A commitment to develop and create opportunities for the next generation builds strong teams and drives trial success.
When a key client is sued by 11 groups of franchisees around the country claiming $54 million in damages, a senior partner might grab the wheel and assemble a battalion of underlings to work it. They might – if they hadn’t for years devoted themselves to training, developing, creating opportunities, and making room for the rising generation of lawyers – like Firm President Katie Reilly has.
WellBiz Brands, one of the largest therapeutic, wellness, beauty, and fitness franchise companies in the country, hired WTO in 2020 after Katie met their Chief Legal Officer at a Zoom party during COVID. After WTO successfully handled their first few matters, WellBiz continued to send more work. Melissa Romero, then a mid-level associate, played a key role on these matters, working up cases, arguing motions, taking witness examinations, and building credibility and relationships with the business personnel and client contact. When Melissa became a partner in 2024, she became the primary contact for the client and took the lead on new matters coming in.
Taking The Lead
In 2023, after WellBiz had acquired a franchise system operating under the LunchboxWax brand and rebranded it Radiant Waxing, it was sued by 11 groups of franchisees. The franchisees claimed the rebrand destroyed their businesses and demanded to recoup every dollar they had invested, along with claimed lost profits. Katie initially teamed on this case with fourth-year partner Tommy Olsen, but Tommy was quickly able to assume the lead counsel role.
“I had told Tommy that if the case went to trial, we would do the trial together, but then I realized this was a great opportunity for him to get first-chair experience on what would be a significant, complicated trial, and this was also best for the client,” said Katie.
Associate Opportunities
With Melissa handling numerous other matters for the client, Tommy added to the team Macy Mize-Martinez, a fourth-year associate and recent lateral from a large New York firm, and Corey Thompson, a second-year associate.
“This was a really complex case,” said Tommy. “The franchisees were located all over the country, and while they had a number of common claims, there were essentially eleven different stories and situations. The client didn’t really know me, but they knew I had worked closely with Katie, and they knew Melissa and I shared the same commitment to training and supporting the Macy/Corey generation, so they were aligned with our approach.”
As the team worked the case, Corey focused on research and writing, while Macy, who at her previous AmLaw 30 firm had not had an opportunity to depose a party to a case, took ten depositions over a two-week stretch. Tommy worked intensively to prepare her and sat in on her first deposition.
“I didn’t expect to have such a big role,” said Macy, “and it felt great that Tommy trusted me, invested so much time in me, and then basically said, ‘you’ve got this.’”
Then, in March 2025, about two months before what became a two-week bench trial, Melissa offered to join the trial team. “This was my first lead role in a significant trial,” said Tommy. “There ended up being about two dozen witnesses and a lot of moving parts. Melissa was buried with other work, but when it became clear how challenging the trial would be, she volunteered to help and was invaluable. It was such a selfless, client-focused act.”
Heading to Trial
In her first trial experience, Macy cross-examined five of the witnesses she had deposed. “She did so well,” said Melissa. “She was confident, poised, and connected with the witnesses on cross-examination, which is hard to do. She had built on her experience in the depositions, knew the facts better than opposing counsel, and was ready.”
“A main thing that attracted me here,” said Macy, “was the firm’s reputation for training, mentorship, and sponsorship. The senior leaders are really committed to that, which has been passed to the next generation of partners, and is now being passed to us.”
The judge eventually ruled that Radiant’s rebrand was contractually authorized, reasonably implemented, and did not cause Plaintiffs the financial ruin they claimed.
“This played out the way it did because of the opportunities Katie provided Melissa and me, and that we were then able to provide Macy and Corey,” said Tommy. “It’s just what we do here.”
