Melissa A. Jones

• Representing Fortune 500 waste haulers and national insurance carriers in commercial recovery claims throughout Ohio.
• Preserving multi-million dollar lien claims for construction industries on a nationwide basis.
• Counseling national skilled nursing facilities, staffing agencies, publicly-traded real estate management and material supply companies in account balance recovery options.
• Securing high balance commercial debt through perfecting and enforcing security interests on behalf of manufacturers, food service industries and aircraft providers.
• Locating assets through discovery and detailed research to identify hidden property and potential fraudulent transfer claims.

Education

• Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D., 2002
• The Ohio State University, B.A., with Honors, 1996
• The University of York, United Kingdom, Study Abroad Program, 1995

Admissions

• State of Ohio
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio and Southern District of Ohio
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Ohio and Southern District of Ohio

Professional Affiliations

• American Bar Association—Member (2002-Present)
• Ohio State Bar Association—Member (2002-Present)
• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association—Member (2002-Present)
• Surety Association of Ohio

Community Involvement

• Akron Children’s Hospital—Holiday Tree Festival Volunteer and Decorator (2010-2014)
• Lifebanc—Gift of Life Walk and Run Planning Committee Member (2009-2011)

Firm Involvement

• Chair, Women's Initiative - Frantz Ward (2018-Present)

• “Creditor’s Beware: Present Your Claim to a Decedent's Estate Before You Pursue the Surviving Spouse,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (December 2018) 
• "Civil AND Criminal Liability for Breaching a Contract?  Yes Virginia, It Does Exist," Frantz Ward On The Level (July 2018)
• "What Do You Mean I May Not Get a Refund?," Frantz Ward Client Alert (May 2018)
• “Arbitrating Claims With Non-Signatories,” Properties Magazine (July 2015)
• "Lien Law Traps: What You Should Know,” Builders Exchange (December 2010)

• "Ohio Lien Law- A Referesher and Updates," Advice From the Trenches, Frantz Ward Construction Practice Seminar, Cleveland, OH (February 2019) 
• “How to Obtain a Judgment,” National Business Institute Seminar, Collection Law: The Ultimate Guide, Cleveland, OH (December 2018)
• "Collection Techniques for Subcontractors," Lorman Live Webinar (February 2018)
• "Skip Tracing and Locating Assets Techniques," Lorman Education Services, Webinar (December 2017)
• “Collecting from a Business,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (October 2017)
• "What Do You Do If You Do Not Get Paid?" and "Ethical Considerations,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (May 2017)
• “Skip Tracing and Locating Assets Techniques,” Lorman Education Services, Webinar (April 2017)
• “Bank Levies and Wage Garnishment,” National Business Institute, National Presentation (December 2015)
• “Strategies for Legal Research on the Web,” National Business Institute, Cleveland/Akron, OH (November 2015)
• “Mechanic’s Liens in Ohio,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (June 2015)
• “2014 Guide to Collection Law,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (May 2014)
• “Collection Law Tips and Strategies,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (May 2013)
• “Collection Law,” LawReviewCLE, Columbus, OH (August 2012)
• “Collections: Seeking and Collecting a Judgment,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (July 2012)
• “Collection Law: Debtors, Assets, and Judgment,” LawReviewCLE, National Presentation (June 2012)
• “Nuts and Bolts of Collection Law,” National Business Institute, National Presentation (February 2012)
• “Advanced Skip Tracing and Finding Hidden Assets,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (December 2011)
• “Find It Free and Fast on the Net,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (November 2011)
• “FDCPA and Collecting the Judgment,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (July 2011)
• “Commercial Collections: Legal Strategies From A-Z,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (April 2011)