After graduating from Boston University School of Law, Melissa worked at a litigation firm in Boston representing victims of sexual abuse. She then joined a law firm focusing primarily in insurance fraud defense. From there, Melissa spent 5 years at a large Boston insurance defense firm focusing on general tort litigation, insurance coverage disputes and toxic tort actions. 

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Melissa joined Murphy & Riley in 2011. Her practice focuses on insurance coverage and general and professional liability defense. With respect to insurance coverage defense, Melissa has initiated and defended against declaratory judgment actions—in both state and federal court—regarding coverage issues under both third-party liability policies and first-party property policies.  She also has handled bad faith claims, typically alleging unfair claims settlement practices under M.G.L. c. 93A and c. 176D, that frequently accompany insurance coverage disputes. She has drafted and successfully argued dispositive motions in numerous such cases.

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Practice Areas

• Bad Faith and G.L. c. 93A/176D

• Insurance Agents and Brokers Liability

• Insurance Coverage

• Premises Liability

• Product Liability

• Professional Liability Defense

  • Accountants

  • Legal

  • Medical

  • Social Services

 

Bar and Court Admissions

• Massachusetts, 2002

• United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, 2005

 

Education

• Boston University School of Law (J.D. 2002); Paul J. Liacos Scholar; Case and Note Editor for the American Journal of Law and Medicine. 

• Tufts University (B.A. 1998)

• Tufts University (1998)

• Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association