Melissa Romero connected the variety, challenge and teamwork integral to her law practice with a beloved children’s book. She said, “We grind through issues until, eventually, everything clicks; complexity gives way to clarity. It’s like “Going on a Bear Hunt” — you keep encountering new obstacles, and instead of avoiding them, you go straight through.” She added, “It’s the ‘going through’ that never gets old.”
As a partner at Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP, Romero has built a reputation for delivering results in complex business disputes while guiding clients with clarity and purpose.
Over the past year, Romero has secured major wins in franchising litigation, including a $54 million trial victory and multiple hard-fought injunctions for brands such as Amazing Lash Studio and Radiant Waxing, both part of Denver-based WellBiz Brands.
Before entering commercial litigation, Romero worked in child welfare, taught elementary school and earned graduate degrees in social work and law. She said her early experiences have been surprisingly transferable: “My clients may be businesses, but they’re run by people navigating difficult moments, pressure and uncertainty. They deserve more than polished work product and honed trial skills but also an empathetic advocate who hears what’s at stake and acts with understanding and purpose.”
Romero said she thrives on the variety and intensity of litigation, from the challenge of mastering new industries to solving legal puzzles under tight deadlines. Particularly with injunctions, “autopilot won’t cut it,” she said. “This work takes sharp instincts, quick decision-making and tireless teamwork. It reminds you why you became a trial lawyer in the first place.”
Romero became a mother a day before her third year of law school, compelling her to balance parenting with studying and professional development. “I learned to tackle competing demands early on,” she said. Now, she finds fulfillment in mentoring associates as they take on their first depositions, arguments and trials.
Romero also mentors students through LAW SCHOOL… Yes We Can, provides bilingual legal education presentations through Our Courts and Mi Casa Resource Center and contributes to diversity-focused legal initiatives. Her pro bono work includes representing Spanish-speaking clients seeking asylum and helping survivors of domestic violence obtain protection orders.
She has been recognized by Colorado Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers® in America.