Melissa J. Fox, Esq.
Melissa J. Fox is a California attorney whose practice combines appellate advocacy, administrative and regulatory law, California tax controversy, and government relations counsel for businesses and organizations across the state. She founded The Fox Firm to represent California businesses, professionals, and organizations in matters that intersect law, regulation, and public policy — work she has built across more than two decades of practice in California and four years of elected public service.
Legal practice
Melissa’s appellate practice includes civil and dependency appeals before the California Courts of Appeal, writs of mandate arising from administrative proceedings, and petitions for review to the California Supreme Court. She is a panel attorney with Appellate Defenders, Inc., and a member of the California Appellate Defense Counsel.
Her administrative and regulatory practice includes representation before the California Coastal Commission, the California Department of Cannabis Control, and California professional licensing boards, as well as matters arising under California’s environmental and sustainability regulatory framework. Her tax controversy work extends to the Franchise Tax Board, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the Board of Equalization, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Tax Court, where she is admitted to practice. Her municipal and local-government practice includes representation before California city councils and county boards of supervisors throughout Southern California.
The firm’s clients include California businesses in sustainability and biotechnology, technology and cybersecurity, professional services, and other regulated sectors.
Government relations and public affairs
Melissa’s government relations practice serves business and organizational clients with substantive interests before California state and local government — clients whose work intersects with state agency rulemaking, legislative attention, regulatory permitting, or local entitlement and ordinance processes. The work draws on three decades of Melissa’s relationships across California state and local government, on both sides of the aisle. She has testified before the California Legislature on housing and environmental policy.
Public service
Melissa was elected to a four-year term on the Irvine City Council in November 2016, following four years as a Commissioner on the Irvine Community Services Commission. During her Council tenure, she served as Vice Chair of the Orange County Great Park, a Board member of the Orange County Fire Authority, and Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust. Under her chairmanship, the Land Trust received multiple awards for affordable housing development, fiscal responsibility, and financial transparency, including the highest transparency rating awarded by GuideStar.
As an elected official, she received the Orange County Taxpayers Watchdog Award for fiscal responsibility, the Active Transportation Change Maker Award from the Alliance for a Healthy Orange County, and the Hero of Children Award from the Child Abuse Prevention Network. She was named Orange County’s “Best Politician” by OC Weekly, recognized as one of Orange County’s “100 Most Influential People” by the Orange County Register, and named Irish Honoree of the Year by the City of Los Angeles.
Education and admissions
Melissa is a graduate of Brandeis University and the Tulane University School of Law. She is admitted to practice before the courts of the State of California and the United States Tax Court, and she holds a California Real Estate Broker license.
Civic and professional activities
She has served as California President and as a National Board Member of the National Women’s Political Caucus, as Chair of the California Democratic Party Business and Professional Caucus, as Vice Chair of the National Democratic Municipal Officials Alumni, and as a board member of Democrats of the Desert. She is a member of the State Bar of California, the United States Tax Court Bar, and the Coachella Valley, Riverside County, and Orange County Bar Associations, as well as member of the Palm Springs and Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Contact
The Fox Firm serves clients throughout California.
melissa@melissafoxlaw.com
949-683-8855