Premier New England Trial Attorneys
Insurance Coverage

 We are proud to serve clients throughout New England.

Insurance Coverage

Guiding New England Clients Through Insurance Law Matters

Melick & Porter, LLP’s insurance coverage practice has an incredible reputation. Our success is founded upon our superior research, legal analysis, and writing skills. We provide detailed coverage analyses and practical advice to help our clients achieve the best outcomes promptly and economically. Clients count on us not only as advisors, but also as their trial and appellate counsel. We help our clients navigate the intricacies of policy language and the law, and we always stand ready to vigorously defend their positions in court. Our senior attorneys have conducted thousands of coverage evaluations, have tried numerous cases in state and federal courts, and have enjoyed successes before judges and juries alike. Our firm has also helped forge new coverage law through the many appellate cases we have handled.

Our professional legal team is proud to serve clients throughout New England.

Who We Serve

We represent primary and excess insurers as well as self-insured companies, and we are familiar with a wide range of insurance policies, including commercial general liability, employment practices liability, professional liability, errors and omissions, directors and officers, automobile, pollution, excess, and umbrella. Our practice also includes representing insurance companies against claims for bad faith and punitive damages.

Decades Of Experience To Back Our Reputations

We are proud of our tradition of excellence. Our senior attorneys have earned AV ratings from Martindale-Hubbell and have been recognized for their insurance coverage expertise as Massachusetts Super Lawyers and New England Super Lawyers. Partner William Rose is a member of the American College of Coverage and Extra-Contractual Counsel. Our late partner, Andre Sansoucy, authored Liability Insurance Law in Massachusetts, and partner Michael Byrne carries on his legacy with regular supplements to this leading treatise. For anything from a simple first or second opinion on a reservation of rights to a complex declaratory judgment action, we would be pleased to put our energy, experience, and expertise to work on your behalf.

Notable Cases

  • American Home Assur. Co. v. First Specialty Ins. Co., 73 Mass.App.Ct. 1 (2008) (trucking coverage)
  • Merrill v. Colbert, 79 Mass.App.Ct. 1124 (2011) (sexual relations between patient and therapist not covered by professional liability policy)
  • Newton v. Krasnigor, 404 Mass. 682 (1989) (intentional act exclusion)
  • Utica Mut. Ins. Co. v. Amity Ins. Agency, Inc., 84 Mass.App.Ct. 1111 (2013) (errors and omissions insurance)

Our insurance coverage lawyers are ready to assist you.

Nationally-Recognized & Award-Winning Trial Attorneys

  • Alexander W. Ahrens Photo
  • Christina  Balli Photo
  • Alexandra D. Burroughs-Hood Photo
  • Michael R. Byrne Photo
  • Christopher A. Costain Photo
  • Ryan C. Coyne Photo
  • Matthew B. DiMario Photo
  • Thomas C. Donovan Photo
  • Kyle P. Dutch Photo
  • Lauren S. Fackler Photo
  • Richard E. Heifetz Photo
  • Christian H. Hinrichsen Photo
  • Nicholas M. Luise Photo
  • Casey C. Miller Photo
  • Robert P. Powers Photo
  • Holly G. Rogers Photo
  • William P. Rose Photo
  • Syd A. Saloman Photo
  • Alexander W. Ahrens Photo
    Alexander W. Ahrens

    Partner

    Alex is a Partner in our Connecticut office. He graduated summa cum laude from Quinnipiac University School of Law. He has a B.A. degree in English from Gettysburg College. Alex was an Associate Editor of the Quinnipiac Law Review and received awards for Academic Excellence and Outstanding Performance in Oral Advocacy.

  • Christina  Balli Photo
    Christina Balli

    Associate

    Christina is an Associate in the firm’s Boston office.

    Christina graduated summa cum laude from Siena College in 2019, where she majored in Political Science and minored in Science, Technology, and Value. During this time, she completed an internship at the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Christina earned her Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School in 2023.

  • Alexandra D. Burroughs-Hood Photo
    Alexandra D. Burroughs-Hood

    Associate

    Alexandra is an Associate in the firm's Boston office. Alexandra's practice focuses on the defense of employment practices, general liability cases and insurance coverage.

  • Michael R. Byrne Photo
    Michael R. Byrne

    Partner

    Having begun his career at Melick & Porter over twenty-five years ago, Mike rejoined the firm in 2015 after several years at a national firm specializing in civil litigation defense and insurance coverage matters. Mike has experience in a variety of areas, from professional liability and premises liability claims to business disputes, housing discrimination, and environmental claims.

  • Christopher A. Costain Photo
    Christopher A. Costain

    Associate

    Chris is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Connecticut office. His practice focuses on defending individual and corporate clients in a wide range of civil litigation matters involving employment practices liability, premises liability, general liability, and insurance coverage issues.

  • Ryan C. Coyne Photo
    Ryan C. Coyne

    Associate

    Ryan Coyne is an Associate in the firm’s Providence location.

