Former federal prosecutor Melinda Williams joins Messerli Kramer

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In Brief:

• Melinda A. Williams joins Messerli Kramer’s Business Litigation Group.
• Williams led prosecution of major elder fraud case with $250 million losses.
• Williams prosecuted high-profile sex trafficking and human trafficking cases.
• Williams served as criminal chief and senior litigation counsel in Minnesota.

Messerli Kramer has announced that Melinda A. Williams joined its Business Litigation Group. She brings decades of experience from serving in the U.S. Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.

“I am thrilled to join private practice, and even more so to be a part of Messerli Kramer,” said Williams in a news release. “After more than two decades with the Department of Justice, I am excited to bring my trial and investigations experience to clients facing their most difficult disputes and most sensitive legal challenges. Messerli Kramer has a strong litigation platform, a practical approach to client service, and deep roots in Minnesota’s business and legal communities. This felt like the perfect fit.”

Williams is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and former senior federal prosecutor whose career has focused on complex investigations, high-stakes federal prosecutions, major fraud schemes, human trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, and violent crime. Over her career, Williams has tried more than 40 jury trials to verdict. Notably, she served as lead counsel in several major federal prosecutions in Minnesota, including an elder fraud case involving 64 defendants and about $250 million in losses. Additionally, Williams led the prosecution of Anton Lazzaro, a high-profile sex-trafficking case involving victims who were minors, and directed the Bangkok Dark Nights investigation and trial, one of the largest human trafficking cases ever brought in federal court.

Williams has served in multiple senior leadership roles at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota. These include criminal chief, senior litigation counsel, and counsel to the U.S. attorney. Before her roles in Minnesota, Williams was an assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., handling organized crime, narcotics, homicide, firearms, appellate, and complex conspiracy matters.

At Messerli Kramer, Williams will focus on complex business litigation, crisis management, fraud matters, investigations, and trial strategy. Her practice will support businesses and individuals facing government investigations, enforcement actions, internal crises, and high-stakes disputes involving regulatory, criminal, or reputational risk.

“Melinda has a reputation that precedes her, not just as a trial lawyer, but as someone people trust,” said Kevin Hofman, chair of Messerli Kramer’s Business Litigation Group. “She has worked with judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, law enforcement, victims, witnesses, and community leaders in some of the most difficult matters in this district. That kind of credibility and judgment matters, and it is exactly what clients need.”

Williams is also a respected teacher and speaker on trial advocacy, criminal procedure, and complex prosecutions. She has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and has trained federal prosecutors in trial advocacy at the Department of Justice’s National Advocacy Center.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our firm as we continue to strategically grow and expand our practice areas,” said Joshua Hasko, president of Messerli Kramer. “Melinda is a perfect fit, both professionally and personally. She has spent her career handling difficult, high-stakes matters with clarity, credibility, and compassion. Our firm, and especially our clients, will benefit immediately from her experience and integrity, especially in complex litigation and investigations.”