Melissa Lin’s practice includes insurance coverage and the representation of individuals, businesses, contractors, homeowners associations, municipalities, and insurance carriers in tort and contract litigation, primarily in the areas of general liability, personal injury, employment, construction defect, bad faith, and product liability litigation. She has spoken and been published both locally and nationally on legal writing, diversity and construction law.
- Doe v. Iglesia Bautista Cent., No. 1 CA-CV 23-0681, 2024 WL 2831718, at *1 (Ariz. Ct. App. June 6, 2024). Successfully prevailed on the appeal of a superior court’s grant of a motion for summary judgment in favor of a church, finding that there was no triable issue of fact regarding the church’s notice of abuse.
- Successfully defended and negotiated settlements for carriers in first party bad faith litigation and pre-litigation claims.
- Successfully defended and resolved employment claims for businesses, colleges, and schools alleging violation of Title VII claims of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Pay Act (EPA).
- Successfully defended homeowners associations in administrative law hearings where homeowners alleged unfair enforcement of CC&R violations.
- Successfully prevailed on a defense motion for summary judgment on a breach of implied warranty claim through appeal, motion for reconsideration, and motion for new trial where the plaintiff alleged damages over a million dollars. The filing on motion for partial summary judgement severely limited the plaintiff damages. Melissa successfully negotiated a settlement which primarily consisted of settlement funds contributed by third parties.
- Second chair for the defense of a multi-week seven-day construction defect trial where the plaintiff was requesting just under a million dollars in damages, and the defense asserted a cost of repair of just under $20,000. The jury found for the defense on common law fraud, consumer fraud, and negligent misrepresentation claims, and only awarded the plaintiff damages on warranty claims in the amount of $230,000. As a result of defense work on fee-shifting, the plaintiff agreed to walk away from the trial judgment with each party bearing their own fees and costs.
- Author, Finding Balance and Creating Connections Through DRI, For the Defense, March 2022
- Author, Whose Claim and Defense is it Anyways? A Review of Current Claims Against and Best Defenses for Subcontractors, For the Defense, June 2015
- Presenter, Product Liability: Failure To Consider Everybody, Themis NexGen 2025 Summit, August 2025
- Presenter, Inclusion in Manufacturing: Failure To Consider Every Body, IADC Product Liability Roundtable, September 2024
- Moderator, Knowledge Sharing Strategies to Overcome the Knowledge Gap, Themis Next Gen, August 2024
- Presenter, Work-Life Boundaries: Defining Your Well-Being, IADC Corporate Counsel Training Academy, April 2024
- Presenter, Strategies to Maximize the Use of an Expert, Themis Advocates Group 2022 Annual Meeting, January 2023
- Presenter Punching Above Your Weight Class: How Small/Solo Firms Can Work with Large Corporate Clients, NAPABA Convention, November 2023
- Presenter, Policy Limit Demands from Multiple Claimants, Themis Advocates Group Annual Meeting, 2022
- Presenter, Diversity and Inclusion in the Insurance Industry – How we are doing and why it matters, DRI Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium, 2021
- Presenter, Case Law Update, DRI Construction Law Seminar, 2021
- Presenter, How to Retain Diverse Talent, International Association of Defense Counsel Midyear Meeting, 2021
- Presenter, Asian Discrimination in the Shadow of COVID-19 – Continuing the IADC Conversation About Becoming an Active Ally with a Focus on Asian Allyship: How to Get Involved, Stay Involved, and Educate Others About Racial and Social Injustice, International Association of Defense Counsel Diversity and Inclusion Webinar, August 2020
- Presenter, The Power of Persuasive Writing, DRI Women in the Law Seminar, 2018
- Moderator, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Executive Committees (but Were Afraid to Ask), DRI Diversity for Success Seminar, 2017
- Moderator, Learning from Leading Women: Shaping the Future of Business Success, DRI Diversity for Success Seminar, 2015
- Presenter, Nuances of the Economic Loss Rule in different Jurisdictions, How Owners Can Recover Damages from Subcontractors, with/without a Contract, and insurance Coverage Issues for Contractual Liability Exclusions, American Conference Institute’s 2nd National Forum on Construction Claims & Litigation, 2015
Admissions
- Arizona
- California
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Memberships
- State Bar of California, Member
- State Bar of Arizona, Member
- YLD Board Member at Large, 2013-2014
- Treasurer, 2012-2013,
- Secretary, 2011-2012
- District 4 Representative, 2008-2011
- International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), Member, 2019-Present
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Committee Chair, 2023-2025
- Membership, Committee, 2023-2025
- CLE Committee, Member, 2024-2025
- Annual Meeting, Steering Committee, 2026
- Midyear Meeting Steering Committee, 2022
- DRI, Member, 2007 – Present
- Diversity Committee, Member, 2012-Present
- Diversity for Success Seminar, Chair, 2016
- Construction Law Committee, Member, 2012-Present
- Construction Law Seminar, Vice Chair
- Women In the Law, Member, 2009-2022
- Diversity Committee, Member, 2012-Present
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Member, 2015-Present
- Arizona Asian American Bar Association
- Member, 2011-Present
- Board Member, 2011-2014
Education
- J.D., University of Arizona, 2004
- B.S., cum laude, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, 2001
Honors
- AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
- Best Lawyers in America® distinction in Construction Law 2021-2026, Insurance Law 2023-2026, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, 2023-2026, and Litigation – Construction Law, 2024-2026
- Super Lawyers® Rising Stars distinction in Insurance Coverage, General Litigation, Construction Litigation: Business, Employment Litigation: Defense, Personal Injury – General: Defense, 2012-2019
- Best Under Forty, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, 2018
- Spirit of Excellence Award, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Indiana, 2017
- Top Valley Attorney, North Valley Magazine, 2013
- Lawyers of Color’s Inaugural Hot List for Western Region, 2013
- Volunteer of the Month, Phoenix Art Museum, December 2011
- Mohave County Pro Bono Service Award, Community Legal Services, 2006
Languages
- Spanish
- Taiwanese