Practice Areas: Securities Litigation, Securities & Corporate Finance; view more
Licensed in Florida since: 1985
Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2015 Call today:
888-742-1325
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Free Consultation Venable LLP
100 SE 2nd Street44th Floor
Miami, FL 33131 Visit website
Details
Former Wall Street attorney Melanie S. Cherdack is nationally recognized as among the top lawyers in her field. Ms. Cherdack provides unmatched representation and support to individual and institutional clients in securities litigation, broker dealer fraud , investment fraud and other Ponzi scheme matters. Ms Cherdack represents investors throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. She additionally serves as the Acting Associate Director at the University of Miami Law School Investor Rights Clinic.
Throughout the course of her long legal career, Ms. Cherdack has achieved considerable success representing the rights of individual and institutional investors in complex FINRA arbitrations. She is an arbitrator for the National Futures Association as well as FINRA, serving as chairperson on numerous panels. She has also handles complex regulatory matters before FINRA and the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").
A leader in her field, Ms. Cherdack has written extensively and conducted lectures and continuing legal education seminars across her region on a variety of topics related to securities arbitration, investor fraud and other similar subjects. She is an active member of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, receiving that organization's outstanding service award in 2021.
Honored for her outstanding professionalism and legal abilities, Ms. Cherdack holds an AV Preeminent peer review rating* from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible rating, along with a Top Lawyers designation from the South Florida Legal Guide. She has also received recognition from The Best Lawyers in America and U.S. News & World Report, and she has received "Superb" 10 out of 10 client ratings on Avvo.
A 1982 graduate of the University of Florida, Ms. Cherdack returned to her alma mater and obtained her Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 1985. She holds licenses to practice in both New York as well as Florida.
Outside her legal practice, Ms. Cherdack is an active volunteer for Cancer Link, sponsored by the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. She also helped establish and serves as counsel to The Heiken Children’s Vision Fund, and she received the Pro Bono Award from the Dade County Bar Association in 1992 and 1994.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Securities Litigation, Securities & Corporate FinanceFocus areas
Securities Law
- 50% Securities Litigation
- 50% Securities & Corporate Finance
First Admitted: 1985, Florida
Professional Webpage: https://www.venable.com/professionals/c/melanie-s-cherdack
- 1982 BS: University of Florida College of Journalism, Advertising 1985 JD: With Honors, University of Florida College of Law
- Calques v. Santander Securities FINRA 12-01192 1.6 million arbitration award., 2012
- New York
- Timothy Leahy V. Charles Schwab FINRA 09-00260 1.8 million arbitration award., 2010
- Gnocchi v. UBS - FINRA 15-01896 Six figure arbitration award., 2018
- Guest Lecturer and University of Florida Levin College of Law FINRA Arbitration Course., 2019
- Founding Board Member and Counsel, The Heiken Children’s Vision Fund, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind
- Cancer Link, University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Volunteer attorney at Americans for Immigrant Justice, 2020
- Guest Lecturer at University of Miami Investor Rights Clinic 2012. , 2012
- Article on effective evaluation of securities cases and drafting a FINRA arbitration claim., Author, Vetting and Drafting a Securities Arbitration Statement of Claim: The Keyboard is Mightier than the Market, PIABA Bar Journal, Securities Arbitration, 2020
- This article explores the history of trading apps and the advent an rise of day trading on the Robinhood app during COVID-19., Author, Trading in the Time of Covid: A Robinhood Bromance, PIABA Bar Journal, Securities Arbitration, 2021
- Article of mutual fund sales abuses, including break-points, excessive fees and other sales practice violations., Author and Lecturer, Flavor of the Year: Mutual Fund Sales Abuses” , Practicing Law Institute , Law School, 2004
- The rise and fall of the auction rate securities market explained., Author, Auction Rate Securities: The New Frontier, Practicing Law Institute , Law School, 2009
- How to article for Drafting A Securities Arbitration Claim., Author, Drafting A Securities Arbitration Claim: The Pen is Mightier Than the Market, Practicing Law Institute , Law School, 2002
- The pros and cons of personally naming stock broker in a FINRA arbitration., Author, Should I Sue My Stock Broker? Pitfalls A Practitioner Faces When Naming The Individual Broker In An Arbitration, Practicing Law Institute , Law School, 2003
- Article examining the applicability of offers of judgment in arbitration proceedings., Author, Pay or Play Offers Of Judgment: Are They Applicable To Arbitration Proceedings?, PIABA Bar Journal, Law School, 2003
- Tips on representing an international Investor In a FINRA Securities Arbitration, Author, Blame The Ugly American: Representing The International Investor In A Securities Arbitration, Practicing Law Institute , Law School, 2006
- Tips to practitioners on how to relate to and persuade to arbitrators., Author, Here’s How You Resonate With Us: Suggestions from an Arbitrator to Practitioners, Practicing Law Institute , Securities Arbitation, 2007
- Tips on drafting a securities arbitration statement of claim., Author, Drafting a Securities Arbitration Claim: The Pen is (Still) Mightier than the Market, Practicing Law Institute , Securities Arbitation, 2012
- Guest lecturer on Drafting a Securities Arbitration Statement of Claim at University of Miami Investor Rights Clinic., Lecturer, Guest Lecturer and University of Miami Investor Rights Clinic, Law School, 2019
- Guest Lecturer at University of Florida Levin College of Law FINRA Arbitration Course., Guest Lecturer and University of Florida Levin College of Law FINRA Arbitration Course., Law School, 2019
- Outstanding Service Award, Public Investors Advocate Bar Association , 2021
- , Outstanding Service Award, Public Investors Advocate Bar Association, 2021
- Award for creation of downtown small claims clinic., Pro Bono Award, Dade Country Bar Association , 1994
- South Florida Legal Guide “Top Lawyers”
- Best Lawyers in America, US News and World Report
- Ranked 10/10 on Avvo.com, Top Attorney, AVVO, 2020
- AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell
- University of Florida Law Review, Senior Editor. JD, with honors, 1985 Dade County Bar Association Pro Bono Award 1991 and 1993
- Acting Associate Director University of Miami Law School Investor Rights Clinic, 2022
- Co-Chair Securities Law Seminar at the PIABA Annual Meeting, 2021
- Guest Lecturer and University of Florida Levin College of Law FINRA Arbitration Course., 2019
- New York
- Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association
- New York Bar, 1988
- The Florida Bar, 1985
- Securities Arbitration Association
- Florida
- Speaker at PIABA Annual Meeting on Women In Securities Arbitration , 2018
- Guest Lecturer University of Miami College of Law Investor Rights Clinic, 2020
- Editorial Board of PIABA Bar Journal, 2020
- Chair: Arbitrator Recruitment Committee for the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, 2012
- Elder Fraud. securities fraud
- Individual Investors
- Institutional Investors
- Investor Fraud
- Stock Broker Fraud
- stock market fraud
These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.
“Extensive knowledge of the law, hardworking, obtains excellent results for her clients, willing to help other attorneys regardless of their competitive business relationship with her. Donates time to charitable causes.”
Office location for Melanie S. Cherdack
100 SE 2nd Street
44th Floor
Miami, FL 33131
Phone: 888-742-1325
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2015
