Michael Melendez

Michael W. Melendez is a commercial litigator focusing on all types of complex insurance coverage, including construction defect, advertising injury, personal injury, directors and officers, and general liability. Mike provides claims handling and coverage advice to insurers, defends bad faith suits, and litigates declaratory relief and contribution actions.

Mike has designed and given several presentations to claims professionals and attorneys on insurance coverage and general legal issues including claims practices, constructions defect, additional insurance, independent counsel, ethics, and bad faith.

Mike has represented clients in numerous jurisdictions throughout the United States, and has tried cases and argued appeals in both state and federal courts. Mike is licensed to practice before all the state and federal courts in California and Nevada, and has been admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and the U.S. Court of Claims.

In addition to insurance coverage, Mike has handled a variety of general commercial disputes. Mike has served pro bono as a special deputy public defender in Marin County and as an arbitrator for the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Committee on Fee Disputes. Mike also served on the California State Bar’s Executive Committee for the Law Practice Management and Technology Section.

EXPERIENCE :

• Represented insurance clients in bad faith suits in state and federal court in California and Nevada.
• Represented benefit plans in ERISA litigation.

EDUCATION :

• Stanford University, J.D., 1986
• Stanford University, A.B., 1983

BAR ADMISSIONS : California; Nevada

COURT ADMISSIONS :

• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• U.S. District Court — Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court — Central District of California
• U.S. District Court — Southern District of California
• U.S. District Court — Nevada