, national multi-district litigation, and securities and shareholder derivative actions,” said English.

Prior to joining SGS, English served as an Assistant Professor of Business Law at Western Carolina University where she taught real and intellectual property, business litigation, privacy and constitutional law, and was named a Bloomberg BusinessWeek Outstanding Faculty Member.

She earned her law degree magna cum laude from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and earned multiple appellate and trial advocacy awards. English’s academic work focuses on modern constitutional problems and builds on her experience representing individuals in constitutional litigation.

About Smith, Gildea & Schmidt

Smith, Gildea & Schmidt is a regional law firm with 13 lawyers whose practice areas include complex civil litigation, land use, estates and trusts, business law, governmental affairs, and domestic relations, among others. The firm's clients range from multinational corporations to individuals with particular legal needs. The practice encompasses most of the jurisdictions in the State of Maryland and the complex civil litigation section has vast courtroom experience in both the federal and state courts.