Christopher Mellott

Christopher R. Mellott is a commercial litigation attorney who represents a diverse clientele in contract disputes, commercial transactions, defamation, utilities law, antitrust, consumer fraud, accounting, and banking litigation. Chris is past chair of Venable’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group and Pro Bono Committee.

Experience :

• Overturned a $60 million judgment against a client on a state consumer fraud claim
• Obtained enforcement of a multi-million-dollar commercial loan through summary judgment, without need of discovery
• Won a reversal of an industry-wide regulation of electric utilities and affiliates, in an argument before the Maryland Court of Appeals
• In a challenge to an Internet subscription contract, he defended the terms of the online contract and achieved favorable results for the client
• Represented a political blogger in defeating a defamation suit by an elected official
• Represented a lender in defeating lender liability claims.

Education :

• J.D. Order of the Coif College of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law 1980
• B.S.E. Duke University 1977

Bar Admissions : Maryland

Court Admissions :

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

Professional Memberships :

• Past president, College of William & Mary Law School Alumni Board; past treasurer, Law School Board of Trustees
• Guest lecturer for law school classes at the University of Maryland