Melissa M. Kelm

Melissa Kelm is a labor attorney in the Detroit, Michigan, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She advises employers on union strategy, collective bargaining, and labor disputes.

Melissa practices exclusively in traditional labor law. She represents employers in organizing campaigns and representation elections, negotiates collective bargaining agreements, handles grievance administration and labor arbitrations, and provides preventive counseling designed to reduce risk and strengthen labor-management relationships.

Her perspective is shaped by experience on all sides of labor relations. Melissa spent a year and a half as an attorney with the National Labor Relations Board, investigating unfair labor practice charges and litigating matters under the National Labor Relations Act. She also spent nearly five years representing unions and serving as general counsel to Labor-Management Boards of Trustees advising on ERISA fiduciary obligations and IRC compliance. That background gives her a practical understanding of how unions evaluate strategy, how agencies approach enforcement, and how benefit fund governance issues intersect with labor negotiations.

Melissa is motivated by helping organizations move beyond reactive labor disputes and build more effective, engaged workplaces. She works closely with leadership teams to align labor strategy with operational goals and long-term employee relations success.