Melissa Collery
Managing Director
Melissa has been a recruiter for over 20 years and is Co-CEO at E.P. Dine and leader of the In-House Division. During her tenure at E.P. Dine, Melissa has had the privilege to work with the most prestigious companies and law firms throughout the country and attorneys from all walks of the profession.
If you speak with Melissa’s candidates and clients, they will inevitably mention her professionalism, integrity, unwavering work ethic, market knowledge, and accessibility. Melissa has an easy manner that makes everyone comfortable, and she feels that everyone has a unique story to tell. Maybe it is the detective in her, but she loves to understand what makes people tick and is a fabulous listener. She is proud that most of her business comes from referrals, many from attorneys to whom she has been a trusted counselor for many years. She derives immense satisfaction from the success of her candidates and enjoys the long-standing professional relationships and friendships that she has developed. Melissa is tenacious and never gives up on a candidate or a search, and her dedication to assisting clients with even the most difficult searches makes her the go-to person for many of the most discerning clients in the market.
Melissa earned her B.A. in History from the State University of New York at Binghamton where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and her J.D. from New York University School of Law. She came to legal recruiting after working as a hedge fund and derivatives associate at Seward & Kissel. While she enjoyed her colleagues and the professionalism of law firm life, she particularly liked her work as an active member of the firm’s recruiting committee, and as a mentor for the summer associate program. One day while meeting with a recruiter about possible in-house positions, the recruiter turned the interview around and suggested that Melissa might have the skills and temperament to become a recruiter. It was an unexpected pivot, but that conversation was the catalyst for learning about the world of legal recruiting and steered Melissa towards a new career path that still remains as interesting, gratifying, and exciting today as it was on day one.
When she is not working, Melissa enjoys foreign and independent films, crossword puzzles, European travel, trying to actually make it through her daily mindfulness practice without checking email, beach vacations in CapeMay (her true “happy place”), and binge-watching House Hunters International, as she dreams of owning a home in Italy someday.
