Melissa Price is a managing director at Guidepost Solutions in Mexico City. As a former federal prosecutor and senior U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) official at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, Ms. Price possesses unique insight into the development of government enforcement actions. She leverages this expertise to assist clients in navigating cross-border investigations, complex compliance challenges, and litigation support matters throughout Latin America. Ms. Price regularly advises clients within the energy sector and other heavily regulated industries on legal and regulatory risks spanning both the U.S. and Mexico.
Ms. Price has led and supported a range of matters at Guidepost, including:
- Represented energy sector client in complex cross-border criminal investigation.
- Advised corporations on the enhancement of compliance programs to address evolving due diligence, Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering requirements.
- Directed cross-border fraud investigations and conducted internal inquiries stemming from whistleblower reports.
Prior to joining Guidepost, Ms. Price held senior leadership positions with both the Department of Justice and the Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. As a subject matter expert for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL), she designed and implemented strategic programs to strengthen the capacity of Mexican criminal investigators and analysts. In 2023, she received a Meritorious Honor Award for innovation in monitoring and evaluation. Previously, within the DOJ Attaché’s office, she led the U.S.-Mexico Firearms Trafficking Initiative, providing counsel on the development of binational prosecutions.
Ms. Price served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, where she successfully litigated more than 25 cases to trial and argued two appellate arguments. In 2018, she was honored with a Special Achievement Award for her exceptional service.
Ms. Price began her career in private practice, focusing on complex financial litigation, white-collar defense, and cross-border disputes at the law firms of O’Melveny & Myers LLP and Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss.
Fluent in Spanish, Ms. Price has lived and worked in Mexico City for seven years and has previous professional experience in Chile and Venezuela. While at Berkeley Law, she served as a senior editor of the Berkeley Journal of International Law and was a member of the Berkeley Law Trial Advocacy Team.
did you know?
Outside of work, Melissa can be found on stage in theater rehearsals with her family.
