Melissa Sims

Practice Areas

Melissa Sim's is the managing member of Berk, Merchant & Sims. Ms. Sims advises insurance companies on First and Third-Party Insurance Coverage matters, Builders Risk Insurance Coverage Disputes, Commercial Insurance Coverage, Complex Commercial Insurance Claims, Extra Contractual Insurance Claims and Litigation, Insurance Fraud, General Liability, Insurance Pre-Suit Investigations, Jewlers Block, Inland Marine, and Reinsurance issues. Ms. Sims has tried multiple insurance cases involving losses resulting from hurricanes, arson, water, vandalism, and a variety of casualty coverage cases

Career

Melissa began practicing law in 1992 at the law firm of Phelps Dunbar in 1992 focusing on insurance coverage disputes including coverage litigation as a result of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In 1996 Melissa relocated to Florida and worked as an associate for a large regional law firm Adorno & Yoss where she became partner in 2001 also practicing insurance coverage litigation. In 2005 Melissa along with two partners William Berk and Evelyn Merchant left Adorno to form Berk, Merchant & Sims. In 2021 Melissa became managing partner of Berk, Merchant & Sims and continues to hold this position.

Professional Memberships

Florida Bar Association; Louisiana Bar Association; Past-President, Windstorm Insurance Network 2021-2022; American Bar Association Torts & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS); Property Insurance Law Committee; Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee: Litigation Section, Products Liability Committee; Member, American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel; Member, Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM); Member, Dade County Defense Bar Association; Member, Dade County Bar Association; Member, Federal Bar Association; Member, American Bar Associations; and, Member. Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention.

Publications

2021 Windstorm Insurance Network - Claims Handling Across State Lines; 2019 Windstorm Insurance Network - Business as Unusual; 2018 Windstorm Insurance Network - Game of Drones; 2017 Windstorm Insurance Network - , American Bar Association - Tips for Trial Lawyers: Communicating with Judges; 2016 American Bar Association - Trying a Case to a Jury: Dos & Don’ts; 2016 Windstorm Insurance Network - Are you Prepared? The things you don’t know but need to know to be ready for

Deposition and Trial; 2015 Windstorm Insurance Network - Evolution of a Hurricane Claim; 2014 American Bar Association - The Perfect Storm: Delay, Defenses & Damages in Catastrophe Property Claims; 2014 Windstorm Insurance Network - Mock Evidentiary Hearing; 2013 Windstorm Insurance Network - Bad Faith Law from Texas to Florida; 2011 Windstorm Insurance Network - How to Present a First Party Trial; 2008 Windstorm Insurance Network - After the Storm: Compliance and Non-Compliance with Post-Loss Conditions; 2007 Windstorm Insurance Network - Appraisal from A to Z: All You Need To Know, But Were Afraid To Ask

Personal

Melissa is married with two children.