Melissa D'Alelio

Practice Areas

Tenacious and diligent, Melissa D’Alelio provides insight, analysis, and advocacy during complex commercial disputes. Melissa divides her sophisticated insurance practice between liability and property claims, representing clients in the investigation, litigation and trial of a broad spectrum of first and third party coverage, subrogation, reinsurance, and bad faith matters. She also counsels non-insurer clients in general business litigation and contract disputes, labor and employment matters, personal injury, and products liability.

Recognized as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer, Up and Coming Lawyer, or Rising Star every year from 2011 through 2016, Melissa has extensive experience representing insurance companies across the U.S. in high-stakes property coverage investigations, appraisals, and litigation involving collapse, design defect, earth movement, environmental exposure, and catastrophe claims such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, and fires. These disputes, which arise in a broad array of industries and professions, regularly involve analyzing ordinance and law, and business interruption claims. Melissa also handles computer fraud, hacking, and other cyber-crime property insurance claims, as well as policyholder misrepresentation and fraud claims.

Melissa’s practice includes representing insurers in the resolution and litigation of a broad range of liability coverage and claims handling disputes under primary and excess commercial, and other specialty line policies, evaluating their duty to defend and indemnify their insureds. Melissa is well versed in resolving claims involving personal and advertising injury, defective construction, additional and other insureds, priority of coverage, and allocation disputes.

Melissa’s extensive experience in resolving policy interpretation disputes in both the property and liability arenas enables her to assist insurers in drafting customized policy forms and endorsements. A former teacher, Melissa enjoys advising and training a wide variety of clients regarding compliance with insurance regulations, state and federal statues, and common law, recommending, as necessary, changes in policy provisions and business protocols and procedures.

Professional Memberships

Vice Chair, Property Insurance Committee, the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel ("FDCC")

Vice Chair, Property Insurance Law General Committee, American Bar Association, Tort, Trial and Insurance Practice ("TIPS")

Massachusetts Bar Association

Massachusetts Women's Bar Association

Defense Research Institute

Mount Holyoke College Alumnae Association

Women's Bar Foundation

Massachusetts Resinsurance Bar Association

Professional Loss Research Bureau

Loss Executives Association

Publications

Melissa D'Alelio, Robert Callahan, Jr. - Law360, "Questions Remain on Computer Fraud Coverage For Phishing" (August 26, 2022)

Melissa D'Alelio - The Robins Kaplan Insurance Insight, "Women Leaders Excel

In Times of Crisis:" (June 7, 2022)

Melissa D'Alelio, Michael Collier - Law360, "'Take-Home' COVID And Emerging Liability Insurance Issues" (April 14, 2022)

Education

Awards