Since 1983, Chip Merlin has served as a plaintiff's attorney with a focus on Commercial & Residential Property Insurance Claim Disputes and Bad Faith Insurance litigation. Chip is a noted national expert on Insurance Bad Faith, lecturing to national trade groups and publishing a number of papers and articles on the subject for organizations such as The American Association for Justice, The Florida Justice Association, The Florida Windstorm Conference, and Trial Magazine.

As founder and president of Merlin Law Group, Chip has dedicated his practice to the representation and advocacy of insurance policyholders in disputes with insurance companies in Florida, Mississippi, and nationwide.

Chip served as Chair for the Bad Faith Insurance Litigation Group and Secretary for the Fire and Property Insurance Litigation Group for the American Association for Justice (formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America). He was also Vice-Chair for the Subcommittee on Property Insurance Law for the American Bar Association.

He is Board Certified in Civil Trial by the Florida Bar and AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. For four consecutive years Chip has been named by Florida Trend magazine in their "Florida Legal Elite" issue and was named twice as one of Florida's Super Lawyers.

Certification/Specialties

Bar Admissions

Florida
U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida
Mississippi
Texas
The U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas

Education

University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida, J.D.
Honors: Moot Court
Honors: Florida Blue Key
Honors: Omicron Delta Kappa
Law Review: University of Florida Law Review, Executive Editor

University of Florida
Bachelor of Science
Major: Business Administration

Published Works

Experience and Specialization Matters When It Comes to Complex Hospitality Insurance, Insurance Journal, Spring 2010

A Case Providing Far Too Little Because It Was Rendered Far Too Late, Mississppi Law Journal, April 2010

Ten Things a Florida Public Adjuster Can do to Raise Professionalism and Become More Successful, FAPIA Summer Conference, August 10, 2007

Plugging the Gaps: Dealing with Inconsistent Terms in Your Layered Insurance, Risk Insurance Management Society Conference, April 30, 2007

Coming Up With Evidence Out of the Blue Creative Bad Faith Discovery, American Association for Justice Mid Year Convention, February 11, 2007

Unfair Claims Practices, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers 2006 Winter CLE Seminar, December 15, 2006

Practical and Legal Lessons from the 2004 and 2005 Hurricanes for Every Policyholder Representative, National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters 2006 Mid Year Meeting, December 1, 2006

Peace of Mind: Getting Adequate Insurance Protection, APCM's 2006 Regional Conference Florida Region, Novebmer 10, 2006

Dealing With Disaster: How to Survive Being Flooded Out, Burned Up, Or Blown Away!, Condominium Associations Institute National Conference & Exposition, 2006

What Else Do We Cover? Extra Coverages, The American Bar Association Presents: Emerging Issues in Homeowners' Insurance Seminar, 2006

How to Apply Coinsurance and Deductible Clauses in Property Insurance Policies, Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FAPIA), 2006

Condominium Leadership Before and After a Hurricane Catastrophe, Windstorm Insurance Network Annual Conference, 2006

The First Party Bad Faith Claim, (Co-Author with Mary E. Kestenbaum), Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (AFTL) Winter Seminar, 2005

Lessons Learned After the Storms, Trial - Journal of the American Association for Justice, August, 2007

Classes/Seminars Taught

Understanding the Valuation Issues of the Gulf Oil Spill, HB Litigation Conferences Presents Oil in the Gulf – Litigation and Insurance Coverage, June 2010

Fantastic Adjustment Results Through Professionalism and Ethical Conduct: Tips From the Masters and Lessons From the School of Hard Knocks, NAPIA Annual Meeting, June 2010

What Texas Public Adjusters Should Be Doing Ethically and Professionally Regarding Hurricanes Dolly and Ike Claims, TAPIA Annual Meeting 2010

The Ultimate Roofing SeminarTM, CE Seminar for Public Adjusters, April 2010

The Ultimate Seminar for Public AdjustersTM: Ethical Issues for Presenting Claims, CE Seminar for Public Adjusters, April 2010

