Professional Experience
Melissa Ho has experience handling all aspects of traditional criminal defense, white collar criminal defense and compliance matters. A former prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, she has defended misdemeanor and felony matters in Superior and Federal District Court as well as specialized courts including Juvenile Court and Early Disposition Court.
In addition to defense of criminal matters, Ms. Ho has experience handling parallel civil proceedings and administrative law proceedings.
The White Collar and Criminal Defense group at Mariscal, Weeks, McIntyre & Friedlander has extensive experience conducting internal investigations on behalf of corporate, government and tribal entities.
Ms. Ho's recent experience includes:
- Defense of white collar offenses.
- Defense of high profile clients in pre-indictment and post-indictment proceedings.
- Defense of fraud and money laundering offenses.
- Defense of computer offenses.
- Defense of vehicular crimes, including reckless driving and DUI.
- Defense of family offenses.
- Defense of specialized prosecution cases.
- Representation of clients before school disciplinary board actions.
- Representation of victims of serious crimes, including child victims of violent crime and victims of domestic abuse.
- Asset forfeiture.
- Governmental investigations.
- Internal Investigations.
Education and Honors
- University of Arizona (J.D., 2004)
- Arizona State University (B.S., 2001)
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (2007)
- U.S. District Court, District of Arizona (2006)
Other Distinctions
- Volunteer Chinese Translator for Florence Immigration Refugee Project, Translator for Volunteer Lawyer’s Program, elected to the Arizona Women Lawyer's Association Steering Committee.
- Graduated from Arizona State University with honors with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Chinese. Phi Delta Phi; Certificates in Asian Pacific American Studies and East Asian Studies.
- USPTO Patent Agent #56,103
- State Bar of Arizona, Young Lawyers Division, District 4 Representative 2007-2009.
- Mentor, ABA Judicial Intern Opportunity Program.
Memberships and Associations
- City of Phoenix Pacific Rim Advisory Council (Commissioner, 2006-2008);
- Arizona Asian American Bar Association (Treasurer, 2006-2008);
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) member;
- Arizona Women Lawyers Association;
- Through Each Others Eyes - Board Member;
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) member;
- Greater Phoenix Economic Council, ambassador.
Languages
- English
- Mandarin
- Cantonese Chinese
Publications and Seminars
2006 Ethics and Regulatory Codes of Conduct Update (Sponsor: Pinnacle West Capital Corporation Law Department) (October 26, 2006) |
