Melody A. Cook represents employers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators in workers’ compensation matters throughout Pennsylvania. She brings more than three decades of legal experience to her practice, along with a background in claims supervision, disability management, and employment matters.

Melody works closely with employers and claims professionals to evaluate exposure, develop litigation strategy, assess medical evidence, and pursue effective resolutions to complex claims. Her experience includes preparing witnesses, conducting medical depositions, reviewing extensive medical records, negotiating settlements, and representing clients at workers’ compensation hearings. She has also supervised junior attorneys and paralegals and assisted with civil liability litigation.

Her perspective is informed by experience managing claims as well as litigating them. As a workers’ compensation claims supervisor, Melody led a team of senior adjusters handling claims in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Her responsibilities included reviewing reserves, overseeing time-sensitive matters, training adjusters, and communicating with clients, carriers, and brokers.

Melody also served as in-house legal counsel and disability claims manager for a university with more than 3,000 employees. In that role, she handled litigated workers’ compensation claims, managed short- and long-term disability claims and leave requests, and assisted with employee relations matters. She developed administrative policies and employee training materials and addressed workplace issues involving the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Earlier in her career, Melody served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judith L.A. Friedman of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, assisting with criminal proceedings and researching and drafting memoranda and opinions.

Melody earned her J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law, where she served as an associate editor of Juris. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Duquesne University, graduating summa cum laude and becoming the first female student to complete the dual-degree program in four years.

Member, ACBA, PBA, and Workers’ Compensation Sections

College and University Professional Association for Human Resources – Member

Greater Pittsburgh Executive Council Member since 2017 on workers’ compensation matters

Society of Human Resource Management – Member

Author, “Who’s (Professionally Responsible?)", Juris, Vol. 21, winter 1986

Co-Author, “Workmen’s Compensation: A Challenge to the Exclusivity Doctrine”, Juris, Vol. 19, winter 1984