Experienced. Skilled. Creative problem-solvers.
Attorneys
Melissa G. Cassell
Partner
Phone
803.366.3388
Fax
803.366.4044
Melissa focuses her practice on commercial real estate, corporate and employment law. She is licensed in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia, allowing her to better serve clients whose business and legal matters cross state lines.
Melissa represents clients in acquiring real estate, including navigating and negotiating wide varieties of commercial lending. With clients across many industries, her transactional practice also includes drafting and negotiating asset and stock acquisitions, leasing, employment and severance, service agreements, buy/sell and other complex corporate ownership agreements.
With a special niche in the healthcare realm, Melissa has represented practitioners including dentists, physicians and physical therapists with their corporate and employment needs. She has assisted both for-profit and nonprofit providers in reaching and executing employment and partnership agreements, as well as navigating the various local and national requirements placed on healthcare providers.
Melissa taught Introduction to Legal Studies at Winthrop University. She has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law, teaching a Small Business Organization Law Capstone class in which third-year students navigate legal matters that face a hypothetical company during the formation and capitalization stages. As part of her practice, she regularly assists small business owners with many of those same issues, including formation, capitalization, and reorganization of their companies.
Melissa lives in Rock Hill with her husband, Andrew, and two children, Ben and Cal.
- State of South Carolina
- State of North Carolina
- State of Georgia
- University of South Carolina, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
- Marketing and Economics, 2009
- University of South Carolina School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2013
- Children’s Attention Home, Board Member – Current
- Adjunct Professor, Winthrop University, Introduction to Legal Studies – 2020
- Community Partnership Foundation (established by Family Trust) – Chair, 2022
- Affinity Health Center committee member – Current
- Come-See-Me, Board of Governors – Current
- Rock Hill Parks Foundation, Board Member – Current
- Visit York County, Board Member – Current
- York County Bar Association, Past-President, 2018
- Adjunct Professor, University of South Carolina School of Law 2014- 2015
- Leadership York County Planning Council member – former; class of 2013-2014
- Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Journal staff member 2011-12; editorial board 2012-13
- University of South Carolina School of Law Pro Bono Board member 2011-2013
- Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, Real Estate Law, 2022 to present, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) , 2023
Disclaimer: The following examples are intended only to be representative of Ms. Cassell’s practice. These examples are not intended to, and cannot be relied upon to predict the results in any other case.
Commercial Real Estate
- Represented developer in negotiating development agreement for residential community in York County.
- Acted as lead counsel to buyers and seller on acquisitions and sales of multifamily housing complexes across South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.
- Acted as lead counsel to buyers and sellers in 1031 exchange transactions (both relinquished and replacement properties).
- Acted as lead counsel to buyers of shopping centers and multi-tenant spaces, across South Carolina, North Caroling and Georgia.
- Acted as lead counsel to buyers of convenience stores and super markets in South Carolina and North Carolina.
- Acted as lead counsel to borrower on numerous SBA, FNMA loan closings.
- Acted as lender’s counsel on several traditional, SBA and FNMA loan closings.
- Acted as lead counsel, in association with Tennessee counsel, to borrower on Re-finance of multiple marinas in South Carolina and Tennessee.
- Represented developers in planning and dedication stages of infrastructure in Lancaster, Mecklenburg, and York Counties.
Employment Law
- Drafted and reviewed for application and compliance severance packages, to include non-disclosure agreements, non-compete agreements, and termination agreements.
- Drafted and reviewed for application and compliance employment packages, to include performance-based incentive agreements, confidentiality agreements, non-compete agreements, pension plans.
- Negotiated and defended discrimination/wrongful termination claims against employers.
- Served in a general counsel role for multiple employers, guiding through Human Resources and employment matters.
- Drafted, reviewed, and revised several employee handbooks and advised employers on proper policy and enforcement.
- Provided advice to multiple employers navigating potential and threatened litigation.
Healthcare Law
- Represented various healthcare practice owners in the expansions and sales of their practices.
- Represented dentists/doctors in joining hospital systems.
- Represented healthcare practices in reviewing and drafting midlevel and provider agreements with practice.
- Represented practices in the application of HIPAA to disclosure requests for medical records in pending litigation.
- Represented a nonprofit clinic in the review of the terms of a memorandum of understanding to cover its proposed partnership with a larger, for-profit healthcare provider.
- Represented a nonprofit clinic in the review of the terms of a memorandum of understanding for its proposed partnership with another nonprofit clinic.
Business and Corporate
- Represented small business owners in reviewing available government agency qualifications and certification for businesses.
- Represented members in the buy-out of other member’s interest in closely help companies.
- Represented several small business owners in the formation and organization of limited liability companies, corporations, and other business entities.
- Represented owners of businesses in the sale of their business and/or business assets.
Support Staff
Eliana Herrmann
Paralegal
Katie Kirksey
Paralegal