    Prior to joining Melick & Porter, Ryan served as a law clerk for the Rhode Island Supreme Court Law Clerk Department, where he was a clerk for the Honorable Justice Brian P. Stern on the business calendar in Providence County Superior Court.

  • Matthew B. DiMario Photo
    Matthew B. DiMario

    Partner

    Matt is a Partner in the General Liability and Professional Liability practice groups. He is admitted to practice in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts, as well as the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island and regularly represents insurance carriers, their policy holders and self-insureds in state and federal court. Matt is a skilled litigator who has successfully represented clients on a wide range of insurance defense matters.

  • Thomas C. Donovan Photo
    Thomas C. Donovan

    Associate

    Tom is an Associate in Melick & Porter’s Boston office.  He joined the Firm in 2016 as a litigation paralegal, gaining experience in a wide range of complex liability matters while pursuing his JD from New England Law | Boston.  Tom will be focusing his practice on defending individual and corporate clients in general liability, professional liability, and sexual abuse litigation. 

  • Kyle P. Dutch Photo
    Kyle P. Dutch

    Associate

    Kyle is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Boston office.

    Kyle worked for various Philadelphia-area law firms while attending Drexel University's Thomas R. Kline School of Law. At Drexel, Kyle was the Lead Research Editor of the Drexel Law Review, a Dean's List honoree, a recipient of the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Workers' Compensation Law, a member of the Business Law Society, a full-tuition scholarship recipient, and a volunteer for the Student Bar Association mentor program.

  • Lauren S. Fackler Photo
    Lauren S. Fackler

    Partner

    Lauren is a Partner in the firm’s Boston office. Her practices focus on defending employment practices liability matters involving a variety of issues, including harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. She also handles professional liability, general liability, and insurance coverage matters. Lauren represents clients in both state and federal courts as well as before state and federal agencies.

  • Richard E. Heifetz Photo
    Richard E. Heifetz

    Partner

    Rick Heifetz is entering his fortieth year of practicing law. He is a 1972 graduate of the University of New Hampshire (B.A., cum laude) and a 1978 graduate of the New England School of Law (J.D., cum laude). He began his legal career as an associate in the firm of Darling & McLaughlin in Burlington and was a founding partner in the Boston firm of Roche, Heifetz, Murphy & Wholley.

  • Christian H. Hinrichsen Photo
    Christian H. Hinrichsen

    Partner

    Christian has extensive experience in complex litigation matters, including bench and jury trials, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, and mediations. His corporate counseling includes risk assessment and contract review. He is admitted to the state and federal courts of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Christian's practice has earned him selections as a “Massachusetts Super Lawyer.”

  • Nicholas M. Luise Photo
    Nicholas M. Luise

    Associate

    Nick is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Boston office. His practice focuses on employment law, general liability, professional liability, and premises liability.

  • Casey C. Miller Photo
    Casey C. Miller

    Associate

    Casey is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Connecticut office. Her practice focuses on defending individual and corporate clients in a wide range of civil litigation matters involving employment practices liability, premises liability, general liability, and insurance coverage issues. She has experience defending against premises liability and personal injury cases on behalf of her clients.

  • Robert P. Powers Photo
    Robert P. Powers

    Member

    Bob joined the firm in 1984 after graduating from law school and has made it his professional home. In the years since, he has tried numerous jury cases in both federal and state courts involving a variety of civil matters, including professional malpractice, insurance coverage, and general liability claims. Bob oversees our firm's appellate practice and has successfully argued cases before the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

  • Holly G. Rogers Photo
    Holly G. Rogers

    Partner

    Holly Rogers has earned a reputation as a zealous and effective advocate. She practices from our Connecticut Office, which she also manages. Holly has extensive experience in complex litigation matters. She devotes the majority of her practice to representation of clients in employment and professional liability matters. Holly represents clients in both federal and state courts in Connecticut and New York, as well as before federal and state agencies. Holly has arbitrated and mediated numerous claims before the American Arbitration Association and other dispute resolution entities. She has authored articles on a variety of legal topics and has spoken on topics of interest before client groups and legal peers.

  • William P. Rose Photo
    William P. Rose

    Partner

    Bill Rose is a graduate of University of Massachusetts and a cum laude graduate of Suffolk University School of Law. He also obtained his C.P.C.U. designation. Bill previously practiced at Morrison, Mahoney & Miller; Gillespie & Associates; the Law Offices of Peter Eleey; and Tucker, Heifetz & Saltzman, LLP. He handles cases in all areas of the firm’s practice.

  • Syd A. Saloman Photo
    Syd A. Saloman

    Partner

    Syd is a cum laude graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and a cum laude graduate of Suffolk University Law School. During law school, he was the recipient of the Goodwin Scholarship for Best Trial Advocacy. Syd previously practiced at Regan & Kiely LLP and Tucker, Heifetz & Saltzman in Boston.

What Sets Us Apart

  • Client-Centered Approach
  • Well-Qualified & Accomplished Firm
  • Nationally Recognized Super Lawyers®
  • Seasoned Litigators & Appellate Attorneys
  • High-End Legal Representation
  • Track Record Of Client Success