Melissa has a very diverse practice. She is involved in providing insurance companies with pre-litigation counseling and advice concerning complex coverage and claims-handling issues. She also regularly represents insurance companies in ADR proceedings and coverage/bad faith litigation involving primary and excess directors & officers, employment practices, errors & omissions, and other professional liability policies. Melissa also maintains a commercial litigation practice involving a wide range of disputes involving intellectual property, securities and contractual disputes.

Representative Experience
Represented the plaintiff shareholder in a derivative suit brought over an allegedly fraudulent purchase and sale of stock.

Successfully secured dismissal of fraud, bad faith and breach of contract lawsuit seeking $15 million from her client (an excess insurer) in connection with insured corporation’s attempt to seek coverage for securities fraud lawsuit, where the insured had not exhausted all of the primary insurance available to it.

Prosecuted a declaratory relief action on behalf of insurance client and negotiated a favorable settlement on behalf of the client on the eve of a summary judgment hearing, resulting in the client paying a fraction of a six figure policy limit that the insured claimed was owed under a professional liability policy.

Negotiated a favorable settlement on behalf of a client involving the valuation of a private companies securities.

Represented claimant in an arbitration proceeding, resulting in a favorable arbitration award requiring the respondent to pay royalties to our client for violating a license agreement involving the client’s home organizing product.

Drafted successful objection to Statutory Administrator’s and Statutory Attorneys’ Fees in Probate Court, resulting in administrator and his attorney agreeing to withdraw in whole their request for statutory fees in probate case involving a minor.

Publications
“D&O and Professional Liability Update 2008: A Year In Review,” Troutman Sanders LLP (March 4, 2009).