Personius Melber LLP

12/17/2025

Personius Melber LLP has promoted Scott R. Hapeman to Partner. A graduate of Notre Dame Law School, Scott has been an integral part of our firm's success and growth over the past two decades. His good nature, professionalism, and commitment to achieving outstanding results for our clients has made him an indispensable member of our team. We are excited to incorporate Scott's experience and leadership capabilities into our firm’s day-to-day operations as we continue to navigate the ever-evolving challenges of our active litigation-based practice.

Scott was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2002, and is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York (2002) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2008). He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Notre Dame Law School in 2001, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from Canisius College in 1998. Scott is a member of both the Erie County Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association. He volunteers with the Western District of New York Pro Se Assistance Program, helping self-represented litigants navigate the legal system. Scott’s practice focuses in the areas of personal injury and civil litigation. He is married to Jessica Burgasser, who is also an attorney. Their 16-year-old twin sons attend the Nichols School.

07/11/2025

Article by Katie Anderson of Business First:

After more than 23 years as a trial lawyer at his own firm, Brian Melber firmly believes that lawyers are the “architects of community.”

That’s why his focus during his term as president of the Bar Association of Erie County will be on advocating for the legal process and rule of law.

“We help our clients live and work and resolve their differences peacefully through the legal process,” he said. “My goal is to strengthen community among lawyers and then help them become the architects for community in Buffalo.”

Melber, a Buffalo native, graduated from the University at Buffalo School of Law in 1996. He then went to work for Brown and Kelly, a firm that disbanded in 2019. Melber was there for five years.

“I had a few different mentors there who let me explore all different areas of the law, and they gave me the opportunity to be a trial lawyer right away,” he said.

One of those mentors was his now partner, Rodney Personius. Together they started their firm, Personius Melber, in 2002. They’re a team of five trial attorneys.

“Buffalo has a uniquely tight-knit legal community that makes it possible to find solutions to conflicts and problems that you wouldn’t get if you didn’t have that element of trust and mutual respect,” Melber said.

About 15 years ago, Melber was elected to the board of directors for the Erie County Bar, and last year he served as vice president for then-president, Lauren Breen. In June, he took over as the 119th president of the organization, which has 3,300 members and about 375 student members.

He’s also a member of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York’s Western New York chapter and a member of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York.

Melber said that, especially at the national level, the rule of law, legal process and system of justice are being challenged.

“These are principals that transcend any political viewpoint,” he said. “It’s anytime things happen without following the rule of law or our established justice process or due process. That’s what we would advocate for — that processes be followed and judges are allowed to do their work independent of those political pressures.”

Melber said the bar association started a working group to identify and formulate responses for things that might happen in the community that are contrary to the rule of law and the legal process.

“Then as a group we’ll determine what legal principle is involved and then stand up for that process,” he said. “We have a voice and a responsibility and opportunity to be the advocates for that system and show that it has value.”

06/16/2025

https://buffalonews.com/news/local/article_e7ab4bfe-0d23-4063-8ebf-0f17a7de2d39.html

Melber is a founding partner of the Buffalo law firm of Personius Melber LLP.

06/13/2025

Congratulations from all of us at Personius Melber to partner Brian Melber as he is sworn in as President of the Erie County Bar Association.

06/23/2024

Congratulations to partner Brian Melber for being elected as Vice President/President-Elect of the Erie County Bar Association!

01/22/2024

Congratulations to partner Rodney Personius for receiving the Charles F. Crimi Memorial Award from the NYS Bar Association this past weekend. This award is given to recognize the professional career of a defense lawyer in private practice that embodies the highest ideals of the Criminal Justice Section.

04/13/2023

Thank you to some of our Extended Family sponsors for making this party to die for possible!

O'Brien & Ford, PC http://obrienandford.com/
Barbara O'Neill & James Cuozzo
O'Neill Chiropractic & Wellness http://www.oneillchiropractic.com/
Personius Melber LLP https://www.personiusmelber.com/
Phillips Lytle https://phillipslytle.com/

🍻 THE WAKE 🍻
☘️ 4.22.23 ☘️
🎟 IrishClassical.com/The-Wake

01/24/2023

Outgoing NYSACDL President Brian Melber. PMLLP is very proud of Brian's outstanding leadership.

09/08/2020

Thank you to Personius Melber LLP for being an awesome partner! Check them out! Personius Melber LLP at https://www.personiusmelber.com/

11/19/2019

The trio of attorneys at Personius Melber LLP typically takes on cases in which someone in the business arena will have to mount a defense to counter accusations they didn’t anticipate.