Learning From Those on the Other Side of Claims Negotiations: Persuasive, Professional, and Ethical Techniques of Adjustment for the Policyholder, FAPIA Summer Conference 2010Proofs of Loss, EUOs, & Requests for Documentation, FAPIA Winter Conference 2010

Speed Adjusting: A Fast and Furious Look at the Concerns and Considerations of Insurance Claims and How They Can Affect Public Adjusting, FAPIA Summer Conference 2009

The Merlin Guide: How to ethically and efficiently adjust claims in Texas", Seminar for Texas Public Adjusters, 2009

The Process Matters: Appraisals, Prompt Payment and Bad Faith in Texas", Seminar for Texas Public Adjusters, 2009

Fact or Fiction: Expert analysis of Hurricane Ike", Seminar for Texas Public Adjusters, 2009

Maximizing Recovery: Best practices and surrounding Law and Ordinance coverage, ACV, RCV, Matching, and Building Codes", Seminar for Texas Public Adjusters, 2009

Successful Solicitations and Salutations: Sell and Close Right to Succeed", FAPIA, 2009

Electronic Discovery Concerns for Adjusters, Insurers, and Policyholders: What you May Not Know Can Hurt You", WIND 2009, January 27, 2009

How Ethical and Knowledgeable Claims Handling Adds Value to Your Clients Claim", 2008 NAPIA Mid-Year Meeting, December 6, 2008

The Rules of the Game, A discussion comparing and contrasting the rules, regulations, and requirements for Northeastern U.S. and the Gulf Coast states", NAPIA/MAPIA, October 24, 2008

Is Your Association really Ready for Another Hurricane in 2008?", CAI North Gulf Coast Chapter, March 19, 2008

Who's on First? Excess Policies and Multiple Insurers", 2008 Windstorm Insurance Conference, February 4, 2008 - February 7, 2008

What Even Seasoned Attorneys Need to Know About Current Techniques of Persuasion When Discussing Issues of Insurer Misconduct", Florida Justice Association, 2008

How Ethical and Knowledgeable Claims Handling Adds Value to Your Client's Claim", NAPIA, 2008

Delay of Game, Panel discussion of specific types of business interruption claims", NAPIA/MAPIA, 2008

The Perfect Game, Best practices for claims handling when it comes to maximizing the recovery for a client", NAPIA/MAPIA, 2008

Rules of the Road: A Different Methodology For Proving Duty and Breach", 2007 Florida Justice Association Winter CLE Seminar, December 11, 2007 - December 17, 2007

Subrogation- Do’s and Don’t’s," First Party Claims Conference, 2009

Science of Roof Damages," First Party Claims Conference, 2009

Gulf Coast Case Law Update, WIND 2010, January 2010

Honors and Awards

Selected by peers as The Best Lawyers in America® 2011
Tampa Bay’s Best Lawyers 2010 by Tampa Bay Magazine
Super Laywers® 2010
AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Outstanding Amicus Brief of the Year, United Policyholders, 2002
Eagle Talon Award, The Florida Justice Association (formerly the academy of Florida Trial Lawyers), 1990
2007 NAPIA Co-Person of the Year, 2007 - Present
Inclusion - Florida Trend Magazine: Florida's Legal Elite, 2004 - 2009
Inclusion - Florida's SuperLawyers, 2007 - 2009
Lexis Nexis Insurance Law Center Person of the Year 2008 Policyholder Attorney of the Year, Honorable Mention, 2008

Professional Associations and Memberships

American Association for Justice, President's Member
American Association for Justice, 1996 - 1998, Chairman, Bad Faith Insurance Litigation Group
American Association for Justice, Fire and Property Insurance Litigation Group, 1993 - 1995 Secretary
American Bar Association, 1988 - 1998, Vice Chairman, Subcommittee on Property Insurance Law
National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA) Associate Member
Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FAPIA) Associate Member
Community Associations Institute (CAI) Associate Member
Risk Insurance Management Society (RIMS) Associate Member
Windstorm Insurance Network Board Member
Citizen's Property Insurance Corporation Mission Review Task Force, 2008 - Present Member