Melody R. Dickson
Partner
Phone Number: 816.701.1170
Email: mdickson@wcllp.com
4740 Grand Avenue Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64112
In Brief
Successfully represented a class of 140,000 business merchants in multi-million-dollar overbilling scheme
Specialized knowledge in litigating personal injury and wrongful death claims related to tractor-trailer crashes
Selected to Ingram’s Top 40 Under 40
Named to Kansas and Missouri Rising Stars for Business Litigation, Personal Injury, and Transportation Law
Melody Dickson is an experienced litigator who dedicates her practice to complex commercial litigation and catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases. A zealous advocate for victims of corporate misconduct, Melody has prosecuted claims involving deceptive trade practices, financial and investment fraud, RICO, False Claims Act, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference, and bad faith insurance disputes, among others.
Recently, Melody successfully represented a certified class of more than 140,000 business merchants in a nationwide RICO class action for an extensive overbilling scheme by a credit card processor. Her relentless efforts through discovery, taking key corporate representative depositions, and working with experts helped the class of mostly small businesses secure an $84 million settlement, the largest known settlement of its kind against a national merchant acquirer.
Melody currently serves on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Steering Committee in the Insulin Pricing Litigation MDL in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. In this role, she advocates on behalf of small businesses, school districts, and local governments affected by the illegal pricing practices of insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers.
Melody is also passionate about pursuing justice for individuals and families who fall victim to reckless safety practices in the trucking industry, including violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. With specialized knowledge in tractor-trailer crashes, she gives victims a strong voice and dedicated advocate during their most challenging times. Her pursuits have led to multiple seven and eight-figure results.
Melody was recently recognized by Ingram’s Magazine as one of the city’s Top 40 Under 40, a publication that showcases rising young executives whose leadership in business, civic life, and philanthropy have marked them as the region’s most promising leaders. Since 2016, Melody has been named to Kansas and Missouri Rising Stars for Business Litigation, Personal Injury, and Transportation Law which recognizes less than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state.
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$7.25 Million Wrongful Death Settlement
Melody Dickson and Jack Hyde obtained a $7.25 million wrongful death settlement against a major national trucking company in Kansas. The crash occurred when a local schoolteacher, eight months pregnant, was confronted by a hostile truck driver. As two lanes on the highway merged into one, the truck driver aggressively moved into the young mother’s lane despite seeing her vehicle alongside his semi
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Bang v. BMW of North America, No. 2:15-cv-6945 (D.N.J.)
Wagstaff & Cartmell attorney, Eric Barton, served as Co-Lead Class Counsel in an excessive oil and battery consumption class action. He helped obtain final court approval of a settlement awarding financial and extended service benefits to a class of over 80,000 owners and lessees of BMW vehicles with an N63 engine.
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Skip’s Precision Welding, et al. v. Central Payment Co. (D. Neb.)
Wagstaff & Cartmell attorney, Ty Hudson, served as the court-appointed lead counsel for a certified class of more than 200,000 merchants suing an independent sales organization for breach of contract, fraud, and RICO violations alleging the company engaged in a scheme to overbill small businesses on credit card processing fees.
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Hotel Case
Wagstaff & Cartmell attorney, Ty Hudson, acted as lead counsel for a Kansas City-based hotel franchisee in a complex commercial fraud and contract action against an international hotel franchisor. He helped obtain a confidential settlement for the client after more than five years of litigation.
Practice Areas
Other Practice Areas
- Consumer Fraud
- Trucking Accidents
- Bad Faith Litigation
- Business Disputes
Education
- J.D., University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law
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- Order of the Barristers
- UMKC Law Review
- National Moot Court Team
- Honors in Pro Bono Public Service
- B.A., University of Missouri – Columbia
Professional
Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City
American Association for Justice
Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault – Community Support Committee
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
Admissions
Missouri
Kansas
U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Oklahoma
U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska
Honors + Awards
Ingram’s Top 40 Under 40
The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40
Rising Star, Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyer – 2016-Present